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  1. #1
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    Anyone else have the goal of Q School

    i'm going to get there...my goal is 2005...i am quite serious in this endeavor...i know the type of work it takes...

    i will tell you guys a little about myself and you can opine as to my chances...for motivational purposes, i have always liked to have people doubt me with regard to my goals...so feel free to flame away...it will be more kindling for the fire...

    i am 29 years old...5'10 165...very strong...only 5% body fat...rippped...i lift weights seriously...very flexible thru stretching...

    background...i was a nationally ranked junior tennis player..top 25...had pro aspirations as a youth but eventually my lack of sick speed prevented me from advancing in the game...i didn't have height and so i needed to be michael chang quick to go pro...and i am not that quick...

    but it did teach me how to work hard...8 hours a day..every day sprinting in the hot sun taught me about discipline and desire...

    more background...i wa the valedictorian of my high school...my class was 425 people...i attended the univ of virginia for my undergraduate degree...i turned down stanford and i got in there without the benefit of tennis...they are so good they didn't want me...they laugh at kids ranked around #25...i graduated with a 3.9 gpa from UVa in finance...so my point is that i understand hard work academically as well...

    now my golf information...i never even took the game seriously until 18 months ago...i always knew how to swing and hold the club correctly from lessons my dad gave me when i was 8 years old...but i never really even liked it and rarely played...like 10 times in 19 years...

    so then i started playing in the summer of 2003..shooting 124 my first round...by the end of the summer i shot 77 on the IU home course from the blue tees......IU men's players average about 75 as a team on this course and from these tees...

    what can i say..the game is easy for me because of tennis...from 120 yds in swinging is like hitting a forehand...and i've hit close to 10 milllion of these in my life...so my dad took notice of my game and got me some decent equipment...i improved a lot more this summer...breaking 70 twelve times out of about 100 rounds on tough courses...my low round is 67 at a course where craig bowden holds the record witha 65...he was on the tour last year via Q school but lost his card...finished 135 on the money list...

    i can carry drives 290 or so when i really crank it,(roll 310) and my short game is pure tennis muscle memory...my weaknesses are the 2 and 3 irons..sometimes the 4...and sometimes i still blow up and shoot an 81 or 82...

    what are my chances...?..let's hear it...

    one more thing...i have made some improvements in my swing this winter i think...working with the IU men's coach...i expect to increase my rounds under 70 to 40% if i can...he thinks i have a shot to get to q school and after that anything can happen...
    Last edited by Czar of the Short Game; 01-22-2005 at 10:04 AM.

  2. #2
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    I would say you would need to work everyday this summer hitting 400 balls a day, Tiger use to hit a few hundred balls everyday when he was a teenager, use would also need to practice your putting a lot, if you look at all tour players they are so solid form 10-15 feet making proabaly more. than they miss. If you were to do this I don't see why you couldn't try it, i know for Q school it is a hefty sum too enter also you must have a handicap of 0, or you could try to be a teaching pro only needing a 4 handicap, if you shot in the 60's around hard courses of the back sticks then you obviously have potetional. Some will say you are too old but nowadays we are getting a lot of people out of tour school in there mid 30's look at Todd Hamilton, so I still think that if you practiced really hard for 2-3 years and were consistentely shotting high 60's then you are not too old. I have the same dream as you but it is a lot harder too play PGA than you maybe think it is a seriers of rounds and you usually have to be about -20 or around that mark to get on tour, which is no easy target. What I would personally recommend is that if you are serious maybe you should play mini tours next year, like moonlight what my firend did who won about 5 times, then try and get on Nationwide or even Candadian Tour. PGA standard is so good nowadays that you really need to be a excellant + handicap to even think about PGA tour school. But never give up and grab any oppurtunities, because there are so many players I even know who could of been pro golfers easy but deciede to get a job and are now playing once a week in saturdays medal comps, I'm the type of person who will persue my dream until it happens. And dson't let others tell you, you're not good enough you would never make it, that has also happened to people I know who have given up because people say their not good, ignore what a lot of others think if you think your godo enough than rise to the challenge.

    What I really ant to do is play in the north one of the biggest amature in Ireland if not the biggest, do well in that get a bit of reconition then maybe think about Challenge tour if I feel that my game is good enough. I would drive it close to 290 yards but that's not what matters, putting is more impotant I think if I averaged around low 30's in putts my handicap would be around scratch.

