Help me play on a pro tour!

Just curious. I will probably get flamed for this, but I am just a 26yo guy looking for some advice on how to improve what little game I have.

History: I used to play a decent amount of golf as a young kid (10-14yo) but stopped playing due to a change of interest. I played several sports in HS and played Div1 baseball and then played some minor league ball. I blew my arm out and decided to go to medical school. I am now a 1st year resident with 5.5 more years to go until I finish.

I have always had a love for golf and I have always felt that I could be good if I just put in the time. I am considering trying to setup a plan to go about improving what little game I think I have.

I have played 4-5 rounds a year for the past 10 years. No range time. These rounds are usually all at the same time of year or two different times when I visit my parents (Did I mention I am a poor medical resident with $100K+ of debt?). I haven't been able to afford playing during medical school. Now that I am a resident, I have a little bit more time and a little bit more money and I am considering investing those resources into golf.

Don't get me wrong, I love medicine, but being a pro golfer is a pretty sweet deal. (Yes I know it's hard and not all fun and games, but who doesn't dream?)

I recently went into a golf galaxy to pick up a set of clubs and during the fitting, I had several people interested in my swing. Including the instructors. They were all amazed that I hit the ball so well with so little experience on the course. My club head speed of the driver was well over 120mph, and when I crank it up it was over 130mph. I probably swing in the 115 range when I am on the tee. Distance wise I am anywhere from 280-350 off the tee depending on the course/wind/roll etc. I have hit the ball over 350 several times. Am I basing my potential on a few comments from a guy in a retail store? No, I am simply including this anecdotal story to show that I am not just having delusions of grandeur. I really think I have a small chance at being a great golfer.

Overall I hit my irons well, but no real touch, no distance control, no finesse. I don't move or work the ball, I am still just trying to hit it straight. BUT, when things come together, I surprise myself.

My current skills in golf are almost zero. Never had a lesson/coach. Haven't played seriously in years. The only real thing going for me is natural athleticism and ability. I can honestly say I strike the ball fairly well. I hit the ball long, and most of the time it's fairly straight. I generally shoot in the mid 90s, with low rounds in the high 80s. 9 hole record of 39. (Keep in mind this is playing 4-6 times a year - I have a very long journey ahead of me and I recognize this - many many years). I have no touch around the greens, I don't know how to putt. I have never read a book on golf, I never consider the cut of the grass or the grain. I don't know any tricks or secrets. I am a total novice, but I think I have potential.

Bottom line: I think I have the genetics/talent to play the game of golf at a high level. I just need to design a plan to make baby steps towards this goal. Right now I have no knowledge, and this lack of golf knowledge really hurts me on the course. I think by playing smart I could knock 5+ strokes off my score. By not three putting 5 times a round would knock another 5+. I think I could be consistently shooting low 80s in a few months time. Then it gets tougher. Improvements will be smaller and take more time. I think by playing more frequently, and spending time on the range, I could see big gains. I just need help getting started.

What do I need to read?

Who should I talk to?

Are swing lessons worthwhile now, or should I get a few months of daily range time or course time under my belt prior to investing in some coaching?

Right now, the best word to describe my game would be RAW.

It's going to be a long road, and I don't know if I am totally committed, but I hope to find out over the next year or so. I know what it takes to succeed in athletics and academics at a high level. I know it takes hours, weeks, months, years of daily dedication, and right now I am taking my first few baby steps. Thanks for any helpful insight you can provide.

Rady

If you've never played in high school or college I can tell you that your at a major disadvantage compared to someone of the same age.

I've played competitively since high school and no matter how much time you have on the range it is nothing compared to the experience you will get in competitive play.

First step, If you are SERIOUS about golf, get into some tournaments at the local golf courses. Get ready to eat, sleep and sh*t golf becuase if you are serious that is what you will need to MAYBE play on the professional level.

Get really good at the short game. Really good. It doesn't matter that you can drive it three fifty. Work on chipping and putting for 2 hours a day at the course. Work on short irons for another 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Work on everything else for an hour. Putt two hundred putts a night on the carpet. Play in as many tournaments as possible. Work on the mental game. I would suggest Zen Golf By Dr. Joseph Parent.

/walloftext

Hey Radicardia. First off don't let anyone try and kill your dream. Sure you have an elephant to eat but just take it slow and steady, one bite at a time.
As a golf coach I would advise that the cheapest way to improve is to practice your short game.
Get yourself a good putter and 4 wedges and spent every spare minute you have practising from 100 yards and less.
If you PM me I will send you my Putt for Dough e-book for free. It contais 4 or 5 easy putting drills that will get you started.
Good luck, work hard and don't become despondent.

I completely agree. I never played golf in HS/College, but I do have substantial experience in competition that I gained through my baseball career. I do agree that getting involved with local competition is a good way to start, but I am not even ready for that. I would get destroyed.

If I dream of being a skyscraper, I am currently a construction site with raw materials still in the packaging. I think the materials are all there, but I need to figure out how to organize them and start building. I think a tournament would fit in around level 10 if making a pro tour was level 100. Thanks

I would be curious to see your swing. Please, send your swing in via swing check.

If you really want to play on tour, here's my general advice:

1. You have to be ready to give as much, if not more, time to golf than you would an actual job. That means dawn till dusk every day for the next few years.
2. Spending that much time playing golf won't do you any good if you have no idea what you are doing. You need to find a swing coach who actually knows what they are talking about. You are probably going to have to see him/her two to three times per week.
3. To do both of those things, you are going to have to find a sponsor. If you have a rich parent then high school or junior high would have probably been the time to talk to them about this. Now you are left trying to find someone who will bank roll your operation. Don't think that this comes cheap though. They will act just like a creditor and trust me, they get paid as well if not better than you do at times.

