What is Holding You Back?

[radiman]

Sorry but (and i know people will frown on this and or even take it as insult) but imo most anyone who can get to single's and certainly close to scratch is lucky to be able to have gotten that far. I dont mean lucky in the sense of bouncing balls. What I mean is lucky in that they are/were able to ever get even close to that good as there are countless amounts of people who have put in enormous time and efforts far greater and for far longer and yet still cant get there. In that sense the game simply came much easier for very many low cappers. Heck many were playing 80's golf in no time at all (relatively speaking) and without even half the efforts and time that so many others put in. The game simply came more naturally to them vs the countless others. Yes thats a thing whether one takes offense to it or not.

Even aomng the percentage who got down that low through a lot of great efforts , hard work and time and money still for every one if them there would be a thousand who put in the same and more yet cant get there. So imo if your that low you are one the luckier ones. There certainly is a natural ability for a good percentage of folks who got that low. Just the ability to to strike balls much more consistently so much easier comes to some vs others. Yes that is luck of the draw.

Countless people "work on it" (as you say) and yet still cant and they've even done and do so as much and a lot more than the others that have gotten low and yet still they cant.

So again yes luck of the draw one is able to play to a low level.

We have seen the stories here and also in personal life outside. Someone takes up the game and in no time they are playing 84 golf regularly. Then a year later or even 2 they are a 5 cap. never having put in half of what so many others do. of course not at all did things go that way for every low capper. Many did it via many more efforts and some even a whole lot more. None the less when we consider the amount of folks who cant yet have put in so much more,...we have to realize those who get there are lucky as they got the luck of the draw. Just is what it is.

And so I then question the notion that many low players feel something is holding them back. From going where? to the tour? Imo just maybe most have gotten as far as they could. Lucky they were able to get where they are easier and perhaps faster than most others. So just how much better do they expect if they were not "so called" held back?

Lol, so no need to strive to get even better? The difference between a 5 and a scratch is immense. To get to that level takes a lot of work. Should I not strive to reach that goal because you have decided single digit is enough?

Sure I may have been able to get to single digits a lot easier than most. But, to take it to the next level you can’t do that without working on it. And no, I don’t mean the pga tour. I want to be as good as I possibly can. I’ll never stop working on my game. I know I can get to scratch if I could put the time in. Maybe your potential has been reached. I know mine hasn’t.

I honestly don’t understand your saltiness over the subject.

 

[Qwkz51]

A thick head, and consistency.

 

[Matthew]

Athletic ability Ill disagree with as i know plenty athletic folks cant golf a lick and plenty non athletic folks who are darn good. But that discussion is another topic.

Sheer luck imo is what many low cap players have and is a big part of their success in the sense that the game came so much easier for them than it has for most others. If that wasnt true then there would be so very many more single digit players because there are tons of people putting in the greatest efforts and time and doing so with proper application of those things. percentage of such people may be small vs the masses who play but by sheer numbers it is a darn large amount of folks and many would be singles as we speak yet they are not. And many of them are not even close.

Not at all can most anyone get there. that part I disagree with a lot. Thats the thing about folks who are there. So many of them don't even realize how fortunate lucky they are and they actually think most anyone can get there. Its just not true at all. You see, the game came/comes easier for the smaller percentage and most of them cant fathom how most others won't posses the similar ability of consistency. Imo your flat out wrong. Most folks cannot reach low cap and near scratch status. if they could there would be so many more of you in existence right now when you consider the amount who are and been trying the right way and making tons of effort.

Do you, and this is serious question, not see the belittling/condescending nature of what you just wrote? Please bear in mind, that’s a legitimate question.
Because I promise, I have the calluses and worn gloves that says I worked at it & I’d imagine everyone else did as well. You can learn mechanics, you can develop “feel” & you can learn good course management. That’s all there really is to it, then you work. Or you at least believe you can do it. If you can’t believe it, you can’t achieve it, not with how mental this game is.
As my dear grandmother used to say “if you can’t now, you never could.”

 

[rollin]

Do you, and this is serious question, not see the belittling/condescending nature of what you just wrote? Please bear in mind, that’s a legitimate question.
Because I promise, I have the calluses and worn gloves that says I worked at it & I’d imagine everyone else did as well. You can learn mechanics, you can develop “feel” & you can learn good course management. That’s all there really is to it, then you work. Or you at least believe you can do it. If you can’t believe it, you can’t achieve it, not with how mental this game is.
As my dear grandmother used to say “if you can’t now, you never could.”

Its honestly not meant as condescending nor as any insult. If i were to get to single digits I would consider myself lucky too. Even as hard as Ive worked and cant even get to a ten. Still if i ever got to a 10 id consider myself lucky cause i know so so many (countless may worked just as hard and not achieved that.

Let me give example what can also appear as condescending and or insulting.
To me it can be taken as insult or condescending to suggest (just as you are) quoted from your post - "You can learn mechanics, you can develop “feel” & you can learn good course management. That’s all there really is to it, then you work". You see, that to me can be taken as though there is something wrong with me or im a failure because I been through enormous practice, work, and efforts etcetc. I learned management, work on developing feel, learned mechanics and tempo , and also how to practice with a correct purpose, and also foundation fundamentals of address, alignment, grip, ;posture, stance. I been through it for a whole lot longer and whole lot more effort than very many people i know and more than many people here too. yet I cant even get close to 10 let alone singles. So when its mentioned that all it takes is a few things as though its that simple.....that to me can be taken as condescending and even insulting and certainly belittling because i did those things and more. If all there is to it is that and working at it that I must be a complete spaz. I mean talk about belittling (if i wanted to take it that way) just wow it doesn't get more belittling and arrogant than that if i were take it that way). because its that easy and anyone who has done what I have as long as i did should be close to scratch by now.

of course I dont take it that way though. So dont take what Im saying that way either. Truth is that so many low cappers didnt even place nearly what I have into it. As mentioned I see the stories here and certainly ones that i personally know on the outside. The game (regardless the work involved) just comes easier for many folks and many of them are single digits. They are very lucky for that imo.