    Go for it keep us updated on how you get on, i'm happy to listen. And if you have any movies of your swing we wouls also be glad to see.

    One other thing don't go for the top straight away, work your way up the ranks, that is the bets way, there are a lot of hopefulls on the Nationwide and I think it is a great tour for someone wanting to play professional golf.
    Last edited by The master; 01-22-2005 at 10:22 AM.
    Feels just like it should.

  3. #3
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    very nice...well thought out response...

    to be honest, my goal for 2005 is justtoget to the Q school finals...i don't expect to qualify this year...i believe i can get my handicap to 0 by may or june...and from there into positive territory

    i am hitting balls 4 times per week this winter..indoors sometimes...

    it will of course be 7 days per week once spring rolls around...my daily routine in the warm months is 3 buckets per day...about 150 balls...i really never have to work on my wedges...the swing is ingrained in my neural structure thru tennis...i have been hitting forehands in tennis since i was 4 years old...putting is the same...i can confdently say...and my coach agrees, that my game within 120 yds is pga tour caliber...

    and he coached Shaun Micheel...the 2003 pga champion...coached him for 4 years and said my short game is as good or better...

    so it's my driving and long irons that i really work on...

    we are similar, master in that we both are small guys who work harder and want it more than others...good luck with your dreams long term...

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    You got potential and there's no doubt about it from what I just read. As the master says, practice. Practice makes perfect. Also again the master is dead right about putting. As they say drive for show putt for dough. It can really make or mar. Also about your 2/3 iron, you don't need to play every club in the bag well to be able to win. It is good to learn but if your aren't comfortable with them then don't worry about it too much. If you drive 310, you won't be needing a 3/4 iron on most holes. The 5 wood would do the same job quite well, it does for me. Focus on your strenghts.

    Give it your best. After all, nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.

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    One thing you never mentioned was your ability to play in tournaments. Have you ever played in tournaments? What kind of scores did you shoot in those? That will be your best bet. I'm not talking about best ball, match play, scrambles, but straight up stroke play. I have no problem shooting 5-8 under in a match play round but when I hit stroke play I have a tendency to be too hard on myself after a bad hole. Then it all goes to heck (again, afraid to get banned). I have had stroke play rounds within a couple strokes of par (plus or minus) but there's a whole new pressure and mental aspect to the game. I knew two guys, one well, who went to Q-School. One ended up making it to the final round but proceeded to have one bad day...like 6 over or something and that blew it. He missed the cut by 3 or 4 strokes I believe. I'm not saying you can't do it but he said it's a tough deal to do. Just the pressure on yourself and your game he said it tests everything. He has been playing on mini tours down in the South for years before that and after so he even has lots of tournament experience. The guy is amazing too...I am a good golfer but I have my shots that suck every round...unless I'm totally zoned. I've golfed with this guy a lot and even though I can give him a run for his money it's ridiculous how solid everything is in his game and how focused he his. He hits every iron and drive dead pure, rarely hits anything bad, and his putter, which he says would've saved him in Q-School, is absoluetly unbelievable. So, yeah, any person under a 5 handicap can go out and play well with their buddies. Or in a practice round. But it takes serious work to get the mental and physical game needed for Q-school. It's a grueling event. Wears you down hardcore. But, I wish you the best of luck.

    I just saw you said you want to be a 0 handicap by summer. The guys I know who went were I think +4's or so. So, good luck.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game
    very nice...well thought out response...

    to be honest, my goal for 2005 is justtoget to the Q school finals...i don't expect to qualify this year...i believe i can get my handicap to 0 by may or june...and from there into positive territory

    i am hitting balls 4 times per week this winter..indoors sometimes...

    it will of course be 7 days per week once spring rolls around...my daily routine in the warm months is 3 buckets per day...about 150 balls...i really never have to work on my wedges...the swing is ingrained in my neural structure thru tennis...i have been hitting forehands in tennis since i was 4 years old...putting is the same...i can confdently say...and my coach agrees, that my game within 120 yds is pga tour caliber...

    and he coached Shaun Micheel...the 2003 pga champion...coached him for 4 years and said my short game is as good or better...

    so it's my driving and long irons that i really work on...

    we are similar, master in that we both are small guys who work harder and want it more than others...good luck with your dreams long term...

