What to Believe!?!?!?

[KingHack82]

     Golf is a game of inner demons and self doubt. I have seen the best athletes in the world, cringe over a pressure packed 3 footer. The world's top golfers practice their skills for countless hours; they try to destroy the demons which creep into their mind at the worst moment possible!

    Those who I like to call "couch players", spend all weekend watching the pros throw darts from the comfort of their La-Z Boy recliners. They believe 36 holes per week on Xbox 360 are sufficient to reach the levels of their golf heroes. Unfortunately, the majority of golfers have a handicap of 14 or more with only 5% posting a handicap below 5.

     To my fellow amateurs, I will say 75% of your issues stem from not having the correct equipment! I watch guys at my club, who can't break 90, gaming irons that look like a butter knife they stole from the bar after lunch!  There is such a WIDE variety of golf clubs on the market today.   Everyone should have a chance to lower their score and enjoy themselves each time they tee up. Why make the game harder?

     We see Tiger Woods and the best players in the world playing certain brands and sporting their sponsored attire. Last week, a young kid told me he played Nike blades because Rory was his favorite player... Some body shoot me now. I then watched him struggle to hit any shot even close to the center of the clubface; but hey, Rory would be proud?!

    If you only get one thing from reading this post, let it be this... PGA tour professionals play clubs we can never get! They spend incalculable hours alongside their coaches and highly trained club fitters to make every club perfect from the bounce, to length, shaft and lie angle. I am not saying one would not benefit from a proper fitting from a certified PGA professional, but lets not base our games on what we see on NBC every weekend.

     Golf technology has greatly improved over the past ten years. There is equipment for every swing and type of environment that exists. Please find the equipment which feels best to you, matches your swing and gives you the result you want and deserve. Being a successful golfer is not only measured by your score; it is also measured by the amount of fun you have while honoring a self-reliant game.

     Fellow golfers, there are three rules I try to uphold each round, 1) Always go for it, 2) Tell the truth because golf karma will catch you and 3) you do not know your swing until you are under pressure!

Thank you for reading and I will see you guys on the range.

-Ryan K

[iacas]

First, welcome to TST! We're happy to have you.

As you're about to find out, we don't always all agree. But that's fine, as this is a site with a lot of great discussion, particularly if you can defend your point(s).

1 minute ago, KingHack82 said:

Those who I like to call "couch players", spend all weekend watching the pros throw darts from the comfort of their La-Z Boy recliners. They believe 36 holes per week on Xbox 360 are sufficient to reach the levels of their golf heroes. Unfortunately, the majority of golfers have a handicap of 14 or more with only 5% posting a handicap below 5.

I don't think anyone believes that.

1 minute ago, KingHack82 said:

To my fellow amateurs, I will say 75% of your issues stem from not having the correct equipment! I watch guys at my club, who can't break 90, gaming irons that look like a butter knife they stole from the bar after lunch!  There is such a WIDE variety of golf clubs on the market today.   Everyone should have a chance to lower their score and enjoy themselves each time they tee up. Why make the game harder?

I don't think 75% of anyone's issues are equipment. I can shoot 72 with my wife's clubs. I probably won't shoot 68, but I'm not going to shoot 82, either.

1 minute ago, KingHack82 said:

We see Tiger Woods and the best players in the world playing certain brands and sporting their sponsored attire. Last week, a young kid told me he played Nike blades because Rory was his favorite player... Some body shoot me now. I then watched him struggle to hit any shot even close to the center of the clubface; but hey, Rory would be proud?!

How would giving him different equipment completely change his swing so that he could find the center of the clubface?

Clue: it wouldn't.

[Dave325]

28 minutes ago, KingHack82 said:

     To my fellow amateurs, I will say 75% of your issues stem from not having the correct equipment! I watch guys at my club, who can't break 90, gaming irons that look like a butter knife they stole from the bar after lunch!  There is such a WIDE variety of golf clubs on the market today. 

I really wish that was the case for me.... I got a new set of clubs this past summer and got fitted for a nice driver. Nothing changed on my scoring. But what did make a difference (and I am still a long way from playing decent golf).... After that was... joining up with this forum, signing up with Evolvr and learning from others, while practicing every day. 

[Patch]

I have always believed that inner demons, and self doubt were due to a weak mind, which in turn, was due to a lack of knowlege. It matters little what the subject matter is. The more  knowlege a golfer has about their golf game, the easier their struggles will be. Be smart, and play smart. 

