WANT TO BE A PRO GOLFER

[seanmathes]

Hello all,
My name is Sean and this is my first post on this forum. I am 24 years old and this is my first season where I have tried to really learn how to swing a club correctly. I will give you some basics about myself my game and what my goals are. As with almost everything that I do I have become nearly obsessive. I work full time and golf once or twice a week. I am at the range almost every single day that I can get there. I receive a half hour lesson once a week and have been doing so for about the past month. I am 5' 10" 180 lbs and very lean. I am about a 30 handicap and have been told that I have the power and the ability to be a scratch golfer by other scratch golfers with some work. I know this is a long way off from a 30 hcp but this is what I have been told. I can drive the ball 300 yds without swinging out of my shoes. With some work I think I will be consistently above 300 on every drive. I know this is irrelivant but am just trying to paint a picture of my game. My irons need some work especially with consistency. Again I hit it very long but struggle with mishits. Putting and chipping is decent and I rarely 3 putt.

What I would like to know with everyones experience on the forum what should I be doing to get better and become the best possible golfer that I can be? How long can I expect it to take to become exceptional if I devote the time that it takes (I know this may be impossible to say) Am I too late to have any type of a successful professional career if I am willing to do whatever it takes? Any feedback is appreciated and I realize that I must sound extremely naive to many of you. But this is something that I am going to be pursuing no matter what it takes. I just thought that I would put this out there in front of everyone with so much accumulated experience for advice.

[Rockford35]

Well, from your attitude, practice schedule and drive, there's nothing holding you back that I can see.

If I can offer advice from a single digit handicapper to a 30 handicapper, it's that be prepared for bumps in the road. You'll find it harder and harder to break certain levels of success. Breaking 100.....then 90.....then 80...and your first sub par round. It takes time and dedication, both of which you've seemed to have grasped. I think that's great.

If you're naturally a long hitter, that's a huge advantage, but remember that finesse and putting rule the golf course. Any ape can hit a 7 iron 200 yards, but can they get up and down from a hairy lie when their opponent lies two on the green? That's what makes a breaks a good golfer. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses and playing within your own personal boundaries.

Don't let anyone else's game influence or intimidate you. They have their game, you have yours. Just play within yourself and more times than not, you'll come out on top. Being calm and collective is the key to many pros out there on tour. Look at Tiger. He kicks everyone's ass with intensity and focus on his own game. He makes birdie because he wants to win by 45 shots, not 4. He concentrates so much on the inside that he can usually block out whatever else is going on and just win....

Now, if he'd just throw the driver away, use that 270 yard 3 wood, he'd win every week. His putting is usually phenomenal and hit short game is one of the best in the business.

Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. That's the best start anyone could have.

Good luck, and keep us up to date with how things are going!

R35

[obagain]

The good news, you can achieve your goals with a lot of hard work.

The bad news, you need to be honest about your game.
You say you hit the driver 300, your irons need a little work and you rarely 3 putt, and you are a 30 handicap.
The first thing is you are going to need 4-5 hours every day, not just a couple of days.
You are behind so it will take you a while to catch up. At 4-5 hours a day you can expect it to be at least a year before you will start entering small tournies to see what hitting with a few fans around is like, yes it is a big difference.
After a couple of years of small tournies you will know if you can make the next step, to the nation wide tour or a small tour of some kind.
If you have sucess there you will then get an oppertunity to play on the pga tour.
It will not be easy and it will not be cheap but the oppertunity is there if you really want it.

[dave.]

Sean,

I'm 40,and I haven't played regular golf since I was 20,at which point I got to 7 hc but played to a higher standard.The last 20 years have been dedicated to family and work.

But this year I joined a club again and I set up to be as good as I could be.I decided to limit myself to 10 hrs a week,inc rounds.I have had 4 lessons.

I got down to scratch in 5 months.Leadbetter is a firm believer than if you practice properly,have lessons and study the mechanics of the swing,you shouldn't need a lot of hours to groove a good swing.But getting the ball somewhere near the green in reg is the easy part.

Getting your wedges to 6 ft instead of 20,getting your chips to 3 ft instead of 6 and holing all those 6 footers is where the game really begins once you start shooting in the seventies.Its under 120 yards that will sort out the 5 hc'ers and the scratch players.Taking that a stage further Tom Kite can strike a wedge and call it while its in the air to the nearest foot.

My practice splits are now as follows

Wedges 30%
Short game50%
irons 10%
woods 10%

I also make sure if i practice on technique on day,the next day I swing with no swing thoughts.

