Mike Thomas (sunmart)
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dominate the LPGA? What do they know we do not know?
Why do South Korean Golfers
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Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Read the book "Driven" and you'll find out. Its not a glamorous upbringing.
Richie3Jack
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The rate of South Korean female golfers playing the game is probably far higher than females in the rest of the world. Where I live there's a large population of South Koreans living here. And just about all of the females play golf and play it religiously. It's not unusual for me to be on the range and to be the only non-Korean golfer on a range that is full.
3JACK
3JACK
I was at Orange County National several years ago there were 10-15 Korean girls training at the facility with their coaches. They were on the range/course/greens from early morning until dusk. They would return to the putting green at night and putt and chip from 8-10 pm. Golf 10-12 hours per day.
Steve Hale
New
Simple. They work hard. Really hard.
9 year old girls working on their games for Hours with a Father guiding them through drills like a drills sargent.
They don't talk and socialize with each other like the American kids. They beat balls and work through drills in silence.
As an aside, I believe the best US women athletes don't play golf. Think if Logan Tom, Candice Parker or the Williams Sisters were in spikes. I think if this were the case, even with the superior Korean work ethic, the ladies tour would look different. The fact of the matter is our best women athletes don't play golf. Michelle Wie is as good an athlete as there is on the LPGA, and there are 12 ladies on the UCONN basketball team that are quicker, stronger, and faster than she is.
Sure, you can say the same can be said for the men's game, but I believe the desparity is significantly less.
9 year old girls working on their games for Hours with a Father guiding them through drills like a drills sargent.
They don't talk and socialize with each other like the American kids. They beat balls and work through drills in silence.
As an aside, I believe the best US women athletes don't play golf. Think if Logan Tom, Candice Parker or the Williams Sisters were in spikes. I think if this were the case, even with the superior Korean work ethic, the ladies tour would look different. The fact of the matter is our best women athletes don't play golf. Michelle Wie is as good an athlete as there is on the LPGA, and there are 12 ladies on the UCONN basketball team that are quicker, stronger, and faster than she is.
Sure, you can say the same can be said for the men's game, but I believe the desparity is significantly less.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Brilliant Post!
I use to do the LSU Tiger Golf Camp back in 1987-1993. They had the girls basketball camp the same week.
Every year on Thursday night, we'd play the girls. Me and one other coach/counselor, two older campers (15-17) and one midget (smallish 10-12 year old)—vs.—Four Female coaches/counselors & one girl camper (usually a chalk).
We'd play to 100, with 2's and 3's.
The girls camp had a few of the track team girls as counselors. The LSU team regular wins or almost wins the national championship in track, and the Olympics are full of alumni.
Let me they you, if I would have had 10 girls like those track girls to make golfers out of at age 12 or so, we'd have beat Annika's ass.
curtisj76
New
For the most part, men as well.
Richie3Jack
New
I'm not convinced that being a great athete, even if you play golf very seriously, equates to becoming a great golfer. There's a different set of skills involved with golf. Gabrielle Reece tried to become a golf pro and couldn't do it. Ivan Lendl was a guy that the other pros laughed at on the old Tommy Armour Tour in Florida.
The South Koreans in my community have the entire family play golf. The mom and dad will beat balls religiously and when the kids are about to get out of school, they'll pick them up and then go right back to the range and hit some more balls.
There's one girl at my course that I firmly believe as long as somebody doesn't screw up her swing, she'll become one of the all-time great female ballstrikers. She will arrive at the driving range at 8am on Saturday and Sunday and practice until close. Her father watches her do everything and they pretty much keep to themselves, almost like watching a PGA Tour player at the range working with his coach....except they do this every practice session, for the entire practice session.
But the main point I'm stressing is that South Korean families that are now in the US love the game and I think they are getting close to having more females playing the game than there are in the US.
3JACK
The South Koreans in my community have the entire family play golf. The mom and dad will beat balls religiously and when the kids are about to get out of school, they'll pick them up and then go right back to the range and hit some more balls.
There's one girl at my course that I firmly believe as long as somebody doesn't screw up her swing, she'll become one of the all-time great female ballstrikers. She will arrive at the driving range at 8am on Saturday and Sunday and practice until close. Her father watches her do everything and they pretty much keep to themselves, almost like watching a PGA Tour player at the range working with his coach....except they do this every practice session, for the entire practice session.
But the main point I'm stressing is that South Korean families that are now in the US love the game and I think they are getting close to having more females playing the game than there are in the US.
3JACK
Steve Khatib
Super Moderator
Ok, fabulous post, but what do we need to do get the best athletes playing golf and make it fashhionable?
I have to agree with Richie that golf requires a different kind of skill set to most other sports.
In just about every other sport,the better athlete usually is the better player....plus you HAVE to be a world class athlete to play at the top level.
