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Friday, July 29, 2016
Are You Ready to Get Unstuck in Your Writing?
by Joe Bunting
Earlier this week, I asked you to tell me how your writing is going. In just a couple days, I received over 1,500 responses. (If you missed it, you can share your thoughts with me in this survey.)
Many of you said you’re currently writing a book, and many more said you’d like to. But you also told me you’re stuck.
How’s your writing going?
I’ve read many responses like this:
Sloggingly slow.
I have ideas but don’t know where and how to put them together.
So far not so good.
To quote Fran Libowitz, I could write with my blood and not risk hurting myself. In other words, my writing is going far too slowly.
Trust me, I’ve been there. I know how hard it is to write a book. Halfway through my first book, I nearly gave up because the process was so painful.
I didn’t quit, though. I persevered, kept writing, and finished the book. And now, I’m two-thirds of the way through writing my seventh book.
I’ve slogged through the trenches you’re in right now, and I’ve learned how to make it through and finally finish writing a book. I want to share with you how I did it, and how you can do it, too.
Are you ready to get unstuck?
On August 2nd, we’ll be starting a three-part series that will jump-start your writing and give you the best chance at finishing your book. I’ll teach you the system I follow that’s helped me to finish my books every time.
If you want to write a book, but you’re not sure where to start, this series is for you. If you’re already writing your book, but you’ve hit a bump and you’re not sure where to go, this series is for you. And if you’re working on your book and feeling great, this series will give you tools you can use when the writing gets tough.
The best part? This series is absolutely free.
Are you ready to get unstuck? Click here to register for the series and get the support you need to finish your book.
I hope you’ll join us! It’s going to be great.
Are you stuck? How? Let me know in the comments.
Ready to get unstuck and finish your book? Click here to register for the free series.
The post Are You Ready to Get Unstuck in Your Writing? appeared first on The Write Practice.
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Check Us Out In ELLE Canada September Issue!
Is THIS The Next SuperStroke Grip? {TESTERS WANTED}
Ahhh....the putter grip.
That chewed up, dry-rotted, fill-in-the-blank-with-whatever-nasty-adjective-you-like-most, thing in your bag.
Until recently nobody really paid much attention to their putter grip. Some golfers knew when they needed a new one, but that was basically it.
PingMan was the gold standard for what seemed like decades, and challengers were few and far between.
The point is, innovations weren't happening every day in the grip world. It wasn't really until a grip by the name of SuperStroke hit the scene - and boy did it hit the scene...BIG (and FAST).
And SuperStroke's sudden success, was pretty simple to explain: It worked.
Fast Forward to Grip Forward
That brings us to today. Actually two years ago.
A couple years ago, the owner of a new golf grip patent reached out to see if I'd be interested in doing some consulting. I didn't get involved at the time, and had all but forgotten about the two prototypes buried in a zip-lock bag in my office closet. That is, until I saw that the grip actually got released to the public.
The name was different, but it was the same grip.
And even though I originally declined to do consulting on the grip, I said the same thing two-years ago as I did the day I received the first production model;
"This might be the most natural feeling grip I have ever put in my hand."
It is the first grip I have ever used that literally seems to fill every nook, cranny, and crease of the human hand. It is an interesting experience. Give it to other golfers (you will be some of those golfers) and you see the clichéd bulb light up. Golfers know something is different but they can't quite put their finger on it...even when their fingers are on it.
The difference in the grip can best be seen from the cut-away image below. Call it Grip Forward technology if that helps you remember. What that means is, inside the grip the material is pushed forward towards the hands instead of being centered on the shaft. The unique shape puts your hands in a more natural position and gives the feeling that the putter is an extension of your forearm. And since it fits so well in your hand you don't feel the need to put almost any pressure on the grip.
All sounds great...right?
Well, just because someone invents something, and makes some claims, doesn't mean that something actually works. An idea is only really good if it's better than what came before it.