    Thanks, yeah I have a lot of interest in things like this and what other experoences and dreams people have of turning pro. I think I will be at the point in 05 where I will be playing in bigger and better tournaments that will have spectaturs etc.. North. So I will need to put blood sweat and tears into it and trust me all of that has happened before a lot the past summer, I would like to be aorund 2 handicap getting down a couple of strokes this year then the same the next year, my coach is the best in Northern Ireland he coaches the Ulster team a lot the best players in the province and he has told me if I could tighten up my siwng and work on the putting I will be a pro golf, whe i'm on I am equally as good a ball stricker as the pro and the bets players in the club it is just getting it to click all at the samme time, which is what i'm having difficultiee to do there is always a couple of shots that blow it. At the minute i'm practicing 6 times a wekk a hour a night at the range and sunday mornings when the summer comes around I will be playing 3 local comps a week and practicing on average 5 hours a day, I know that is what it takes have been told many times so I strive until I get there. You come across honest in your posts and think you can make it believ in yourself and you will get there, because that's what i'm doing, look at kip he has got there now and I thought when I saw his siwng for the first time he would be gone first and he won it, he has got a turd swing and has got there becuase he didn't give up.
    Feels just like it should.

  7. #7
    I think you will find my reply extremely motivating. Unless a bomb kill all the other participant at Q School and you show up a day late, you have zero chance.

    You could walk in the grill room of any decent golf club, close your eyes, and throw a golf ball, you would have about a 50% chance of hitting someone as good or better then you. You talk a lot about your athlectic abilities, but at the level, pure athlectic talent is far from beeing all you need. See Tim Herron.

    I would compare your chance to the one of a 19 year old guy who picked up a tennis racket 18 months ago, is showing real talent for it, and thinks he will crack the ATP top 100 within the next year.

    Dream on.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasagna

    Dream on.

    You know what they say dreams can come true.

    People like this are the type you shouldn't listem too, fair enough he has his opinion just don't take it in.
    Feels just like it should.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by collegegolfer
    One thing you never mentioned was your ability to play in tournaments. Have you ever played in tournaments? What kind of scores did you shoot in those? That will be your best bet. I'm not talking about best ball, match play, scrambles, but straight up stroke play. I have no problem shooting 5-8 under in a match play round but when I hit stroke play I have a tendency to be too hard on myself after a bad hole. Then it all goes to heck (again, afraid to get banned). I have had stroke play rounds within a couple strokes of par (plus or minus) but there's a whole new pressure and mental aspect to the game. I knew two guys, one well, who went to Q-School. One ended up making it to the final round but proceeded to have one bad day...like 6 over or something and that blew it. He missed the cut by 3 or 4 strokes I believe. I'm not saying you can't do it but he said it's a tough deal to do. Just the pressure on yourself and your game he said it tests everything. He has been playing on mini tours down in the South for years before that and after so he even has lots of tournament experience. The guy is amazing too...I am a good golfer but I have my shots that suck every round...unless I'm totally zoned. I've golfed with this guy a lot and even though I can give him a run for his money it's ridiculous how solid everything is in his game and how focused he his. He hits every iron and drive dead pure, rarely hits anything bad, and his putter, which he says would've saved him in Q-School, is absoluetly unbelievable. So, yeah, any person under a 5 handicap can go out and play well with their buddies. Or in a practice round. But it takes serious work to get the mental and physical game needed for Q-school. It's a grueling event. Wears you down hardcore. But, I wish you the best of luck.

    I just saw you said you want to be a 0 handicap by summer. The guys I know who went were I think +4's or so. So, good luck.
    thx for your thoughts...i have only played in 2 tournaments that were stroke play..my scores were 72...74...70...so even for 3 rounds...... black tees...7000 yds...slope rating around 134 i think....my other.i will obviously be playing an actual schedule of amateur events this year...

    but i do have the tournament experience with tennis...hundreds of tournmanets and big matches with crowds and pressure and the whole nine,...trust me, the idea of forgetting about a bad shot on a previous point is the same in tennis..it teaches you to forget everything that has happened up to that minute...