[Club Rat]

2 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

Ryan K

Welcome to TST. Pretty bold statements you have enlighten the regular TST readers.

For starters, to say  "75% of our issues stem from not having the correct equipment!"  Many of the guys around here know a little bit about equipment in all aspects. Sure many of us don't dish out $$ for higher end shafts, or buy the latest and greatest just to show our buddies at the club. We all golf with beginners, scratch players and all others in between. But many will disagree that their game lacks proper equipment.

2 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

Golf technology has greatly improved over the past ten years. There is equipment for every swing and type of environment that exists. Please find the equipment which feels best to you, matches your swing and gives you the result you want and deserve. Being a successful golfer is not only measured by your score; it is also measured by the amount of fun you have while honoring a self-reliant game.

I will agree with you 100% here. Although it's discussed in depth on the site frequently. Read a few of the many posts which members have asked in general and specifically about equipment. In fact, TST members obtain many great new products to test and provide reviews for discussions. Through the many great posts, golfers can find suggestions on equipment to try and help make choices a bit easier. The fun factor is really high here, it's a place to discuss topics like "Always go for it" and "knowing your swing until you are under pressure!"

2 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

but lets not base our games on what we see on NBC every weekend.

We don't. We are mostly recreational players, Amateur's. There are many very good players who diligently spend time practicing to improve.

2 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

I have seen the best athletes in the world, cringe over a pressure packed 3 footer.

We've all been there, done that.

2 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

there are three rules I try to uphold each round

Many here abide by R&A and USGA rules, somehow I didn't realize there were only "three rules"

[JBailey]

2 and 3 are fine, but 1 will get you in trouble more times than not.

Later,

John

[PEZGolf]

 

---

---

First, I too put out the welcome mat for you.  You are correct in saying that golf can plaque us with inner demons. As you posted, even top players can cringe when faced with a short pressure putt (eg. Dustin Johnson on the 72nd hole at Chambers Bay).

      Another case in point is my interview with Slammin' Sammy Snead a few years ago. I had a Book of Quotations with me. I told him, "It says here that you said you were never nervous when facing a charging bull elephant, but you were always nervous when facing a 3' putt to beat Hogan. Did you really say that?"  He answered with a wink, "That is pretty close." And then I had him autograph that page. This game can be exhilirating and devastating, on the same hole!

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2015 by PEZGolf
left out a word

[saevel25]

11 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

     To my fellow amateurs, I will say 75% of your issues stem from not having the correct equipment! I watch guys at my club, who can't break 90, gaming irons that look like a butter knife they stole from the bar after lunch!  There is such a WIDE variety of golf clubs on the market today.   Everyone should have a chance to lower their score and enjoy themselves each time they tee up. Why make the game harder?

http://thesandtrap.com/forums/topic/58816-652015-practice-ratios-where-to-devote-your-practice-time/

I would say it is primarily the long game. The wrong equipment will not cause you to go from 80 to 90. My dad thought about changing his irons, but he had a slight change in grip or what not and started to hit the ball better. So he changed his mind and is keeping his irons. It's never the equipment. 

11 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

Some body shoot me now. I then watched him struggle to hit any shot even close to the center of the clubface; but hey, Rory would be proud?!

He would probably struggle with GI irons anyways. Clubs do not magically allow you to hit the center of the clubface. 

11 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

    If you only get one thing from reading this post, let it be this... PGA tour professionals play clubs we can never get! They spend incalculable hours alongside their coaches and highly trained club fitters to make every club perfect from the bounce, to length, shaft and lie angle. I am not saying one would not benefit from a proper fitting from a certified PGA professional, but lets not base our games on what we see on NBC every weekend

Most PGA Tour players will hit a club and like it or not. They don't care about the numbers on the club. They don't sit down and say, "I want a few extra degrees of bounce off this one." They just want something that works. As long as it fits what ever image they have of a ball flight they want then they go with it. Maybe a handful of Tour players do, but most don't care what the bounce number is. 

[mcanadiens]

Welcome,but I have to go with the majority here. 

Back in the day, a bag of shiny new clubs in my partners bag would bother me. I'd just assume they were much better players if the clubs were top line. After playing with a lot of different people over the last five years or so, I know better. I've seen very poor players swing very expensive golf clubs. I've seen very good golfers swing clubs made out of real wood. The swing is the thing.

 

[Grumpter]

It's the Indian not the arrow.

