I'm Going Pro

[golflogic]

Hi everyone, we'll I'm not exactly going pro but I am working with Canada's National Golf Coach. Henry Brunton, to see how good an average person can be with top instruction, good equipment, etc.

There has always been the argument, are professionals that good because they have great talent or because they grew up with a opportunities many others didn't have. Obviously I am not saying I can be a professional but the goal of the experiment is to see how good I can become over the course of a year.

The entire experiment is being documented at:
http://www.golflogic.ca/goingpro.html

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

[Ginker]

Henry is very good.. He also has an assistant John Roy, also excellent.. I took the PGM program with John.. great guy that really knows his stuff... Should be interesting to see how you make out.. The golf channel has done similar things in the past..

[Golfpeasant]

I think it sounds great. I'd love to have the time or money to try that experiment. I believe that a big percentage of the best players do have a natural athletic ability combined with practice, but I also believe someone who's willing to put in huge amount of practice could achieve a satisfying result. I guess your experiment will tell just how satisfying...

I don't know if a year is enough though.

[mberube]

That's cool. I will check you out but keep posting here every once in a while to remind us.

Comment: I honestly think that the Pro’s have an unbelievable talent like every other Pro in their respective sports. Only a small selection of players makes it.

Good luck on your path to greatness.
Mike

[davevandyk]

Good luck with the experiment, i am planning on doing the same thing in a couple of years. My girlfriend is in MedSchool and we have already talked about as soon as she becomes a doctor, i am gonna take a year off of work and give it a go to make the CanTour. I think a year will be enough time to determine if its worth it to keep pursuing.

I know i am a 0.9 index right now, but there is a big difference between a scratch golfer and even a CanTour player!

[dasnutz]

Funny, I grew up plying hockey and baseball with Jon Roy! Please tell him Wilkes says hi!

[golflogic]

Thanks for the comments. I will post periodic updates here but if you remember, you can always check the site for more.
Jon is a fantastic guy and great teacher so I will tell him to stop by the message board and say hello to everyone.
Regarding the experiment, I am taking lessons once a week and training on my own 1-2 times so we will see where I am once the snow starts to melt and I can get out on the greens!

[leftylucas]

This experiment has failed misreably in the past in other sports. Case in point, Hockey, just look at Ty Domi

[jvincent]

As a suggestion, I would like to see you track your handicap as you do this.

Also, how much time per week are you going to spend on this?

According to your BIO, you've been golfing 7 years and are a self-proclaimed duffer. As most here will attest to, it's relatively easy to go from a 25 HDCP to 20. Harder to go from 20 to 15, harder still to go from 15 to 10, etc.

Time will be a huge factor in your ability to progress/excel. Here's some anecdotal evidence.

I started playing golf at 16. I played 3-4 times a week and practiced on most of the days I didn't play. I went from where you are now skill wise, based on your bio, to about a 2-3 handicap in 3 years. I'm a reasonably athletic person and played various competitive sports growing up.

Fast forward about 20 years. In my mind, I am a much more fundamentally sound golfer than I was back then, manage the course a lot better (no comments from the peanut gallery that has actually played with me please) BUT, I only play 1-2 times a week and practice 1-2 times as well. End result, 8.1 handicap.

So, instruction aside, unless you can really spend a lot of time on your game, it will be hard to progress.

Either way, good luck, and it will be interesting to see the results/progress.

[dbleber]

In my mind, I am a much more fundamentally sound golfer than I was back then, manage the course a lot better

Yup,
Hitting driver off the deck on par 5's is what we all think of when they say course management!

[golflogic]

Thanks for the message jvincent and thanks for the example of training. We are training 2-3 times a week right now and come the summer we will increase it as I will probably spend more time training on my own.
I also agree with your other points about the handicap dropping easily at first. I am fairly athletic and think I can easily shave it down to a 20 or so but after that it will be a real challenge. I am also interested to see how big a difference thje equipment will make.
We won't upgrade until after my fundamentals are sound so we will be able to see how much further the drivers goes

[jvincent]

Yup,
Hitting driver off the deck on par 5's is what we all think of when they say course management!

Hey, I had a fluffy lie. It was just asking to be hit.