    we'll wee how it goes...
    Last edited by Czar of the Short Game; 01-22-2005 at 01:21 PM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by The master
    Thanks, yeah I have a lot of interest in things like this and what other experoences and dreams people have of turning pro. I think I will be at the point in 05 where I will be playing in bigger and better tournaments that will have spectaturs etc.. North. So I will need to put blood sweat and tears into it and trust me all of that has happened before a lot the past summer, I would like to be aorund 2 handicap getting down a couple of strokes this year then the same the next year, my coach is the best in Northern Ireland he coaches the Ulster team a lot the best players in the province and he has told me if I could tighten up my siwng and work on the putting I will be a pro golf, whe i'm on I am equally as good a ball stricker as the pro and the bets players in the club it is just getting it to click all at the samme time, which is what i'm having difficultiee to do there is always a couple of shots that blow it. At the minute i'm practicing 6 times a wekk a hour a night at the range and sunday mornings when the summer comes around I will be playing 3 local comps a week and practicing on average 5 hours a day, I know that is what it takes have been told many times so I strive until I get there. You come across honest in your posts and think you can make it believ in yourself and you will get there, because that's what i'm doing, look at kip he has got there now and I thought when I saw his siwng for the first time he would be gone first and he won it, he has got a turd swing and has got there becuase he didn't give up.
    desire wins out over a lot of other factors...desire and heart...and i think you've got a chance because of yours...

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasagna
    I think you will find my reply extremely motivating. Unless a bomb kill all the other participant at Q School and you show up a day late, you have zero chance.

    You could walk in the grill room of any decent golf club, close your eyes, and throw a golf ball, you would have about a 50% chance of hitting someone as good or better then you. You talk a lot about your athlectic abilities, but at the level, pure athlectic talent is far from beeing all you need. See Tim Herron.

    I would compare your chance to the one of a 19 year old guy who picked up a tennis racket 18 months ago, is showing real talent for it, and thinks he will crack the ATP top 100 within the next year.

    Dream on.
    thx...vbg...trust me...one can go from tennis to golf successfully...it does not work the other way....hand-eye co-ordination yes...speed ...no...tournament level tennis on a national level requires sick speed and stamina...3 hours in the hot sun sprinting after every ball with a 30 second rest in between the sprints...that is the reality of tennis...

    plus tennis teaches hand eye coordination on the run...in golf, one stands still over the ball...it really does seem easier...i am like adam sandler...i can hit a driver taking a few steps into it...seriously....try that sometimes...it is not easy...

    there is a pro brian henninger i think who has done jsut what i said....tennis all his youth...then golf later....he made it onto the pga tour...
    Last edited by Czar of the Short Game; 01-22-2005 at 01:27 PM.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game

    i am like adam sandler...i can hit a driver taking a few steps into it...seriously....try that sometimes...it is not easy...
    They actually showed a drill about that on TGC it was some guy steppnig into the ball taking two steps he said it helped you to keep your balance.
    Feels just like it should.

  13. #13
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    you should try it...master...it's fun to work on...breaks up the monotony...

    you have the advantage over me of youth...i wish i had realized i could be this good at golf when i was 16...you at least know you are good early and aren't wasting any time in the wrong sport for you...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game
    you should try it...master...it's fun to work on...breaks up the monotony...

    you have the advantage over me of youth...i wish i had realized i could be this good at golf when i was 16...you at least know you are good early and aren't wasting any time in the wrong sport for you...

    Yeah there is a 10 year old in are clun and he is about a 16 handicap it is fun to play with him because he is a proper kid and can hit it like 190 yards of the tee, and holes loads of putts. I will give it a go I have a practice session arranged for 11.00am weather permitting so I will experimenting a lto, taking down a few shafts to try that veeg thing, and a powerade. So I will let you know how I get on. I wish I had of started earlier I started when I was 14 and have played the summer past I dropped more shots than propabaly anyone in the club. I dropped 11 shots. I;m gonig into this year to shot as many under par rounds as I can, I have a lot of pressure to make certain teams and so i'm looking good for club championship which I also want to do well though no chance of winning, there is a guy of +3, and he is a really good +3 walker cup captain for Europe (Garth Mgimpsey) anyone heard of him, use to play wlaker cup played Jack Nikalaus at Agusta and beat him. I play 2 sports badminton for the school and golf, this will be my last year of baminton and I will fully concentrate on Golf.
    Feels just like it should.