FowardGolf Claims
- Natural Feel Improved: ✔
- Reduction In Grip Pressure: ✔
- Better Distance Control: WE WANT YOU TO PUT IT TO THE TEST
If your feedback is positive, if you tell us the ForwardGolf Grip works as advertised, we'll put it to the test.
TESTERS WANTED (APPLY NOW)
ForwardGolf is providing MyGolfSpy with 10 grips for our readers to test and review (and keep). We take our testing very seriously, so please read the following instructions very carefully.
STEP 1: If you're not already a member, Sign-Up to Join the MyGolfSpy Forum Community. Go to this link
STEP 2: Post a comment in the Official ForwardGolf Testing thread.
Click HERE to get started now.
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Skip the Line
Skip the lines at Open House on Friday, August 5 for uniforms, SASCards, vehicle passes, and bus registration! By taking care of all three things on your to-do list before Friday, August 5, you will be able to spend your time at Open House meeting with your child's teachers, exploring the school, and enjoying complimentary ice cream from the PTA.
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from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2ah5fdO
Thursday, July 28, 2016
SAS Educators Headline Book on Professional Learning Communities
Global Perspectives: Professional Learning Communities At Work™ in International Schools has just been released on July 22, 2016 from Solution Tree Press. This book for schools about building professional learning communities (PLCs) is edited by Singapore American School executive director of strategic programs Dr. Timothy S. Stuart.
from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2aeZoRF
from Singapore American School http://ift.tt/2aeZoRF
7 Easy Ways to Connect with Readers
Today’s guest post is by David Villalva. David helps novelists craft stories that connect with readers. His free visual guide, The Storytelling Blueprint, illustrates the plot structure used in best-selling novels. Get it at his blog HERE.
Why do readers suddenly have the attention spans of gnats?
It’s easy to blame writers and suggest their quality of work has declined, but I contend there’s a growing evil sucking attention away from the page. This villain takes many forms.
Facebook, Game of Thrones, the NFL, and Youtube are just a few ways this monster manifests itself. Except this monster has a maker.
I hold responsible the brilliant innovators, creators and storytellers of our generation for producing the most competitive market place for readers’ attention that the world’s ever seen. Fewer and fewer people can make it through an entire page before departing and plugging back into their easy-to-consume content outlets.
This new reality means you must write smarter than ever to seize attention and audience engagement. You must be calculated in how you connect with readers.
7 Easy Ways to Connect with Readers
Fortunately, there are several ways you can quickly jack into the hearts and minds of people. Seven to be exact, unless there’s one or two I forgot due to another cyber-squirrel running across the many screens consuming my life. (I’m looking at you Snapchat, iMessage notifications, this month’s comic book movie installment, the first season of Billions, etc).
Anyway, here are the seven ways you can easily connect with readers and engage them on page one:
1. Pose a promising proposition (or question):
People want you to make them take a stance. They may not confess they want to be challenged, but they do.
In fact, I did exactly this in the first line of this piece. I wanted you to think twice about readers, their attention span, and if gnats actually had an attention span.
Mission accomplished?
2. Breed curiosity:
Readers want you to manipulate their curiosity. They want your words to lead them down a rabbit hole.
Generating the power of wonder, then rinsing and repeating, is what keeps people hooked on your piece. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 does a great job of this.
Opening line: “It was a pleasure to burn.” What’s so fun to burn?
“A house . . . books . . .” Who’s burning this stuff?
“A firefighter . . .” Why’s a firefighter burning down a house instead of saving it?
“Because the burn ignites a fiery smile on his face that never goes away . . .” And so on goes the rabbit hole . . .
3. Drop them into the thick of things:
This is that first date you don’t want to take slow. Go for first base bare minimum and bring readers into the action.
For instance, when you tell a friend about a traffic violation, you don’t say, “I was going to the store, parked, got out, grabbed some Red Vines, checked out at the cashier, and a cop pulled me over. He handed me a speeding ticket, and told me to drive slower.”