I don't see that with golf.I see guys like Corey Pavin and Craig Stadler not only play on tour but almost reach top ranking at a point in their career.I see 65 year olds with athritic knees beating the asses of athletic 25 year olds.I see Tom Watson winning the British Open at 59.Well he didn't but he should have.
In just about every other sport,the better athlete usually is the better player....plus you HAVE to be a world class athlete to play at the top level.
I don't see that with golf.I see guys like Corey Pavin and Craig Stadler not only play on tour but almost reach top ranking at a point in their career.I see 65 year olds with athritic knees beating the asses of athletic 25 year olds.I see Tom Watson winning the British Open at 59.Well he didn't but he should have.
Steve Hale
New
I would agree that to make it on tour it is not an imperative to be a great athlete...one reason why our game is better than the NBA.
But it sure helps.
Let's take a player like Jeong Jang - and not necessarily because she is Korean, more because she's very short and doesn't appear to be a great athlete. Carries it in the air maybe 220?
And let's take 1000 Jeong Jang's, and 1000 Gabrielle Reece's. And from the time they are children they practice golf. My contention is that a greater percentage of Reece's than Jang's would make it on the LPGA.
Kevin Shields
Super Moderator
Steve is right. If Lendl and Gabrielle reece picked golf at a young age it would be different. Athleticism matters big time. Furyk and Dustin Johnson come to mind. Some people dont like their swings but they are super athletic and repeatable. If all of the U.S.'s best athletes started playing golf as kids you would see an entirely different look to what the ideal swing would be. You would see way more swings like Couples, Furyk and JOhnson.
I teach in a Korean community every korean mother and father come to me with there kids at the age of 5 expecting to be the next Yang or Shin they buy yearly range memberships hits ball m- f from 4 to 8 Sat they have diif chores they must do in korean culture so they dont show up till 3pm same for sun. The parents watch there child like hawks not allowed to talk bang ball after ball these kids are like robots most playing because of there parents. Golf swing wise better than 80% of Americans at that age but let me tell you none of them can throw a ball 20 feet to you no athletic ablility at all. They study practice golf and play a musical instrument the parents push a 7yr old harder than a manager pushes a 16yr old in a burger franchise. A matter of fact they practice 90% play 10% very hard for me a American to change any type of habit because of the strong push of the parents and the Korean teachers are just as insane. Since the emergence of Korean golfers dominating the LPGA and Yang the parents of these kids really believe they can buid a so called "Tiger" and most refuse a American teacher because quite honestly they believe the culture is lazy they rather go to a Korean teacher whose a drill sargeant regardless of his or her no how of the golf swing. Why do they come to me well luckily i've been trained to teach and get results my knowledge blows the Korean teachers in the water but i dont push kids it shouldn't be my job to make kids play golf they have to want to.
Its my job to make it fun and have the kid hit it better.There's approx 125 kids who are members only 2 would hit the rim from the free throw line none would field a ground ball, none could throw a spiral and even at the age of 48 i could outrun most but it is what it is the Korean culture i teach in it i witness it everday and i see a major breakdown.
Its my job to make it fun and have the kid hit it better.There's approx 125 kids who are members only 2 would hit the rim from the free throw line none would field a ground ball, none could throw a spiral and even at the age of 48 i could outrun most but it is what it is the Korean culture i teach in it i witness it everday and i see a major breakdown.
Dedication!
curtisj76
New
Are you kidding me??????? America's youth is the most dedicated I've ever seen at video games!!!!!!
aaron_lohan
New
Who is the author?
Ok, fabulous post, but what do we need to do get the best athletes playing golf and make it fashhionable?
Hope the generation with Korean ancestry, born here and hence American, retain the virtuous work ethic of their historical lineage - good luck.
rogerdodger
New
Dedication? it is a golf issue, not a kid's issue. My fourteen year old daughter plays basketball year round, and works on her skills and conditioning every day. I am taking her in an hour for an accelleration program to build speed. She is a great point guard as she is on the small side, but she works her rear end off. She likes golf, but has limited time to play and practice due to basketball. I agree, our best women athletes are not playing golf. Their friends don't play and that is a big part of the issue. If you get four girls that like to play, take them to the course together. Gabrielle Reece did not start playing until she was an adult. Not a real good comparison in my opinion. At clubs women often have limited play time, even more for kids. Public courses are crowded and intimidating for girls. Simply, I do not think America gives kids a place to play or learn golf, unless the parents are interested, which is tough due to the cost of playing. Our best female athletes will always be drawn to other sports, until access at a young age improves.
IT requires a different economic background that is #1. How many kids can afford clubs, balls, range fees, course fees, junior tourneys at $300-500 each plus travel, hotels, planes, etc.? The northern kids have no place to play or practice in the winter. In the end you need to get the ball in the hole and that requires lots of play/practice.
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