[golflogic]

One quick favour, please let me know if the writing works for you. As readers, are you looking for actual tips, do you want to know what is going through my head, what Jon and/or Henry look for, etc.Any input is greatly appreciated.

Nigel

[dbleber]

Hey, I had a fluffy lie. It was just asking to be hit.

So true, but aren't they all!

["Richard"]

I personally would like to know more what is going on in your head during all of this. There are tips all over the net and in many magazines but to hear what is going on in your head might make me feel like its me and make it easier for me to relate to and keep me reading

[golflogic]

I will be playing my first round next week in Carolina and will update you on my progress then...I will pay special attention to what is going on in my head the entire time...aside from a hamster running on a wheel.

["Richard"]

I'd be interested to see what your confidence level is at before a diff. shot. I know after I took my lessons I thought I was superman and hit some amazing shots I never would even think to hit before. ALso, after my best round of the year last year I shot my 4 next best rounds... my top 5 roudns back to back to back to back to back Any differences in your thought process from now and after would be great. I'm so interested in this!

[sandbagger72]

someone who grew up and started golf at a young age has that natural golf swing. you get someone determined with a natural swing there is no telling how far he can go because 75% of the game is the swing if you ask me.

["Richard"]

i wish I had the time and the money for this. I haven't worked much on my swing (10 lessons) and then 3 more with a different guy who just taught me the stuff I already knew so he gave me a break on the price after I told him he didn't cover any of the stuff I wanted him to cover... I think I have a pretty nuatral swing, and think I would improve a lot to single digit over two years if I had the time and money to do the same thing... who knows, maybe one day

[sharkhark]

Just read your post for first time. Very interesting. Will watch your progress. Good luck. Shark

[Wknd_Warrior]

Go for it. Don't beleive everything some might say about starting too late etc...I've heard that Norman didn't pick up a club until his 20s.

[davevandyk]

Go for it. Don't beleive everything some might say about starting too late etc...I've heard that Norman didn't pick up a club until his 20s.

lots of late bloomer success stories. Azinger didn't break 80 until he was 18!

[Agent99]

I think the single most important key to playing like a pro is to keep smiling. Smiling releases those wonderful chemicals we’ve all got - serotonin, dopamine, endorphins - and that improves performance.

Incidentally, I understand dopamine is three-times more potent a painkiller than morphine. Not that we have a ton of it, mind you, but if we are smiling, who needs a ton?

[mberube]

Go for it. Don't beleive everything some might say about starting too late etc...I've heard that Norman didn't pick up a club until his 20s.

Moe or Greg Norman?

[514_type r]

id love top turn pro also..im 23 and i beleive its way too late....ive been playing only for 3 years now and im sitting at 3-4 handicap shooting regularly in the high mid 70. Id say a scratch golfer, +1 handicap can compete on the AGP Québec interclub tour.

To compete on the PGA or nationwide tour,you at least have to be a +5 or +6 handicap player.. in tour condition courses....meaning 12 stimp green, hard like rock with 3-4 inch ruff. Ive spoke to a scratch golfer who played royal montreal the monday after the canadian open...he shot 85 and said the ruff was at least 4 inch long. Immagine, the green were not cut the morning he played since they played so fast on the sunday..immagine with pga speed green.

If I remember correctly jesper parnavic shot a 60 when he played le club de golf le mirage on a regular day.

[Wknd_Warrior]

Greg. I heard he picked up a copy of golf my way by Jack and was scratch in two years.

[mberube]

Greg. I heard he picked up a copy of golf my way by Jack and was scratch in two years.

He started to play golf at 15-year-old. Two years later he was a scratch golfer, averaging par or better each time he played. But there is still a big gap between a scratch golfer and a tour player.

That being said, he won his first pro tourney at Westlakes Classic in Australia in 1976, with only 6 years of golf under his belt. That is amazing.

[dH]

I think it's a lot easier to pick up the sport when you're younger because the ego doesn't really play a part in it and you don't really get upset not to mention the other host of factors. That being said the practice smartly not just hitting balls but really truly focus and gear your life around improving I see no reason why you cannot become scratch if you have reasonable athleticism and a lot of determination. It is also about setting realistic goals so that you don't just packed it in along the road. My personal goal is due play as much golf as humanly possible and practice a lot with the hopes of one day trying out for the senior PGA Tour.