Should i join the high school golf team? (PGA Pros or Instructors please answer)?

[tlstarkk]

So i just started playing golf really about 3-4 months ago. I pick up on stuff rather quickly (hand eye coordination wise.) Ill have some days when my drives completely suck, but im doing well (for my standards with my irons) or days when my irons are just not working for me but the driver is, and vice versa. i havent had any lessons yet (my first lesson will be the day after tryouts) So far i have had about 10 pars and i birdied once, and i have recently been golfing an average of 4 times a week for the past 2 months. ive had some drives that were a lot better than my friend who has been golfing from when he was a little kid (im 16 starting) I have anxiety and crap like that so i dont want to completely suck in front of the team (full of high school jocks i would say) thats the main reason why i am questioning tryouts so much. i dont want these tryouts to take the fun out of golf though, but i dont wanna find out that i could have made the team. Should i wait until next year to try out when i have been golfing for longer) I normally get double bogeys, triple bogeys, bogeys and i have been getting like a par a round recently.


Heres a video of my swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGUR_kRhGTY

[Crim]

I didn't read your whole thread nor am I an instructor or pro. But yes...yes you should. I've loved golf my whole life and only just recently started playing at 26 years old. While playing hockey my senior year I found out that my high school had a golf team. Although I could have done both, I would have dropped any sport I was playing to try to make the golf team immediately. I don't regret many things but I wish I would have known there was a golf team haha.

Forget about jocks, forget about anyone making fun of you, you most likely won't see any of them in 2 years anyway. Do whatever makes you happy. If you make the team then you deserve to be there no matter what anyone says. If you don't then just continue to practice and try again next year!

[jamo]

This is what the decision looks like to your anxious brain: A) If you don't do it, there's a 0% chance of making the team, and a 0% chance of feeling embarrassed because no one had the chance to see you fail. B) If you do do it, there's a (let's say) 40% chance of making the team, and a 60% chance of feeling embarrassed because you didn't play well. This is what the decision is actually like: A) If you don't do it, there's a 0% chance of making the team, but a 40% chance of feeling embarrassed because you'll think you could have made it. B) If you do do it, there's a 40% chance of making the team, and a 10% chance of feeling embarrassed because in reality, it's just golf, it's just walking around a mown field for a few hours hitting a rubber ball with a metal stick, and here's the kicker, people don't give things like this a second thought. This is what people who feel overly anxious tend to not realize (and I would know, I'm one of those people): people care about your day to day life far, far less you think they do. That might sound somewhat depressing, but if you try out for the team, shoot 115, and don't make the team, they're not going to hold team meetings talking about how bad some of the first-timers were. I made the golf team all four years of high school, I couldn't tell you the name or story of a single kid who missed the cut and we never saw again, and there were plenty of them. Embarrassment stems from that fact that we all worry what people think of us. The thing is, the vast majority of the time, people don't think of us at all. (In a good way.)

[Pretzel]

You should at least try out for the team. Depending on how many people tryout and how many people they take, they may not cut anyone from the team. My school had to cut only one player this year, and it was only because our district has a rule where Seniors can't play on the JV team.

At the very least, you can meet some people who you could practice with to try and give yourself a target to shoot for the next year at tryouts.

[Mulligan Jeff]

I was on my high school golf team, not near the top, somewhere in the middle of the pack. I didn't break any records but with continuous practice I made most improved player at end of season. That inspired me to no end. Join the team for what it will make of you.

[tristanhilton85]

I picked up the game in high school (sophomore year) because my friend was on the team. Despite being pretty bad at it, I tried out for the team my junior year and made the team. I also played my senior year. Even though I wasn't very good I had a blast playing and got the opportunity to play courses that I'd never really get to play otherwise.

[barbm12thtee]

Definitely try out. Most schools don't cut players and they let everyone practice together. You'll learn a lot from practice and quickly improve. If you do get cut maybe it will inspire you to get help from an instructor and return the following year ready to kick butt. Good Luck!

