Can one be a truly good golfer (<3 handicap) if they are also a good tennis player (5.0+)?

[ProgolferLiu]

Yup. I do have to admit golfers and tennis players have an excuse for every thing bad that happens to them. But, I am going lefty next offseason so I can eliminate that excuse.

[dchoye]

I find one of my problems is there is too much time in between shots in golf,

In tennis   , if  think too often between points  I start getting these mechanical thought and play poorly.

same thing happen in golf, so routine is important for me in golf so I can stop thinking too much on technique.

I still think too much in tennis , especially after a missed serve,  I try  S+V  if I miss too many serve as it reduces conscious mechanical tennis thoughts for me.

[Rick Martin]

I'm  4.5 and 8-9 HCP and feel that the two sports really conflict each other.  I feel tennis allows for more lateral head movement, less wrist use through the shot, and a different swing plane. But to see Sergio and Matt Kuchar play, you have to wonder why their golf isn't affected.  If I had to give up one, I'd unfortunately give up tennis - and where I live, we have some beautiful har-tru courts that would go to waste.

[ProgolferLiu]

Maybe that's why they've never won majors :D

The biggest issue for me continues to be a very flat shoulder turn on the downswing with my right hip slinging across to the left. The "feeling of vertical shoulder plane" just does not exist in the tennis forehand. One of my playing partners today brought up that my hips open up so fast and my shoulders are so darn flat sometimes. Continues to be frustrating for sure.

[Doug Culpepper]

Liu did you end up switching to Lefty? If so, how did it turn out for you? I have been thinking about trying this.

[natureboy]

You could have some tennis swing tendencies that bleed into golf, but I'd agree the biggest factor is time devoted to each.

The 'reverse hand' trend makes a bit of sense for the tennis pros you mentioned who for the most part hit right handed forehands in the open body / semi-western swing style where they were essentially hitting off the back foot, while their backhands had a more golf-like turn of the back to the target and hitting into a firm lead foot.

Here's Sampras as an example:

If you decide not to switch sides for golf, you might just emphasize some of the correct feels (trail-lead side weight transfer, full turn, solid base in feet e.g.) in your routine / practice swings to help cue your brain and body.

Edited April 17, 2016 by natureboy