And just to note Im not angry or anything with you here but just good deep conversation.

 

[Matthew]

Its honestly not meant as condescending nor as any insult. If i were to get to single digits I would consider myself lucky too. Even as hard as Ive worked and cant even get to a ten. Still if i ever got to a 10 id consider myself lucky cause i know so so many (countless may worked just as hard and not achieved that.

Let me give example what can also appear as condescending and or insulting.
To me it can be taken as insult or condescending to suggest (just as you are) quoted from your post - "You can learn mechanics, you can develop “feel” & you can learn good course management. That’s all there really is to it, then you work". You see, that to me can be taken as though there is something wrong with me or im a failure because I been through enormous practice, work, and efforts etcetc. I learned management, work on developing feel, learned mechanics and tempo , and also how to practice with a correct purpose, and also foundation fundamentals of address, alignment, grip, ;posture, stance. I been through it for a whole lot longer and whole lot more effort than very many people i know and more than many people here too. yet I cant even get close to 10 let alone singles. So when its mentioned that all it takes is a few things as though its that simple.....that to me can be taken as condescending and even insulting and certainly belittling because i did those things and more. If all there is to it is that and working at it that I must be a complete spaz. I mean talk about belittling (if i wanted to take it that way) just wow it doesn't get more belittling and arrogant than that if i were take it that way). because its that easy and anyone who has done what I have as long as i did should be close to scratch by now.

of course I dont take it that way though. So dont take what Im saying that way either. Truth is that so many low cappers didnt even place nearly what I have into it. As mentioned I see the stories here and certainly ones that i personally know on the outside. The game (regardless the work involved) just comes easier for many folks and many of them are single digits. They are very lucky for that imo.

And just to note Im not angry or anything with you here but just good deep conversation.

So, I’ve gone back and read the whole thread again and I guess the part that’s holding you back?
Why can’t you get to a 10 or lower? Can you pin point something, anything, that you can say “fix this & the rest falls into place”?
Is there something physical that is keeping you from it? Is there mental cue or state that creeps in a kills it? Where do you struggle the least, the most?
Or do you just need more luck?

 

[JonMA1]

Wish I could identify a single cause. So I guess my answer would be ignorance.

As far as the "natural ability vs hard work" argument, almost nobody gets to a 2.5 without a ton of work and dedication. At the same time, to suggest to those of us who have worked our tails off without getting better that we only need to put hard work into it, strikes a nerve as well.

We all have different levels of potential. It has nothing to do with luck or fairness, it's just a reality. If I devoted all my available time to practice under the finest of instructors, I'd never be able to get to the mid teens. I didn't come to that conclusion without first going through the confidence, hard work, lessons and failure. I have to bust my ass just to maintain a low 20's hc.

I'd like nothing better to wake up one morning and realize those statements are wrong.

 

[rollin]

So, I’ve gone back and read the whole thread again and I guess the part that’s holding you back?
Why can’t you get to a 10 or lower? Can you pin point something, anything, that you can say “fix this & the rest falls into place”?
Is there something physical that is keeping you from it? Is there mental cue or state that creeps in a kills it? Where do you struggle the least, the most?
Or do you just need more luck?

I cant sit here (for sake of everyone lol) and rehash my entire adventure in golf.
But for starters and just to touch on it...... even just general ball striking with all the tools and education and work efforts (I have) still fails much too often for me to ever even get to say a 10 let alone better. . The simplest thing ever that only requires good fundamentals and some practice how easy can it be, right? Even that is a challenge And thats long before even getting to low digits. What i been through,.......not only should I be well past general ball striking issues but should also be working on playing towards a 10. And yet i still cant get past general ball striking. So so many folks do that in no time and with not even half the efforts and or knowledge or time. Again, luck is needed and is not something everyone has as for how hard this game comes to us.

conversely .......How many folks dont even know fundamentals, vary their setup each shot, have little understanding of what causes the different ball flights, understand little to nothing about grip. posture, alignment, tempo etc,..., barely taken lesson, hardly practice much at all, dont even play all that much vs most of us here and yet go out there and are consistent enough at general ball striking to shoot 86 golf regularly? I mean the luck is incredible. Then you have a percentage of those folks from that pool who do place much more efforts into it and are single digit players in (relatively speaking) little time. And then become insulted when its suggested they are lucky and or that luck is needed? Luck of the draw imo as golf comes/came easier for them. Just is what it is.

 

[oddjob27]

I asked a tour caddie about that one day, “how do you keep your guy confident if it’s going rough?” He told me the best thing to do is pick a line/target, take a swing & deal with the results in a few minutes. That’s all you can ever do.

That's Zen Golf in a nutshell. Haha! Do what you know, deal with it. It's probably really what I just need to do and not linger on the bad shots.

 

[SHIFTY]

Losing focus has always been my achilles heel, no matter what my handicap has been.

 

[wadesworld]

Simply a lack of practice and playing is holding me back. I can shoot consistently in the 80's (or low 90's on a bad day), but to get to the next level of being able to get into the 70's with any regularity, it's going to take more focused practice and lots more playing time. Unfortunately, due to my wife's health, it's not in the cards. A couple of rounds a month is usually the most for which I can hope.