WANT TO BE A PRO GOLFER

[dave.]

Yep,thats what Trevino did,he bet money he didn't have

 

[VtDivot]

Sean - Here are my thoughts, take them for what they are worth.

At your current HCP of 30, being a single digit hcp would be a good first goal. From there you can spend the next few years trying to get to scratch LOL. Once you get to scratch, then your next goal could be your club championship. From there you could look at the state amateur event or other state sponsored tournaments. Once you've competed against the best at the amateur level, then perhaps you need to talk to someone that knows more about how to qualify for mini-tour events.

By the time you reach all of these goals you will know what it takes to play this game for a living and you will know whether or not you have the game to do so. I've played with plenty of guys you were scratch or better, and they will be the first ones to tell you that they don't have the game to play for a living.

A typical scenario -
The VT am champ is a kid who plays on Charlotte (not a high ranking D1 school) He plays off a +3 and is considered the 5th man on his squad.

Sorry to be the defeatest but there are some serious sticks out there who will never see a day of professional golf

 

[seanmathes]

I really do appreciate your thoughts and with the little exposure that I have to the game I want to hear all of the stories available about the realities of what it takes to make it.

Let me tell you a little story, at this point in my life I really am searching for something that I can do professionally and enjoy. It isn't that I want the money or am searching for a career but it really is about doing something that I love everyday and enjoying it and very few people can say that. I graduated college a year ago and am in a great sales job for a large corporate company making what most people would consider great money. But, it isn't enough for me and never is, I don't want a normal life and I can't stand to be status quo. I have always felt that I was going to do something special but I just haven't figured out what it is yet. Everything I do I do well and am usually one of the best and I realize that this still may not be enough to ever compete professionally in golf.

All I know is that I love golf and that everyday I wake up, during the day, and when I sleep there is NOTHING that I would rather do. I don't know if this is just my latest obsession but I have no plan on quiting anytime soon. I know that I am starting late and that even if it takes five years or ten years that is fine with me but really would like to know exactly what it takes and I thank you for informing me.

One last thing, I spent three and a half hours at the range today after a full eight hours at work. I don't think that this is something that most people are willing to do day in and day out. How did it go? Honestly not well I am hitting my irons very fat but I did have some luck with getting my driver to straighten out. It was one of those days that I felt like I couldn't self correct my mistakes and didn't know what to do. Time for another lesson I guess.

I never told anyone about what clubs I am using. My irons are fitted components that I bought at the local store several years ago. The heads are zephyrs with dynalite stiff shafts and lamkin grips. My driver is a nike ignite 460 cc 9.5 degree with the stiff stock fujikura shaft, I also have a nike cpr 21 degree hybrid that I use.

 

[Dave Ireland]

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

Dave ... great post ... it encapsulates everything I've ever wanted or got from the game so far...

 

[Loop]

Sean, there is a guy on the seinor tour who started golf after Nam.
He was, if I remember correctly, around 27 or 29 when he started...
In his words, he considers himself lucky, and says that it is very hard, if not exceptional to do the same thing as he does.
What differentiates the pro from the scratch is the gifted.
To prove my point, there is also another guy who's trying to be on the senior tour (lol, it's in an older issue of Golf Mag). He started golf late, I think in his 30s, can't remember at all sorry. Anyways, he was a construction worker, saw guys hitting ball at a driving range, got interested, someone who hitted good showed him.
He got addicted, and after 3 months of driving range, he shot 90 for the first time.
Me, when I started, after 3 months of driving range, I was 120.
This is the difference between the hackers and the pro... talent.

Now, if you want to do it, then set your mind on it, and above all, enjoy what you do.
In the range, work your swing intelligently, focus on one thing at a time: one day, practice your grip (yes as stupid at it sounds). Focus 5 days on setup. Then work to get a consistent repeatable swing, however quirky it may look.
Dedicate 3/4 of your range time practicing chipping, pitching, putting.

If you can get a tip from me, then ALWAYS accelerate through the ball, on ANY shot: full swing, chipping, putting, whatever...

 

[dave.]

Dave,thanks

Sean,just dream it and you will give yourself the best chance,if you run out of talent then so be it,you will sleep at night.Running out of desire when you have the talent will torment you forever.

Set your goal to be as good as you possible can,don't limit yourself with numbers,scr,+3,single digits,whatever,just aim for the best standard your talent will allow.This my opnion for what its worth.

As for how good plus players are,well in my opinion its all down to the course in the UK.A scratch player at Hillside in lancashire is a seriously good golfer,links course,every lie will be sloped and the greens are barbaric.A wonderful course that requires a wonderful player to get to scratch.But a local course to me near work has a SSS of one over,and at 6250 and no real rough to speak of its easy,a plus 4 player there is still bloody good,but better than the scr guy at Hillside? I'm not sure,just don't be intimidated by handicaps.