But the 2 secrets you discover eventually are how important the pre-shot routine is,and how important your own attitude is (read that as working on the mental side of the game)


I practice with some pros,Euro pro tour,local pro etc etc,and on the range you can't tell us apart,and these guys will muller a +2 handicapper,shooting in the sixties on the local course.Being a tour pro is a league above again.Its hard work,and I wish you well with your quest

[seanmathes]

This is exactly the feedback I am looking for and I want honesty from you guys. But obagain I don't hit the driver 300 all of the time, lately I have struggled with a slice due to not clearing my body and consistency but when I hit it solid and don't slice I can hit 300 without trying to destroy the ball. The only reason I mentioned the length of my drive was to establish a sense of power and ability. I cannot dedicate 4-5 hours per day but everyday I am at the range about two hours with a bucket of balls practicing my swing and drills and not hitting a ton of balls. Also I would like to retract my putting statement I do 3 putt more than I said in a round thinking about it more and my irons need a lot of work. You are absolutely right I need to be honest with myself and I can handle the criticism and I welcome it. I think about my swing and try to self correct and then I will hit another ball unfortunately this is hard sometimes and honestly what I hate is when I can't figure out myself what I am doing wrong. I cherish my lessons but this gets expensive so I am looking on ways to improve without breaking the bank.

[seanmathes]

Dave, can you please suggest some information about routines, pre shot routines, warm ups, drills please. Online resources or books or whatever you might suggest. I don't have much of a routine now, Now what I do is go to the range take my 7 iron and sometimes don't make it past that. Thank you so much.

[dave.]

Originally Posted by seanmathes

I cherish my lessons but this gets expensive so I am looking on ways to improve without breaking the bank.

sorry but there isn't a secret that you can suddenly get from here,the answer is hard work and a working knowledgde of swing mechanics

you will also need some talent and 10 hrs a week practice

As for pre-shot routines,I would suggest David Leadbetters '100% Golf',and any of his instructional videos.Seves short game vhs is the best you can get,and I would also recommend the latest 2 Rotella books.

me meticulous and repetetive with your pre-shot routine

[SiberianDVM]

I cherish my lessons but this gets expensive so I am looking on ways to improve without breaking the bank.

The good news is that practicing putting and chipping usually doesn't cost a lot of money, just time.

Some municipal courses (like mine) have decent putting and chipping greens. When I have the time, which unfortunately is not every day, I spend an hour or two putting, chipping, and sand blasting. Then I buy a few range balls and practice my hitting.

[VtDivot]

Sean - FYI scratch golfers are typically the 4th and 5th guys on a mediocre NCAA squads.

While I admire your passion and determination, I think you need to be a little more realistic in your goals.

Sorry, not trying to crush any dreams here, just my $.02

[SilverUberXeno]

VtDivot's words are honest and harsh. It's not out of the question, your dreams and all, but you'll need to put a lot more time into it. Get a membership next summer, and play every day (you won't have to pay for more than the membership). That'll help you out bigtime, I think. If at the end of the week, you see a consistent problem, ask your once-a-week professional. Make sure your course has a driving range, too. Maybe do course, range, course, range, course mon-fri. If you can find the time, you can do it, I think.

[seanmathes]

Dave I would say that I spend about 2 hours a day during the work week and at least 8 to 10 hours on the weekends. So I would put my practice and playing closer to 20 hours/week. I know there isn't any secret or magic but with the advice of experienced and good golfers I would think that I could cut some time that I otherwise wouldn't be able to on my own.

Vtdivot I am a big boy I can take it and I appreciate opinions from all sides. What in your opinion is a realistic goal? In your experience what amount of time does it take to get to that level. I know that most pros have been playing since they were very young but there must be exceptions?

On another note I have also started a journal with all of my practice sessions, playing rounds, problems and difficulties to track my progress.

[obagain]

I have guys in the shop that are currantly on tour and guys that played a year or two and some that will be there one day.

I have seen guys spend 10 hours a day for a couple of months to get ready for one tournament only to not make the cut.
I play a lot with one pro who shot a 57 at his home course, I have never seen him shoot more that a 74, and he can't make it on the nation wide tour.
It can be done but you will have to sacrafice, as much as you practice now, you will have to do more.
Robert Landers made it on the senior tour even thou he never played on the pga tour. It can be done but it will be your life. You have to make that commitment or you will not make it.
I know this may not sound like it but I would love to see you make it.

[seanmathes]

In your opinion what was the difference between the guys that made it one day or several years? Would you say that it is more of a physical, mental, or experiental issue that made the difference?

[dave.]

I think your goal is fine,stick with it.The best golfers in the world have one thing in common,they dreamt of being great when they were kids.Their dreams consumed them and they realised them.Believe in yourself and set a target,getting to scratch in one season is entirely realistic,with hard work on all aspects of the game i mentioned above.

I disagree with anyone will tell you your targets are unrealistic,only you can decide that,but dreaming of greatness can be the difference betwen achieving it and failing.

The first priority is to study swing mechanics so you are practicing with a purpose.

[obagain]

For the guys that made it but couldn't stay, 90% of it is mental. 2 of them had injuries that ended their careers.
It is one thing to play for a club championship with just pride on the line. It is another to use your last penny to enter a tournament, knowing if you don't make the cut you can't get home.