What Makes PGA Tour Players Freaks of Nature?

[martytilma]

I don't agree with others in that it is just hard work and exposure. There are thosands of kids that have parents who are ate up and very few make it to the top. Sure you could be a good +2 but that isn't near being on a major tour.

I didn't say that is totally hard work and exposure, I just think hard work and exposure are a BIG factor. You most definetly have to have very good hand/eye coordination!

[Leftygolfer]

I didn't say that is totally hard work and exposure, I just think hard work and exposure are a BIG factor. You most definetly have to have very good hand/eye coordination!

I know what you mean. I am sure there are players who aren't the most gifted who made it b/c of hard work (Zach Johnson comes to mind). Also I am sure luck has a bit to do with it. Getting hooked up with the right teacher at the right time, having the parents who can afford the club so you can play every day, all the little things I am sure makes it possible to make it to the top.

You can say the same things about CEOs and self made millionaires. They have something special but also met the right person or had the right opportunity at the right time.

[pittpanther]

Nice discussion. This gets to the heart of what people mean when they say someone is "a natural athlete."

If you watch a lot of college football, you will often hear of skill-position players that also run track and play basketball - sports that complement their strengths. It's also not rare to hear about the "three-sport star" in high school, usually football, baseball, and basketball (in the USA).

If golfers are naturally athletic, we would expect the majority of them to have participated in multiple sports in high school, and even college. Do we find this to be true?

Or is their something about the sport of golf, that leaves no possibility of participating in other sports? For example, a tennis or gymnastics phenom would never be allowed to play other sports - all time would be devoted to their single sport. Is golf the same way?

[sean_miller]

Nice discussion. This gets to the heart of what people mean when they say someone is "a natural athlete."

Ernie Els?

[jamo]

If golfers are naturally athletic, we would expect the majority of them to have participated in multiple sports in high school, and even college. Do we find this to be true?

My theory is that golf used to be a sport where if the country club kids couldn't make the high school football or soccer or baseball or track team, they would use their natural athletic ability and play golf instead. With tennis and gymnastics, the best players are soooo young, they have to devote their childhood to the game if they want to be competitive. Golf has never been like that, partially because it was (and to some extent, is) seen as and old man's sport, where guys even in their 50's could compete at the highest level. Until Tiger Woods, who (for better or for worse) made every mother and father think their little 5 year old who can hit it 25 yards was destined to get a college scholarship.

I've seen it first hand. A girl at my high school who was senior when I was a freshman was an All-American and received a full ride to Duke to play golf. Now there is a girl on my team who's parents MAKE her play every day of the summer, and when she was a freshman, had lined up a list of 200 potential schools with golf programs. She is not All-American, but the effect of Tiger and the other girl is clearly there. I think another reason for golf not being the center of as many people's lives is that most (well, more than half) can't play all year. There are plenty of indoor tennis centers and gyms, but a good golf dome is hard to come by. And even then it is not like real golf at all. For many people total golf devotion would mean moving to Florida or California, which is a reason you see a lot of pros from there. A also remember picking up a book in Borders about the "Tiger effect." (my words, I don't remember the title) I read the first chapter in the store and it talked about the Leadbetter and Haney golf schools, which are over 100K a year to attend.

[senorchipotle]

Hey, you have an approximately 5.0 index. Do you think that with more practice time and solid mentoring you could make it on Tour? Maybe you could - these guys gotta come from somewhere - maybe your opportunity is in the future.

not addressed to me, but i'll bite. yes, i do. if i had a world class coach and could play a round a day and practice for a few hours, i believe i could.

[Keep It Simple]

As gifted as tour players are none of them would be in any condition to compete at that level without making golf their full-time jobs and working overtime. And the rest of us have no way of properly gauging our talent for golf without doing the same.

[iacas]

not addressed to me, but i'll bite. yes, i do. if i had a world class coach and could play a round a day and practice for a few hours, i believe i could.

And I would disagree by pointing out that you're clearly delusional.

I'm one of the better players on the forum, an instructor now, and I haven't got a chance in heck of making it on the PGA Tour. Dave and I have coached guys who we know will never be better than a two to five handicap. Young guys too - not some old guy who's only going to get older, slower, etc.

