Is it possible to play off scratch from 30 in 18 months?

[Pretzel]

1 hour ago, collapse said:

mjrowe.....also, please discuss this graphic with Sandy J.

Seriously dude, cut out the cryptic bulls***. If you're going to tell him to discuss the graphic, give some detail as to why it actually matters. Don't just throw stuff out there and hope your s*** sticks to the wall by some miracle.

It's harsh, but the reality is that this forum is designed to help people enjoy golf and improve. Your cryptic posts, that require a decoder ring from a cereal box to understand, do nothing to further discussion in a majority of threads and only lead to off-topic rabble (and, admittedly, this would be a good example of that).

[Lihu]

1 minute ago, Pretzel said:

It's harsh, but the reality is that this forum is designed to help people enjoy golf and improve. Your cryptic posts, that require a decoder ring from a cereal box to understand, do nothing to further discussion in a majority of threads and only lead to off-topic rabble (and, admittedly, this would be a good example of that).

That's the purpose of this forum, and by being too cryptic you leave yourself open to misinterpretation. . .

[Mjrowe1]

On 16 December 2015 at 3:23 AM, collapse said:

mjrowe.....also, please discuss this graphic with Sandy J.

Why would I discuss these hand movements with sandy? You are a complicated person @collapse you either a) over think too much or b) have got nothing better to do than talk absolute rubbish and try confuse the situation. It's people like you who make the already hard game of golf harder than it already is. I hope you wrist flexion and extension gets your golf game to where you want it.

[Pretzel]

19 hours ago, Mjrowe1 said:

b) have got nothing better to do than talk absolute rubbish and try confuse the situation.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

[natureboy]

So on the topic thread probably being a 'next Norman' reference I thought I'd rough out what I think his trajectory was to number 1 in 1986. I obviously don't know his actual play / practice time vs. his HCP, but just an estimate what it would be following the general trend that improvement in this discipline tends to take.

Starts golf aged 15 in 1970.

Reaches scratch at approximately 1,200 hours of initially light and probably increasing play & practice over 18 months.

Given his rapid progress likely shifts to increased play & practice in the range of 2,000 hours a year to explore his potential.

Reaches plus 5 at around 8,000 hours of accumulated practice  and is competing successfully in Australian amateur events.

At around 10,000 hours of accumulated work at the game he is about a plus 5.3. Wins a tournament against a field including some good European players and turns pro in 1976.

Joins European tour in 1977 and plays Asian / European events for next few years winning events & still improving, but much more slowly. Reaches plus 6 in the vicinity of 16,000 hours.

Gets starts on PGA tour and gradually improves his results.

At around 31,000 hours it is 1986 he has been practicing and playing the game for a bit over 15 years, has an historic year ending at number one in the world aged 31 years around a plus 7. (though it's possible his number one skill level may have been closer to plus 8, it wouldn't alter the general trajectory of his improvement a whole lot)

 

Edited December 19, 2015 by natureboy

[Mjrowe1]

After a good weeks short game practice I went out and had 37 stableford points, 1 better than my handicap, new GA 12.9. Anyone living in Melbourne knows that today was one of the windiest days of the year and ball striking was difficult. Pretty happy with the result.

 

Lessons learned today was, swing it easy when the conditions are like that, the short game and putter aspect of the game are more important than any gives credit for. 

 

5 am back on the grind at the gym working on seperation.

[Lihu]

4 hours ago, Mjrowe1 said:

After a good weeks short game practice I went out and had 37 stableford points, 1 better than my handicap, new GA 12.9. Anyone living in Melbourne knows that today was one of the windiest days of the year and ball striking was difficult. Pretty happy with the result.

 

Lessons learned today was, swing it easy when the conditions are like that, the short game and putter aspect of the game are more important than any gives credit for. 

 

5 am back on the grind at the gym working on seperation.

Nice progress on your game.

Wind doesn't really affect ball striking unless your body is being buffeted around so much you can't keep your swing on plane? It usually affects the flight.

No one on this site states that short game is unimportant, just that improving short game without a decent long game will not give you as much improvement as long game changes. For example, a 7 handicap still benefits from long game improvements, while a scratch benefits more from on the greens.

[parman]

10 hours ago, Lihu said:

Nice progress on your game.

Wind doesn't really affect ball striking unless your body is being buffeted around so much you can't keep your swing on plane? It usually affects the flight.

No one on this site states that short game is unimportant, just that improving short game without a decent long game will not give you as much improvement as long game changes. For example, a 7 handicap still benefits from long game improvements, while a scratch benefits more from on the greens.

