Chin up
 

So much of your journal had the feeling,"I let you all down." Nothing could have been more opposite from the truth. I for one are so proud that our great LBG Forum friend was there playing his heart out with all the Golf Channel regulars that we see striving each week.

Thank you

Thanks for the support. Please do not take this the wrong way but the only person I let down was myself. I was not disappointed with anything other than the bad break I got with the weather and the fact that my family did not get to enjoy the event as much as I would have liked them to. Let's face it, I had to play through the elements which was much easier than having to watch it.

I just got back from my son's soccer game and will be heading back out again soon. When I return later I will post a summary on the event and believe me there are far more positives about this week than negatives. Sometimes you have to just sit back and evaluate to gain the proper perspective.

Congratulations Jeff, you fought hard despite some bad breaks that were beyond your control.

You are a champion and that can never be taken away from you.

In boxing the champ has to be knocked out to lose his crown. This aint boxing and you are still on your feet and fighting. You are still the Champ and always will be in our minds and in truth.

Thanks for letting us inside the ropes.

Im proud to say I have met you and played with you.

O.B.

Hi Jeff

First of all, thank you for sharing. It was so cool to see the videos and be a part of your experience. I have lots of questions but do not want to interfere with the flow of your posts...they have been so good. May I ask a few though. Did adjusting your putter during practice rounds affect your putting under the pressure of tournament conditions. Did you do anything different in your preparation than you did for the Georgia PGA event or the Nationwide event.

You really were not out of your element----congratulations on a great accomplishment. What I think is so cool is that you tied Greg Norman and finished above others who play regularly on the PGA Tour including David Duval.:)

Atlanta
 

Jeff,

I've read most of this thread and watched some of the video. And looked at your stats and read your description of how the week went. It all sounds like a pretty normal week for a guy who missed the cut. Played pretty good, played on the bad side of the draw, and did not make enough putts.

Top to bottom, every player out there (except Tiger) has many weeks like this a year. You learn what you can and try to play better next week. The only bad news I see in all of this is that you don't get to start over next week back at even par playing for another huge purse. One of the mantras out on tour is: "I'm only one week away from having a great year."

The weather could have been worse. I've been snowed on at Sugarloaf, and I've seen the flag on eleven bend in the wind and hit the green, and I've seen the tent on the range blow over. Luckily, the horn had blown before all but the snow.

Good luck in your next event. It only gets easier.

Rain Man
 

Thanks for this post, Andrew. Especially from your 'on the bag' perspective of countless week-to-week performances, it carries much weight.

However . . .

With all due respect, this was way beyond "the wrong side of the draw." I can tell you that I had six guys in this tournament -- a collective of many hundreds of cuts made -- and those that played in the afternoon (to a man and to a caddy) said they had never seen play continued under such conditions. John Riegger told me it was the worst he had ever experienced and that play should never have resumed after the first suspension. In fact, all five groups that started before him in the afternoon were waiting for him on #9 tee. With the teebox literally underwater and a forced carry of more than 240 yards into the wind and rain, it took the field more than an hour to play that one hole!

I was there with Jeff, his caddy Chris and his wife, Ashley, when play finally was called and the Evacuation Van arrived. The rain was still driving, and even with umbrellas, we were all beyond soaking wet. On the entire back nine, when golf balls hit fairways and greens, we could see the splash. At least, until it got so dark we couldn't see anymore.

And that ain't right.

As you said, next week comes for most on the PGA TOUR. But it does not come for Jeff, and that is what is so tough about his experience this week. Still, that was the hand he was dealt, and that was the hand he played.

And, IMHO, he played it well, indeed.

:salut:

yoda
 

Yoda,

No doubt that the Tour makes some strange decisions. I could tell you one about the Memorial. The players don't seem to have much leverage. I do remember Sergio complaining about the conditions once, and saying that if Tiger had been on that side of the draw then play would have been suspended.

There is fair, and then there is the tour. You hope to get enough events that it all evens out. Unlucky for Jeff. We could be wishing him a great Sunday if he were on the other side of the draw. Trouble is, the tour only cares about Tiger or #2 if Tiger is not in the field. Not right, but what plays the bills, and sadly, the bottom line seems to be the only thing that matters in Ponte Vedra (did I say that out loud?).

Good luck, Jeff.

Wow.

This tournament sounds like a second rate mini tour event.

No official to tell them anything, silly rulings, trying to just "get the tournament in". Sometimes I think these guys on the Tour don't quite have it as made as I think.....(except for all the free gear).

Thanks for the posts, they were really eye opening

Jeff, I want to say congratulations on all of your success and getting the opportunity to play at such a high level. The amount of work, mental focus, and discipline it takes is absolutely incredible. It's only a dream for 99.9% of us to get to play at that level.

