Do I have the potential to be really good?

[youngbutgood]

I am 22 years old. I haven't played any real courses, but my friends tell me I have the tools to be real good. I usually go to the driving range couple times a year. This year I have gone around 8 times, and I can consistently hit around 300 yards with 6 out of 10 going straight. I can get around par on most mini-golf courses the first time but I doubt that means much. I read some article about an average guy who plans to spend 10,000 hours playing golf to see if he can become a professional. I plan to dedicate myself to the game although not to his extent because I am going to university. I am wondering, how long would it take for me to find out if my game can be good enough to play professional. Also can hitting 300+ yards be a big advantage? Anyone have any stats on what percentage of golfers can hit thus far. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

[meenman]

300 yards on the range is rarely really 300 yards. If you cant dedicate every waking moment to practicing, I wouldn't quit your day job.

[darkhunter139]

Unless you were good enough to be on the golf team at your university I think it would be extremely hard to get in enough practice at your age to ever be able to compete with the pros with limited practice time.

[youngbutgood]

What do you think it is equivalent to then? Also I could probably improve my distance a little bit with proper clubs because right now I just borrow from the place.

[youngbutgood]

I never tried out for the university team and I guess it's too late now because I am graduating soon.

[Wallstreet]

When did you start playing?

When you say you haven't played any "real courses" does that mean hard courses or any actual 18 hole golf courses?

Driving the ball 300 yards should be the least of your concerns if you want to compete with the pro's.

I see your a 10 handicap.  There are 1000's of scratch golfers that don't have what it takes to compete at that level.

But if you had tons of money and no job and all you did all day every day was play golf and practice golf it could be possible.

From the title of your post it looks like you want to know if you have potential to be really good.  And to answer that yes, if you put in the time and effort to practice and play a lot most anyone can be really good at golf.  But there is a difference between being really good and being an elite professional golfer.

[meenman]

Like clockwork, some younger guy will show up on here thinking they can go pro because their friends told them that they were *good* - honestly that is an insult to many of the long time golfers on this board.

As far as range distance - most ranges are not built for a 300 yard drive. Most range balls are beaten up or are limited range balls so they wont fly that far.

How long you are actually hitting is anyones guess.

I went to the range last Friday night and according to the markers - every one of my drives went 275+. Considering I have hit 240 maybe once or twice in my life, obviously the distances were wrong. My wife and I had a good laugh since hers were supposedly going over 200 yards (every drive she hits goes 150)

Learn the game, enjoy the game - but not to squash your get-rich-quick scheme - give up on the idea of being a pro.

[youngbutgood]

It's not a get rich quick scheme, I just want to do something significant with my life. I am not trying to be cocky or insult anyone, I was just wondering if having a strong drive can be a competitive advantage that you could use to leverage into playing near a professional level. Finding out if I am actually hit 300 shouldn't be difficult and I plan to get some lessons to improve my swing anyways. I am going to go real hard for the next couple of year because I enjoy the game. The only distinction is that if I feel I can have a chance to be great, I will put in that extra time and dedication. I hope age is not a major concern but I have heard many times that golfers hit their prime

[youngbutgood]

...around the age of 30.

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by youngbutgood

...around the age of 30.

Yeah but most of them have been playing since their early teens.  Being able to hit the ball 300 yards is not even half the battle.  I am not going to say its impossible but you would pretty much need to dedicate your entire life to golf (which can be really hard to do if you do not have financial support) and even then your chances of turning pro would be very slim.

[Spyder]

youngbutgood,

I hope you understand that nobody here is being rude or hard on you, but they are being very honest with you. Honesty is what you want from people when you are considering taking on a HUGE task of being a professional -anything-, let alone professional athlete. From 13 I was told I had a "natural swing" but never really enjoyed golf as a kid. Now I enjoy it because it gives my fiance time alone and myself some time to go out and hit the course with buddies and have a few beers. I also drive in the 280-300 range, but distance is not everything. When you hit the course, you will see this first hand when you encounter dog-legs, hazards, breaks and hills, etc. Professional courses are designed to force the player into making decisions such as a draw, fade, loft, run, spin, etc.

Most professionals (look up bios on Rory, Phil, Tiger, etc. etc. etc. etc.) have been playing golf since the age of 4! They had literally thousands of hours of practice, great coaching from a very young age, and quickly attained sponsors that absorbed the cost for them. There is nothing wrong with trying though and I'm sure everyone wishes you the best of luck! It's going to be a very, very, very, very long and bumpy road.

Just remember! Happy Gilmore was a great movie, but it was not based on a true story! There are Seniors at your local course that are driving the ball 200 flat and straight as an arrow. You would laugh from a distance but look at their score card and your jaw will drop. Accuracy all-around the game is what matters. Driving the ball is 25% -maybe-.

