Realistic potential of golfers?

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hue

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What percentage of golfers/public have the INNATE potential to become scratch/+ figures golfers , 5 to scratch, 10 to 5 and 15 to 10 HC if they were trained well by a good coach had all the time they needed to practice and started in young adulthood ? What are your opinions on this?




I left this question on FGI and got some interesting posts on the subject. I am also very interested to find what the coaches on this forum think such as Brian and Redgoat. Thanks.
 
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FanofHogan

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I dont know about percentages, but I have always felt that a person could make himself into a good player through lessons, practice etc. But the difference between a good player and a great player is just natural athletic ability. I just think that there are people born with a natural ability to do things others cannot do. It's almost like Brain said about Tom Bartlett and David Toms. Toms has clubface control that Bartlett will never have. It's just that little something extra.
 
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Eminem

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quote:Originally posted by hue

What percentage of golfers/public have the INNATE potential to become scratch/+ figures golfers , 5 to scratch, 10 to 5 and 15 to 10 HC if they were trained well by a good coach had all the time they needed to practice and started in young adulthood ? What are your opinions on this?




I left this question on FGI and got some interesting posts on the subject. I am also very interested to find what the coaches on this forum think such as Brian and Redgoat. Thanks.
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With a really good teaching professional who knew his stuff and someone with the right attributes.... at least average physically and worked out properly, right mental attitude and had the time and dedication....

I think they would be on the tour at least....
 
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FanofHogan

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Whatever happened to that "Troubleshooter Challenge" on The Goof/Golf Channel? Wasnt there soem show where their stud teachers were supposed to take a raw swing guy and build him into a tour caliber player? Leadbetter could get them all mechanical swinging like they had a stick up their arse and Reinmouth or whatever his name is could help them work all that tension out of their swing.
 
mgjordan

mgjordan

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I think ANY person who is trained by a GOOD professional from early childhood could play professional golf.
 
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hue

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My gut feel is that about 1% or less of the ADULT population has the potential to be scratch or better given the right conditions and about 5% can get to about 5. Brian and Redgoat : What do you think ? Thanks.
 
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Eminem

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quote:Originally posted by hue

My gut feel is that about 1% or less of the ADULT population has the potential to be scratch or better given the right conditions and about 5% can get to about 5. Brian and Redgoat : What do you think ? Thanks.
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WHAT ! ! ! 1% or less !!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmm all the time in the world, a good coach a young start and the best you can think people can do is 1%.....geez
 
bcoak

bcoak

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I agree w/ the 1%. Many intangibles besides just physical practice. Handling the pressure, desire, short game, etc. It is not as easy as just physical lessons.
 
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hue

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quote:Originally posted by Eminem

quote:Originally posted by hue

My gut feel is that about 1% or less of the ADULT population has the potential to be scratch or better given the right conditions and about 5% can get to about 5. Brian and Redgoat : What do you think ? Thanks.
Click to expand...

WHAT ! ! ! 1% or less !!!!!!!!!

Hmmmmm all the time in the world, a good coach a young start and the best you can think people can do is 1%.....geez
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I said ADULT population. That is those that take the game up in young adulthood. If the game is taken up in childhood I would say about 3% could become scratch or better.
 
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pixie

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Hue,
I agree with the way you feel about 1% of the population.
In my experience, it's been a little higher than 1% of young adults. I know 5-6 golfers who picked up the game during university and within 5-6 years were close to scratch (typically shoot 69-75, and 85 on very bad days).

Young teens are a different story. I've seen quite a few kids who you normally wouldn't think as "athletic" or "coordinated" or anything, attend golf programs. Eventually by the time they're 16-17 they shoot high 70s low 80s in junior tournaments. But, as far as the whiz kids who can shoot par or better, I think it's a little higher than 3% also (if they get instruction, and practice a lot).

Although I don't think their true handicap gets down to scratch, the ability to break 70 now and then is there more often than what you might be thinking.

I guess it depends on where you live, too.
 