 

10 hours ago, Lihu said:

Nice progress on your game.

Wind doesn't really affect ball striking unless your body is being buffeted around so much you can't keep your swing on plane? It usually affects the flight.

No one on this site states that short game is unimportant, just that improving short game without a decent long game will not give you as much improvement as long game changes. For example, a 7 handicap still benefits from long game improvements, while a scratch benefits more from on the greens.

This game is played 150 yds and in so I totally disagree with the long game theory. The woods are full of long drivers as the saying goes. How could anyone get to be a 7 handicap w/o having a decent short game? JMHO

[Lihu]

52 minutes ago, parman said:

 

This game is played 150 yds and in so I totally disagree with the long game theory. The woods are full of long drivers as the saying goes. How could anyone get to be a 7 handicap w/o having a decent short game? JMHO

You can be like @JapanDave who hits a country mile and averages 79 with 37 putts. . .

[iacas]

16 hours ago, parman said:

This game is played 150 yds and in so I totally disagree with the long game theory.

No, it isn't.

LOTS of information here on this, and I'm sure some other members will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Here's a start: http://lowestscorewins.com/ .

[boogielicious]

16 hours ago, parman said:

 

This game is played 150 yds and in so I totally disagree with the long game theory. The woods are full of long drivers as the saying goes. How could anyone get to be a 7 handicap w/o having a decent short game? JMHO

 

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

No, it isn't.

LOTS of information here on this, and I'm sure some other members will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Here's a start: http://lowestscorewins.com/ .

Totally agree with @iacas. This game starts at the tee and GIR is King! I highly recommend the book.

[No Mulligans]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

 

Totally agree with @iacas. This game starts at the tee and GIR is King! I highly recommend the book.

NGIR is king too? 

[boogielicious]

Just now, No Mulligans said:

NGIR is king too? 

Queen.

[rkim291968]

3 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

Queen.

Then, I am just having lots of Dukes of Haz(z)ards.

[parman]

After 55 years of golf I think I have learned some things myself, not from an internet article. It takes a complete game to be a good player. I do not drive the ball far (180-220) and was down to an honest 8 index two years ago. I love to play golfers who think their huge drive will win them the hole. Then I watch horrible chips or pitches that never make the green or close to the hole and lots of makable putts missed and lots of 3 putts. Going by your theory the best players on the PGA Tour would be he longest driver. That would be Ryan Palmer, Tony Finau, and Danial Burger.                               "There are lies, damned lies and statistics." Mark Twain

 

 

 

[Pretzel]

8 minutes ago, parman said:

After 55 years of golf I think I have learned some things myself, not from an internet article. It takes a complete game to be a good player. I do not drive the ball far (180-220) and was down to an honest 8 index two years ago. I love to play golfers who think their huge drive will win them the hole. Then I watch horrible chips or pitches that never make the green or close to the hole and lots of makable putts missed and lots of 3 putts. Going by your theory the best players on the PGA Tour would be he longest driver. That would be Ryan Palmer, Tony Finau, and Danial Burger.                               "There are lies, damned lies and statistics." Mark Twain

 

 

 

You have apparently ignored the point. 

The point is closer is better, not that it is the end all be all at the detriment of everything else. 

[iacas]

22 minutes ago, parman said:

After 55 years of golf I think I have learned some things myself, not from an internet article. It takes a complete game to be a good player. I do not drive the ball far (180-220) and was down to an honest 8 index two years ago. I love to play golfers who think their huge drive will win them the hole. Then I watch horrible chips or pitches that never make the green or close to the hole and lots of makable putts missed and lots of 3 putts. Going by your theory the best players on the PGA Tour would be he longest driver. That would be Ryan Palmer, Tony Finau, and Danial Burger.

You don't know what my theory is if you think it's something like "hit the ball really far" or something.

The closer you get to the hole, the less important the skill and the closer you are in ability to everyone else who plays golf - everyone better and worse than you.

[Golfingdad]

12 minutes ago, parman said:

Going by your theory the best players on the PGA Tour would be he longest driver. That would be Ryan Palmer, Tony Finau, and Danial Burger.

That isn't the theory.  But even if it was, you are looking at too small of a sample size, many people haven't played much at all in 2016 (and those who have, have between 4 and 20 drives counted towards that average) Note the top 3 in driving distance for the 2015 season:

1. Dustin Johnson
2. Bubba Watson
3. Jason Day

Those same 3 guys rank T2, 4, T2, respectively in top ten finishes for last year as well.  Also, 2 victories for DJ, 1 for Bubba, and 5 for JD.