You's a Shambler ain't ya McDuck?

I think the biggest difference between those who progress quickly and those who don't is the "natural ability" to swing the club and overcome the hit instinct.

after that it's all about practicing the short game and course management. If you can get your ego out the way it's a pretty easy game.

My story?

First tentative swings where with my mates dads clubs that were nearly as big as me when I was about 8. Then nothing till I was 17 when I went out with my dad and his pal for a round. Shot 126 and fell in love. He bought me a set of irons that Christmas, but I hardly ever played due to money and opportunity.

I only really started playing regularly when I was about 24 shooting around the 85-90 mark for about a year. As soon as I learnt to hit a driver I got to regularly shooting in the 70s and low 80s although had no official handicap.

got CFs and missed out on 5 years golf. Took it up again a couple of years back and struggled to get it back. This year I'm frustrated in that I've only played 6 times, but I know when I'm well I'll be back in the 70s.

I reckon I'm capable of cat 1 with enough time and practice. 

Creosote wrote (see)

Personally I dont think there is natural talent at golf. I do think average or better hand to eye co-ordination helps a bit, but the "talents" one requires arent the physical ones. Its far more to do with the mental and attitude aspects - tenacity, commitment, focus, willingness to work hard at it, objectivity.

I disagree with this quite strongly!

ALL sports require some degree of ability, or combinations of abilities, be they power, strength, flexibility, balance, hand/eye co-ordination or whatever. A person blessed with the right combination of abilities has the potential to become a good golfer, given coaching and practice. This person would therefore also have the potential to be good at other sports as well (think of footballers with low handicaps or Michael Jordan who played professional baseball and basketball, or Denis Compton who played Football and Cricket for England). There was always some kid in your PE lessons who was good at EVERYTHING!

Some people will stay as high handicappers all their lives no matter how hard they practice as they do not possess the physical abilities to get better. Some people are playing off scratch or better by their early teens (Rory MacIlroy was off +5 at 16 I think). This is primarily to do with "Athletic Potential" which is an awful American Phrase, but appropriate in this case. Commentators often refer to Tiger as one of the best Athletes on the planet, i.e. he has the best PHYSICAL abilities to go with his reknowned MENTAL abilities.

To come around to the original thread title (eventually!) it may take a few lessons to get better (i.e. to go from 28 to 20 say) but that person may NEVER be able to get to a low handicap due to limitations in their physical abilities, no matter how much "tenacity, commitment, focus, willingness to work hard at it, objectivity" they display. This explains why your handicap generally goes up as you get older; your physical capabilities diminish with age.

Golf isnt a sport. You don't need physical fitness, stamina and energy to excel at it.

Rory McIlroy isnt an athlete.

Michael Jordan is aweful at golf.

Football and Cricket arent golf.

Its apples and pears.

Of course some people are better suited for whatever mental and physical reasons for one thing than another. You could assemble all the best teachers of golf in the world and work with Michael Jordan and he still be crap at golf though a better athlete you'd be hard presed to find.

Golfers prowess diminishes with age mainly due to lack of flexibility in the body, a natural ageing process. But older people can be good golfers, go look at these guys on the Seniors tour, and many club golfers in the 50's 60's and even 70's who play to low single figure handicap golf (we have a couple on this very forum). They'd all beat Jordan hands down at golf but they aint gonna get very far taking him on at an ATHLETIC persuit!

Over my long years I have seen people who could take up a sport and very quickly become accomplished at it, but I have yet to see or hear of anyone who did the same with golf. Golf is just different, not different special, just different, and it requires a certain skill that isnt sports related, which IMO is far more to do with the mental skills than physical ones.

I am unfit, overweight, never been a sportsman, yet I went from no handicap to 3 in  years starting at age 48. I cant kick a ball or throw one very well. I have little stamina and average strength for my age. How do you explain that? Ive been a member of 3 golf clubs where respectively I had the lowest handicap, the 4th lowest and 2nd lowest. Its nothing to do with physical prowess, its about the willingness to work at it, to use ones noggin, and  be commited to what one is doing.

Creosote wrote (see)

I am unfit, overweight, never been a sportsman, yet I went from no handicap to 3 in  years starting at age 48. I cant kick a ball or throw one very well. I have little stamina and average strength for my age. How do you explain that? Ive been a member of 3 golf clubs where respectively I had the lowest handicap, the 4th lowest and 2nd lowest. Its nothing to do with physical prowess, its about the willingness to work at it, to use ones noggin, and  be commited to what one is doing.

Your argument boils down to your experiences and definitions.

By definition, Golf IS a sport since it has a Governing Body (The R & A), rules/laws, a recognised way of playing and a recognised system of scoring and winning. Similarly, your combination of physical abilities seems to make you ideally suited for golf, but maybe not other sports.

By scientific definition, Rory MacIlroy IS an athlete - he is blessed with excellent physical attributes.

The term "Fit" or "Fitness" doesn't necessarily refer to your ability to run 5 miles or play a game of football, it is your ability to meet the demands of whatever activity you are doing. This could be swinging a golf club, kicking a football or even just walking up and down stairs.

There are some people who take up a play golf who just do not possess the right combinations of physical abilities - they will find it almost impossible to become a "good" golfer, since some of these abilities (such as hand-eye co-ordination or speed) are innate and are relatively difficult to improve or change in any way.

To turn your question back to you; how do you explain the golfer who has played for 25 years, 2-3 times per week, who takes regular lessons from their pro, who practices and reads every magazine and book going, yet still mainatains a handicap in the mid 20's? (My Dad's mate Colin won't thank me if he ever reads this by the way!). It can't be "all in the head".

If it was all down to psychology, why are we not all low handicap/pro golfers?

You rightly comment about players on the seniors tour maintaining a high level of play, but these are guys who have ALREADY BEEN outstanding players - they possessed the physical attributed necessary when they were young men/women. Other lder players are in the same boat.

When did you last see a low handicap golfer knock it around 200 yards off the tee? Which low handicap golfers can't hit a long par 4 in 2 due to a lack of length? If there are any, they will be a rare breed indeed!

The psychology of golf plays a major part in it, whatever level you play at - I agree with you there. The thread title, however, refers to how long it will take to get "good" - for some people this will be not likely at all, due to limitations in their physiology.

Samiguel,

Thanks for that. You said it so much better than I could.

You've all been taken in!

Natural ability, practice, technique, psychology, hand eye cordination, athletisism, balance, spacial awareness, etc, are all urban myths spread by LUCKY golfers.

Forget all the above, all you really need is the K1 Driver & a Handy Sandy.