Most times you’d just tell a friend, “I got a ticket today!”
Bam, dropped right into the action, skipping the fluff that even your friends don’t care about.
4. Get intimate and share something personal:
My best friend no showed my wedding.
My pants malfunctioned in the bathroom.
I’m going to tell you something I’ve never shared with my wife.
Those are just a few opening lines from different posts at my blog. Readers connect when you keep it close. To keep them reading and increase your audience engagement, try opening up and revealing something that won’t get you fired from your job or kicked to the couch.
5. Embrace your oddities and showcase your uniqueness:
I’m fairly certain I’m an alien dressed in a human costume. The Earth is infested with homo sapiens. I’m allergic to the indigenous population.
That’s just one spin on how I wield my weirdness when writing.
You’re laced with your own strangeness and there are people out there who can identify with your oddities. Be brave, embrace your true form, and flaunt those shapes on the page.
6. Trust your voice on the page:
While I strive to satisfy readers, I’d rather be the writer I am than the writer that readers expect me to be.
That’s why I terraform the page one word at a time using my true alien octaves.
Straight up, your friends enjoy your company because of who you are in person, so why try to be someone else on the page? Write with your native tongue. Earthlings appreciate authenticity, and they may call you out if you force a different voice.
7. Trust the reader because they’re smarter than you give them credit:
But if that’s true, why do so many writers hand hold people through their blog posts and stories? Why don’t writers permit readers to fill quick beats and small gaps?
Drop the info dumps and cut the cluttered adverbs. They’re not forbidden. They’re just oversaturated.
Get to the point and deliver readers your core message. (This applies to fiction, non-fiction, emails to friends, post-it notes, grocery lists, etc.)
You CAN Connect with Readers
The truth is that you can easily connect with readers. The lie is that audience engagement doesn’t require any effort at all.
The bottom line is, you must be more focused than ever to compete against the Frankenstein-ish entertainment alternatives out there. So which easy way will you use to create your monstrous connection?
What strategies have helped you connect with readers? Let me know in the comments!
PRACTICE
Now it’s time to manipulate the minds of mankind.
Choose one of the seven connection techniques above and take fifteen minutes to write something. It can be the first page of a short story or novel, a new blog post, a piece of poetry, or anything your big heart desires.
But when you’re done creating your unique beast, come back, and post it in the comments below to showcase that “It’s alive!”
And if you share, be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers!
The post 7 Easy Ways to Connect with Readers appeared first on The Write Practice.
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2016 Most Wanted Golf Course – California
The Best of the Golden State
California has the 3rd highest number of golf courses of any state in the US (trailing only Florida and Michigan). It's home to several PGA Tour Events, and some of the most iconic venues in the game.
The state is packed with courses that even the most casual golfer dreams of playing. Course for course, California's golf scenery is unmatched, but do the big name, made-for-TV courses live up to their reputations? What about the hidden gems that don't have the fame, but offer every bit of the experience? Shouldn't those courses be celebrated?
Where can you find the best golf that California has to offer? To find out, we turned to real golfers just like you.
About Our Rankings
To generate our rankings, we used data from TheGrint, a golf handicap and stat tracking service that also allows golfers to rate the courses they play. Here are the pertinent details:
- Ranking derived from over 150,000 golf course reviews
- Only reviews from the last 365 days are considered
- A course must have a minimum of 30 reviews is required in order to qualify for ranking
Nearly every aspect of a golf course review is subjective and there's always going to be a difference of opinion, so healthy (and hopefully polite) debate is to be expected.
Here are our Top 10 Most Wanted Golf Courses in California.
California's 10 Most Wanted
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Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Treatment of addictions doesn’t work but lifestyle changes do
Treatment of addictions isn’t working… there I said it!
Over the past 4 months I’ve shared a lot of my own personal experiences as it relates to my history with traditional 12-step treatment models and alcoholism. The more research I gather, and the more conversations I have with people in the ‘business of treatment’, the more obvious it becomes to me that there’s a larger problem at work and what’s being offered up as the standard of treatment isn’t working.