I also just watched the video footage of you at the range and I was so impressed by your rhythm. Your swing is just buttery smooth.

I'm still a hitter and will always be, but I think rhythm is something we all need to focus on. It appears to me that your rhythm is the same no matter what club your swinging, which is a big issue for the masses.


Thank to you, Lynn, Ted, and Chris for all you do..

AT&T Summary
 

Thanks to everyone for their support during the week. Your questions are very good and I hope to answer them either in this post or separately. I think that this thread may have taken a negative turn (mostly my fault) and I want to make sure that everyone understands how much fun I had this week.

The postives far outweigh the negatives and as I look back I was very blessed to have this opportunity. This week was very similar to last year's Nationwide event in Valdosta except I got the better end of the draw last year. We battled severe wind the last round and a half last year and I fared worse. I feel I was actually more prepared, knew the course better, and was playing better than before Valdosta, you simply can't fight mother nature.

I had a great time doing what I love most: playing competative golf while increasing my knowlege base so I can help others. As much as I feel that I can play at this level, I must also remember what I am, a teaching professional and clubfitter. After watching some of the best players in the world I really see that the line is not so big, but the amount of strength required to jump over it is immense. The PGA TOUR is not about ball striking, although it does play a major role. I watched these players on the range and said "I can do that." You must be able to get the ball in the hole regardless of how well you hit it. Brad Adamonis and Tommy Gainey hit the ball poorly yet still found a way to save par and make birdies and eagles.

I was concearned about my distance, especially off the tee. After playing and watching the leaderboard I now realize that I could hit it a few yards farther off the tee but the real key to success is from inside 50 yards. I remember posting this last year after Valdosta but it really rings true now. If I had been able to convert what now look like simple saves around the green and make the putts that those guys make more regularly, I actually would have made the cut, regardless of the weather.

Putting has been my issue for a long time and what happened this week unfortunately is more "normal". Just missing is great to talk about, but in the end they still miss. Bill Parcells has said that "you are what your record says you are". I am still a great player that needs a better short game to compete at this level.

Making the cut would have been great; having a chance to win with 9 to play would have been even better. Nothing that happened this week can take away from the experience that I had. I had my family fly in from Cleveland, OH and Las vegas. I had so many friends come out to support me that I felt like I had my own gallery. I got to help Augie learn about what life was like inside the ropes so he can gain a better perspective on how to "play golf". My best friend Chris carried the bag and gave me support the entire time regardless of the situation; I can never thank him enough. Lynn and I got to share with the LBG crew a few cool moments of life on the TOUR. Most importantly I got to share the week with my wife and son. Their love and support is ultimately what matters.

I now turn my focus to the PGA National Championship at Reynolds Plantation in June. What I learned this week will definitely help me with my ultimate goal: win the National Championship and play in the PGA Championship in August.

Jeff,
Truly, playing the tournament was a great accomplishment, and these past few days of posts demonstrate your great attitude. I admire and respect you for both. Good luck in August.

Short game
 

Jeff,
All right, so how do you plan to improve that short game?
I feel that LBG and TGM have focused on the mechanics of the machine in
the full swing, but as you spotlighted, scoring in golf is a lot more than that.
I'd like to see LBG begin to put the short game under the magnifying glass to see if we all could improve our scoring. It seems like the tour players use a lot of half and three-quarter shots (controlling the spin) inside 100 yards. How do they do that?
Once again, congrats for your accomplishments. Being able to watch you practice the last three holes has added a great deal to my enjoyment while watching the network coverage of the same three holes.
In fact, CBS (or the Golf Channel) would do well by featuring a walking interview with an amenable PGA pro while practicing the closing holes of every tournament. It would be fascinating to watch replays of that when the leaders come down the stretch.

Jeff,
Congratulations on qualifying for this tournament and doing an excellent job under adverse conditions. I looked at the paper yesterday am and saw a number of "big name" players that finished behind you. Keep pluggin' away and best wishes for a great summer of G.O.L.F.
Just curious, "what's in the bag?"

It's in the book
 

I plan to improve the short game the same why I would improve any other aspect of my game, find a pattern in the book that works and practice. The problem with the short game is that it is much harder to prepare for the multitude of shots that you can get around the greens. The key is understanding hinge action and being able to reproduce all 3 at any speed from any lie.

Homer talks a great deal about power regulation in the book. On one of the videos we talk about eliminating accumulators and reducing speed to create softer shots. The key to great golf is being able to compress the ball at less than full power. The more you play and practice, the better you become at this. Watch a tour event during the practice rounds and you will see these players working on hinge action around the greens, whether they know they are or not.

