How good are these Guys?

[Nico]

Been reading Simon Barnes in the papers today and he said something I completely agree with.

He says that we have no clue just how good most professional sportspersons are and he is right.

Having been lucky enough to play with golf pro's regularly and with tour players on occasion believe me they are amazing!

Growing up I knew David Llewellin who became British Rally Champion but never really made it on the world scene,let me tell you that man was a God!

Which only puts into perspective how good the World champions like Macrae are.

 

[HTL]

Have never watched a live golf tournament but it is amazing the way the tour players move and shape the ball + make it look easy.

I only have personal experience of the difference between high and low level rugby, and its incredible the difference in speed of play and physicality and high level is frightening.

 

[GB72]

Agreed, having trained a couple of times with a pro rugby club in my youth it was startling to see the difference between my standard and the development squad let alone the even bigger step up to the first team. The thing is that pros are so good that they make it look easy and many people then assume that it is.

 

[Nico]

I was finished way before you could have described us as pro's but the diff between us and local league meant I could still play on one leg!

htl,get yourself to Wentworth for the PGA and spend time watching the guys hit it on the range. Some experience trust me.

Try to get there on the last day of practice and follow a relative journeyman as you will get closer.

Prepare to be impressed!!

I will be there this year as as we wont be on our normal holiday with family,cant wait.

 

[shanker]

Have never watched a live golf tournament but it is amazing the way the tour players move and shape the ball + make it look easy.

Then you should definitely go and see one the first chance you get. It really is something to see the way these guys hit it.

 

[blindpete]

Had the pleasure of playing with a "County" standard bowler for a few years whilst in the RAF. Had to face him in the nets one evenening, never saw the ball leave his hand...thank god I had my box!!!

 

[theeaglehunter]

Never played with a golf pro or watched a tournamnet on location, althoguh I am going to the British Masters later this year, but I bet it is an amazing experience.

Closest I have come is playing football with two professionals (not premiership standard but pros nonetheless) and the one thing that struck me was how good their touch was and how well balanced they were.

These professionals are where they are for a reason: they are different class.

 

[TonyN]

Anybody remember Billy Davenport (ex manunited and English striker) Last i heard he was managing bangor. He signed for my sunday league side and at 50(ish) was still phenominal

I have played with some good lads in my time, a mate of mine went to the liverpool academy then to crewe then to iceland for a season. He was summit else.

My mate is a pro golfer and wow, playing with him is a joy! I dont care how i play when i am with him, he just amazes me, funny though i always play well with him!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

When I was an assistant pro I entered a load of our local assistants events. Boy what an eye opener. I was hitting 250 (persimmon and balata in those days) and they were hitting it 260. I was hitting it to 10 feet and they were sticking it to 8.

I realised very quickly that I had no future as a competitive pro and was going to try and be a decent club pro somewhere happy to run the shop etc once I qualified. Sadly that never materialised.

You really need to get out to the range at one of these big events and see just how far these guys bomb it these days with the minimum of effort. Also check out the putting and chipping areas for the reason why they scor well when not playing well and we don't

 

[medwayjon]

Played pool with "pros"

Trained at a semi-pro level of football before busting my left knee very badly.

Have played footy with a few ex-pros.

I boxed professionally on 3 occassions, by professional I mean I got paid £500.

 

[RGuk]

I tried to find the article, but failed. I think that those of us that really try to do something with our hobbies fully appreciate how good professionals are and we meet enough "nearly-men" to also know that the difference between unbelievably good and the next level up is also huge. I know guys that were off very low h'caps who said they just hit a brick wall of competition.

I like sport because it's easy to appreciate the differences between amateur/good/very good/pro-ish and real pro level. Unlike most of the rest of things people "pretend" to be good at where there isn't competition in the same way to separate the men from the boys. I meet all kinds of folk in my line of work who think they are "it", very few are, it's just we don't have 4 days of "no-bull" the best man wins to prove all the arrogant idiots wrong.

 

[Nico]

Realgolfer,it was in The Times yesterday.

 

[benny]

A player from my club, I won't name him cos I don't know him too well but he was once British Boys Champion, qualified for the Open Championship a couple of years back and turned pro for while, now off +2 - someone asked him in the club bar if he would take on Tiger in a matchplay situation if the chance arose.
'Oh I'd play him alright' he said. 'And I'd want 15 shots'.

 

[mick]

sparred with some decent journeymen pro's when boxing,the class difference was imense.also trained with sale when playing rugby same thing i was nowhere near them.jon who did you box for amatuer i was twice aba semi finalist and i'm about your age,may have crossed paths at one point.