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    I'm not quite catching what you guys are talking about. Are you talking about stepping through your shots? I've done that for years when I'm going for a bomb of a drive. People laugh when they see me do it until they see where my ball ends up. I take a really wide stance and coil up for all I'm worth and get my body moving so fast I have to step forward 1 or 2 steps or I'd fall over. With no wind I can carry them about 320 this way if I hit one solid. Of course, it's also easy to lose them right, left, or wherever else.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by collegegolfer
    I'm not quite catching what you guys are talking about. Are you talking about stepping through your shots? I've done that for years when I'm going for a bomb of a drive. People laugh when they see me do it until they see where my ball ends up. I take a really wide stance and coil up for all I'm worth and get my body moving so fast I have to step forward 1 or 2 steps or I'd fall over. With no wind I can carry them about 320 this way if I hit one solid. Of course, it's also easy to lose them right, left, or wherever else.

    i didn't see it on the golf channel, but what i'm talking about is not the step thru drive...

    remember how adam sandler hit the ball in his golf movie(the title escapes me)...he would take a 2 step side-forward step into the ball...swinging while moving forward essentialy...

    the step thru drive i do the same as you...really wide stance..super coil and explosion...can't carry it 320 though...maybe 290-95 carry for me on that shot...

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    It is happy gilmore. It is similar but not the same thing this is a step in thing, adam sandler basically ran up to the ball. It is a good drill which has been on tgc academy dozens of times, I can't remeber what you call the guy that demostrates it but it is for balance I think.
    Feels just like it should.

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    Czar, there is an apparent weakness in your game and you admitted that being the long irons. I have a friend that Marshals at the Nissan open and over the course of his few years of marshalling there, he got to know one pro particularly well. (This pro is pretty hot on the PGA and has the chance to win every event he enters in.)
    Anyway, my friend who shoots regularly in the 80s asked him about difficult long irons. The pro said if you want to get better then work on those long irons till you can hit them with perfection. Most pros carry a 1 or a 2 iron and can hit it with precision. He also said hitting long irons is mostly in the mind because if you have a proper setup, take away and a solid downswing then it's like "slicing butter with a hot knife" every time. The pro also said that most recreational golfers are "comfortable" with short irons because they are easy to maneuver and get the ball in the air. That does not mean you can hit the shorter irons with precision at all, it only means you don't hit them badly. He said once you have a proper swing through and through then no matter what iron you're hitting, you should be able to hit it right.
    breaking 70 twelve times out of about 100 rounds on tough courses...
    Also, you need to get more consistent with your rounds when breaking 70. When you average about 40-55 70 rounds out of 100 then maybe you will be OK.
    One thing working for you is you are an athlete and while golf does not require you being an athlete, you understand the meaning of discipline and hard work which is paramount for every goal.
    I just think 2005 is a little premature but maybe 2007?

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    Dude, so long as you're not married and you're willing to put up with the grind and lack o' cash, go for it. Dreams are there for those with some talent and a whole lot of hard work to give. Good luck.

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    i probably overstated my long iron difficulty...a better way to say it is i lack some confidence...with 2 and 3 iron sometimes...downhilll/sidehill lies for example...

    i have played the brickyard course in indy...pete dye course and host of a seniors tour event several times...i shot even par from the tips...

    i will be at +2 by august....thanks for your thoughts...

  21. #21
    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game
    thx...vbg...trust me...one can go from tennis to golf successfully...it does not work the other way....hand-eye co-ordination yes...speed ...no...tournament level tennis on a national level requires sick speed and stamina...3 hours in the hot sun sprinting after every ball with a 30 second rest in between the sprints...that is the reality of tennis...

    plus tennis teaches hand eye coordination on the run...in golf, one stands still over the ball...it really does seem easier...i am like adam sandler...i can hit a driver taking a few steps into it...seriously....try that sometimes...it is not easy...

    there is a pro brian henninger i think who has done jsut what i said....tennis all his youth...then golf later....he made it onto the pga tour...
    You are just showing me, and everyone on this board, that you don't know much about professional golf. You are actually disrespectfull to people who really put their heart and soul into this game for several years, and are trying to make it as a pro. It is easier to make it as a pro tennis player then to make it as a pro golfer. Hand eye coordination: give me a break. Darts too teach you hand eye coordination, I don't see many dart player beating Ernie Els. If Brian Henninger took golf at 29, I will eat my shorts.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lasagna
    You are just showing me, and everyone on this board, that you don't know much about professional golf. You are actually disrespectfull to people who really put their heart and soul into this game for several years, and are trying to make it as a pro. It is easier to make it as a pro tennis player then to make it as a pro golfer. Hand eye coordination: give me a break. Darts too teach you hand eye coordination, I don't see many dart player beating Ernie Els. If Brian Henninger took golf at 29, I will eat my shorts.
    curious as to how i am being disrespectful to people who have put their heart and souls into this game...just by having a goal...hmmm...

    are you upset that i became this good in 18 months...that's what it sounds like

    and i wasn't saying that being a pro in either sport is easier than the other...where did i ever say that...

    i said that tennis translates to golf easier than vice versa...

    and 29 is not too old ...todd hamilton was 39 i believe when he finally qualified...

    plus my body is very strong and very flexible...i am 2 1/2 times as strong as i was at 22 and much more flexible...i do stretching, pilates and yoga...and lift wieghts 5 days per week...and hit balls 7 days per week from march thru november...

    maybe just maybe this is how i became so good so quickly...and sorry if you feel disrespected by hard work...

    go transfer your anger elsewhere buddy...