Before I share some ideas worth talking about, let me back up a few steps and share some information I’ve learned. In sharing some of this information, my hopes are that you begin to question the current things as they are as it relates to the businesses of treatment and recovery. Please keep an open mind, recognizing I’m not trying to be antagonistic, or dogmatic, I’m only looking to stimulate a conversation away from treatment and recovery, towards one of lifestyle changes, empowering transformations, and personal choice.
Note to reader: If you, or someone you care about, is dealing with a substance abuse issue, I highly recommend reaching out and connecting with someone from Saint Jude Retreats. In addition to the residential facilities, they also offer a Home Program and a Long Distance Learning program as well — exclusive for my tribe, use discount code “addictionfreelife” to receive 15% off
So, what’s the problem with the business of addiction treatment and recovery?
Treatments of addictions is BIG business. In the United States alone, the addiction treatment industry has grown to a staggering tune of $34 billion dollars a year, meanwhile overdose death rates have tripled in the past two and a half decades.
While the growth is staggering, it pales in the scope of the human cost associated with excessive alcohol consumption and drug overdoses, which jointly accounts for nearly 127,000 deaths per year.
There are more drug treatment facilities than ever before – over 14,500 of them in the United States – and countless alcohol treatment facilities, with more being opened year after year. This is a tell-tale sign that more and more people are seeking treatment, more and more money is being spent on said treatments, and yet, more and more people are overdosing and dying from substance abuses. At what point do we stop, give our cultural head a shake and scream from the rooftops, “WTF is going on here!?”
It would seem that the treatment solutions being offered up are not working.The Disease Model of Addiction and Where the Wheels Fell of the Treatment Bus
According to the disease model, ‘addiction is very much a brain disease’. It is reported that brain abnormalities cause people with the disease to become addicted to substances or activities once exposure to these stimuli occur. This model considers addiction IRREVERSIBLE once acquired.
The ONLY way one diseased with addiction can recover ‘consists of developing and maintaining complete abstinence from all addictive substances and activities. Abstinence arrests the disease.’
Many of the treatment facilities and organizations that accept this model own the fact that complete abstinence is difficult to achieve and as such the model stresses the importance of peer group support and attendance at regular meetings.
“People are active agents in – not passive victims of – their addictions.” Stanton Peele
Click to tweetWhat I found extremely interesting was the fact that many of the websites and literature surrounding the disease model of addiction and recovery, often compare alcohol or drug addiction to cancer.
One example from a very prominent site reads:
‘Cancer survivors share with the group their personal experiences of the disease and of recovery. Similarly, addicts and alcoholics support each other in groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. They share their personal experiences of addiction and recovery and provide hope and inspiration to each other. When people support each other in this manner, they become more hopeful. Therefore, they are more motivated to take the necessary steps toward recovery.’
And here’s the crazy thing, if addiction is a disease like cancer, stroke and heart disease, and large amounts of money is continually invested in the study of these diseases, at what point do we demand results?
Not sure where I’m going with this? Bare with me a second.
Here’s some figures to chew on:
Between 2008 to 2012, $735,985,000,000 of taxpayer’s money was allocated by the National Institute of Health to study diseases. These diseases included heart disease ($12 billion), Cancer ($55 billion), stroke ($2.2 billion) as well, $9.7 billion was spent to study the ‘disease’ of drug addiction.
Wondering what all these dollars in research studies has to report back from an ROI standpoint?
