The Mad Hatter
 

Actually, it is a regular baseball-type cap tilted back so as to expose the full radiance of my face. But I agree it's not my best look (and I need all the help I can get!). I'll stick with the old-timey visors (like Messrs. Singh and Toms).

That's Hot!
 

Just messin' Boss! If I looked as good as you I'd have to carry around an aluminum bat and a can of mase to keep all the females at bay!

Judge Not...
 

I do like our picture, Rich (readers see his avatar), but in all candor, I do not believe that a jury of our peers would come to the same conclusion!

Don't Get Around Much Anymore
 

No danger there, Rich. The ballpark's been empty for some time now!

______________________________

Cavalry Officer: [Hunkered down, rifle in hand and peering into the night.] Things sure are quiet out there.

John Wayne: Yeah...too quiet.

:)

We have no Peers!!!!!!!!!!!:salut:

Movin' On Up
 

Brian Gay had another great week at the Buick (August 3-6 in Grand Blanc, Michgan). He finished at 16-under 262 (T-15 in a field of 156 of the world's best players!) and won $76,800. Best of all, he delivered his finest performance in the third round -- statistically his weakest -- a sparkling 7-under 65.

Congratulations, Brian!

Goin' Low On the PGA TOUR
 

Just got around to checking a few stats this weekend and came across this little goodie:

For the year 2006, Brian Gay is currently ranked T-6th -- as in 1-2-3-4-5-6 -- in Scoring Average (Actual) on the PGA TOUR. His per-round average of 70.22 puts him only 0.64 strokes more per round (less than 2/3 of a stroke) than the category leader, Tiger Woods (69.58 ). Last year, he ranked 112th in the same statistic, proof-positive that those who embrace the principles of TGM -- at any level -- can enjoy immediate improvement and continuous progress.

Brian plays a lot of golf. This year, his record of 77 competitive rounds and 5,407 actual strokes is 13 rounds and 931 strokes more than that of the next leading competitor, Jim Furyk (in 4th place at 69.94 strokes per round). Brian has played 41 more rounds than Tiger (36) and has had 2,902 more strokes (versus Tiger's 2,505).

So, Brian's is a solid stat -- not a fluke born of a few rounds and a hot streak -- one that few people would believe possible from a journeyman professional of eight years who has yet to win a PGA TOUR event.

For your comparison, here are a few other names from the list (Major Champions in bold), their Scoring Average (Actual) and their current ranking:

Vijay Singh (70.27, 9)
Adam Scott (70.39, 12)
David Toms (70.45, 14)
Luke Donald (70.51, T-17)
Rory Sabbatini (70.68, T-29)
Kenny Perry (70.73, 34)
Camilo Villegas (70.87, 47)
Retief Goosen (70.95, T-62)
Padraig Harrington (70.95, T-62)
John Riegger (70.95, T-62)
Ernie Els (71.05, T-74)
Geoff Ogilvy (71.24, T-99)
Chris DiMarco (71.48, 124)
Davis Love III (71.55, 130)
J.B. Holmes (71.64, 143)
Ben Curtis (71.55, T-144)
Fred Couples (71.77, T-154)
Sergio Garcia (71.88, T-163)
John Daly (72.92, T-197)

Pretty sporty company in the rear-view mirror, don't you think? :3gears:

So, while the Golf World may be surprised to see Brian lifting crystal on a coming Sunday afternoon, we at LBG will not be. He's earned his spurs and waited his turn...

His time is now.

Very cool
 

Great stats Yoda, thanks for sharing those! He's doing at least something right. :happy3:

I predict some "W's" in his near future.

Busy Weekend Ahead
 

Brian Gay just completed his second round at the PGA TOUR's Reno-Tahoe Open with a sparkling 6-under par 66 that included 9 birdies! Coupled with his even-par 72 first round, he is at 138 going into the weekend, currently tied for 11th (in a starting field of 156).

The event is being telecast from the Montreux Golf and Country Club, Reno, Nevada, all four days (August 24-27) from 10:30 p.m. - 1 a.m ET on The Golf Channel.

Go get'em, Brian!

Brian Gay -- Crystal Call
 

Congratulations to Brian Gay from his LBG gallery. His brilliant 5-under-par final round 67 gave him a 72-66-72-67=277, a T-21 finish and a check for $28,162.50.

Only time separates Brian from the Sunday that will be his.

Brian Gay (In The Swamp Hut And In The Swamp)
 

Brian Gay paid another visit to The Swamp this past Monday and Tuesday on his way this week to the PGA TOUR's $5.5 million Deutsche Bank Championship in Norton, Massachusetts.

