What level could haveyou reach?

[Deleted member 15344]

Matthew Syed reckons there's no such things as talent.

I would call him many names, none of them acceptable for this forum.

I've seen people play under 85 who rarely ever swing a club, take any interest in coaching or psychology or have taken lessons.

Compare that to the likes of 'us' that started on 100 or 110 shots.

Practice and coaching are essential, but some folk simply aren't cut out for some things. Call it DNA or bad/good luck.

Everytime this sort of thread happens - Syed is mentioned

I will always wonder if it's not about talent how come he didn't reach the top heights in regards his chosen sport - the reason - his natural talent took him as far it could

IMO it's the same in any sport - you will always reach a celing determined by your natural ability - I played cricket to a high youth level but didn't go higher - I practised non stop but still didn't get higher. Then onto hockey - got to a decent high level and practised regulary but again didn't reach higher because my natural ability stopped me

Now onto golf I feel that I haven't reached it yet and each year I get better but i now that at some stage I will reach my highest level

All those levels are IMO determined by my natural ability at any sport

 

[Robobum]

Re: What level could you have reached?

I didn't start playing until I was just past 50, yes I know I don't look that old but hey, we can't all be gifted with good looks :smirk:

I reckon if I had played from a younger age, maybe 40 :smirk: , I could have got to single figures, but hey, enough about me, I'm waiting for someone to get home rom work, can't wait for the detailed answer :smirk:

Unlimited time, money and practice???

He might just make his quest for single figures............might

 

[Robobum]

Re: What level could you have reached?

Guys on the euro pro tour are regular going deep into the teens under par for just 3 rounds. That's a much better yardstick for us as they play on courses that we do, without extra special tees stuck back in the next county.

Unlimited time money etc?? Not even sure I'd get near competing at that level even.

 

[upsidedown]

Re: What level could you have reached?

Another over 40 starter and had I played as a youth seeing how my game has gone since starting I'd of hoped to get to scratch.

We've an ex Euro pro tour player at ours off +2, he gave it up after 3 years .

 

[RGDave]

Everytime this sort of thread happens - Syed is mentioned

I will always wonder if it's not about talent how come he didn't reach the top heights in regards his chosen sport - the reason - his natural talent took him as far it could

Well said. Not everybody can do everything. Simply looking at the top of the tree and saying "oooh, the best of the best practised harder" is probably the dimmest conclusion ever made by anybody.

 

[jamielaing]

Everyone says they are better than their HC - so the question is - why don't they show it when it matters ?

I can only talk for myself- I am a better golfer than my handicap however my golf psychology is poor, my bunker play needs work and I need to work on my shot selection. All of which I am working on this winter. The trick is to identify the weakness and try to remove it.

 

[garyinderry]

I could probably get to the stage where I carry my clubs full time and have a couple of alignment sticks poking out.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I can only talk for myself- I am a better golfer than my handicap however my golf psychology is poor, my bunker play needs work and I need to work on my shot selection. All of which I am working on this winter. The trick is to identify the weakness and try to remove it.

So you aren't a better golfer than your HC if your bunker play needs work and shot selection - that's all part of the make up of your HC

 

[Matty2803]

I'm 15 playing off 8. I know this number is way off where Tour pros were at this age but over the next /4 years if I can get down to at least scratch I will give it my best shot on tour etc.

Mental game is very poor - now that main season if over, I've been shooting in and around par because there is no pressure. Working on swing over the winter to get rid of two way miss and if I can improve my putting I don't see any reason why I can't shoot 5 level par rounds in the first couple months of the season and be down to about 4. And hopefully I will grow/bulk up a bit so I can hit it further!

 

[the_coach]

i applaud anyone's ambition to get better at the game to the best level they are able to achieve (along too with the many folks who play the game at any level because they just enjoy it)

so wish the OP well with the targets set - wondering what the area of improvement is that has been identified as holding back the improvement is? my take through experience there will be a bunch of stuff that all needs significant improvement

truth is, no-one is 'better' than their index - if they were - the index would be lower ....

but as FD has said don't really thing many folks realize the difference in coming down levels, from 8 to 5 is a bunch easier than 5 to 3 likewise harder still 3 to 0 even tougher beyond 0

from 3 downwards it gets significantly tougher by many degrees of difficulty difference from 3 to scratch is not just pure arithmetic there is for sure a real exponential difference & not just in ball striking capabilities though that is a significant part
the same again past scratch

can only really speak through my own experience in terms of levels but having been offered a bunch of golf scholarships being at State, National & International level as a scratch index player - which I turned down as my real ambition was academic - some of my contemporary's are now PGA teaching pro's, a bunch on Web.com, Asian, couple on the main PGA tour & some also chose to stay am, some like me kept their game in shape & got better & still compete, by far the majority now back on the border between Cat 1 & 2, a bunch who wanted to be Tour Pro's have walked away from the game pretty much altogether after failing to make the grade

great ambition but it's a hell of a lot tougher than most folks think

& you still gotta get real pleasure out of playing & to get right down the index get enjoyment out of quality practice too that for some folks can be a real issue as the 'game' becomes more than 'a game'

to achieve lower echelons of Cat 1 most folks will require continued mentoring by a good interested PGA Pro .....