Here’s the stats…
The $1.76 billion per year investment in Heart Disease Research has returned:
- 38% reduction in deaths from heart disease (2003 – 2013)
- 30 to 40% reduction in hospitalizations resulting from heart failure, heart attack and stroke (1999 – 2011)
- 83% reduction in hospitalization rates for people suffering from unstable angina, a leading symptom of coronary heart disease. (1999 – 2011)
The $7.94 billion invested yearly into Cancer Research has returned:
- 20% reduction in cancer rates over the past 20 years
- This reduction translates to 1.3 million lives saved
- Survival rates for nearly all types of cancer are climbing
The $325 million invested annually into Stroke Research has returned:
- a 35.8% reduction in annual deaths from stroke (2000 – 2010)
- a 50% decrease in incidence of stroke in a Johns Hopkins study from 1987 to 2011.
Now what about the $1.38 billion per year (2008 – 2012) that is being allocated to Drug Addiction Research has returned a:
- 10.33% increase in deaths from prescription drug abuse
- 35% increase in deaths by illicit drug abuse
- 8.1% increase in deaths by opioid pain relievers
- 30.2% increase in deaths from benzodiazepine
- 95% increase in deaths caused by heroin
The numbers are staggering! Clearly money invested into the research and treatment of diseases yields a positive return, so why isn’t the money being thrown at addiction research providing the same results?
Maybe, just maybe, addiction isn’t a disease.
If you are a visual learner like me, you’ll appreciate the well laid out, researched infographic produced by Saint Jude Retreats. (see below)
What’s the ‘Business of Recovery’?
With all this money being spent within the treatment industry – remember to a tune of $35 billion according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – we have to wonder, why we don’t have more scientific based evidence supporting the efficacy of programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or similarly designed 12 step programs.
‘The Business of Recovery’ is a documentary that sheds a light on many of the problems within the treatment industries. An article worth exploring, ‘Inside the $35 billion addiction treatment industry’ by Dan Munro appeared on Forbes.com makes great mention of a few of the startling statistics and findings shared by the film.
Ruben Baler, a health scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, addresses the key concerns head on when he states:
12 Step programs are very popular, but if you’re looking for figures and randomized trials and scientifically rigorous studies of how they work and for how many people they work ‒ you will not find those studies. You will find anecdotal evidence ‒ for people who it did work [for] ‒ but unfortunately we don’t have the scientific basis to say how many of all those people who tried a 12 Step program ‒ how many of those failed.
The film is definitely an eye opener and puts our status quo beliefs about treatment in question. Not sure? Finding this a bit incredulous? Fair enough. Do you own due diligence and see what you come up with.
I feel you’ll come to a similar conclusion and find that ‘treatment doesn’t work!’
Defining is THE problem: Labeling of Addictions and the Pokémon Go Connection
Throughout this process of researching addictions, I find that much of the misinformation appears to stem from the definition itself. The labeling of substance abuse and/or addiction as a disease is quite absurd when you look at any other behavior in place of the substance or habit being defined as ‘the abuse’.
As an example, let’s look at the well accepted definition of addiction (or substance dependence) and compare it to the global phenomenon that’s taking millions by storm — that is Pokémon Go.
First, let’s look at how the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association) defines addiction or substance abuse as a disease:
- The substance is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
- There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control use of the substance.
- A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover from its effects.
- Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use the substance.
- Recurrent use of the substance resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.
- Continued use of the substance despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of its use.
- Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of use of the substance.
- Recurrent use of the substance in situations where it is physically hazardous.
- Use of the substance is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance.
- Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
- A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect.
- A markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
- Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
- The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for that substance (as specified in the DSM-5 for each substance).
- The substance (or a closely related substance) is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Now let’s take this defined criteria and insert Pokeman Go as the behavior or action in question:
- Pokemon Go is often played in large amounts of time or over a longer period than was intended.
- There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful effort to cut down or control playing of Pokémon Go.
- A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to download Pokémon Go, play Pokémon Go, or recover from its effects.
- Craving, or a strong desire or urge to play Pokémon Go.
- Recurrent playing of Pokémon Go resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.
- Continued playing of Pokémon Go despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the playing the game.
- Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of playing Pokemon Go.
- Recurrent playing of Pokémon Go in situations where it is physically hazardous, such as driving a car, or while operating machinery.