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    i know you're confident and i really feel how good you are, but for only 18 months, its too soon, many of these people out there have been playing all their lives, doing your regimen every week of every month of every year of their lives, no matter how much you want to think your tennis skills will accomodate for this they won't, i feel for you, your lack of tournament experience will definitely hurt you, 2005 will be much too early, maybe just maybe if you stick with it 2007, by all means as you said we're just "kindling the fire" for you but there are just too many blanks in your game

    tennis tournaments have a different demand than golf tournaments, they are two sports similar yet very different, i, think you'll need much more work

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    You are to be congratulated on your rapid progress. However, don't assume that the drop rate of your average scores will continue to be linear. Small, incremental gains will be increasingly difficult as you approach scratch and below scores. The disadvantage you have in starting late is that you haven't had the chance to accumulate as much real world experience vs. someone who has played lots all their life. This shouldn't be an insurmountable obstacle, but does add a degree of difficulty.
    Perhaps a good reality check of how you stack up against lots of other people who are good and might have lofty aspirations would be to play in as many amateur tournaments you can, and see how you fare. It could be highly encouraging, or eye opening.
    Shoot for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground.......
    Seldom right, never in doubt......

  25. #25
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    A couple of years ago, I was in Phoenix playing with my brother. He's a member of one of the $$$ clubs in Scottsdale. We got paired with a guy that had just missed the cut in the Phoenix. Name was Paul Bennett or Phil Bentley or something like that, I'd never heard of him - still haven't.

    Anyway, this guy was incredible, it wasn't the routine stuff that impressed me, but the way he made hard shots look easy. Things like downhill/sidehill lie shots 125 yds to within 6 feet with a SW. Lots of stuff like that. My mouth was hanging open in amazement, & for him it was just another OK ball strike. Among normal folks he was a God, among Pro's he was ho-hum. Jeez - I was embarrassed to have him watch my game.
    Hold my Beer. I'm going to hit a high fade over that tree....

  26. #26
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    Czar:

    I say go for it and am glad that you are going to give it a go. At the very least - you will be able to say to yourself that you tried. And even if you fail - you will definitely be a better amateur golfer as a result.

    And while there is no doubt that most of the players on tour now started playing very young, you can definitely find touring pros who are great athletes who started late and made very very fast progress. These are individuals with awesome eye-hand coordination.

    Conversely, I do not think you fully appreciate the previous references in this thread to tournament experience. And I think this lack of experience will limit your chances quite a bit.

    You have indicated that your tennis tournament experience is fully tranferable to golf tournaments. I agree that is true but only partially. The transferable component is the ability to "generally compose yourself" after a bad turn of events. No one can understate the importance of this. The player either has it or he does not.

    On the other hand, when you are playing in a golf tournament, each player gets to see the situation that his opponent is in. And when you face a situation where your opponent has just hit one three feet away from 210 yards into a stiff wind - this puts a very different type of pressure on you.

    You don't have to simply return a volley or serve somewhere within the width of the court - you must answer with a similar shot.

    The margin for error in golf vs the margin for error in tennis is huge. Its a matter of geometry. If you intend to hit a tennis shot somewhere in the middle of the court and miss your intended racket angle by two degrees open - then you have a successful shot into the right side of the court.

    If you miss a shot from two hundred yards away with your club open two degrees -uhhhhhh. You may be in a bunker, lake or out of bounds.

    The other differences between golf and tennis relate to weather, course conditions and lies.

    Each tennis court is identical in size.

    Each tennis court is absolutely flat.

    Each golf course varies in size and length of holes.

    While some golf courses are flat as a pancake, most have sidehill lies that create the need for additional knowledge and create additional pressure under tournament conditions.

    Wind plays much more of a factor in golf than tennis. Why?

    1) A golf ball flies much higher in the air than a tennis ball.