[youngbutgood]

Originally Posted by Spyder

youngbutgood,

I also drive in the 280-300 range, but distance is not everything. When you hit the course, you will see this first hand when you encounter dog-legs, hazards, breaks and hills, etc. Professional courses are designed to force the player into making decisions such as a draw, fade, loft, run, spin, etc.

This was the type of information I was looking for. Trust me, I don't think being a professional athlete is easy. I've been playing competitive soccer all my life. Played for the provincial team and had a small stint for the national team in Canada. But eventually I realized I am not good enough to compete with European and South American players and dealt with. I put a lot of time and effort into soccer but some players were just more naturally gifted than me. Sometimes talent is more important than hard work. I'm just looking to give golf a shot and see if I have a knack for it.

[garrettdennert]

It's great to have curiosity and confidence in yourself, but similar to what everyone on here is saying (from what I read), you absolutely need to devote your life to golf if you want to get anywhere near an elite competitive level of play.  Take Tiger Woods, for instance.  He's been playing since he was 3 years old, and when he was 3 he could shoot a 48 on 9 holes.  Considering you're 22 years old and have never played an actual course, if we do the math here (and if it actually translated) you won't be playing competitively at Tiger's level (if you practice, play, practice, play every day) until you're like in your mid 50s to early 60s.  And taking into account the capacity at which a child's mind can learn things, you are in a way, generally speaking, doomed.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't set your sights on something though.  If you want to play professionally and think you can do it, by all means, go for it.  It's just going to be harder than you think.  Research the topic, set some goals, and begin.  Sure, there are naturals to the game, so to speak, but even they had to work pretty damn hard to get where they're at.  Me, I'm 21 years old, have been playing since I was 10 and still don't get under par.  I played competitively in high school for 3 years, and even that is 150% different from hitting balls on the range, or mini-golfing.  You have to start somewhere though, and maybe with your research you should look into purchasing some golf books and reading up on how to do things, different philosophies, what have you.  Don't take comments personally-- you put yourself out there with an honest question, which is very admirable.  Take care.

Garrett Dennert

[youngbutgood]

I'm not the type of person to take criticism personally. On a side note, anyone know much about the long drive competitions?

[Meddle]

Originally Posted by youngbutgood

I am wondering, how long would it take for me to find out if my game can be good enough to play professional. Also can hitting 300+ yards be a big advantage? Anyone have any stats on what percentage of golfers can hit thus far. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

Start playing real courses, establish a handicap with a course near by, and see how you progress. There is a chance that you are a prodigy and progress really quickly. Or you might be like the rest of us. Only one way to find out though, start playing real golf.

[Williamevanl]

No, I mean probably not. If your post had read: I have a real knack for hitting wedges super close and one putting than I would have said maybe. After practicing for several hours a day for years now (and nearing a 4 handicap) I finally realize what really matters most are the short shots. Everyone says that but it takes a really long time to really realize that. In league yesterday I hit 8 out of 9 greens in regulation (on shot to the fringe) and had 3 three putts and shot a 38.

I've probably spent 2000 hours on the range doing the *fun stuff* hitting irons driver etc.. but at the end of the day the most important thing is that you need to be able to hit all kinds of  ridiculous short game shots and make putts. The problem with the short game part is that it takes FOREVER there are so many situations that need practiced.

You mentioned Dan the guys who is spending 10,000 hours practicing. I've been following that and commenting along the way. He will fail, at least as far as what he is trying to do he will fail. Dan could spend that much time on one aspect of the game I think and get to a near pro level but he certainly will not succeed at meeting pro standards in all aspects of the game. Honestly Dan might spend 3000 hours trying to figure out why he slices his driver so much. I've thought about this and I will have reached Dan's 10,000 hour mark when I'm 43 and I definitely will not be a pro golfer. :)

BUT if you want proof I suggest you do this. Go play a course that is ~7000 yards and drop a ball dead center in the fairway 300 yards out on every hole *except par threes actually play those* and see what you score is. If it is the advantage you suspect it is you should have no problem shooting par or better. In reality you will still struggle to break 90...

[baseballfrk8998]

Originally Posted by youngbutgood

I'm not the type of person to take criticism personally. On a side note, anyone know much about the long drive competitions?

Those guys are freaks.. Good luck to ya..

[youngbutgood]

Originally Posted by Meddle

Start playing real courses, establish a handicap with a course near by, and see how you progress. There is a chance that you are a prodigy and progress really quickly. Or you might be like the rest of us. Only one way to find out though, start playing real golf.

True. Enough talk, time to play some golf.