Need to eat, sleep & breathe it to be good?

[Paul77]

I was hammering the practice when I took up the sport again. Played 3 times a week, and practice at the range in between. I went for lessons and all sorts. Shooting gross scores I could only dream of as a net score years ago. Since my car was taken into the garage a month ago I have hardly played at all (Got it back yesterday). I was even late for my lesson the other night because I've been so busy with stuff.

On the lesson I was hitting the ball worse than ever, and the tutor couldn't believe it was the same person. I pretty much said to him that it was down to me not playing for the last 3 weeks at all. He then fires out a statement that in order to be good you pretty much need to Eat, Sleep and Breathe golf in order to be good at it.

I tend to agree with it. It doesn't bode well to just jump in and out of it whenever you feel like it and pick up where you left off.

So for anyone who is struggling to play consistently well and wants to get better, I reckon a whole change in lifestyle is necessary to break the cycle, or risk remaining at the same level. Golf certainly seems to be a game where you get out what you put in. Sounds extreme but honestly it worked for me for a wee while there, and I'm feeling the fall out from not practicing now. All that work feels like it's gone to waste.

 

[Robobum]

Depends on what the definition of good is.

I played in a 72 player mid am comp recently, highest handicap was 3. Not one of them fits the eat, breathe, sleep model.

 

[Paul77]

Depends if they used to fit the model in order to get to that handicap. No-one sailed through life in anything and got good at it by chance. I'm talking about the improving person and not the people who don't realise they eat, sleep and breathe golf lol.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Depends on what the definition of good is.

I played in a 72 player mid am comp recently, highest handicap was 3. Not one of them fits the eat, breathe, sleep model.

What constitutes eating, breathing and sleeping golf?

I think to improve at a good rate you have to put a lot of work in. To stay at the level you are already at you just have to play quite a bit of golf.

I doubt any of the players you mention that have got down to 3 have done that without putting in a lot of work consistently over a relatively long period.

That might constitute eating, breathing and sleeping the game compared to someone that plays once a week if they're lucky and practices from time to time.

Everything's relative.

 

[Rooter]

So for anyone who is struggling to play consistently well and wants to get better, I reckon a whole change in lifestyle is necessary to break the cycle, or risk remaining at the same level.

So if i file for divorce and give up the right to see my kids, i could get to Cat 1? Hmmm...

 

[Robobum]

What constitutes eating, breathing and sleeping golf?

I think to improve at a good rate you have to put a lot of work in. To stay at the level you are already at you just have to play quite a bit of golf.

I doubt any of the players you mention that have got down to 3 have done that without putting in a lot of work consistently over a relatively long period.

That might constitute eating, breathing and sleeping the game compared to someone that plays once a week if they're lucky and practices from time to time.

Everything's relative.

Doubt all you like, at least 1 of them has never had a lesson, doesn't use a range more than a handful of times in a year and has 100 other things that come before golf. I also know he's not alone.

 

[garyinderry]

So if i file for divorce and give up the right to see my kids, i could get to Cat 1? Hmmm...

I wouldn't bother. You would probably still end up winning and thwarting your own master plan.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Rooter - Unfortunately your wife will take most of your money so you will not be able to afford the membership fees. The solicitors will then take the rest meaning you have to sell your clubs to eat, not that you would be able to fit them in your new bedsit anyway.

Stick with the family, play the golf you play now. Be a rounded person.

 

[Slab]

Was going to ask something similar what did the pro actually mean (in measurable terms)

i.e as it happens on Tuesday night I did actually dream about my shots on the course I'll be playing this weekend for what seemed like half the night, what difference will this make to my scoring?

... or maybe it just a throw away comment from him and he meant just practice more!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Doubt all you like, at least 1 of them has never had a lesson, doesn't use a range more than a handful of times in a year and has 100 other things that come before golf. I also know he's not alone.

You are then talking about natural talent which is something you find in all sports. If they did eat, sleep golf etc then they may have been a plus figure golfer or even a pro. Many clubs will have the bloke who is off scratch or just above, borderline or over alcoholic, turns up on the tee just in time and wins the club championship. What could they have been though? The point is that if you are good at a sport then you will undoubtedly improve the more you play and practice, as long as it is intelligent practice. That is not rocket science.

The other point is that actually they are probably happy playing very good golf and having a life away from the course. Seems fair to me.

