Play or Know?

[mjstrong]

Unoffical Poll of this Forum's members: Would you rather be able to play at the highest level, or have the instructional knowledge of the highest level? ("Both" is not an option, for the sake of this poll) I play and teach, and this is actually a tougher question to answer than I originally thought...

In either case, this forum is the place to hang out, (insert Canadian accent here) no doubt about it.

Now, everybody learns best via different methods, but I would think that for the ones searching for playing ability: thoughts, feels, basic understanding of patterns, etc. would be the priorities. Those looking for the root knowledge first and foremost would tend towards the scientific explanations, debates on topics such as "whether heavy hits" exist, and the like.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Every day of the week and twice on Sunday

It took me less than a second to answer this question.

 

[matt kluck]

36 on both weekend days

It took me less than one second.

 

[dcg1952]

Continuing the Pittsburgh trend established above...

Walk 9 holes M-Friday after work and 54 on Sat and 36 on Sunday(we are supposed to rest on Sunday according to my religion).

 

[pecky987]

looks like im one of the few who didnt say play....

 

[curtisj76]

play play play

 

[suns11111]

.5 seconds to hit play! . I could never be a J.C. Anderson.....but interesting other points of view: right, wrong or questionable. Good poll.

JeffS

 

[dale47]

Play !!

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

i want to know who is voting the other way and why.

 

[puttmaster]

Play -- all day

 

[pecky987]

i want to know who is voting the other way and why.

i voted to know everything.

firstly im the type of person who wants to know everything. about everything. so thats why im on here most of the time. to discver everything, even if they might not make me the best player, or may even not be ever conveyed in a lesson situation.

secondly, whilst i'd love to be a amazing player, i dont see where, being a realist, it would ever get me. tour player? constantly travelling, living out of suitcases, scrounging for a living, being away from loved ones. maybe not

i think that even if i was the most talented played on the planet, i'd still get as frustrated and as angry at myself as i do now, being a very average, verging on poor, golfer. so having that ability doesn't appeal to me now as much as it used to

 

[JonWil]

There is a little ambiguity here. Does “Play at the highest level” mean, as ‘pecky987’ suggests, that you are opting for the professional golf lifestyle? And does “Know everything about the game but not be able to play it” mean not able to play with any capacity? If the answer to either question is ‘yes’ the choice may equally be an indicator of what is not desired as much as what is. I voted to Play – just in case.

 

[mjstrong]

Well, just because you have the ability of a TOUR player does not mean you have to join the TOUR.

Interesting results...

 

[JonWil]

I agree.

 

[ggsjpc]

which

i want to know who is voting the other way and why.

which way is the other way? guessing u mean to know. i chose it because i thought id be wealthier, have more free time and privacy.

 

[Slicer McGolf]

I would take the knowledge and would probably say that I'm living that journey right now. I have played at a decent level and found I get more enjoyment seeing my players succeed.

Besides, with the knowledge... one should be able to take that to their own game, right?

 

[thefuture37]

which way is the other way? guessing u mean to know. i chose it because i thought id be wealthier, have more free time and privacy.

how does it make you wealthier? knowledge is useless if you can't demonstrate it. nobody would go to you for a lesson if you couldn't show them how to do it. either way the instructors on this site know more than most golf pros but i dont think they are getting rich from it.

 

[ggsjpc]

demonstation in overrated

how does it make you wealthier? knowledge is useless if you can't demonstrate it. nobody would go to you for a lesson if you couldn't show them how to do it. either way the instructors on this site know more than most golf pros but i dont think they are getting rich from it.

That's straight baloney. The ability to demonstrate is irrelevant. The ability to communicate is the important part. Dave Pelz owns a jet.

 

[Jared Willerson]

Play.....I'm about done with all this analysis (although it is important work). I am way too technical anyway and last summer nearly ruined me for golf.......couldn't play dead. Rabbit ears killed me, got away from what Brian and I spent 3 years building and I paid the price.

Gonna get my yearly lesson from B-Man and play.

 

[tourdeep]

That's straight baloney. The ability to demonstrate is irrelevant. The ability to communicate is the important part. Dave Pelz owns a jet.

not irrelevant, imo, can be very helpful to instill student's confidence with the instructor and also help the visual learner. Absolutely agree on the latter and would take that over demonstration.