Stop generalizing about people based on their handicap.

[Shanks A Million]

So falsely humble anecdotes about yourself allow insulting generalizations about everyone with a worse handicap than your current one?

Or it makes me seem like someone who's been there trying to give advice in a little process we call teaching. It's a discussion forum, and that's what we do. I know what it's like to be there, and trust me, I wish I hadn't been so stubborn. Every time I eat a humble pie in this game, I get better. Whether it's iacas, the local pro here, or some other person who brings me back down to reality, we're all guilty of the sin. Even iacas has often told us how he got down to a 2 handicap with a swing he thought was good, but admits he was delusional.

Delusions are part of golf. We can play the same courses and the same equipment as the top pros in the world. For such a conservative sport, golf has become fairly Democratic in some ways. Because we're under the same conditions as the world's top pros, we often begin to assume we're playing the same game. We're not. I'm built like a football player (the doctors first words to my parents, "he's built like a football player"), but does that mean the Dolphins are going to sign me for a couple of million bucks? Hell no. I don't even like football. The closest I got was helping a friend of mine who plays for the Vikings back in school by acting like a brick wall, and that's the closest I want to get. I'm not a football player, and the game puts me to sleep. But even if I was, I wouldn't be on the same level as the players in the NFL. That's what dedication and devotion mean. I put my life's work into music, where I ply my trade. I may not grace the fields of the NFL, but I've graced the credits of albums and concert programs. That's my niche. Golf is the tour pros' niche. I like golf, I play fairly well, but I need to remember that I'll never be in the league of the tour pros.

[mdl]

Or it makes me seem like someone who's been there trying to give advice in a little process we call teaching. It's a discussion forum, and that's what we do. I know what it's like to be there, and trust me, I wish I hadn't been so stubborn. Every time I eat a humble pie in this game, I get better. Whether it's iacas, the local pro here, or some other person who brings me back down to reality, we're all guilty of the sin. Even iacas has often told us how he got down to a 2 handicap with a swing he thought was good, but admits he was delusional.

Sharing what you know is indeed the point here. I guess I'm just saying that mocking others in a condescending tone isn't teaching. I teach, and I'm pretty sure I'd be let go if my response to students who didn't understand something were to mock their lack of understanding, then to defend my behavior by saying it was just my way of pointing out that they think things I used to think before I understood the subject, and that they should stop doing so.

Not to mention the conceit in assuming everyone else here is as stubborn and massively delusional about their own skill as you say you used to be. None of my buddies carry better than maybe a 8-9 handicap, and not one of them thinks they have a pro swing or ever have any chance of being in the same league as the tour pros. Do you really know any non + HCers who think that? Your friends are all dumber and more delusional than anyone I know if that's true. I played college baseball, and I've hit against pitchers throwing 95, and I did pretty well, but there wasn't a single second where I kidded myself into believing I could ever be in the same league as the guys getting paid 7 figures to hit the ball. Pretending that everyone worse than you at golf is dumb enough to think that kind of thing is a weak excuse to be snide and pissy and demeaning.

[Weezy]

My post was apparently unclear. What you're responding to very negatively is exactly the opposite of what I was saying. The comment I was responding to snidely implied that all double digit handicappers think they have pro swings and hit it pure all the time, and think they just need sweet new clubs and a minor improvement to start breaking par. I was saying that I nor any other 80s, much less 90s, player I know thinks anything like that, and thus noting that the poster I was replying to was making the same kind of condescending or insulting generalization about the attitudes and knowledge of players not as good as him that the OP was complaining about.

I never mntioned you. You asked why low cappers think high cappers are delusional and i tld you why. Right or wrong had nothing to do with it i just told you their reasoning. I am a 10 on a 7200 yard course from the tips that is a notorious ball eater. I won't play handicap tournaments because they put me on the members tees or if i play an easy course because i can shoot par from there relatively easily yet i never play from there. That is how sandbaggers play and it isn't fair. Also as far as open mindedness goes you have need to look at yourself and think well these guys (not me) have seen alot and know how people progress and i promise you that if you are a mid to high capper and think you are a tip away from greatness or think you should game blades to help you "work the ball" (read hit huge hooks and slices that end up ob if you don't turn it enough) then you are delusional and need to understand this fact to allow you to move on. Therapist get payed alot of money to tell people they are rediculous yet you get it here for free! lol You would get fired as a teacher because kids are fragile. Adults however are stubborn and will not accept hints or suggestions and need to be told straight. Again therapy is founded on this principal.

If you are not one of those people then why take offense to it? Do you think we should just let people flail away in their delusions until they finally realize on their own what is being bandied about here now? If so then why bother teaching, just let em figure it out or be blissfully ignorant for the rest of their life. But you don't do you, you criticize them as harshly as anyone on here criticizes anyone else, you give them a grade. Grades have been the source for countless suicides you know. Advice is free and like I said if it doesn't apply to you then why get offended? Love for your fellow man? LOL

[sean_miller]

I never mntioned you. You asked why low cappers think high cappers are delusional and i tld you why. Right or wrong had nothing to do with it i just told you their reasoning. I am a 10 on a 7200 yard course from the tips that is a notorious ball eater. I won't play handicap tournaments because they put me on the members tees or if i play an easy course because i can shoot par from there relatively easily yet i never play from there. That is how sandbaggers play and it isn't fair. Also as far as open mindedness goes you have need to look at yourself and think well these guys (not me) have seen alot and know how people progress and i promise you that if you are a mid to high capper and think you are a tip away from greatness or think you should game blades to help you "work the ball" (read hit huge hooks and slices that end up ob if you don't turn it enough) then you are delusional and need to understand this fact to allow you to move on. Therapist get payed alot of money to tell people they are rediculous yet you get it here for free! lol You would get fired as a teacher because kids are fragile. Adults however are stubborn and will not accept hints or suggestions and need to be told straight. Again therapy is founded on this principal.

I'm pretty sure most people took offense to your earlier post. If it was a "devil's advocate" type post, that woud explain why it sounded so douchey.

[Weezy]

I'm pretty sure most people took offense to your earlier post. If it was a "devil's advocate" type post, that woud explain why it sounded so douchey.

I agree that it is a douchbag type of thing to do however I think it works for some people. Like some have said you can't make blanket statements but you can say this is generally how it is and extrapolate what you can from it. If it doesn't apply to you then fine, i just thin people take offense because it sort of smacks em in the face. Like the expression sweatin like a ••••• in church! noone wants to be told they are wrong but if you solicit opinions then that is what you get and you need to be objective and understand that what you think is happening isn't. You also need to understand that if you have a natural talent and see dramatic improvements over a short period of time then don't take the criticisms to heart because they don't concern you.