- Playing of Pokémon Go is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by Pokeman Go, such as dreaming of Pokémon characters.
- Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
- A need for markedly increased amounts of playing Pokeman Go to achieve balls and hunt characters for desired effect or achievement.
- A markedly diminished effect with continued playing of Pokémon Go, hence the game begins to get less fun after playing it for 2 weeks straight.
- Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
- The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for that substance (as specified in the DSM- 5 for each substance)…..Whatever the hell that means…just another lame catch all.
- Pokeman Go (or a closely related game) is played to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms from lack of playing Pokeman Go.
This is just one example of how you can literally put any behavior to fit the definition and label anything as a disease. And there lies a big problem with labeling any chosen behaviors as diseases and taking the control away from the person.
A Non-Treatment Approach to Dealing with Substance Abuse and Addiction
Common knowledge among the North American culture is that if we suffer from an addiction, we have to ‘join’ the treatment industry and subject ourselves to a great deal of misinformation which is largely unproven.
While there exists several non traditional treatment options, the only truly non-treatment based option, is that of the Saint Jude Retreats, which help people overcome an unwanted habit, or unwanted behavior. Or, even better, they go about helping those dealing with substance issues by helping them see how they can improve their life and in turn leave the unwanted baggage behind them.
In writing this article, I had the opportunity to interview Ryan Schwantes, president of Baldwin Research Institute (the parent company of Saint Jude Retreats). Over fifteen years ago Ryan committed his life to helping others realize there’s alternative methods to achieving new habits, establishing lifestyle habits that are geared to building lives on happiness first. He believes no one should allow themselves to give up on their dreams and everyone has the power within themselves to build the life they want and absolutely no one has the right to tell them they can’t or won’t be successful and happy!
Below is Ryan’s recounting of a conversation he shared long ago which forever affected the trajectory of his life’s path.
Gerald Brown (Jer), one of the [Saint Jude Retreats] Co-Founders, once told me “Ryan, nothing is wrong with you, and you’re going to be fine”.
As simple as that sounds, it was so powerful because up to that point I had learned I was diseased and I was pretty much doomed for the rest of my life. All my dreams and goals were out the window because I was forever going to be dealing with my disease of addiction.
I have always been a person with extreme pride, self-determination, strong-willed and motivated individual with strong principles and well grounded moral values. I always had an overabundance of energy and I was able to overcome adversity in my life by mentally and physically working through pretty much anything that came my way. I guess I considered myself a pretty tough nut to crack but I have to say I was holding on by a shred at that point to not succumb to the nonsense.
I was not a person that was easily intimidated, but I was literally scared shitless that I wasn’t going to be able to beat this disease. When Jer told me that I was going to be fine and I had nothing wrong with me, I immediately thought… I knew it… I knew I wasn’t nuts and now here was this wise Yoda type guy confirming what I was thinking in my head for the past several years. It was literally like I was injected with all the old drive, determination, and energy I once had, and the fire within me began to explode again!
Ever since then I haven’t looked back and have strived to achieve every goal I set out to carry out and I vowed to never let anyone or anything tell me I can’t do something or tell me to believe or think a certain way because I was “supposed” to. Never again!
And I have vowed to do everything I can to help others see that despite what they have been told, and what they are expected to believe, they aren’t doomed and they aren’t sick and diseased. I want them to know there’s nothing wrong with them and they’re going to be fine.
I shared a similar experience as Ryan.
My wife Christie was my Jer. I shared that moment when I made a personal choice to change a habit that was not in alignment with who I wanted to be. Sometimes the simplest choice is the right choice, and all it takes is one person to believe in you, like Christie and Jer believed in us.
I recognize the treatments of addiction and industry of recovery is anything but perfect. Many of our accepted norms are based on antiquated teachings and beliefs. Many want to quote ‘evidence based science’ as the gold standard of proof. But there comes a point when we have to question what evidence is based on beliefs and what evidence is based on fact.
