Why are most golfers today rubbish?

[haplesshacker]

Without a doubt, there have been massive improvements in kit over the decades, in all sports. But, it's only a means to an end, only part of the equation if you like.

Agreed. We will only get better with practice and playing, regardless of the kit used. Though you will need to use decent kit to get to the very top and compete at that level. As an example, I can race with pretty much any old sail, but I won't go as fast or be as competitive as I would be with a new one.

On the other side. If we bought no new kit, there wouldn't be jobs for hundreds, sorry, thousands of people. It stifles the economy, and it's unlikely that anyone would take up golf if they had to use their great grandfathers kit.

New kit will never make anyone a good sportsman in any sport, and I think we all know that. But if we can afford it, and it gives us a feelgood factor, if only for a short time, why not?

 

[RGDave]

Anyway, my question is why is it with every gadget and amazing technology we have available today, some golfers still cant break 80?

gadgets and technology aren't helping enough, obviously.

In the old days....
210-230 drive with Mizuno "metal" wood, the size of a modern 5 wood. Guess the distance. Miss the green with a blade club. Pitch on, stroke a nice putt just a little off centre, misses by a few inches r/l and a foot short too, tap in. It's a bogey.

250-270 drive with 460cc "melon" wood, the size of a spaceship. Read the GPS. Miss the green with a SGI club that has forgiven my bad strike off the toe/heel and gone full distance but a tiny bit left/right. Pitch on, stroke a nice putt with my massive MOI putter, better distance but still misses by a few inches, tap in. It's still a bogey.

I'm sure you're getting my drift.

 

[Alex1975]

Bob, some people simply have too much LOFT.


Lack of ******* talent.
Weapons do not maketh the warrior.

Its as simple as this^. There is a tallent line that we all have and have to find. Some people pick up a club for the 1st time and are rubish and even with alot of hard work that can go on for years. Some people pick up a club and are ok and just get better and better.

It seems to me that in the main the really good players on this forum dont practice as much as us hackers if at all.

It is also worth remembering that it is very hard to find a good pro that is not fat and lazy having fed off the wealth of the man working the 12 hour day


I guess the point your making is that the equipment boom and introduction of range finders and the like has not moved golf forwards... is that the case, is the average handicap the same as back in the day, is it worked out from a now larger pool of golfers? and so on.. Just cos you say it does not make it true, even you bob

 

[Philm]

personally, i didnt start young enough.

if i had played golf instead of football i would be a single figure golfer.

but when your young you dont think about golf when all your mates are playing footy. you play football all day everyday all summer and most of the winter too.

you go to training for the local clubs you play matches etc

so you spend all that time countless and endless days perfecting a sport that you wont be able to continue past 30.

and its not even any effort, you have no work no responsiblities no wife/woman/girl/moneypit nobody expects anything off you except that you run about doing whatever you please all day so long as you do the dishes after tea.

if i could have all those years of endless practice back to spend on golf id be a good golfer too.

and those years count for more than they do now, the free time you find in a month now wouldnt add up to the free time a 13yr old kid has in a week. and the confidence of a child as well, being able to have your mind straight from the word go, "i can play this game it is easily inside my talents".

no swing thoughts no months and endless trips to the range, just strike the ball the way you seen the guys on tv.

thats why im rubbish i do believe lol

Phil

 

[Twire]

Why are most golfers today rubbish?

I'm sure in your day Bob, there were just as many 'rubbish' golfers.

So, with all the improvements we have today, why aren't there a lot more "good players" out there or is it simply that today's technology helps the average golfer play a little better without having to do too much practice?

I think there are a lot more 'good players'.

Whey back when...was the European tour so big? Did you have the challenge tour, the Europro tour, was there as many county competitions? The pro at my old club was off +4 when he tried his luck on the Europro tour, he didn't even make enough money to cover his costs. I'm not sure where your getting your figures from Bob, but I bet there are a lot more 'good players' now than when you were in your prime.

Sure technology has helped by making the game a little easier, but it's also made the game a lot more accessible.

 

[bobmac]

I'm sure in your day Bob, there were just as many 'rubbish' golfers.

That's my whole point.
Why are there just as many mid-high handicappers today with all the advantages they have compared to the rubbish kit I grew up with.
And I'm not talking about the elite end of the scale, I mean the average golfer who cant break 80

 

[john0]

That's my whole point.
Why are there just as many mid-high handicappers today with all the advantages they have compared to the rubbish kit I grew up with.
And I'm not talking about the elite end of the scale, I mean the average golfer who cant break 80

It doesnt matter how many gadgets people have, or how big a head on their driver, if they are not gifted with some natural ability then they will never get low. The introduction of new technology might have helped knock 1 or 2 shots off someone's h'cap as opposed to if they played 30 year ago, but im afraid all the technology in the world isnt going to make them great golfers

 

[Philm]

And I'm not talking about the elite end of the scale, I mean the average golfer who cant break 80

im just laughing at this, you've typed it a few times in this thread and it honestly is just exactly me, ive never broke 80, but i will.

last night was my closest call yet, 35front 45back 80 on the button, was so sure 70-something was calling me after the front nine, i even parred the 10th which is a tough old par4 with a sloppy green and alas i plopped one out of bounds on the 16th just over the OOB line and onto a wee practice area and bamm score was down the tubes. gutting with that lol

Phil

 

[Leftie]

Why are there just as many mid-high handicappers today with all the advantages they have compared to the rubbish kit I grew up with.

It's definitely nothing to do with the quality of the teaching Pro.








Is it?



Very much

 

[Leftie]

Yeh! Yeh! Bob

I know, but I'm already on both your lists.

 

[muttleee]

The pro at my old club was off +4 when he tried his luck on the Europro tour

I thought pros didn't have handicaps?

 

[chrisd]

I mean the average golfer who cant break 80

I think that it's down to age Bob. The average member club is populated by an ever aging veterans section who often, because of health issues, have steadily increasing handicaps. This is not being balanced by incoming new young (20 to 40 year old) golfers, who, by my reckoning are better golfers because the technology etc available to them. If the younger guys joined member clubs, rather than do pay and play, the average handicap would reduce in my opinion.

Because of that imbalance, the average club handicap stays around the 17 mark but I do see at the range a load of young guys who are really good golfers

 

[bobmac]

but I do see at the range a load of young guys who are really good golfers

Exactly.
And that's why they're good players, because they practice.
Others buy all the gear but never practice because they get bored or cant be bothered and then complain because their game is rubbish.

 

[grumpyjock]

but I do see at the range a load of young guys who are really good golfers

Exactly.
And that's why they're good players, because they practice.
Others buy all the gear but never practice because they get bored or cant be bothered and then complain because their game is rubbish.

Everyone wants to be good without putting in the effort.
Ive been practicing for 50 years and still not got it right yet!

 

[chrisd]

Others buy all the gear but never practice because they get bored or cant be bothered and then complain because their game is rubbish.

The only real difference between them and players of old is the consumer society means that everyone is pushed into believing that you should change their clubs every year to keep up with fashion and playability, just as they change their kitchen every 3 years to keep up the value of their house

Years ago, golfers would keep a set of clubs for years as there wern't model changes every season (6 months with TM) so, yes, they buy all the gear as money is much more available, but they dont have a real desire to be as good as they could, but then I guess 30 years ago there was a need to get a handicap to drive people to improve wherea now any standard can go play a pay and play. Until 3 years ago, my club wouldn't take a 7 day member on unless his handicap was under 21 now you dont have to have one!

Chris

 

[Twire]

The pro at my old club was off +4 when he tried his luck on the Europro tour

I thought pros didn't have handicaps?

OK the guy that worked in the pro shop that played off +4 before giving the Europro tour a try (and subsequently gaining pro status)

Pedantic or what...

 

[UpminsterGas11]

I'd love to break 90, let alone 80!!

 

[GB72]

Maybe there are not more 'better' golfers now but I would like to think that advancements in technology means that there are more people giving golf a try. Yes we all know that to get good we need to practice but that really is not practical in my life. The advent of GI Irons etc means that with my limited skill I can still get out and enjoy a round of golf. To be perfectly honest I would not have the time to groove a decent swing with an old set of blades and may well have never taken the game up if that were the case. So, I am not trying to buy a game with the kit I have, I am just buying kit that makes golf and enjoyable sport for a person with limited ability and limited time to devote to the game.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Just a lot more golfers, not everyone can be "good". Also the definition of "good" changes the more people who play. If only 10 people played a sport they are all called "good". If 20 million people play a sport only the very best are "good".

Its all relative...

Comparing now with then its money, golf is cheaper and more widely available so there are more golfers who play less frequently rather than few golfers who play a lot.

Simple as right?

 

[Alex1975]

Bob what is this fixation you have the people who cant play under 80 shots, its pretty insulting.

The bottom like is we are trying our F***ing hearts out, nothing to do with lack of time put in to the game, we are just not talented. I would have thought this pretty clear to a teaching pro?!

If you told me I was going to swing better with the back of my head on fire I would give it a go so of course the thought of a few extra yards or a little more accurate shots from the manufactures is going to sell. What is more we work our nuts off for some extra spending money and we want to spend it on our hobby, its feel good factor. This is not our place of work as it is for you, its our place of recreation. Get the bee out of your bonnet about it, your a great golfer who learned the hard way and ramming it down our thoughts is insulting.

I am happy to be crap and have something to work for and spend fun money on, you might say its better to travel than arrive.