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I stand by my previous post re talent....but those who raised running as an example made a good point that I should clarify in my post.... For any task that requires skill over strength/size there is no subsitute for practice.... talent does not come into it.... From a quantity point of view 10000 hours will do it... you then need to ensure the quality of practice will get you there.... For the doubters go and read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell or Bounce by Matthew Syed.... The later even uses Tiger as an example that reinforces the arguement... For the poster that raised the the question about Brain Surgeons and alike the same holds true.... Pros do not have a whole bunch more talent than ametuers they have just practiced more and/or got better tutition...

I voted for Cleveland as I play their driver and wedges but my irons would be Wilson Staff FG tours....

I like how "talent" always manages to come into these types of discussions.. Talent, my friend, is an illusion which hides behind proper practice, a lot of it..... even more so for a game like golf that requires a high degree of skill... In part I agree with the OP that part of the difference in the ametuer v pro debate is related to practice... But it goes beyond that, quality of tuition plays a large part too. The Pros are human and were born with exactly the same level of golf ability as you or I. ie zero.... The different is both the amount and quality of practice..

It really depends on when you ask me.... Other than when I'm on the golf course I'm not a huge fan of my swing... I still come OTT a bit and its lacking good lag but..... on the course I'm happy most of the time with my swing The way I see it... when you step on the first tee all thoughts of your swing should go out the window and your sole focus should be in getting the ball into the hole with the least number of shots.... After 10 lessons and countless range sessions with very little scoring improvement it was forgetting my swing on the course that actually brought my score down...

In my experience short game helps long much better than the other way around. Both in scoring and general ball striking.... Since switching to almost exclusive short iron and wedge practice at the range, my scores started to drop because my short game is actually getting better AND my long game feels as good if not better than when I practiced it a lot .... The reverse was not true... for me at least..

About 75 rounds at 35 different courses in two countries!

I would take him to the pro if he wants to go. As others have said as long as its kept fun I can't see an issue with it. Taking the fact that its golf out of it a lot of kids get lessons at that age, be it other sports or even a musical instrument... Just because its something you like doesn't mean you should treat it any differently! He might be the next big thing or he might give it up in a year but giving your kid an opportunity to become truely great at something he enjoys can only be a good thing.

While I agree its a shame Johnson was penalised in such a manner its not the first time at the PGA a similar event occur, although maybe not as dramatic... An Aussie (Steve Elkington maybe?) was penalised under almost exactly the same situation a few years back. He copped a 4 stroke penalty (Grounding the club AND removing debis from a bunker IIRC) and ended up losing by 5 (yeah I know he still wouldn't have won but the principle is the same).

As the other posters have said you don't! The trick is to be able to "turn it on" when you need to. What works for me is a trigger at the start of my pre shot routine that "turns it on". Bascially I tap the groud twice with the club head.... from then on its max concerntraition until the ball is in the air..... then relax... smell the roses... crack some jokes... enjoy the round until the double tap again...

You need a gun on a golf course?... All I can say is wow! I am not going to get into a debate about guns laws or control but really??!? I played about 6 times when I was over their recently and I was lucky to not even consider needing one....

I play a 4 wood (Mizuno F60 16.5 degree) and love it. I got it for the sole reason that I wanted to replace my 3 and 5 so I could carry another wedge... It seems a fraction easier to hit than a 3 wood and goes about the same distance for me.... more consistent too....

High handicapper here who is actually trying this out.... right now I have spent the last two weeks only practicing my short game and shot by best round on any course by 3 strokes and shaved 7 strokes off my best at this particular course.... My range routine now consists of no club longer than an 8 iron.... I do take 1 longer club (could be anything from 5 iron to driver) and hit no more than 5 balls at random intervals.... aside from that its all wedges and short irons.... My "normal" long game is pretty average with good drives only going about 200-220 yards so I previously spent heaps of time with the big stick trying to gain distance but I didn't get any longer and it took ages for my scores to drop, it was really inconsistent... Just finshed reading one of Bob Rotella's books and it advises to only practice short irons EVER..... I thought what the hay! So I made a concious decision to give it a go for 3 months.....Two weeks in and I am very happy.... One last thing... despite rarely hitting a long club (iron or wood) at the range they are also getting better.... not longer just more consistent.... Cheers, Dek

Just started to play the new Wilson Staff FG Tour..... Friggin awesome ball love it to bits!!! Its supposed to have been designed to spin even with the CC grooves of the new wedges... All I know is I have only managed to lose 1 ball in about 10 rounds and they seem to hold up heaps better than other soft urethane balls I've played... Cheers, Dek

I subscribe to the worse putt is usually better than your best chip school of thought... anywhere up to 35 out! if I do need to chip then I've started to use my 4 wood a lot hold it with a putting grip and swing it like a putter..... In circumstances where you have to pop the ball up (to clear thick rough or a bunker) I will go to a wedge and just trust the shot.... if I chuck it so be it.....