The fact is that if you or anyone you know want to change a self-defeating habit that isn’t serving you, such as a compulsion to drink or use other substances, there exists options outside of the disease treatment system. And the solution lies in non-treatment!
You can change anything you choose to change, and sometimes it just takes a conversation to target your specific challenges, needs, concerns, hopes, goals and dreams. Help you remember what it is you want most from your life.
For what it is worth, if you are reading this article and something in you is driving you to seek a change, I want you to know I believe in you. There’s nothing wrong with you and you’re going to be fine.
Note to reader: If you, or someone you care about, is dealing with a substance abuse issue, I highly recommend reaching out and connecting with someone from Saint Jude Retreats. In addition to the residential facilities, they also offer a Home Program and a Long Distance Learning program as well — exclusive for my tribe, use discount code “addictionfreelife” to receive 15% off
If you’ve missed the first 3 posts in this series, click the below to get the full back story.
If you, or anyone you know, resonate with any of the information shared in this post, do not hesitate to reach out for more information. Call my friends at Saint Jude’s at 877-958-3310 or reach out to them directly via www.SoberForever.net — don’t bother waiting, don’t seek out the advice of others, simply make the decision to choose you and your health first, you deserve happiness.
FREE RESOURCES for Substance Users and Family Members
FREE E-BOOK FOR THE FAMILY
This e-book provides family members of substance users with a completely unique and common sense approach to helping their loved one while simultaneously gaining back the focus and freedom for their own lives.
FREE E-BOOK FOR THE SUBSTANCE USER
It is Saint Jude Retreat’s mission since 1989 to provide a research based program to help you move beyond your current self-limiting habits and achieve a sustained balance in your life driven by your own freely chosen goals and dreams.
And to be absolutely clear, this is my disclaimer: “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn’t matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me, if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.” ~ Coach Moose
from Dai Manuel: The Moose is Loose http://ift.tt/2ay6EJs
W|A|M RANKINGS: PGA Championship Edition
The final Major of the season provides another opportunity to put the Woodstock Analytics Machine to the test.
Before we get to this week's predictions, let's take a look at how our predictions fared last time around.
W|A|M vs. The Open
For the Open Championship, the WAM ("The Machine") highlighted five players who could leave Royal Troon with the title of Champion Golfer of the Year. All five of those players made the cut, and Henrik Stenson (The Machine's #5) won the tournament. Phil Mickelson, who finished a strong second at Troon, was #10 in the WAM Rankings.
Let's take a look at how the WAM Rankings compared to the full list of Top 10 finishers at The Open Championship.
Here are some additional WAM highlights from the Open Championship:
- Predicted 71 of the 81 players to make the cut
- Had the player ranked within ten places of where they finished on the leaderboard 33 times (ex. Lee Westwood was T43 at Troon and was 49 on our list)
- Only 1 player from WAM’s Top 10 missed the cut (former Open Champ Louis Oosthuizen)
That's a solid showing for sure, so we're turning the machine loose for this week’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol.
About Our Analytics
The algorithm is structured the same way as last time, but as we mentioned ahead of The Open, the machine does adapt to the location of the tournament (among other variables). Here's a brief rundown of how The Machine arrives at its rankings.
- Stats Ranking - First we consider the obvious stuff. We generate a rating based on Strokes Gained Putting, Driving Distance, Sand Save Percentage and several other PGA Tour statistics.
- Past Play - While the stats are important, trends show that a golfer is more likely to play well when he's in good form. We also consider whether or not the course suits a given player’s style and eye. This ranking is based on past performances from similar courses.
*For example, Congressional - the venue of the 2011 U.S. Open - is similar to Baltusrol because of the penalizing fairway bunkering that is able to be avoided with sheer length. Any player who can carry the ball 300 plus yards will find the driving area to be slightly wider. - Proprietary Analytics - The final part of the algorithm is entirely proprietary. It's the secret that brings this all together, and sorry, we're not sharing.
