Rory - natural talent

[chrisd]

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What about Van Gogh, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Miles Davis? Practice may have given them the necessary skills, but to create great art - where does that leap of imagination come from?

I agree, we all go to the range and see young kids who have fabulous swings at a young age and hit the ball miles and will probably all be single figure golfers but none of them will be a Rory in the end.

I have been involved with local football for 40+ years and a few local lads have played for league sides but the most famous footballer in our area in that time was Razor Ruddock. Otherwise I'm hard pressed to give a household name from within 25 miles.

I doubt whether a "Rory" will emerge locally but I do hope so!

Chris

 

[iku]

Without talent he would only be another pro giving lesson at his local course or driving range.

Yang started playing at 20.

As per my previous post, golf is still played by such a small fraction of the world population that nurture can still bring someone to a professional level even if not particularly gifted. However, those who excel have a natural genetic gift that can't be obtained with training.

 

[timgolfy]

Do you do management training courses?? I think I've sat (slept) through one of your courses before

What the f*ck is that meant to mean?

 

[Swinger]

Without talent he would only be another pro giving lesson at his local course or driving range.

Yang started playing at 20.

As per my previous post, golf is still played by such a small fraction of the world population that nurture can still bring someone to a professional level even if not particularly gifted. However, those who excel have a natural genetic gift that can't be obtained with training.

That genetic gift could be in the work ethic department though.

Hitting a golf ball is easy for so many people all over the world. The only thing I see that seperates Tour Pros and any other hacker out there is dedication.

Doing it over and over so it goes wrong less and less, and when it goes wrong it's not that bad.

I admire their life long dedication to the game to see how good they can get but I really don't see the talent part of it as a big part of it.

I like the way Rory swings it but is it that much is any better than anyone else out there on their day??

Is it even that much better than some of the +2 and +1 H/C guys I play with when they are on form?

The answer for me is no. But the dedication to the game is the difference. They hit the better shots more often and when they don't hit a great shot they don't generally miss by miles.

 

[timgolfy]

One thing I question with the nurture not nature argument is creativity. You may be able to "learn" how to play golf to a high standard but it's basically a mechanical, physical activity. What about Van Gogh, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Miles Davis? Practice may have given them the necessary skills, but to create great art - where does that leap of imagination come from?

Let's not get carried away here. There was nothing imaginative about Rory's performance. He won because he drove the ball straight and read his putts very well - all better than anyone else could. In fact, you could say that his performance was far more robotic then imaginative.

That's not to discredit the result - far from it. He was head and shoulders above everyone else because of those putts and drives.

 

[Swinger]

That's not to discredit the result - far from it. He was head and shoulders above everyone else because of those putts and drives.

I thought his iron play was the thing that seperated him.

He did drive the ball well but his GIR was very high and a lot of those shots were close to the hole.

 

[jammydodger]

Have a look at what Tom Kite did through his career. He's a self confessed grafter who put his mind to something and wouldnt stop until he'd achieved it. He didnt have any particular natural talent but an amazing drive to succeed.

 

[timgolfy]

Shakespeare said: "Give me the child until he is 7, and I will show you the man.”

 

[Swinger]

 

[Robobum]

Do you do management training courses?? I think I've sat (slept) through one of your courses before

What the f*ck is that meant to mean?

Exactly what it says. You spout the same sort of crap that every chest thumping trainer I've had the misfortune to experience does.
Check out your signature it sounds like something out of Caddyshack.......be the ball, see the ball

Jog on

 

[bobmac]

Many years ago I was teaching a young kid about 10 years old who had had many lessons and technically was very good. But he still had the ocassional fresh air shot.
His sister, who started coming to the lessons as she got old enough never missed it. She just had a natural hand/eye co-ordination her brother didn't have.
To get to the very top, you have to have it all.

Nurture the nature and retire when your son/daughter is a millionaire.

 

[ScienceBoy]

You have to give talent a route to expose itself.

I think Rory is a mix of dedication, tutoring and natural talent. Exactly what a person needs to suceed! I doubt you could without at least a big helping of two and a dash of one of those.

 

[Swinger]

Exactly what it says. You spout the same sort of crap that every chest thumping trainer I've had the misfortune to experience does.
Check out your signature it sounds like something out of Caddyshack.......be the ball, see the ball

Jog on

Hey!!

I learned everything I know about golf from Caddyshack and Leslie Nielsen.

Gunga galunga...The Vardon Tip...etc.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I am a mix of Tin Cup and Happy Gillmore

Sadly none of the good bits, just bashing wood after wood into a lake and slapping putts aroung like Im weilding a wet fish

 

[robbest3offthetee]

Exactly " Never pick up a lost ball while its still moving on the Fairway ".....

 

[iku]

Unfortunately some posts here are confirming one of the most annoying ideas about golf, i.e. many people take up on golf as last resort or at late age after having miserably failed at or being no longer able to play other sports...

At professional level talent is everything. My pro started playing at 4, he definitely has a sound technique, practices a lot, takes part in competitions but at 32 if he was supposed to win a master he would have done it.

 

[muttleee]

Rory had a headstart in that his dad plays (or at least played) off a handicap of 1, so there's a fair chance that at least some level of athletic ability/coordination was passed on in the genes. Tiger's dad was also a very good player so perhaps the same applies to him. In both cases, that innate ability was obviously nurtured to its full potential. I wonder if either Rory or Tiger would have reached the heights they have if their fathers had been 24 handicappers?

 

[NWJocko]

Interesting about the parents, or dads.

In most places in the country, depending on where you are Rugby Union, Rugby League or Football (plus Gaelic sports in Ireland) is the most popular sport by far and parents will introduce kids to it in some way even if their mates don't.

I played golf as a kid but ended up playing football as that's what my mates did.

Having a parent to keep you interested in golf at such a young age is a big thing as it's very easy to go and play footy/rugby with your mates.

Assuming good hand/eye co-ordination is present anyway, practising from such an early age obviously helps.

I played football non stop, before school, during school, after school and all weekends and ended up at a decent level.

 

[Swinger]

Unfortunately some posts here are confirming one of the most annoying ideas about golf, i.e. many people take up on golf as last resort or at late age after having miserably failed at or being no longer able to play other sports...

At professional level talent is everything. My pro started playing at 4, he definitely has a sound technique, practices a lot, takes part in competitions but at 32 if he was supposed to win a master he would have done it.

Golf is not the only sport you can play at top levels later in life.

The annoying thing is that a lot of people play golf and think it's easy. It's is easy to hit a golf ball, the hard thing is to do it over and over again and make a score from it. There are people who will progress faster and get the hang of it quicker but the thing that will determin how good they get is work ethic and determination.

At the top level talent has little to do with it as they all have the ability to hit all of the shots you see on TV (with the exception of one or two). The difference is in mental toughness and determination. If you start losing your determination you'll want it less and practice less. If you miss some three footers (which they all do) you'll start to feel it more when it comes to the crunch which if you are having a weak moment will result in some costly errors.

 

[timgolfy]

You spout the same sort of crap that every chest thumping trainer I've had the misfortune to experience does.
Check out your signature it sounds like something out of Caddyshack.......be the ball, see the ball
Jog on

Feel the anger, control the anger.