Got an email from Larry

[David Laville]

Which really surprised me as I didn't think he would respond. It was
short but with two points;

1) instead of playing Alan Baker he proposed another idea which I
thought was ridiculous and I told him so.

2) he has no interest in meeting Alan Baker hence the reason for #1.
The reason has nothing to do with golf and everything to do with Alan
Baker's behavior in RSG and other usenet groups he participates.

Larry came across as sincere and I do believe his reluctance to meet
Alan Baker is more personal than golf game.

JMMO.

[Carbon]

Cop out.

[Alan Baker]

In article <4troi7disb0ulmich...@4ax.com>,

So your boy doesn't have the stomach for the game, does he?

Yeah... ...I figured as much.

--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling four feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect if you
sit in the bottom of that cupboard."

[David Laville]

On 03 Feb 2012 23:54:46 GMT, Carbon <nob...@nospam.tampabay.rr.com>
wrote:

Funny you didn't say this about Alan Baker's excuses to not show up at
Greg's door.

But that was predictable.................

[David Laville]

On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:38 -0800, Alan Baker <alang...@telus.net>
wrote:

>> Larry came across as sincere and I do believe his reluctance to meet
>> Alan Baker is more personal than golf game.
>>
>> JMMO.
>
>So your boy doesn't have the stomach for the game, does he?
>
>Yeah... ...I figured as much.

I guess, just like you don't have the stomach to show up at Greg's
door.

Yeah......I figured as much.

[Alan Baker]

On Feb 3, 4:17 pm, David Laville <dlavi...@nospam.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:38 -0800, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net>

> wrote:
>
> >> Larry came across as sincere and I do believe his reluctance to meet
> >> Alan Baker is more personal than golf game.
>
> >> JMMO.
>
> >So your boy doesn't have the stomach for the game, does he?
>
> >Yeah... ...I figured as much.
>
> I guess, just like you don't have the stomach to show up at Greg's
> door.

But I do. What I don't have is the willingness to drive all that way
solely for that purpose.

>
> Yeah......I figured as much.

LOL

Tell you what: we'll need a fourth person acceptable to me, but I have
a solution.

Larry need never meet me. We can play in separate groups on the same
course. You act as a marker for me, and someone I trust can be a
marker for Larry.

Still game?

[Carbon]

I guess I lost you there. Can you explain what Greg has to do with Larry
crawling away from the match?

[kenpitts]

On Feb 3, 6:17 pm, David Laville <dlavi...@nospam.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:59:38 -0800, Alan Baker <alangba...@telus.net>

> wrote:
>
> >> Larry came across as sincere and I do believe his reluctance to meet
> >> Alan Baker is more personal than golf game.
>
> >> JMMO.
>
> >So your boy doesn't have the stomach for the game, does he?
>
> >Yeah... ...I figured as much.
>
> I guess, just like you don't have the stomach to show up at Greg's
> door.
>
> Yeah......I figured as much.

In the words of Gordon Liddy, this has become a cluster foxtrot.

Ken

[Donzee]

"David Laville" <dlav...@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:4troi7disb0ulmich...@4ax.com...

Great stroke of luck for Baker. I wanted to put up some cake, but he
quietly slipped away when it came down to the nitty gritty.

[bkn...@conramp.net]

On Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:49:07 -0600, David Laville

Now he's just copping out and admitting that he isn't the great golfer
that he said he is. Figures.

BK

[Dene]

That's not a bad idea. If Larry accepts, watch UA quibble about the
marker for Larry.

-Greg

[Alan Baker]

There are lots of people I'd trust, Greg. I'm sure the problem will be
getting someone that Larry hasn't already insulted dozens of times.

[Dene]

People insulted Larry. He rarely responded in kind. You'll nit pick
and divert if it ever comes to an actual match.

-Greg

[Alan Baker]

You have GOT to be joking.

I won't nitpick, I won't divert.

I really want a match. Larry is the one nitpicking and diverting here,
Greg. Just a month ago he said:

"Waiting for Alan to show his stuff, sorta like the strutting and
flexing before a cage match. I showed that I can hit them straight
and long with every club. My swing may not look like a pro's, I need
to rehearse my backswing, get it right and then swing, but I do find
a
way to hit it crisp and propel that sucker toward the target. I
don't
play the treeline and I seldom need to recover from beside or over
the
greens.

Hey AB, put up or shut up. There is no shame in backing down when
you
know you are in WAY over your head. "

He was all hot to play the match...

...right up until it looked like he might really have to do it.

And THEN he's suddenly "I won't play with Baker. He's got no class."

Fact, Greg: I'm perfectly civil in person. I've played golf with
people you know and we've all had a fine time. Larry's posturing about
how "dangerous" I am is just that: posturing.