[Don't be restricted to these thumbnails! Click on them. Then go to View in your Task Bar (then...Full Screen) and really get down!]

Monday night involved some fun mirror and balance training down in my 'War Room.' Never one to take the easy way, Brian promptly proceeded to turn the Bosu Ball upside down. "Makes it harder," said he, as he jumped into place with both feet. Yoda's Warning: Do not try that little move at home! :) In the 4th photo, look in the mirror, and check out that On Plane Right Forearm at Impact Fix. That's what Brian is doing. [Reference TGM 9-2-2 #2 below...any questions?]

The next morning we headed to Swamp Central -- the Marietta Golf Center -- where we worked on a number of things, but wound up concentrating on three: Ball Location, the Turned Shoulder Plane, and Maximum Trigger Delay of the #3 Accumulator. In Photos #6-7, take a look at his Address with the Driver. The Ball is located just inside the Left Shoulder (and hence, just prior to Low Point). His Right Forearm is perfectly On Plane -- reference TGM 9-2-1 #2 below...again, any questions? -- and the Ball position is geometrically correct in relation to the Clubface: slightly 'toward the toe' of the soled Club (2-J-1) and 'on center' for Impact. Prior to his TGM training, Brian's Right Elbow was much straighter, and his Right Forearm pointed inside the Plane Line. In Photo #8, take a look at his Right Arm Extension and his Flat Left Wrist. In short, a perfect display of the Flying Wedges into the Finish. And in #9 -- also taken in 'real time' and not posed -- note how perfectly the Clubshaft is parallel to the Plane Line when it is parallel to the ground (1-L-#6).

Photos #10-11 show Brian and 'ol Yoda in a working mode. We were oblivious to all things extraneous. As in that great Paul Newman 'pool shark' movie, The Hustler, we were in our own world...the world of the artist: "The hand, the stick and the eye."

In Photos #12-13, we did some work in The Explanar teaching device. Most of our Plane work had already been done, but when Brian mentioned that he had seen a Plane Board device set up at last week's Reno-Tahoe Open and that he had not been able to get over to it, I hauled out the Explanar.

Until then, it had been simply my own gentle assist to lift his Hands a bit that helped him up 'just a smidgeon' to a true Turned Shoulder Plane. We used video to reinforce the difference between 'Feel' and 'Real.' And then, suddenly, this...

"No way I'm that high," he said.

"Not yet," said I. "But you've been on your way there for the past six months, and with your new 'quiet Shoulders' and 'Right Forearm Pick-Up'" -- which he is practicing in Photo #5 -- "it won't be long now!"

Since I've known him, Brian has always had great Impact and Follow-Through Extension alignments. And now, when I look at his Address Position and the alignments it embodies, and then the new and improved Top we are working toward -- as evidenced in these last three photos...Hands and Right Shoulder perfectly aligned -- I find myself wondering before his Start Up...

"How can this guy miss a shot?"

It is the same feeling I got as a teenager standing behind Hogan.

Great pics! I was working with my sons last night in our basement with the Bosu ball, RFT and the turned shoulder plane. Today they are at the Deutsche Bank Championship watching the practice round!
Brian and or John R. will be victorious one of these weeks.

Perfect practice makes perfect...
 

or something like that !

Keep going Brian - you don't see too many other guys showing us the "naked" training that goes into building a real machine! This stuff is the raw hard work and learning. Not the pretty stuff that happens in a practice round out in the sun!

Leave no stone unturned in pursuit of wins.

Good luck.

Be sure not to miss the newly added photos in Yoda's post on the previous page!

Bambam Bows!
 

Many thanks to bambam -- Ben Mahan -- for all his help getting the recent Brian Gay photos up and in a manner easily digestible by you.

In case you haven't noticed -- no way! -- LBG is a TEAM effort. It simply could not happen without the dedication of this entire crew.

Thanks guys! :salut: :notworthy

Some great looking pictures there Yoda. Thanks for sharing them and good luck to Brian this week.
Alex

Right on the wheel's rim with wedges in place. Very nice :)

Picture Perfect Alignments
 

For those of us who see beauty in such things, the composite alignment is gorgeous, isn't it, Ed?

You've seen Hogan hit balls?

Indeed - efficient, balanced, on plane, support of impact. A true GOLFING MACHINE :D

Ben Hogan...Up Close And Personal
 

Yes, Birdie, I saw Ben Hogan in action both on the Practice Tee and on the Course at The Masters in 1964, 1965 and 1966.

I also have a personal letter from him dated May 9, 1967, where he officially -- but politely :) -- turned down a 21-year old serviceman's request for private lessons!