I have learnt to enbrace the fade and while I won't stop practicing hitting draws until I can hit them consistently I like the fade... From personal experience I used to hate a fade as when I started out what started as a gental fade used to end up 3 fairways over!! To the OP - I would say that most pros go to shot would be a draw... This is based solely on what I see on TV!!

When faced with a dogleg right hole.... Aim at the trees and think "My natural power slice will keep this in play..." Proceed to hit it dead straight and into the woods or Hmmm shot par 4 I could hit a 5i off the tee and a 7 iron to the hole or cream my driver..... Picks the driver and swing out of my shoes only to see the ball spray into the rough.... so an easy 4 is now a hard 6! Lastly... Hmmm having a bad swing day.. I know if I just swing harder all will be better.... then proceed to come way over the top and makes things 100 times worse

I carry 5 currently but its in "name" only My PW from my iron set (Wilson Staff Di7) is a 43!! I also carry a PW and GW (Wilson Staff Pi7) which are 47 and 52 repectively.... Then I have my proper wedges in my Sig CG14 56 and CG14 60... Considering pulling the 60 though to add a hybrid in though... Love the club most of the time but.....

Not 100% sure of my worst 9 holes but it was in the 60s for sure... I have also managed a 134 over 18 not that long ago.... We were playing in a gale at a sandbelt course down here and a few shots seemed to go backwards.... what makes it worse was I shot 1 birdie and 1 par so you can imagine what the other holes looked like!!!

I've just started to read up on the mental game side of things and it has opened my eyes to a whole way of thinking on the course that, while obvious, I wasn't doing it... I've just finished reading Golf is not a game of Pefect by Bob Rotella.. Got a round tomorrow so will see how it goes... Try this thread for some good book suggestions http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...ychology-books

I have just bought 3 Dr Rotella books and Zen golf in the last week! I really enjoyed Golf is not a game of perfect and picked up a couple more today.. will let you know my thoughts once I get through them.... I can certainly see why some my not like/see the value of them but I think they great....

Man this thread moves fast! I forgot to add in my last post that aside from the fact that I get more exercise when I carry my clubs I'm not even sure it affects my score.... My handicap in my sig is a bit out of date (down to about 22) but thinking back to rounds I've played in the last 12 months my worst 4 have all been riding in a cart and my best 4 have been carrying my bag.... So based on how I play carrying my clubs actually lowers my score.... Any one have a link to a study that has shown that carrying you bag makes you shot worse? I've read it a few times and this thread got me thinking... is it even true?

My 2 cents When I took up golf more seriously I noticed that I started to drop a few kilos after a couple of months of play... This was still using a pull cart.... I also noticed that my wieght plateued after losing about 5kgs... Since carrying my bag on most occasions I have managed to drop another 5kgs and keep it off.... I am under no illusions that from a cardio point of view I am no fitter than if I used a pull cart but for general good exercise it definately works.... In all honesty I'd rather be 5 kgs lighter than save a shot a round... some people play for fun you know.....

How long are the courses you are playing??? I play just slightly longer than you (about 10-15%) and on most courses sure it would be nice to hit it futher but length is not my main problem... Just a thought..

Hey All, I'm making a trek across to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks and am keen to get a round or two in while I'm there. Any suggestions for good courses to play? Ideally for less than $100....Also any discount websites to book from? Any suggestions or tips would be appreciated! Cheers, Dek

Odd question I know but please bear with me! I have recently picked up a new set of clubs (Pi7s) and am currently trying to work out what to carry. I basically want to take the short irons from the new set as I can hit them well and keep the long irons from my existing set as they are more forgiving ... Originally I took 4-6 from the Di7s set and 7-GW from the Pi7s. Felt a little odd first round out so I have just checked the net and I realised that I was playing with a 6.5 degree gap in my setup. However if I introduce the 6 iron from the Pi7 set it cuts the gap down to exactly half that.... If I do carry both then I am only left with two "woods" (I carry 56 and 60 wedges too) which would be my driver and new 3H. Any suggestions?