    2) A golf ball flies much longer in the air than a tennis ball.

    For these reasons, wind affects golf much more than tennis.

    I could go on ad nauseam about the differences between the games and I do not mean to disrespect tennis - but having golf tournament experience in light of weather conditions, course conditions is invaluable. And the ability to say to yourself - "I had this same sidehill lie, with a 20 mph crosswind to a green sloping right to left - under extremely dry conditons, last year and this is what to do here" is critically important.

    This is what your opponents will have that you will not.

    The good news is, if you can put together a series of superb rounds you CAN make it. It IS possible.

    Good luck.

  27. #27
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    Here's some fuel for the fire:
    next year, i would say you have ZERO chance. This is not an attack on your ability, as it seems you are very good(lightyears better than me) but i have a friend who is a +3 handicap with the same desire you have, but he realized he has a long way to go. When you play a course under PGA conditions(tees farther than the tips, greens faster, rough longer, immense pressure) it get's harder. He had an exemption to a tourney at the TPC of Boston, and shot high 70's, this from a +3 capper. However, it's not impossible. I think he's going to try for the tour in 06 after playing in amateur tourney's this year. I think myself, the master, and a few of the other youngsters share your desire. I started playing at 14 too, and my goal for next year is to be under a 5 handicap. I think that once you can make EVERY shot you need, and learn how to be in birdie range from 190 yards out, then you've got the chance to be on tour. Until then, just practice your ass of, because there are just as many young'uns chasing you. JMO. Neal

  28. #28
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    and 29 is not too old ...todd hamilton was 39 i believe when he finally qualified...
    38. Dude, Todd Hamilton played the Canadian Tour from 1988-89, and the Asian Tours from 1992-2003. He played both the Japan tour and qualified for the PGA tour in 2003. He won--that's won--14 events on the Asian tours before he qualified for his PGA Tour card--although he had gotten close a couple of times before. He wasn't coming literally from nowhere. He was also an excellent high school player and a solid collegiate player. Don't underestimate how tough this will be.

  29. #29
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    Scott is right in the department that it is going to be realy tough.

    I want to be a pro golfer and want to make a decent carrer out of it, and at the minute I find the whole competitive thing tough, when i'm playing for any sort of team school, club or just in open boys championships (this is serious) it is life or death to me, if I don't get my handicap cut i'm very upset and usually don't talk the rest of the day to anyone. There is so much pressure to do well, that when I get to that next level aI don't know how I will cope, at the minute my mental game is average but could be better and I would say mental is equally as important as to being able to play the game. One word of advice is that if or when you do go to tour school or a mini tour or candian be prepared to have a lot of knockdowns and stress and disapointment becuase I have came close to quitting the game because it has frustarted me so much at times.
    Feels just like it should.

  30. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by dorkman53
    Shoot for the stars, but keep your feet on the ground.......
    thats great dorkman, where's it from?

  31. #31
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    Q School

    Here's a question for you. Can you go play a course measuring over 7200 yards day in day out and break par, and not by one stroke. I am talking -4-6 every round. If not, I don't mean to be rude but you ain't got a hope in hell of making the final round of Q School. Remember most of those guys are either ex PGA players, Nationwide, Canadian Tour, European Tour Players.
    You list your handicap as 6, mine is 6 and I know damn well I ain't making it to Q School!
    I know a guy who retired from where I work. Decent local golfer, could shot under par on his home course which is not an easy course. He spent $5000 US to go try the Champions Q School and got SMOKED.
    Why not go play some of the Mini Tours first, get some experience of playing under pressure in tournament golf. The graduate from there if you have the game.
    [I][B][COLOR=Green][SIZE=2][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Golf Is Like Sex, You Won't Miss It Until You Ain't Getting Any[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR][/B][/I]
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  32. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game
    curious as to how i am being disrespectful to people who have put their heart and souls into this game...just by having a goal...hmmm...

    are you upset that i became this good in 18 months...that's what it sounds like

    and i wasn't saying that being a pro in either sport is easier than the other...where did i ever say that...

    i said that tennis translates to golf easier than vice versa...

    and 29 is not too old ...todd hamilton was 39 i believe when he finally qualified...

    plus my body is very strong and very flexible...i am 2 1/2 times as strong as i was at 22 and much more flexible...i do stretching, pilates and yoga...and lift wieghts 5 days per week...and hit balls 7 days per week from march thru november...

    maybe just maybe this is how i became so good so quickly...and sorry if you feel disrespected by hard work...

    go transfer your anger elsewhere buddy...
    I am not upset at your achievment in the last 18 months. I think what you did is incredible, and show you not only have great athletic abilitites, but a natural talent for golf. I have played golf for much much longer then you, and in 18 months you are better then I will prolly ever be. You totally get my respect for that.