So obviously, I know I am being pretty harsh but I want to be as up front as possible. The road that you are seeking to travel is a tough one. Don't let anyone else tell you anything different. And if you did make it on tour, it doesn't get much easier unless you are one of the top players out there. Of course, playing golf as a living sounds fantastic but the things that you don't experience on Tv can be a real grind. Golf becomes a job. You don't go out at night because you know that you have to get up early in the morning to play 18 holes. You stay in a different hotel room for a week after week. And that ever present cut line looms over you like a guillotine. So basically, as much fun as it is you do have to remember, golf is a job like any other job.

So with that said, good luck. I hope you will be willing to send your swing in. If you are located in a state that I know a really strong teacher I would be more than happy to make a referral. Just let me know.

You have the means so do the lessons now and never go without them, it will help you fast track the process.

practice, practice, strength and conditioning routine, practice, practice, read as much literature about golf, practice, practice... oh did i mention practice. I f you are gonna get real serious get a coach, or find a teaching pro that can get you working on your fundamentals, and then practice, practice, practice. Anything is possible, don;t let anyone shoot down your dream, just remember this is a very frustrating game, and you really have to commit to it to be successful. pro's hit 1000 balls a day to be as good as they are. they know the difference between hitting a 90% club to shorten the distance by a yard or 2.. tour pro's are something special and it really takes dedication and committment to do what they do. good luck man

This is great advice right here

I think you should stick with medicine. The world needs more doctors, not professional golfers.

take it from someone that is good enough right now to play the mini tours but lack the funds, it takes time and commitment. You are going to have to start from the ground up and develops a swing and a game. You have to find someone that can give you very good lessons and is in it for the long haul to teach you right and not just little patched to "fix" your swing right now. After several years of learning your swing to be able to control the ball, then you have to learn how to play the game to score. There are a lot of guys with great swings that can't make it on the tours because they can't score, and there are also a lot of guys on the tours with bad swings because they can score. It will take as much commitment to become a pro golfer as it was to become a Dr.

I think there is some really good advice in here.

A few years ago I watched on tv as they were showing what life is like on the nike tour.

These guys live rough lives, literally scrambling to get money together to enter tournaments, pay for hotels, etc.

If you are really committed I give you a lot of credit, good luck and remember the "little people" (ME!) when I ask you for your autograph.

I would think that you would have to choose either med school or an attempt at becoming a pro golfer. The kid I know that is trying to become a pro pretty much golfs from sun up to sun down. I doubt you can manage trying to become a doctor and a pro golfer unless you are the next Bobby Jones.

Didn't mean to rain on your parade but good luck with whatever you choose to do.

One of the coolest replies ever on the sand trap. Someone actually had the guts to be positive in their reply.

Read "Golf is not a Game of Perfect" by Bob Rotella.

I almost say 150 yards and in. I guarantee you all the pros now when they are 150 and in take 3 shots 90% of the time.


There is a guy where I worked that was DII PotY (2 or 3 times I believe). He was at the range or putting green anywhere from 2-4 hours a day. Then at night he would go and play 9.

He is going to Q school this coming year.

Starting at 26 years old I would think the senior tour could be a possibility if you devote the next 24 years of your life to golf and you don't have to work for a living.

If I were you I would set my sights a little lower to start. Maybe try to be club champion at a local course, or maybe try to be considered one of the best amateurs in city / county that you live in. It takes more than a great swing to become a good pro. Look at Michele Wie she has had probably the most natural and powerful swing on the LPGA since she was 16 years old and she is far from the best player at this time. I am not sure if she has even won a pro tournament yet.

Hopefully you enjoy practicing a whole lot more than playing.

The highest levels are ultra competitive. People with +1 or +2 handicaps would never survive a tournament on the Nationwide Tour let alone the PGA. You need to be consistent and a machine. These guys are really, really, really, really good.

Long drives are nice but really, it's unimportant. My brother can bomb his driver consistently (easily better than half the PGA tour) but he has nothing inside 150 and just can't score. Professional golf tournaments are putting contests. You have to understand how good these guys are at not only going up and down easily but going up and making a long down often enough. Watch the pro tours and you'll see the guys making cuts are hitting putts. Putting and chipping is golf and that's it.

There are 1000's of people with a PGA long game. Really there is. I know another guy (was a great baseball player, minor leaguer as well for a short time....very natural athlete and great at every game he plays) that has a killer long game but he can't do anything inside 100 yards consistently. He can't putt. So he suffers with a 4 handicap.

So, my advice is to maintain a nice long game (be good at getting off the tee) but also spend 90% of your time putting and hitting from 150 in. You need to be able to put 80% of your shots from that range inside 12 feet or so during practice. And then you have to make putts. You have to understand how good pro golfers are at this. This can't be stressed enough.

If you can go to a decent par-3 course (variety of holes from 50-150 yards) and shoot -10 consistently over 18 holes, you might be on to something. On the really flat green ones (most of them) you're looking at -13 probably.

And as someone else said here you need to learn how to play golf. Swinging a club and hitting a ball is a part of golf. Scoring and managing emotion, the course, etc is the other part.

Be a great doctor for the next 24 years while working on your short game. Then retire from being a doctor and hit the senior tour.