It's really kind of cool to have a 'flush' letter from 'The Man' himself. I've retrieved that letter and put it up as Post #44 in the Young Yoda thread in the Lounge forum). http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/s...1677#post31677

Comparing Brian's Apples To Homer's Apples
 

I have added reference photos from The Golfing Machine to the thumbnails in Post #90 above. Compare Brian Gay's Impact Fix with Photo 9-2-2 #2 (particularly the Right Forearm-Clubshaft alignment).

<img src="http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=250&d=1157149749" width="400"/>

And also his Address with Photo 9-2-1 #2.

<img src="http://www.lynnblakegolf.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=249&d=1157149749" width="400"/>

As you can see, the alignments are identical.

The only difference is...

Homer Kelley's model was posed in the alignments you see. And Brian's are what he uses every day on the PGA TOUR.

Per 2-R...

"The pictures depict exactly what they are intended to depict and as near to "Zero Tolerance" as is humanly possible. And then only because they were carefully and expertly posed. Each picture is intended to present the ideal for its subject, whether or not anyone on earth has ever achieved it. They are a goal and not necessarily any individual or universal common practice."

And they work. Read Post #86 above...Brian Gay, T-6 on the PGA TOUR in Stroke Average (Actual).

Bottom line...

Homer Kelley got it right.

It took him forty years...but he got it right.

Don't try to reinvent the wheel.

Just do it.

Always thought Impact Fix included impact hips and shoulders. Learn something every day.

Hate to be the guy who comes out and says "Ya but...!

...

...but....

Brian Gay plays to a very high level of golf.....but he is only one testament to this setup Lynn....

Horse Led To Water
 

True, Birdie. But I require no other 'testaments.' I require only the alignments of The Golfing Machine. With all due respect, we'll stick with this.

Brian's 316
 

He may have averaged 316 at Tucson but don't they only measure two drives for those stats? Both holes may have been down wind.

Both Ways
 

My understanding is that each day two holes are used for the average drive statistic. The holes are chosen such that one is into the wind and one is downwind if at all possible. Also, if elevation change is involved one would be uphill and the other downhill. While it is inexact at best, they do try to average out the effects of terrain and weather.

First Poster Alert
 

No 'may' about Brian's 316-yard-average at the Chyrsler Classic of Tuscon, golfkru. It is a PGA TOUR / ShotLink fact. And as I stated at the beginning of this thread eight months ago, that average was for the 4th round. For the record, Brian's four-round average was 285.8 yards with 69.7 percent of the fairways hit.

Now, you have been here only four days. We have given you a wealth of information without charge, and in exchange, you have given us this rude first post. What is your point?

That Brian Gay is not one of the TOUR's long drivers?

No argument there.

Given his Putting and Scrambling skills, that would be like Warren Buffett getting stock market inside information.

:)

If you have a beef with the stat, take it up with the PGA TOUR or ShotLink or both.

Meanwhile, know that friends of LBG, no matter how diverse their view, are always welcome.

But the mean-spirited and contentious don't last long.

Trust me...I watched Brian on the driving range and on the course at the TPC at Avenel...he can spank a golf ball long and straight....end of story. Brian is making excellent progress...it's been great watching him incrementally move up the leader board each week this year.

DG

Long Enough
 

I've seen Brian hit it. He hits it long enough to do well on the tour. He is considerably longer than Corey Pavin, and Mr. Pavin won a tournament this year.

I would say that kind of an average length on the P.G.A.
Tour these days is a player that hits it in the 270 to 280 range. Some of these guys can probably zip it out there a little longer when they want to.

I think it would be fun to have these guys play a RETRO TOURNAMENT. Have them all play equipment from around 1970, including the ball. 250... was a pretty good drive back then, and 260 to 270 was LONG.

if you don't mind me asking, in image 7 of the work Brian did with you, he has a dowel laid on the ground parallel to the ball target line but what looks closer to the feet target line (ie train tracks). What is the purpose of this drill?

The reason I ask is that I have a tendency to pull left after impact and the dowel on the ground looks like it could help avoid this.

I have just spent an hour or so reading this thread.

It really makes for good reading but I have to ask why the updates stopped. We are all well aware that BG and LB are still working hard together, so why did these updates stop 2 years ago.

Maybe its because I have only been here a while and the thread continued elsewhere but jeez it would have been great to have gotten the story right up to when BG won for the first time!

Channel Change
 

We expanded the action, GP. Check out the forum On Tour With LBG.

http://lynnblakegolf.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=108

It's all there.

:salut:

Thank you Green one!

:salut: