Why Snelly is good at golf...?

[Alex1975]

I really enjoyed reading this, great post.

But...

Snelly is Snelly and I am not. It says in the first list "good hand to eye co ordination" and then you don't mention the point again. He can afford not to practice swing or practice cos he's natural. Of course he is having a good time cos he is good. Hit it find it hit it is easy when the ball is on the green.

That aside I enjoy the ride I am on, I enjoy my lessons, practice, and toys (although am aware that tech means little).

The bottom line is that it's different for all of us but if you were not enjoying yourself you can't go wrong by starting to.

 

[Tiger]

I like playing golf, love it sometimes in fact, but where I differ from quite of few of you guys I think, is that I am not immersed in it. It certainly isn't my main sport and I have lots of other interests that I treat as a priority. I think this puts me in a minority on this forum where many people live and breath the game.

I think this is where I originally fell down. From having lots of sports and being a sporty person I suddenly had one and so it became an obsession. I don't think that has been good for my game though it has helped me through a tough part of my life

I really enjoyed reading this, great post.

But...

Snelly is Snelly and I am not. It says in the first list "good hand to eye co ordination" and then you don't mention the point again. He can afford not to practice swing or practice cos he's natural. Of course he is having a good time cos he is good. Hit it find it hit it is easy when the ball is on the green.

That aside I enjoy the ride I am on, I enjoy my lessons, practice, and toys (although am aware that tech means little).

The bottom line is that it's different for all of us but if you were not enjoying yourself you can't go wrong by starting to.

The thing with hand eye coordination is that in a sport like squash you watch the ball onto your racquet. Snelly goes onto to say his swing thought is see the club hit the ball. Far too often I want to see the result before I've hit the ball and with all the other thoughts swimming around my head about technique, equipment etc etc it's difficult to keep it simple. I'm not saying we can all change the way we think about golf and miraculously become a 2 h'cap golfer overnight. But I reckon with that simple swing thought, just playing for fun whenever I can and not worrying about technical things I'll become a much better golfer and more importantly I'll enjoy it more as well.

 

[CMAC]

I have good hand to eye coordination, played team squash, tennis, football. Trouble with golf is the ball isnt moving

 

[Snelly]

My friend is world number 1 for his age group at squash. He has more squash England caps than anyone in history. he is over 60 and he still wins in the Premier Sussex Division against some of the county's best players. He would beat me easily.

He started golf at the age of 50 and is pretty useless! And getting worse!

 

[chrisd]

My friend is world number 1 for his age group at squash. He has more squash England caps than anyone in history. he is over 60 and he still wins in the Premier Sussex Division against some of the county's best players. He would beat me easily.

He started golf at the age of 50 and is pretty useless! And getting worse!

One of our members was Kent squash champion for a period and very good at table tennis too but his handicap at golf is about 13 and I guess that's because the ball isn't moving!

 

[CMAC]

what gets me about squash now is the size of the raquets they're like tennis raquets and nothing like the long necked side plate size heads I played with, you had to be good then to hit the sweet spot consistently

 

[USER1999]

If you read mathew saed's book about talent / natural talent, and I know Snelly has, then natural hand eye coordination doesn't come into it. Repetitive competitive practice does though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've seen Snelly hit a ball and it is a thing of wonder. That said I'm in the other camp. If I can gain an advantage with new kit (or simply because I am a gear whore) I will. I have regular lessons as I'm not blessed with his natural talent and hand/eye co-ordination and so the tuition helps my flailing limbs resemble a swing once in a while. The only thing we do share is we both plough our own furrow and don't worry too much about what others think about it

 

[virtuocity]

I've seen Snelly hit a ball and it is a thing of wonder. That said I'm in the other camp. If I can gain an advantage with new kit (or simply because I am a gear whore) I will.

Think we're all forgetting that buying new gear is BRILLIANT!

 

[Tiger]

Think we're all forgetting that buying new gear is BRILLIANT!

Is it really though? I replaced my wedges 18 months ago and within about three weeks my new ones looked battered. Admittedly having a raw finish didn't help, but I'm not overly blessed with cash and have more pressing things I'd rather spend my hard earned on. I couldn't justify chopping and changing my clubs every five seconds. I think the magpie syndrome is wearing off..,

 

[kid2]

Well my Tuppence worth is that last year i got a bit bogged down with my golf from a way too technical point of view......It got to the point where i was confused totally........So.......

I hopped into the confessional box with Fr. Snelly and he gave me some very good advice and sent me on my way.......I sent him a very long PM to start with when he replied to a thread i had started the same year and it was some of the best advice i was ever given.....Cheers Snelly :thup:

Also on a side note it had nothing to do with my swing which was Neat.

