Natural talent Vs Unlimited resources

[golfchat1]

First of all congratulations Peter Uihlein for winning the US Amatuer I only saw the semis and final thats all they showed over here in the UK.What a great player full of potential looking forward to seeing him tuen pro in 2012, As most golf enthusiast will know his father is Wally Uihlein CEO of Acushnet (Titleist & Footjoy) the biggest company in golf.

Surely he must have benefited from use of state of the art equipment at his disposal at Carlsbad, don't get me wrong he still has to hit the ball himself and he seems to be great down to earth kid, but is he no.1 amateur because of natural talent or is that too much of a coincidince that you are born with that talent for golf and your father happens to be one of the most important men in golf.

Also what about that course in Washington, Chambers Bay I think a good fun course for matchplay but it is meant to host the 2015 US open are they being serious? The greens were like crazy golf at some pins you had to hit the ball 20 foot past and 40ft left just to leave the ball stiff.

 

[pokerjoke]

Imo it doesnt matter wether youve got the best equipment in the world,or even access to that techno,i believe you still have to have natural ability and the ability to take on board the info you are being taught to become world class.

 

[USER1999]

It would be sad if after all the advantages the kid had, he had no talent at all. Luckily that does not appear to be the case.

 

[golfchat1]

Talent is a load of P&$h and overrated. It is all about hard work people don't just walk on to the course and become golfers it is all about being committed hitting balls as much as you can getting lessons from a Pro learning from those lessons and being determined to be successful.

I was watching an interview last night with Monty he watched his first Ryder cup as a spectator in 1981 aged 18 and having a handicap of 6 would you call a 18 year old 6 handicapper talented?

He worked hard to get where he is now.

Even Tiger wasn't talented he is a perfect golfing machine and was trained by his father at a really young age there was a great documentary on channel 4 interviewing his early coaches at the military golf course where he learned to play.

Golf is a sport you only get out of it what you put in it.

 

[USER1999]

Sorry, I have mates with three left feet, who wouldn't ever be golfers if you threw billions at them.

Talent helps. It divides the journeymen from the greats.

 

[golfchat1]

your missing the point,Its not the money it is the hard work going out hitting ball after ball after ball in rain hail or snow its about who wants it more.

 

[Dodger]

And you are missing the point....you will NOT get anywhere without talent.

 

[golfchat1]

In golf talent is something you create through hard work I know a few guys who went over to play US college golf they were ok golfers nothing special but you can't help get better hitting 2000 balls a day and that came from Scott Jamieson who plays at the same club as me and I have known for years and is currently plying his trade on the challenge tour.

I was playing Scottish events at the same time as Marc Warren and he wasn't anywhere on any leader board wasn't even playing for his local county before he went out to the state. 2 good golfers because of hard work.

 

[Dodger]

So they didn't have talent to get them there first?

I agree to get real good you need to work at it but you need to have the talent otherwise you are pissing against the wind.

 

[Dodger]

I see you are off 6.

What happened to your game?Another ex 'assistant Pro' who has a handicap way higher than they surely should have if they were once at that level or by assistant do you mean you sold marsbars?

 

[golfchat1]

LOL there isn't a difference to be honest, But yes I was registered with the PGA I was playing off 1 at the age of 16 and was offered the position from my local pro.


Sounds Glamourous but I worked 6 days a week 7am till 8pm mon to fri and finished at 6pm on weekends, played most of my golf in my own time and was getting £65 a week.

I was registered when I was 18 and left 2 and half years later.

I never played at all for the next 7 years then a few games a year with work colleagues.

I only got the bug back in July of this year and 6 was the handicap I was given through the 3 medals I played.

I will be under 3 this time next year hopefully

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I will get shot down for this but I've was an assistant too at 16 and I worked out very quickly that I wasn't good enough and got out. I'd love to have carried on and got PGA qualified but my parents couldn't afford to pay for PGA fees etc. I had a modicum of talent but not enough.

