Good or Bad Results, a Golfer's Swing is Consistently the Same?

[leftshot]

Regarding the discussion on different players having different potential. I believe that is true. I also believe most players haven't come close to reaching their potential. Meaning the difference in potential is mostly irrelevant when it comes to individual improvement.

 

[JonMA1]

Regarding the discussion on different players having different potential. I believe that is true. I also believe most players haven't come close to reaching their potential. Meaning the difference in potential is mostly irrelevant when it comes to individual improvement.

That's an interesting point. Do you think that relative to a realistic amount of time and money, or if those were unlimited?

 

[Daddio]

Regarding the discussion on different players having different potential. I believe that is true. I also believe most players haven't come close to reaching their potential. Meaning the difference in potential is mostly irrelevant when it comes to individual improvement.

There is A LOT of truth here as far as I'm concerned. Nearly every golfer I've ever played with could shave 90% off their handicaps if they could play their shots with their practice swings ... myself included.

 

[leftshot]

That's an interesting point. Do you think that relative to a realistic amount of time and money, or if those were unlimited?

"Realistic" is going to be defined differently by different people. So, let me put it this way. There are three barriers to further improvement: Don't want to, don't know how, reached my potential. Almost everybody is in the first two categories.

 

[JonMA1]

"Realistic" is going to be defined differently by different people. So, let me put it this way. There are three barriers to further improvement: Don't want to, don't know how, reached my potential. Almost everybody is in the first two categories.

Maybe that will make sense to me someday, but for now it seems too simplified - which is fine because this entire conversation is opinion anyway.

I think most of us on this forum have a strong desire to improve and I don't believe many could claim they've reached their potential (although I feel that way at times) - if we agree there's a difference between potential and pinnacle.

I do agree on the "don't know how" part, however. But within that large group, substantial differences exist.

Potential is absolutely relative, IMO. In addition to desire, knowledge and skill to pull off shots, there's the ability to execute. Every level of golf requires a certain competency or level of execution of a skill set. Some golfers have that ability, others do not. For the former, the potential is higher and the scores are lower.

To put it another way, if you take two individuals with the same desire for improvement and expose them to the same training and hours of practice, hours on the course, etc., one is likely to do better than the other. For most, the differences will be small. For others the differences may be extreme. If someone can be freakishly good at this game, it's just as possible for others to be on the opposite side of the spectrum.

 

[Luchnia]

I think most of us on this forum have a strong desire to improve and I don't believe many could claim they've reached their potential (although I feel that way at times) - if we agree there's a difference between potential and pinnacle.

I play with a guy that loves golf and struggles with it and all he really needs to do is practice, but the thing is he doesn't. He grumbles and complains when his game is south (which is most of the time) and I mention practice and the first thing is does is make an excuse. IMO desire must have accompanied action or one remains at the same place.

I surprise myself some days with a good game and other days, well, who knows what happens. One thing I do is work hard at my game especially my weak areas. I practice and play often now.

I remember not less than six months ago I was struggling to hit a wood. I persisted and now most of the time I can crush my woods. I hit my 16.5 degree 4 wood right at 250 twice today, once all the way into the water (maybe a tad over 250) and to me that is exciting and an accomplishment of what hard work does even at 66 years old .

 

[JonMA1]

I play with a guy that loves golf and struggles with it and all he really needs to do is practice, but the thing is he doesn't. He grumbles and complains when his game is south (which is most of the time) and I mention practice and the first thing is does is make an excuse. IMO desire must have accompanied action or one remains at the same place.

Barring injury or the lack of opportunity, if one doesn't work on improvement there isn't any real desire, IMO.

Your playing partner is quite different than the one who spends many years practicing almost daily, setting up a mat and net inside to practice throughout the winter, spends hundreds of dollars on lessons and many more on club fittings, works on drills, stays committed to a plan, records rounds and tracks data, studies his tendencies, defines his weaknesses and works to improve those weaknesses, uses that data for on-course decisions, experiments on the course with risk vs reward, practices trouble-shots, different lies... Well, you get the point. This person does all that for many years and still cannot crack the 22 index. There are those who - for whatever reason - are more challenged than others.

I practice and play often now.

I think playing often is very useful - not to mention enjoyable. I remember several golf seasons when I was able to take several weeks off throughout the summer and dedicate more time on the course. If memory serves, those season were probably my best.

That kind of ties back into the idea that mechanics may not be as important as learning to improve with the swing we have????

 

[BigMac]

On the mental side of the game, there’s also consideration that one can let it become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[JonMA1]

On the mental side of the game, there’s also consideration that one can let it become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Absolutely true and I'm certainly guilt of it. But I also don't buy into the "whether you think you can or can't, you're probably right" BS. While negative thoughts are damaging, positive thinking only goes so far. Otherwise, everyone on the internet would average 300+ yard drives.

 

[Acesteve]

That's an interesting point. Do you think that relative to a realistic amount of time and money, or if those were unlimited?

I think the answer is more then most would invest and it may be time in comprehension, study, practice and instruction. I don't think money can buy the result but having external eyes would make the process faster

 

[Ab Crevoiserat]

I thought I was reading about me, I know that if I slowdown and think about what I want to do I ca do it. Then all the other minutiae invades my mind and then it's a crap shoot.

 

[Hamfist]

But maybe you're looking at it wrong. Because there's a way to break 100 and it's on a consistent basis and doesn't involves any of the imaginative techniques like the ones that @Hamfist employs.

Free thinkers are always demonized.

 

[Hamfist]

it's a bit of a nonsense discussion.
You may be able to have the same swing in a lab, but out there in the wild the ball will be above or below your feet, you'll stand on slopes, firm or slippery turf, sand...
If you tried to use the same swing on any of these, you'd constantly be falling over, wrenching your knees, topping balls and digging trenches.

I call this "Saturday".

 

[Scorp]

Free thinkers are always demonized.

Not in the normal course of golfing. Only when you're in a tournament or competition... or establishing or maintaining a handicap.

 

[InTheRough]

Another thing to remember. King Louie has almost a perfect swing and still hits lousy shots. What hope do we have?

 

[JonMA1]

Another thing to remember. King Louie has almost a perfect swing and still hits lousy shots. What hope do we have?

Hoping to never hit lousy shots is insanity. Hoping to achieve and maintain the level of bogey golf seems reasonable.

For some of us, frustration does not come from hitting a single lousy shot or even shooting a single lousy round. It comes from the crystal clear knowledge of exactly where our games are. And it comes from understanding exactly what needs to improve and not having the ability to do so.

The odd thing is that we still choose golf over a multitude of other activities, most of which do not bring about the same level of frustration.

 

[Hamfist]

Not in the normal course of golfing. Only when you're in a tournament or competition... or establishing or maintaining a handicap.

Well, since I'll probably never attempt any of the three, I feel liberated.