What makes the pros so good?

[kw purp]

Originally Posted by mdl

Having this kind of control over contact spot on the face also gives you and indication of the general level of control they have over the entire club, controlling swing path and face angle and loft at impact.

Generally my contact spot is on the hozzle for me playing my patented shank draw

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by kw purp

Generally my contact spot is on the hozzle for me playing my patented shank draw

as long as you're consistent

(is it 'hosel'?  though i like your version, like nozzle)

[Infamous 273]

There's an old acronym in the direct sales world: BAD - Balls, Attitude, Desire. Pretty much sums it up.

[Shorty]

Originally Posted by Infamous 273

There's an old acronym in the direct sales world: BAD - Balls, Attitude, Desire.

Pretty much sums it up.

Not for professional golf, I'm afraid.

[ffemtp]

Putting, short game, ball striking.  But I think the biggest thing that separates the pros from the rest of the good/great players is the mental ability to be able to hit the shot they want with 500 people down each side of the fairway, another 1000 people around the green, and a camera crew standing 30 ft behind them broadcasting their shot all over the world.  Not to mention the nerves it takes to stand over a putt that could move you up or down the leader board several places.

[David L Yskes]

Well, this is what i've noticed

the pro's are hitting a good club length or two farther than you... 7 irons 200+ yards , pitching wedges 140 yards...  they know how to hit low fades, high fades, draws, punch shots, they can do it all with every club...

also, ever notice how they all seem to hit their irons off to the right?  yet come down right on the green?  or left ( for lefties )

plus on most courses, their fairways are very narrow, and the first cut is like the typical rough that you'd find at a public course...  the second cut is usually deep thick grass..

their bunkers are huge and deep...  the greens are quick and not flat...

also look at most of their courses they are 7000+ yards..

basically if you have a PGA type championship course in your surrounding area, and you've played it,,, imagine it playing tougher, and then you still need to shoot par or better on every hole to compete..

[Lihu]

You forgot the galleries, film crews, sponsers checking out your every move...

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Lihu

You forgot the galleries, film crews, sponsers checking out your every move...

Originally Posted by ffemtp

Putting, short game, ball striking.  But I think the biggest thing that separates the pros from the rest of the good/great players is the mental ability to be able to hit the shot they want with 500 people down each side of the fairway, another 1000 people around the green, and a camera crew standing 30 ft behind them broadcasting their shot all over the world.  Not to mention the nerves it takes to stand over a putt that could move you up or down the leader board several places.

No they didn't :-p

[iacas]

Originally Posted by phan52

Most golf competitions are a big putting contest. There a lot of great ball strikers in the world but the best make birdies and save pars with their flat stick.

Nope.

The top guys are the ones who give themselves the opportunity to putt the earliest.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by iacas

Nope.

The top guys are the ones who give themselves the opportunity to putt the earliest.

I wonder what the correlation is of GIR to putts per round for the best players and where the the drop off is.

[David in FL]

I wonder what the correlation is of GIR to putts per round for the best players and where the the drop off is.

Everything you ever wanted to know. http://www.pgatour.com/stats.html Like Erik said, it's not so much the putts in GIR, but the sheer number of GIR hit in the first place......

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Everything you ever wanted to know.

http://www.pgatour.com/stats.html

Like Erik said, it's not so much the putts in GIR, but the sheer number of GIR hit in the first place......

Strange that only 1 of the top 5 people in GIR are in the top 5 for scoring. Even the top 10 aren't comparable. Strange that. There are more people on both the strokes gained putting and scoring lists though in the top 10.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Strange that only 1 of the top 5 people in GIR are in the top 5 for scoring. Even the top 10 aren't comparable. Strange that. There are more people on both the strokes gained putting and scoring lists though in the top 10.

At least for 2013, there seems to be a closer correlation between putting (I used strokes gained putting) and success (OWGR). Of the top 10 in GIR, only one is currently in the top 20 OWGR. Of the top 10 in strokes gained putting, there are 5 in the top 20 OWGR.

When you are a great putter and a pretty good ball striker, that leads to money. Here are the 5 who are in the top 10 putting and top 20 OWGR: Woods, Garcia, Snedeker, Donald, Mickelsen. The only top 10 GIR guy in the top 20 OWGR is Stenson.

This is a small sample to be sure. Maybe it just shows that some of the best ball strikers are lousy putters (Vijay Singh, for example) and that some of the best putters are not such good ball strikers (Greg Chalmers).

[David in FL]

But ALL the tour pros hit a heckuva lot more greens than us mere mortals.  On stupid long, hard courses.  That's the big difference.

Heck, in terms of putts per GIR, even I'm within a tenth of a point or so of some of the PGA tour pros.

[geauxforbroke]

It's definitely a combination of GIR and putts per round. Two players could both shoot even par 72 with one individual hitting 18 greens and 36 putts, and the other hitting 0 greens and 18 putts. Both have great stats and terrible stats at the same time, and neither would be contending. It's the guys that hit a lot of greens and make a lot of putts.

[460CompMark]

I think the main factor would be playing in front of crowds.  There are a ton of outstanding players on your locals courses, but put a few people watching them and their mental state goes to hell.  I've seen many pros play the game.  From tee to green, there is not much difference in a scratch golfer vs a tour pro.  But once you get to the green there is a dramatic difference in putting, scrambling, etc.  In my prime back in college i was hitting it solid pretty consistently from tee to green.  Worked at a pretty well known course in the DFW area.  Could usually hit the ball close to where i wanted, but when it came to scoring, that was the difference.  Couldn't sink the birdies or long par saves.  I also would get a little nervous in front of people watching our group.  Could never just let loose and play like I knew i could.  Most of the tour pros started at an early age, so they are used to the crowds.

So my answer would be:

1. Playing in front of crowds.

2. Scoring once you get to the green

[dbuck]

I have a spot like that on my wedge. Took me about 6 hours with a Dremel tool, LOL. Seriously: 1. Quality and consistency of their strikes 2. Repetoire of shots. 3. Ability to score when not hitting as well 4. Better misses If you have never been to a PGA Tour tournament, you should go. The scales fell from my bogey golfer eyes and like Bobby Jones I said, "They play a game with which I am unfamiliar."

[460CompMark]

Have any of you ever heard Tiger's stinger 2 iron off the tee box in person?  Holy crap it's heavenly.  Saw and heard it at the 2001 US Open in Tulsa while standing next to him on the tee box.