[atrapasuenos]

That's true, but I think one of the main reasons that pro's are so good is that they are able to devote literally all of thier time on practicing. Do you think Tiger was born and instantly his Dad said, man this kid can golf. No, he wanted him to be the best golfer ever and did everything he could to make that happen. Now Tiger obviously has a lot of natural athleticism and that doesn't hurt, but I believe that it was his dad giving him the opportunity and instilling a great desire to be the best that put him on the path of being a great golfer. I think that a lot of people are probably born with the ability to be a great golfer but are never put in that position.

I'm totally agree with you. This is the first time I read a post that matches what I think about these kind of posts.

Regards!

[atrapasuenos]

And I would disagree by pointing out that you're clearly delusional.

Now I think, Erik you can tell us something valuable about this topic. In your opinion, what kind of guy is the one who will make it to a tour?

[martytilma]

And I would disagree by pointing out that you're clearly delusional.

That doesn't mean all golfers with a 2 to 5 handicap could never get better than that. I have never had a lesson in my life and I think I'm a pretty good golfer. You may disagree, but I do believe that if I could devote all of my time to golf, had a world class coach and could use high end equipment, that I could play tournament golf. I'm not saying the PGA tour, that would be highly unlikely given my age, but the Nationwide Tour or something of that nature? Its possible, but I'll never know!!

[Williamevanl]

I'm trying to illustrate the point here. :)
Imagine a histogram of golfing aptitude that scales with tour pro on one side *and the worst golfer ever on the other :)*. You would be miles away from a tour pro.

[Williamevanl]

I forgot to add, read Paper Tiger. The book is worth reading simply for the "Scratch is shit" rant that the guy gives. That and him mentioning that they should change the PGA slogan from these guys are good to "These guys are so #@$@ing good you can't even imagine."

He also explains the golfing Hierarchy and its described like a pyramid with a ton of levels at the very bottom you have "The best golfer you have ever seen" or a scratch golfer. Interestingly the "best golfer you have ever seen" say at your club is outside the galaxy of the next level *top amateur* which is another million miles away from say a guy that struggles in mini tours.

[shortstop20]

Alot of people are making my point for me.

Because you're not doing it, people believe you can't. The fact that you're not playing on tour doesn't make certain that you're any less freakish than anybody that is on Tour. People pick up the game at different times, dedicate more/less time, climate factors, etc. Sure, the average player on the PGA Tour is more "freakish" than the average regular guy with a 9-5 job.

I'd love to see PGA Tour golfers compete against each other in different sports other than golf.

Multi-sport competitions will separate the freaks and the hard workers better than anything. The freaks are good at every sport they play, the hard workers are only good at the games they've worked hard at.

[martytilma]

.... they should change the PGA slogan from these guys are good to "These guys are so #@$@ing good you can't even imagine."

So why are they that good?? They are that good because it's thier JOB! Hands down! Now granted you definitely need ability, but when you combine that with opportunity you get "Tour Player". I'm sure there are tons of people that never reached thier full potential in golf because a lack of opportunity, not ability. For anyone to say otherwise I think is crazy! JMO.

[martytilma]

Alot of people are making my point for me.

Right on brother!!!

[Williamevanl]

Shortstop: I'm lost on some of your post. You want multi-sport competitions to weed out the freaks? Haven't you ever met someone is unnaturally good at something, I met tons of these people in college. So even though person A has been golfing since they were 6 and practices 3 hours everyday they get stomped by person B who 'sort of' got into golf six months ago. Life's not fair right? :) I've read that many of the best golfers get to scratch in about one year under normal circumstances, that seems crazy to me but hey that's talent for you.

[shortstop20]

No, I'm just saying you could very easily separate the freaks from the non-freaks by having a multi-sport competition.

Obviously there are people who are naturally more gifted than others, that's life, no different than IQ, height, etc.

But to infer, as others have, that just because you're not there, you're automatically disqualified from the "freak club", or that you can't get to that point, is quite short sighted.