 

[Rooter]

Rooter - Unfortunately your wife will take most of your money so you will not be able to afford the membership fees. The solicitors will then take the rest meaning you have to sell your clubs to eat, not that you would be able to fit them in your new bedsit anyway.

Stick with the family, play the golf you play now. Be a rounded person.

Sound advice, will stick to being an occasional weekend warrior.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Doubt all you like, at least 1 of them has never had a lesson, doesn't use a range more than a handful of times in a year and has 100 other things that come before golf. I also know he's not alone.

That may be, but you stll haven't actually explained how much golf, practice etc they've put in over the course of their lives. A little more context would be needed to form any meaningful view.

In any case, there will always be exceptions to the rule - people that are blessed with a great deal of natural talent who find it "easy".

For the majority, however, improving takes hard work and time. Whether that level of hard work and time constitutes "eating, breathing and sleeping" golf can only be answered in the context of what that phrase actually means and I think it's all but impossible to define it in a way everyone would agree with.

 

[Paul77]

Creating threads like this remind me of why I should keep my thoughts to myself lol

 

[duncan mackie]

Depends if they used to fit the model in order to get to that handicap. No-one sailed through life in anything and got good at it by chance. I'm talking about the improving person and not the people who don't realise they eat, sleep and breathe golf lol.

Disagree

Turn it around - anyone who really really works at it properly should be able to get down to about 6 in the current system.

Some will make that, and a lot, lot, better, with remarkably little effort - and retain it without any apparent work at all.

 

[UlyssesSky]

Rooter - Unfortunately your wife will take most of your money so you will not be able to afford the membership fees. The solicitors will then take the rest meaning you have to sell your clubs to eat, not that you would be able to fit them in your new bedsit anyway.

Sounds like a perfect starting point..

Just ask the club if you can work as a caretaker/greenkeeper/marshal/whatever in exchange for free golf. You'll be spending every minute you're not at your main workplace on the golfcourse, almost literally etaing, sleeping and breathing golf!

Scratch should be a question of months at worst!

 

[jamielaing]

Creating threads like this remind me of why I should keep my thoughts to myself lol

I'm going to side with you here Paul. I would sincerely doubt, no matter the talent, that the guys being talked of have put no work at all in. Getting to cat 1 is a huge achievement in golf. It comes easier to some than others but it is still an achievement.

Even with natural talent that needs to be cultivated. They may have grooved a swing and got down low in the junior ranks and just maintained that in later life. With a good swing this is relatively easy to do.

They may not put the work in but play 3 times a week. This will maintain it. I myself would consider this putting some work in to maintain your game as you are maintaining your swing.

I have had no lessons, don't really go to the range other than to kill some time if I am hanging around, work full time and have managed to get to a 9 handicap since returning to golf last year. I play 3 times a week and feel I have been doing well. I haven't reached my potential though so plan to put the work in over the winter with a pro to give myself a shot at being the golfer I think I could be. I would agree that there are many cat 1 players who have reached that without this work but the amount of playing required to achieve the consistency these guys have is significant.

Maybe you don't need to eat, live and breathe the game but you certainly do need to have some form of commitment to it to get to a low handicap level.

 

[Foxholer]

I'm with R'bum on this!

I've known several extremely talented (low Cat 1) golfers - who also tend to be talented in other sports as well - who rarely practice and certainly don't eat, sleep and breathe Golf! That they could be better if they did is debateable; a couple of them would actually stop altogether as Golf is not their main interest (aka that 100 other things more important)!

 

[guest100718]

Certainly once a level has been attained there are plenty who can maintain it with relative ease and no practice what so ever, but they will have had to have put the work in to get there originally.

 

[Paul77]

Based on my own experience, I've certainly had to make it a priority to be able to shift from shooting over 100 to that one 79 and in the 80's thereafter. Takes a lot of time and practice for the average Joe to do that. Some will excel in sports. That's not who this is aimed at. They would excel in anything they did. I mean the everyday 9-5 working person who has golf as a hobby and wants to progress and get better.

The thread title did have a '?' so it's open to conversation of course. Merely based on my own experience, but no way was I trying to state that you had to eat, sleep and breathe golf to be good at it. Maybe didn't come over that way.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Don't think matters if you eat sleep whatever golf - your natural ability will dictate the level of golf you can reach

Some people can practise every day and not get below single figures - some can play to cat 1 without a single bit of practise