[DaveP043]

Lots and lots of players would rather try to solve their swing problems by buying new equipment.  After all, its quick and easy, and all the advertising tells you that it works.  I can certainly believe that a large percentage of golfers are playing with equipment that isn't right for them, but I'm absolutely certain that for most of them, their problems are more swing-related than equipment-related.  But improving a swing is much much much more difficult to do, and takes a whole lot longer, than buying equipment.  

"I just need to learn how to hit this new club, then I'll be much better"

"Dummy, you couldn't hit the club you had before, what makes you think you'll learn to hit the new one?"

[turtleback]

14 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

 

     Fellow golfers, there are three rules I try to uphold each round, 1) Always go for it, 2) Tell the truth because golf karma will catch you and 3) you do not know your swing until you are under pressure!

Hey, Ryan, welcome to the board.  

I would have to take issue with #1, unless you mean something far different than the bare words.  The essence of course management is weighing the odds and degree of success against the odds and degree of failure.  Your first rule seems to ignore the latter in the hopes of the former, and in some situations the probabilities will not support that.

iacas, the chief boss of the site, co-wrote a book dealing with exactly these issues, Lowest Score Wins, and I think it is fair to say that there is very little if any, statistical support for the notion of always "going for it", unless "it" is the highest probability shot (or the shot with the lowest probability of a horrendous  outcome), not the 240 yard shot over water in a quartering breeze.

OTOH, I could not agree more with you about #2.  One of the best pieces of advice I ever got for golf, and life, came from Ray Floyd's book, The Art of Scoring.  He said it was critical to take and accept complete responsibility for your shots., not to make excuses - the most important one you have to tell the truth to is yourself.  Which then goes to the main point of your post.  If a player really believes that 75% of his problem in golf stem from his equipment, he is doing the exact opposite of #2.  It isn't the equipment, and until the player is truthful with himself that the problem is his swing, it will never get improved.  

Your first post got quite a bit of challenging but please DO NOT take it personally - that is the nature of the best discussions around here.  Iron sharpens iron.  

Again, welcome!

[DaveP043]

2 hours ago, turtleback said:

Your first post got quite a bit of challenging but please DO NOT take it personally - that is the nature of the best discussions around here.  Iron sharpens iron.  

Again, welcome!

On some thing, maybe many things, I have disagreed with @turtleback, but on this one we are in complete agreement.  Welcome to the site!  I hope you enjoy the discussions, including the gentlemanly conflicts, as much as the rest of us do.  

[No Mulligans]

17 hours ago, KingHack82 said:

       Those who I like to call "couch players", spend all weekend watching the pros throw darts from the comfort of their La-Z Boy recliners. They believe 36 holes per week on Xbox 360 are sufficient to reach the levels of their golf heroes. Unfortunately, the majority of golfers have a handicap of 14 or more with only 5% posting a handicap below 5.

 

Yes, welcome to the site.

It's worse than you state... The majority of golfers don't have a handicap and probably will never break 100 if they play by the rules.

A long thread on that topic is here: http://thesandtrap.com/forums/topic/2123-what-does-the-average-weekend-golfer-shoot/?page=21

 

[imsys0042]

Welcome!    My xbox 360 EA Sports handicap was -9, when I retired from it.   If only I was using better fitted clubs....  :)

[mcanadiens]

16 minutes ago, imsys0042 said:

Welcome!    My xbox 360 EA Sports handicap was -9, when I retired from it.   If only I was using better fitted clubs....  :)

That's pretty good. 

The last time my bruv and I played, he got me by a stroke 53-54 on the Old Course.

[imsys0042]

1 minute ago, mcanadiens said:

That's pretty good. 

The last time my bruv and I played, he got me by a stroke 53-54 on the Old Course.

I think I once shot a 50.  I always had trouble with putting on some days.   The opposite of my real game.  Putting usually helps save a few strokes in a bad ball striking round.  I would hop on the online stuff and see people sub-50 and wonder how they heck they did that.  

[mcanadiens]

Just now, imsys0042 said:

I think I once shot a 50.  I always had trouble with putting on some days.   The opposite of my real game.  Putting usually helps save a few strokes in a bad ball striking round.  I would hop on the online stuff and see people sub-50 and wonder how they heck they did that.  

50 beats me. I'm thinking a 52 may be my best for 18 holes. 

My problem is always the first three holes. I've got to figure out my finger positioning to hit a ball straight, so the first few full swings give me problems. After that, the putting costs me a few as well.