And back to insults for a moment, I dare you to find the worst thing
I've ever said to ANYONE in ANY newsgroup and compare it to what Larry
has said about me (or to your own vile insinuations).

[Dene]

You reap what you sow. Buh-bye UA

Greg

[Alan Baker]

In article <pan.2012.02...@nospam.tampabay.rr.com>,

It's a convenient deflection for him since he declared that Larry could
"clean [my] clock" and he now realizes how wrong that was.

:-)

[Frank Ketchum]

<bkn...@conramp.net> wrote in message
news:bq2pi75u1m221n5hg...@4ax.com...

I always thought with Larry the most entertaining thing was that he was
perpetually just on the verge of greatness with some new "secret" he has
just discovered. It was kinda his schtick. One day he had discovered
turning around the post. The next day he learned how to hit the small ball
before the big ball. The next day he had learned how to accelerate through
the ball. The next day blah blah blah; the same shit everyone else already
knows. Soon I will be scratch and I can't figure out why you losers still
carry a five handicap.

It would be most disappointing if he has moved from the perpetual brink of
greatness in his own mind to actual greatness in his own mind.

[Alan Baker]

Really, Greg?

What precisely did I "sow" to reap what I got from you?

:-)

But thanks for showing the worst thing I ever said about anyone...

...oh wait! That was a huge failure to do that, wasn't it?

[Dene]

On Feb 3, 9:46 pm, "Frank Ketchum" <nos...@thanksanyway.com> wrote:

>
> I always thought with Larry the most entertaining thing was that he was
> perpetually just on the verge of greatness with some new "secret" he has
> just discovered.  It was kinda his schtick.  One day he had discovered
> turning around the post.  The next day he learned how to hit the small ball
> before the big ball.  The next day he had learned how to accelerate through
> the ball.  The next day blah blah blah; the same shit everyone else already
> knows.  Soon I will be scratch and I can't figure out why you losers still
> carry a five handicap.
>
> It would be most disappointing if he has moved from the perpetual brink of
> greatness in his own mind to actual greatness in his own mind.

Yeah...amusing and somewhat enlightening. I've had the same disease
too, running from one tip to the next, one instructor to another,
chasing down the dream of being a single digit handicapper (which I
achieved for two weeks). Nowadays I practice less, think less, and
enjoy the game more, despite an honest 14 hdcp.. I've mostly come to
the conclusion that the golf swing is an athletic swing and the better
the athlete, the better chance toward consistency. I'm simply not a
great athlete.....and that's ok.

-Greg

[kenpitts]

Greg -

I think playing golf well is a skill. Do I look like any kind of
athlete?

Ken

[la...@pivotforpower.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnjHeoTzhi4

When you can make swings like this, you are likely to hit fairways and
greens. You are more than likely to beat most handicap golfers by
several strokes.

Bet on good fundamentals.

AND, I have taken putting lessons-- I do it exactly right-- and the
ball goes in!

Larry

[Alan Baker]

Strange, Larry...

You insisted for ages that putting bored you so much that you and your
group didn't even bother with it.

But now that you're doing it "exactly right"...

...surely you'll live up to your demand that I "put up or shut up" and
finally set up the match.

:-)

[Dene]

I suspect you excel at every sport you tried at. I was merely average
with heart and hard work making up for natural ability.




Greg

[kenpitts]

> Greg- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I was good at table tennis (actually played against 1967 world
champion in 1974 US Open - BTW table tennis is an Olympic sport.)
Decent running back until concussions put me out of the game. Fairly
good sprinter in HS for a white kid. 10 flat at 100 yds. Ran against a
national record holder from Dallas Lincoln (one of the Pouncey twins)
in a heat one time. He ran 9.4. I felt like I was 50 yds behind. I
knew right then I had reached my potential in track and field. Still
carry a scar on my left hand from spiking myself while competing in
the long jump (15 stitches). Pretty good @ softball. Horrible skier,
but I am afraid of heights and started late in life. Decent at pool, I
had my own table for a number of years.

Bottom line, I have held my own in other sports. Far and away, golf
has been my best sport.

Ken

[la...@pivotforpower.com]

On Feb 3, 9:46 pm, "Frank Ketchum" <nos...@thanksanyway.com> wrote:

> <bkni...@conramp.net> wrote in message

> greatness in his own mind to actual greatness in his own mind.- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

Actually, I finally figured out that there are no shortcuts, no
"secrets," and the only path to an efficient repeating golf swing is
lessons, then the very hard work over MONTHS to ingrain the lessons.
The ingraining part is MUCH harder than just taking the lessons.

