Natural Ability

[Deleted member 15344]

So it's more personal interpretation than anything else?

I suppose life dictates how good you could be. Family time vs time to practice and/or play.

Of course it is

You will know if you have reached as far you can go within a sport or indeed most things in life

Thats where oyu have a choice to make - be happy with what you have got and enjoy yourself or strive to look for something else.

 

[Simbo]

It will be up to you to know when you think you have reached your potential

Isnt that only a limitation you're placing on yourself? Becoming lazy and giving in rather than getting good help and battling on. Every major successful person has hit barriers and plateaus, it's how you react to them that determine your success.
Why do you think no amount of practice would have made you better?

I think to become successful also depends on your interpretation of successful. It's not just about natural ability or how much you practice. It's like making a fry up for breakfast, you have to be able to get all the ingredients ready at the right time to make it an enjoyable meal. You might drive it miles but if you can't putt, you need to be able to keep your massive driving while making your putting better, adding in your chipping, then your wedges etc.
While I do agree to an extent people have a natural limit I also beleive that it can be broken with the correct training and motivation. I also beleive a massive bit of luck plays a big part in success.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Isnt that only a limitation you're placing on yourself? Becoming lazy and giving in rather than getting good help and battling on. Every major successful person has hit barriers and plateaus, it's how you react to them that determine your success.
Why do you think no amount of practice would have made you better?

I think to become successful also depends on your interpretation of successful. It's not just about natural ability or how much you practice. It's like making a fry up for breakfast, you have to be able to get all the ingredients ready at the right time to make it an enjoyable meal. You might drive it miles but if you can't putt, you need to be able to keep your massive driving while making your putting better, adding in your chipping, then your wedges etc.
While I do agree to an extent people have a natural limit I also beleive that it can be broken with the correct training and motivation. I also beleive a massive bit of luck plays a big part in success.

Because i battled on and didnt get better in both sports. Other people around me did get better and myself and others got left behind and it wasnt through lack of effort or practise or desire.

Golf gives a good indicator of peoples levels - their HC. For me its rare to see people whose HC area isnt a good indicator of their natural ability when they have been playing for a good period of time

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played an ok level of football, did well as a youngster at golf but had to really work at every sport. Not blessed with too much natural ability and had to work hard and practice to get any results. To be honest I don't agree with this plateau or reaching your potential. If so what's the point trying to get your handicap down.

 

[Tiger man]

Totally agree with LP that nobody can surpass their natural ability, does not matter how much coaching or practice you have but it will be a very small minority that ever reach their full potential. Will be plenty of people that possess the talent to be tour pros but very few that firstly take the game up and secondly get the opportunity to realise this potential.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Because i battled on and didnt get better in both sports. Other people around me did get better and myself and others got left behind and it wasnt through lack of effort or practise or desire.

Golf gives a good indicator of peoples levels - their HC. For me its rare to see people whose HC area isnt a good indicator of their natural ability when they have been playing for a good period of time

I get were you're coming from, one question, what if it's not your limitations but your coaches, what if they lack the ability to see what you need to do to go to the next level.

 

[Simbo]

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Because i battled on and didnt get better in both sports. Other people around me did get better and myself and others got left behind and it wasnt through lack of effort or practise or desire.

Golf gives a good indicator of peoples levels - their HC. For me its rare to see people whose HC area isnt a good indicator of their natural ability when they have been playing for a good period of time

So you believe that people who have reached X handicap and played there for a few years have reached the limit of their natural,ability???

 

[Birchy]

Natural ability does play a part in the level you can reach and how fast you can get there.

Drive, determination and mindset do also play a big part, only people who have all 4 can make it to the very top of sport imo.

I think if you only had one of the above natural ability would take you the furthest on its own.


Besides, Everybody knows somebody who practices loads but is still garbage dont they?

 

[Tiger man]

I get were you're coming from, one question, what if it's not your limitations but your coaches, what if they lack the ability to see what you need to do to go to the next level.

Very good point, it would be tough for anyone to absolutely reach the maximum of their natural ability.

 

[hovis]

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So you believe that people who have reached X handicap and played there for a few years have reached the limit of their natural,ability???

I think its crazy too. I think anyone can be a professional golfer. As long as they're physically able then its just a matter of surroundings, coaching and commitment.

Natural ability is just the starting point imo. You can always improve not mattee how good you are.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I get were you're coming from, one question, what if it's not your limitations but your coaches, what if they lack the ability to see what you need to do to go to the next level.

What if the coaches aren't good enough though? Surely they'll hold you back, especially if their methods were out of date

 

[AmandaJR]

I always believed in natural ability and felt I had it in spades when it came to ball sports. I played hockey, cricket, football, tennis, squash, badminton etc and felt pretty much conffident that ball and/or ball and bat in hand and I'd make a good fist of it with no or very little coaching. Then I took up golf...and was rubbish! Ok so maybe I could smack the occasional drive pretty far (with lots of slice) but it was occasional and the rest of my game really was rubbish. I had a few lessons but never really committed to a coach and focussed practice. It was only when I found the right coach and felt enthused and believed I could get better that I started to improve. In 5 years that got me to single figures but no way would I have got there if I relied on natural ability - it was consistent coaching and consistent, guided practice.

Having said that - I do play with those that are from a totally non-sporting background and I'm not sure they'd progress as far, even with the same coaching and work...

So I guess it's a bit of ability but that's no good without the fundamentals when it comes to golf.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I get were you're coming from, one question, what if it's not your limitations but your coaches, what if they lack the ability to see what you need to do to go to the next level.

Was coached by national and international coaches at Cricket and hockey and there was various coaches throughout. Tried different methods and changing things but it didnt work to improve me.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He


So you believe that people who have reached X handicap and played there for a few years have reached the limit of their natural,ability???

Yes i believe that will be relevant for a good number of people

 

[hovis]

Was coached by national and international coaches at Cricket and hockey and there was various coaches throughout. Tried different methods and changing things but it didnt work to improve me.

Perhaps you just answered that yourself. How many sportsmen get to professional standard in two sports? you cant say you was fully committed in two sports?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Perhaps you just answered that yourself. How many sportsmen get to professional standard in two sports? you cant say you was fully committed in two sports?

Why can't i ? They happened at two different periods in my life.

 

[hovis]

Why can't i ? They happened at two different periods in my life.

Perhaps if you didn't switch from one to the other you would have got better than you anticipated in said sport

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Was coached by national and international coaches at Cricket and hockey and there was various coaches throughout. Tried different methods and changing things but it didnt work to improve me.

Not talking directly about you, but look at the difference some footballers or rugby players make when different coaches take over.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Perhaps if you didn't switch from one to the other you would have got better than you anticipated in said sport

I switch because I wasn't going to get better at cricket - it was quite clear as my last year with Somerset showed.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

How do you know when you've reached said potential?

I've had plenty of plateaus but I'm still improving and scoreing, on average, better.

Good point and one I think a lot of golfers will recognise. A string of 0.1's back and going nowhere and then suddenly a great round, a purple patch and some cuts, maybe to a new low. What's to stop them from going on and getting better, maybe getting lessons, and then going on and getting further cuts