not too many rare folks around who get to scratch by just playing a couple times a week

 

[patricks148]

I think it takes a bit more to make it on Tour.. any tour.

we have a couple of guys who are X Pro's and both got to +4 or +5 and represented Scotland at Age group level and were both thought to have what it took. Both by there own admission did not have the mental toughness to make it.

Both are still fantastic players both off +3 and hit the ball like.... well pro's...

There is a lad making all the right moves at the Moment, 16 and off +4, he is reg shooting scores in the 60's around Nairn, won 2 mens national evens and the school boys order of Merritt. Currently being offered a few US collage scholarships. He has real drive and work ethic. plays every day, even if its just half an hour this time of year. in the summer he is always going round and round our 9 hole course.... he is deadly from inside 100 yards.

 

[Keeno]

truth is, no-one is 'better' than their index - if they were - the index would be lower ....

How dare you use common sense on the internet!!

 

[JCW]

Too late for me , was already 40 when i took up the game , Cat 1 is best I will do , got to start young and need to be tough in the head , seen many of these plus golfers , soon as it gets a bit tough they fall away as they need perfect calm conditions to score , Ian Poulter , 4 handicap when he turn pro but in the head the guy was plus 10 maybe ..................EYG

 

[jamielaing]

So you aren't a better golfer than your HC if your bunker play needs work and shot selection - that's all part of the make up of your HC

I understand that but I am saying a small improvement gets me to the level I know I can play at and should play at.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I understand that but I am saying a small improvement gets me to the level I know I can play at and should play at.

It's not that easy though - I know someone who could be a cat 1 player but plays off 11 basically because he can't chip - he knows what he coild do to become a cat one but 4 years later he is stil 11 because he still can't chip despite countless lessons and countless hours practising

Right now you should play to what your HC is - you can reduce your HC if you improve the areas you know you need to but it's a tough step transforming theory into practise on a golf course

 

[jamielaing]

I feel I need to clarify to some people I have no intentions of making it on tour. This was designed as a hypothetical that, with all the time, funding and assistance that the top pros get (and some have had from junior level) where do you feel you could reach. I honestly reflected that I could maybe have made it to a smaller tour. Could've would've should've, it makes no difference this was a hypothetical.

I do believe I have the ability to get myself to cat 1 and hopefully closer to scratch. I want to be the best I can be and I do believe this is possible for me, with a full time job and everything else the real world throws at us. My reasoning is that, with all that the top pros have given to them could I have got further, maybe, maybe not. Maybe if my grandad pushed me further I would be better now, or maybe I would hate the game.

I have said that I want to be playing off 5 by next season. I truly believe I will. Time will tell. I have also said within another year I'd like to be off 3. That is harder but still achievable. It may take me 2 years or 10. I may never make it. I do find it funny though that someone's ambition brings out so many nae say-ers.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

It's not really nay saying it's more people being realistic

How many times have we seen on the forum people declaring single figures in a year or cat 1 in a year etc etc

How many have been successful with those bold claims - none that I can recall so you can see where people are comin from

Declaring that you will get from 8 to 2 is bold and achievable but very rare for guys later in life - can see it happening with juniors playing every day but it is so hard to do that

I regulary score one over gross in comps and in the 60's in social yet one comp above buffer is .1 back and that's so hard to combat. This year I had my best year in comps - yet I came down .5 - that's all.

I applaud the desire though

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Got to single figures as a teenager although on a short course which meant that it never travelled so well. If I quit work now as per the OP then with access to lessons, practice etc then perhaps 6-7. I've too many niggly injuries, and probably haven't got what it takes anymore to kick on to Cat 1. Maybe, maybe not but as it won't happen without a lottery win to support me I'll never know

 

[Hobbit]

Took up the game at 9 yrs of age, and played every chance I got till I went off to Uni. The choice at 18 was uni or golf, having received an offer of 2yrs sponsorship to chance my arm. I turned the offer down as I felt I couldn't get any better. I'd done solid golf and got as good as I could get.

 

[Wabinez]

Low single figures...even then I don't think lower than 2/3. I think I can get to that anyway, it will just take longer. I know I have it in me.
My issue is if I needed to be massively lower, I would need to completely revamp my swing, which I would have no intention of doing.