[tlstarkk]

Thank you everyone, tryouts are tomorrow!

[Strandly]

I would do it just for the chance to play a round for free.  Ha  If it's good enough for the team, cool, and if not then who cares.

[tlstarkk]

Thats the same thing i started to think.

[hacker101]

Just do it!

My son tried out last year had about 5 months under his belt. His HS Varsity team was undefeated for something like 4 years in a row and did not have a JV team..no money for golf at his HS.

He did not make it, he missed it by 4 (shot 8 over on a par 36 9 hole final tryout, the cut was 4 and under with most under par players.

The point is he had such a good time trying out he is going for it again this year.

Have fun, go for it and let everyone know how you did.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by jamo

This is what people who feel overly anxious tend to not realize (and I would know, I'm one of those people): people care about your day to day life far, far less you think they do. That might sound somewhat depressing, but if you try out for the team, shoot 115, and don't make the team, they're not going to hold team meetings talking about how bad some of the first-timers were. I made the golf team all four years of high school, I couldn't tell you the name or story of a single kid who missed the cut and we never saw again, and there were plenty of them.

Embarrassment stems from that fact that we all worry what people think of us. The thing is, the vast majority of the time, people don't think of us at all.

Exactly.

Go, try out and good luck!

[Bjans1]

I played 4 years of high school golf and then a year of golf in college.

My first swing in a golf meet in high school the ball moved exactly zero inches. Completely whiffed. I shot like 54 that day on a real easy course. By the time my senior year rolled around I had become one of the top players in the area. The progress I made and the life skills I learned along the way are two things that I am proud of.

Go try out, kid, you're in for a long and rewarding journey in the game of golf!

[hacker101]

tlstarkk how did you do with your tryouts, did you make the team?

[Seymore McFly]

Originally Posted by Crim

I didn't read your whole thread nor am I an instructor or pro. But yes...yes you should. I've loved golf my whole life and only just recently started playing at 26 years old. While playing hockey my senior year I found out that my high school had a golf team. Although I could have done both, I would have dropped any sport I was playing to try to make the golf team immediately. I don't regret many things but I wish I would have known there was a golf team haha.

Forget about jocks, forget about anyone making fun of you, you most likely won't see any of them in 2 years anyway. Do whatever makes you happy. If you make the team then you deserve to be there no matter what anyone says. If you don't then just continue to practice and try again next year!

I am in the same boat, as Crim.... I don't know how your schools coaches are, but in my town we have a really good coach.  I had a broken arm and a torn ACL most of my junior and senior year due to playing competitive paintball in high school.  While I don't regret it, I wish I would have joined the team and played in High School and played in College.

[tlstarkk]

Still have 4 more days left actually

[Pretzel]

Originally Posted by tlstarkk

Still have 4 more days left actually

Go spend them (especially this labor day weekend) on the course and get in as much practice as you can! Head to the course where you know tryouts will be held and make your own yardage book for it, drawing sketches of important features in the greens and noting carry distances (if you're not allowed to use a laser during the tryouts) over bunkers and yardages from certain landmarks to the front, center, and back of the greens. It's a good bit of effort to put into it, but you can spread it out over a few rounds to make it easier and it definitely makes tryouts easier when you know where you can miss or where you can't.

[hacker101]

Originally Posted by Pretzel

Go spend them (especially this labor day weekend) on the course and get in as much practice as you can! Head to the course where you know tryouts will be held and make your own yardage book for it, drawing sketches of important features in the greens and noting carry distances (if you're not allowed to use a laser during the tryouts) over bunkers and yardages from certain landmarks to the front, center, and back of the greens. It's a good bit of effort to put into it, but you can spread it out over a few rounds to make it easier and it definitely makes tryouts easier when you know where you can miss or where you can't.

That is great advice that i will pass onto my son, his tryouts start really late.  I think he has a few more months before they start, compared to others I hear about on this forum.

Thanks