My teacher takes guitar lessons from one of his students. So they
have discussed the similarities in learning to swing and learning to
play-- and both see the striking similarities. The golf swing has
portions that are conscious, the grip and setup and early takeaway,
and then portions that happen so fast that only the subconscious mind
can control them. Same with playing piano or guitar. The portions
of the piece that must be played at tempo must be memorized so well
that the subconscious mind must control our fingers. I also believe
short sessions on the range are best-- get it right, then go home and
think about your golf swing before going to sleep-- which engages your
subconscious mind to work on it while you sleep. I guarantee you will
be better the next day!

Hogan says he really learned his swing while he was in the hospital
for weeks--- He reviewed it over and over again in slow motion in his
mind. When he got out, he had it!

So the learning methods are similar. We can train our subconscious
mind ONLY by patiently showing it what we want. We do that by slow
motion rehearsals and stopped poses. It is almost useless to beat
balls at tempo-- because that simply brings out the moves we are
trying to replace.

I think most teaching pros know this because likely that is how they
learned their swings.

Just my two cents-- but I am pretty confident that I am right about
this.

Good Luck!

Larry

[Alan Baker]

On Feb 6, 2:46 pm, la...@pivotforpower.com wrote:
> On Feb 3, 9:46 pm, "Frank Ketchum" <nos...@thanksanyway.com> wrote:
> > I always thought with Larry the most entertaining thing was that he was
> > perpetually just on the verge of greatness with some new "secret" he has
> > just discovered.  It was kinda his schtick.  One day he had discovered
> > turning around the post.  The next day he learned how to hit the small ball
> > before the big ball.  The next day he had learned how to accelerate through
> > the ball.  The next day blah blah blah; the same shit everyone else already
> > knows.  Soon I will be scratch and I can't figure out why you losers still
> > carry a five handicap.
>
> > It would be most disappointing if he has moved from the perpetual brink of
> > greatness in his own mind to actual greatness in his own mind.- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Actually, I finally figured out that there are no shortcuts, no
> "secrets," and the only path to an efficient repeating golf swing is
> lessons, then the very hard work over MONTHS to ingrain the lessons.
> The ingraining part is MUCH harder than just taking the lessons.

Wow. Such honesty! Such humility!

So when you were saying just a couple of days ago that you "expect to
shoot par on most courses" was that as honest?

:-)

> I think most teaching pros know this because likely that is how they
> learned their swings.
>
> Just my two cents-- but I am pretty confident that I am right about
> this.

And just how many things have you been "pretty confident [you were]
right about" before regarding the golf swing—confident to the point of
becoming an insulting jerk, Larry?

Why would anyone give this the slightest credence based on your track
record?

:-)

[Alan Baker]

Still waiting...

[Alan Baker]

In article
<b0454553-f0a4-4178...@g27g2000yqa.googlegroups.com>,

I'd like to Larry...

...but you keep boasting about how you'll beat me...

...and then crawling away when it looks like it actually might happen...

...don't you?

:-)

>
> AND, I have taken putting lessons-- I do it exactly right-- and the
> ball goes in!

Funny. I thought you said you had so little interest in putting--you and
those with whom you play--that you don't even bother putting out...

[Lloyd]

In article
<c10e53c0-bc50-4ac8...@g4g2000pbi.googlegroups.com>,

I'm with you! I used to work at the game, now I play it for excercise
and enjoyment.

[Frank Ketchum]

"Alan Baker" <alang...@telus.net> wrote in message
news:8379a020-c594-4d89...@x6g2000pbk.googlegroups.com...

---

You will forever be waiting. People who always tell you how good they are
aren't ever any good.

[Alan Baker]

In article <zZgYq.14792$Au5....@newsfe23.iad>,

"Frank Ketchum" <nos...@thanksanyway.com> wrote:

> > > When you can make swings like this, you are likely to hit fairways and
> > > greens. You are more than likely to beat most handicap golfers by
> > > several strokes.
> >
> > > Bet on good fundamentals.
> >
> > > AND, I have taken putting lessons-- I do it exactly right-- and the
> > > ball goes in!
> >
> > Strange, Larry...
> >
> > You insisted for ages that putting bored you so much that you and your
> > group didn't even bother with it.
> >
> > But now that you're doing it "exactly right"...
> >
> > ...surely you'll live up to your demand that I "put up or shut up" and
> > finally set up the match.
> >
> > :-)
>
> Still waiting...
>
> ---
>
> You will forever be waiting. People who always tell you how good they are
> aren't ever any good.

Yeah... ...I know. :-)

But it's still fun to remind Larry that he's the one who boasts about
how good he is, he's the one who tells people to "put up or shut up"...

...and then he's the one who never actually makes good on his word.

:-D

[Frank Ketchum]

"Alan Baker" <alang...@telus.net> wrote in message

news:alangbaker-24CE1...@news.shawcable.net...

Yeah but the flip side to that is that he couldn't care less.

[Alan Baker]

In article <_BuYq.11656$DZ1....@newsfe07.iad>,

Oh no, Frank.

By his reactions, he cares very much.

:-)