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keygolf

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quote:Originally posted by hue

What percentage of golfers/public have the INNATE potential to become scratch/+ figures golfers , 5 to scratch, 10 to 5 and 15 to 10 HC if they were trained well by a good coach had all the time they needed to practice and started in young adulthood ? ...
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Just a question, really. By young adult, what age are you considering?
There is substantial evidence that below the age of 15, there is a rich assist from the natural progression of human development that one doesn't even have to be aware of to get help with motor tasks (that are identified by the person), not to mention other kinds of learning.

After that age, it gets progressively more difficult to retain new learning, unless one knows how the process works and applies that.

So at 20, one is much better off than at 25 and so on. (It keeps going "downhill," so to speak, unless you know the process. Then it can continue on an upward path). It's not an evenly distributed force, either. And the variables in the commmunication ability of instructors is also a crtical issue that can make a great deal of difference.

I like the questions you are raising, so I hope more will come from the replies.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
Let's start with this:

The TROUBLRSHOOTERS stunk it up in their "Challenge"

My opinion:

100, 100 shooters...10 lessons each this year ('04), but none after that.

In '05 a couple would break 80 at least once and wind up the year single digits.
A dozen would get to a 10.
66.67% would get to 14-18 handicap.
20 would be 19-25, but some of those would look much better and the rest would BE better strikers.
 
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Brian Manzella

Administrator
Let's start with this:

The TROUBLRSHOOTERS stunk it up in their "Challenge"

My opinion:

100, 100 shooters...10 lessons each this year ('04), but none after that.

In '05 a couple would break 80 at least once and wind up the year single digits.
A dozen would get to a 10.
66.67% would get to 14-18 handicap.
20 would be 19-25, but some of those would look much better and the rest would BE better strikers.
 
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6bee1dee

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quote:Originally posted by brianman

Let's start with this:

The TROUBLRSHOOTERS stunk it up in their "Challenge"

My opinion:

100, 100 shooters...10 lessons each this year ('04), but none after that.

In '05 a couple would break 80 at least once and wind up the year single digits.
A dozen would get to a 10.
66.67% would get to 14-18 handicap.
20 would be 19-25, but some of those would look much better and the rest would BE better strikers.
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The trouble shooters challenge had to be a disaster for not only the Golf Channel but to all PGA teachers as a whole. So little progress for any of them with ten weeks of lessons. Shameful. I think the first fellow with McLean got the most. He was the only golfer who tried to be better for the teacher’s benefit.

Brian, what do you expect from ten lessons?
 
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Eminem

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quote:Originally posted by 6bee1dee


The trouble shooters challenge had to be a disaster for not only the Golf Channel but to all PGA teachers as a whole. So little progress for any of them with ten weeks of lessons. Shameful. I think the first fellow with McLean got the most. He was the only golfer who tried to be better for the teacher’s benefit.

Brian, what do you expect from ten lessons?
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I have to agree that it was a disaster for the PGA teachers. It showed you no real progress was made with any of the players...

Your right about Jim Mclean being the best, although I disagree alot with his theories, he at least 'taught' in person better than Rick Smith and Reinmouth. I still wouldn't have him as my own teacher though.

Rick Smith when I wasn't as knowledgable as I am now seemed like a decent teacher.... but on closer examination he really stinks.... I found him quite egotistical and found he really talked down to that couple... and not only that - their swings were even more undesirable when he left than when he began...

Dein Reinmouth seems like a really nice guy, but an absolutely terrible teacher! I think that with the guy he was teaching Justin Cooper had alot of good points to his swing and a few fundamental flaws it wouldn't of taken much to get him swinging a whole lot better.... I think it would of done him alot more credit to get him swinging better than trying to do some things just to take a few strokes off his game in an instant buzz...


I would love a trouble shooter challenge TGM such as brian...or one of the top seeds vs NG with whoever they got. I would be rooting on TGM all the way and love to see NG fail dramatically with their pupil swinging like a spastic.
 
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EdZ

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I'd be up for that challenge any day..... count me in.

TGC should at least put Martin Hall on..... he would do far, far better than the others have IMO. Excellent images.

Not likely to happen - if people understood the 'concepts' of WHAT to do, and the 'feels' of HOW to do - more people could play decent golf.

None of the instructors I see on TGC ever explain concepts, they explain 'moves' - which is like telling someone to drive from point a to point b without a map and with no knowledge of the area. They might be able to make the car move, stop and turn, but they have no idea how to get to their destination.
 
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