Some Final "Hack To Jack" Thoughts...

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

The grand experiment of "Hack To Jack, Season 1" is over for me.  The first season concluded with an end of year Skills Challenge and Tournament in July.  Some really cool things came out of the program - which started last winter with auditions.  Here are some of the highlights...

 

1. Got to meet some really fun people!

 

They say you learn more about a person in one 4 hour round than in years in the boardroom.  The Hack To Jack group did a great job in selecting the final 40 - not a jerk or clunker in the bunch.  I'd say at least half probably disappeared during the actual 12 week program, but the 20 that stayed in had a blast.  

 

Got to make some new golfing buddies and forge some friendships that I hope will continue off the course.

 

2. Got a lot of "bonus" golf

 

Got to know the producer, Kevin Unterreiner, through the whole process.  Good guy to golf with (for a scratch golfer, that is), and a "hustler" in the best sense of the word.  He has a vision for Hack To Jack, and is in the running for a piece of Taylormade's "Hack Golf" program to help take H2J to other markets.

 

3. Got a lot better

 

12 weeks worth of group lessons was huge!  Did most of them with PGA teaching pro Brian Skavnak in Plymouth, MN.  What a great teacher -- he helped me learn to keep my hands ahead of the club head (and to stop "flipping" quite so much) and to turn my body through the shot for better contact and power.  He also taught me to bump-n-run with a 9 iron, which has helped my short game.

 

Bottom line -- started the program with an 11.5 index, am now sitting at 8.4!

 

The vision for H2J was to get a group of golfers together - from beginner to low single digit handicap, from early 20's to early 60's, men and women - to get together to improve their game, improve their health (lost 10 pounds during the program!) and most of all - have fun while doing it.  

 

Mission accomplished!

 

Auditions for Season 2 have begun, and if the Taylormade program works out, Hack To Jack could become something special.

 

Here are some pictures of group lessons, tournaments, and a chiropractic visit with 

 

Here are some pix from the program...

 

We started with a series of group lessons - and Minnesota being Minnesota - the early ones were indoors:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The fun started when we went outdoors -- with more group lessons, challenges (including Sprint Golf on a pitch and putt - almost had a heart attack!) and tournaments...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

If you want to check out some of the videos for Season 1, or find out more about Season 2, click on this:  www.HackToJack.com  The videos from the Deer Run Skills Challenge are a "hoot!"

 

They're pretty busy on Facebook, too… www.facebook.com/HackToJack

[Mr_Theoo]

Glad to hear you had so much fun and got better! Guess you wont be lining up that 4th putt anymore lol

[SPY ZINGER]

Nicely done and fun reading John!