I would like to have Lynn's input on this but I think there is quite about about the short game in the video section and in the forum. Remember, short shots have the same execution as full shots, just fewer accumulators and less power.

Henry-Griffitts RDH 460 11.5 driver - 65 gram low torque mid kick shaft
Henry-Griffitts TS-1 irons (5-tw) - Dynamic steel
Henry Griffitts RDH 55 & 60 degree wedges - Dynamic Steel
Bridgestone J36 22 & 19 degree hybrids - VS Proto 80 gram
Bridgestone J33 3 wood - VS Proto 85 gram
Taylor Made Spider Putter
Bridgestone B330 ball
AHEAD Glove (best glove you have never heard of)
Orange an yellow reflector sticks (Only at Lowes)

Thanks Daryl! It was all because you got me to understand the importance of Hip Action.

No mini-tour here
 

Again, do not misinterpret what happened this week. EVERYTHING ABOUT THE EVENT WAS GREAT EXCEPT THE WEATHER AND THE DECISION TO KEEP PLAYING!!!! The lack of officials is because the players know where to get the information on their website. I was a guest in their event and did not know all of the procedures.

Like I posted earlier, these are the best players in the world and are treated as such. I think Jay williamson said that this is the "fantasy tour" and he is correct! I could definitely get used to the "job".

I think my post may have come out the wrong way.

Congratulations on your week, that is one hell of an accomplishment. I also appreciate the posts telling us what happened good or bad.

Much luck in the future especially in the PGA Professional National Championship.

One more thing Jeff
 

How come you didn't tell us about the tree behind 18 that jetted Kenny Parry's approach back across the green into the drink?????????

What tree?
 

I didn't even see a tree.

Any fitting tips or specifics considering the driver loft and B330 ball? Also, is my count of 13 correct? Thanks.

DRW

Tw => 50*
 

I checked the HG website. The count is 14. Gnome is a 4 wedge player (46*, 50*, 55*, and 60* - assuming standard HG lofts). Plenty of short game options with this bag makeup!

BTW, it was truly awesome reading this thread. Jeff, congratulations. Despite the weather, the learning experience must have been intense. I would probably wet myself playing with that many world class players. The Yellow book builds mental toughness as well as educated hands and machine strokes.

Congrats and Thanks
 

Jeff,

Congrats on getting to play in one of the "big shows"! When they say "these guys are good", they mean it (although I think that fact is very unappreciated by the casual observer). To be able to tee it up with them (as a non-exempt player) is truly a great accomplishment. :salut:

I just got a chance to check out a couple of the videos from the gallery and the clip on "alignments" is tremendous. Many thanks to you, Lynn and company for posting that one. I just got back from a big 3-day event in which I hit it just horribly. I realized after viewing that clip that one of the primary reasons I hit it so bad was that my hinge action and rhythm were way out of synch. Watching that one clip may have put me back on track.

It's amazing what you can pick up on hanging around this place.

Thanks again,

CG

Play It Again, Jeff
 

Agreed, Comet. For newbies, there is a ton of stuff to learn. For seasoned students, there is a ton of stuff to get straight.

In particular, watch the way Jeff (in his Total Motion Waggle) uses his Pivot to Transport the entire Power Package (the 'Triangle Assembly' of the two Arms, the two Hands, the Club and the Loaded Pressure Points) from the Top to Release. Then, watch as Centrifugal Force and his straightening Right Arm continues that Delivery through Impact to the end of the Follow-Through (Both Arms Straight position). You will not find anywhere a better visualization of The Secret (6-C-2-A):

If the Pivot moves the Right Shoulder at the same speed as the Power Package -- or the Primary Lever Assembly -- the Accumulators will not be Released by the action until the Right Elbow can straighten. Even then the Clubhead Lag is still maintained -- it has NO Release Point.

Watch it here: http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/gallery...H_ATTRange.wmv.

For those who have trouble streaming this video -- this includes me -- right click and use the 'Save Target As' function. It takes a while to save, but then you've got it . . . immediately and permanently.

It's worth the wait.

:)

I now understand-"tw" is the HG T-Iron wedge available with or without bounce.

Thanks

Target Wedge
 

The Target Wedge (more traditionally known as the Gap Wedge) fills the 'gap' between the Pitching and Sand Wedges.

Yup, it's a 50* wedge. I play the same iron set up. TS-1 5-TW.

I believe Tom Kite was one of the first to carry 3 wedges. He dropped the 2I and strengthened the loft on the 3I. In Golf My Way JN favored going "down the shaft" to control less than normal distances with the wedges. There seems to be an education in Jeff's bag.