The point is these guys have to have the talent to get their. Single figure juniors are common at most clubs now and many could be assistants if hey wanted. Not many do. Similarly look at the Europro tour. ALl quality professionals and good ball strikers but 95% never make the move to Challenge Tour let alone the big stage. They all work hard at their games and hit hundreds of balls but they just can't progress. They all have the opportunity to get top end gear. What they lack is that inner hunger. That can't be taught or bought and you either have it or you don't. I think Poulter is the epitomy. He knew inside he was good enough and certainly didn't have money chucked at him. He grafted and his desire and natural talent won through.

I'm sure I and a lot of others on here could get top end coaching, state of the art equipment and unlimited practice time (in an ideal world) but not many would ever get to scratch as we all have our natural plateau. No amount of money will change someones natural ability

 

[thecraw]

In golf talent is something you create through hard work I know a few guys who went over to play US college golf they were ok golfers nothing special but you can't help get better hitting 2000 balls a day and that came from Scott Jamieson who plays at the same club as me and I have known for years and is currently plying his trade on the challenge tour.

I was playing Scottish events at the same time as Marc Warren and he wasn't anywhere on any leader board wasn't even playing for his local county before he went out to the state. 2 good golfers because of hard work.

There is arguements to both sides however natural talent is needed and dedication to improve. In my opinion practice alone does not improve your talent. Dedication to improve makes you better!

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I think it comes down to time taken to learn something new in the game.

For example

Ask Rory M and A.N.Other challenge tour pro to learn, let's say, the flop shot. For the purposes of this case, they've both never played it and a golf coach is teaching them.

Due to Rory's higher talent level, he'll pick it up quicker. The Challenge tour pro will take longer to master it. In fact, he may never master it.

I've oversimplified my example but you get my drift.

 

[Losttheplot]

I agree that you have to work hard (and very hard at that) but you need a starting point in your own ability which I call natural ability.

Without both you will struggle to reach the top.

 

[golfchat1]

I believe the talent is being able to work so hard, hitting so many balls spending so many hours at the range or course or the putting green the talent is being so dedicated.

 

[RGDave]

And you are missing the point....you will NOT get anywhere without talent.

I have little or no talent for Golf. I worked almost non-stop for about 5 years and fooled myself into believing that I could get down to about 6 (I chose that figure because I sometimes played to 3 or 4 and had a h'cap of 8 for a few weeks).
Sadly, I quit through frustration and never set foot on a course for about 7 years. I came back with a different attitude and just play for pleasure.

You won't get far without talent, and i.m.h.o. talent on it's own isn't enough. I knew lots of kids (now adults) who thought they could get a low h'cap without lessons.

I think most on here don't believe in the perfect swing, but I'd say it was it was more common to find that really good players have had some help (lessons/coaching)....but I'm happy to hear otherwise.

 

[SharkAttack]

I will get shot down for this but I've was an assistant too at 16 and I worked out very quickly that I wasn't good enough and got out. I'd love to have carried on and got PGA qualified but my parents couldn't afford to pay for PGA fees etc. I had a modicum of talent but not enough.

Where's my gun?

You're just about right there Homer. I was at 3 and coming down when I injured my back. I had the desire to get low (Like many others on here) but not the desire to go pro. I knew I probably wouldn't get to Tour low but I could have been good enough to be a club pro.

I knew a few really good golfers who went pro, Scotland and European Internationalists and yet non made it big and are just club pro's. They obviously had the ability just not the desire to go that extra inch.

Shark

 

[USER1999]

Guy at my club turned pro off a h/cap of 4.8. Has he made any money, no. Has he held a tour card, yes, but only for one year. Has he got one now, no.

There is so much more than technique or talent.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I'll never know if I had the talent to even think about being any kind of pro. I spent most of my youth with a football stuck to my foot and golf was really only something I took up after Uni when my knees took a disliking to football.

However, I think I've been playing sport to know that talent isn't enough to be a top player at any sport. Of course it helps but in my opinion the most important ingredient to succeed is singleminded desire to be the best.

Having talent isn't good enough on its own.