Top 5 for the PGA Championship
We've plugged in the numbers for the field into the machine. Based on its calculations, here are the golfers most likely to win the 2016 PGA Championship:
Jason Day
The defending PGA Champion and current World #1 would is nearly a no-brainer even without WAM’s expertise. Above and beyond that, the Australian’s putting stats and monster carry numbers make him the favorite. His average finish of 13th in Majors this year adds further credibility to an already impressive resume. Day would love to beat his peers in the final major of the year to retain both his Wanamaker Trophy and his #1 Official World Golf Ranking.
Adam Scott
Scott sits only a spot away from where he sat for WAM’s ranking at Troon, and after a 43rd place finish at the Open the Aussie will look to rebound. Fortunately for Scott, his ball striking numbers from 175-225 yards are the best on tour. Baltusrol will test the player’s long iron game, and if the former major champion gets in contention he has the past experience to manage the pressure.
Charl Schwartzel
The former Masters champion seems to have fallen off a lot of golf fans’ radars, but Schwartzel has shown promise as of late. He ranks in the Top 5 of our Stats Ranking thanks to high finishes in Proximity to the Hole from 175-225 yards, Driving Distance, and Strokes Gained on Approach. A recent string of good play combined with above average finishes in the Majors in 2016 make Schwartzel a solid contender.
Matt Kuchar
Kuchar made some big numbers at Troon that hurt his chance at hoisting the Claret Jug. Because of his tee times during the tournament, he also saw the worst weather Scotland had to offer. The weather in New Jersey looks more promising, so look for Kuchar to be there come Sunday. He did just record a T-9 finish at the RBC Canadian Open, and the warm temperatures expected at Baltusrol could help his below-average driving distance just enough to push him to the top.
Rory McIlroy
The decimation of the field that was Congressional (the course WAM rates as most similar to Baltusrol) in 2011 could very well repeat itself this week. The Irish phenom sits fourth in our Stats Ranking thanks to his large carry distance and his obscene birdie conversion rate from 175-200 yards. On a golf course where WAM calculates those stats to be the most important, McIlroy is sure to be dangerous. With five top 5’s in his last seven starts, McIlroy is showing the form needed to return to his Major winning ways.
Dark Horse Picks
Our dark horses are players that the Machine predicts will over-perform relative to his Official World Golf Ranking. Here are the Top 3 choices.
Jim Furyk
The now 46 year-old is a former major champion that has had his share of Major Championship heartbreak over the last five years. On a long tight course lined with bunkers, a player like Furyk who has good numbers scrambling from greenside bunkers, top numbers on tour in Proximity to the Hole from fairway bunkers, and an above average Birdie Conversion Percentage from 175-200 yards is likely to shine. He is also coming off a 13th place finish in Canada last weekend, so his game is in good-enough shape to factor.
Kevin Na
The second short hitter to make the list Na actually ranks 10th on Tour in Average Finish in the first three Majors of the year. While Baltusrol’s lower course is not similar to the other three Major venues, the pressures of Major Championship golf are the same everywhere, so his past success should mean only positive things. Na’s only red flags are in Driving Distance (which is fine as long as he hits it straight and plays well from 175-225 yards) and his Sand Save Percentage. Fortunately he ranks 9th on Tour in Strokes Gained on Approach, and is above average in all stats from 175-225 yards. Look for the fidgety Na to conquer his tick and contend come Sunday afternoon.
Tyrrell Hatton
Coming off a 5th place finish at Troon and a solo 2nd the week before at the Scottish Open, the Englishmen is undoubtedly in form. A below average Sand Save Percentage is really his only drawback. His T7 at Wentworth for the BMW PGA Championship - the European Tour’s flagship event - shows Hatton can play a course similar to Baltusrol.
The Top 50
Because you asked for it, the chart below contains the W|A|M's Top 50 Rankings for the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol. If you don't feel like scrolling, you can search by player name.
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