 

[timchump]

i think snelly's squash does help his golf, in the respect he can go for relatively long streches without playing, and then shoot par, if i didn't play for 2 months i'd be rubbish. he has a natural eye for a ball,

i speak from experience, i have a friend who was one of the best, if not the best junior squash players in the uk, exceptional hand eye co-ordination, long amounts of time away from golf has zero effect on his ability to play well

 

[Leftie]

I don't think that the squash is that much of a help really.

I still play squash and the golf is rubbish (so is the squash actually)

 

[JustOne]

what gets me about squash now is the size of the raquets they're like tennis raquets and nothing like the long necked side plate size heads I played with, you had to be good then to hit the sweet spot consistently

I played with a slazenger whippet and it was too small to even HAVE a sweetspot!!

Side plate is HUGE compared to the slazenger saucer

 

[chrisd]

If you read mathew saed's book about talent / natural talent, and I know Snelly has, then natural hand eye coordination doesn't come into it. Repetitive competitive practice does though.

One of the most interesting well written books about talent I've read - its called Bounce if anyone wants to find it. One of the interesting stories is about a guy who wanted to prove that talent is learnt and not natural. He found a woman prepared to marry him for the experiment and they had three girls. He decided to teach them chess as he knew how to play it quite well and, I think two became world champions and the third almost did (if I remember correctly). He wanted to have some more kids to do the experiment in a different field but his wife said no.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Interesting and entertaining thread.

However I think the answer is really in post #4 on the University Standards thread in OOB.

In case you haven't seen it, I believe the reason Snelly is good at golf is because he is..... a philosopher.:thup:

Golf requires a large measure of stoicism, a good balance of idealism and pragmatism, not to mention an understanding of the workings of free will and logic. Add some morals and ethics to help with the Rules and a touch of hedonism for the bar and voila - the perfect golfer.

And you only have to read "Ordeal by Golf" by P G Wodehouse to see the benefits that a knowledge of the writings of Marcus Aurelius can have.

 

[Snelly]

Interesting and entertaining thread.

However I think the answer is really in post #4 on the University Standards thread in OOB.

In case you haven't seen it, I believe the reason Snelly is good at golf is because he is..... a philosopher.:thup:

Golf requires a large measure of stoicism, a good balance of idealism and pragmatism, not to mention an understanding of the workings of free will and logic. Add some morals and ethics to help with the Rules and a touch of hedonism for the bar and voila - the perfect golfer.

And you only have to read "Ordeal by Golf" by P G Wodehouse to see the benefits that a knowledge of the writings of Marcus Aurelius can have.

What a lovely, esoteric post Mashie!


Other points - yes I think Matthew Sayed has it absolutely right on talent. His book, Bounce is a must read for anyone that wants to become very good at any sporting endeavour.

Squash - no effect on golf at all really. Sorry all. it just hasn't.


Final post on this from me is that I am a half-decent club golfer and not bad in matchplay. Nothing more. I play with guys who are in a different league to me and play a game I barely recognise. County players etc are on another golfing planet.

 

[CMAC]

One of the most interesting well written books about talent I've read - its called Bounce if anyone wants to find it. One of the interesting stories is about a guy who wanted to prove that talent is learnt and not natural. He found a woman prepared to marry him for the experiment and they had three girls. He decided to teach them chess as he knew how to play it quite well and, I think two became world champions and the third almost did (if I remember correctly). He wanted to have some more kids to do the experiment in a different field but his wife said no.

the 3 were Chess Grandmasters! however it's not uncommon for siblings to follow in their fathers/mothers footsteps and have the ability to do so if the parent excelled. Not just in sport either, I know many friends who are Doctors and at least one of their children also become a Doctor or surgeon.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Snelly, if you can pad that out into 250 pages I think you've the makings of a half decent book!

My uncle was a good coach and was constantly badgered to write a book.
He said all you need to know about the golf swing would take four pages.

Very good post OP and a very good system to follow.
There are people who are good players who take no joy from the game and there are people who think it is possible to buy your way to becoming a good player.

Snelly Style should be adopted throughout the golfing world.

 

[CMAC]

My uncle was a good coach and was constantly badgered to write a book.
He said all you need to know about the golf swing would take four pages.

Very good post OP and a very good system to follow.
There are people who are good players who take no joy from the game and there are people who think it is possible to buy your way to becoming a good player.

Snelly Style should be adopted throughout the golfing world.

if I can be so bold as to say that was the norm before big bucks and marketing ate into our brains with whispered promises of God like golfing prowess despite not breaking the ton all year.