    However, your post is about your chance to make it through the first stage of Q School. What I mean by disrespect, is to underestimate both what it takes, but mainly what the guys who achieved it did to get there. See Scott's reply about Todd Hamilton.

    I am all for having dreams, and working hard to achieve them. But you have to be realistic too. I am 42 and not in very good shape. If I told you my life dream is to become boxing heavyweight champion of the world, and that I am determined to work as hard as it takes to make it, what would you tell me? To go for it and beleive in myself???


    So again, you are a great golfer with a bright future ahead of you, but zero chance to make it through Q School this year or the following, But hey, if you want to fork out the money, why not? Go for it.
    Last edited by Lasagna; 01-23-2005 at 04:37 PM.

  33. #33
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    I know i'm jumping in this thread late so if I say something that's already been said i apologize. I agree that you are a great golfer and have plenty of drive to be even better but I'm not sure if you realize how hard Q school is. If you've got the $4500 or so to enter than give it a shot, I'd love to see how it goes for you but if $4500 is a big deal to you, you better make sure you're willing to lose it because at best you have a 5-10% chance at making it. Not only because you're not as good as some of the players out there but just the fact that you HAVE to be on everyday to get your card through Q school. Like I said I would love to see how it goes for you but I don't want you to spend the money thinking you have a coin flips chance of getting in because it just doesn't work that way there. Good luck. Also if you really want to learn how people get to the tour I'd recommend reading a book such as Bud, Sweat, and Tees. You'd like it a lot, it really shows you how hard everything is. Oh, and also you better have a lot of money if you want to be on the pga tour, if you don't make the cut it gets to be an expensive proposition real quick.

    Josh

  34. #34
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    you have to be very consistant through EVERY round of EVERY stage of Q-school, something, with your experience, that will be impossible to do, as others alluded to before

  35. #35
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    Dude

    Go for it and I wish you luck every step of the way. 99% of your journey will be along a mental highway, so if you feel that you are strong enough and your confidence remains high, then you will go a long way towards reaching your destination. Like a round of golf, there are many factors to consider. A 4 hour round of golf includes only about 20 minutes of hitting shots!! Remember that.

    Set yourself realistic targets and goals. Play as many competitive rounds as you can on different course in different conditions. I think your goal is not just Q School, but beyond. If you want to make a career out of tournament golf, then you have to harden yourself up. Take advice from a few trusted people. Everyone else will have advice to offer but you shoyld deline. (Makes me wonder why you are posting here???!!!)

    I think it is everyone's dream to have a shot at something like this. If you have the time and the financial support, then go for it. Why not? And enjoy your journey, you are already ahead of all of us who would love to follow you but lack belief, talent or commitment.

    Give youself a few years. I think 1 year is too ambitious.
    You know me you know the score. Keep them satisfied in bed and they wont bother your golf - wise words from The Master, Feb. '05

  36. #36
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    I agree with whoever said that courses are brutal when set up for tournament play. There is a tournament in my area in the summer. Many good golfers have played in it and won it over the years, including Tom Lehman, I believe, but the course is only about 6400 yards long. I play it quite a bit during the summer and I don't think I have ever shot above 75. My handicap runs anywhere from about 0-2. Well, the course is easy until this tournament comes around. Then, they narrow the fairways (the course is lined with trees as well), let the rough grow until it bends over. I'm not kidding you. If a ball goes in the rough you'd better hit a provisional. On every hole someone hits a ball about 2 feet into the rough and we spend about 5 minutes looking for it. Most of the time we find it after seeing a teeny white dot that someone nearly steps on. The greens are hard and FAST. And the pin positions...forget it. About a pace or two from the fringes and placed on the edges of slopes. We have very good golfers play this tournament. Numerous D-I golfers who regularly place in the top 10 in college tournaments. Some of them were shooting 83's when their college scoring average is below par. I was in the rough a few times and can tell you...good luck hitting out of tournament length rough. It's A LOT harder then it looks. In fact, one of the guys I know who tried to qualify for Q-School had seen the course and said it was nothing compared to Q-School (imagine the same course about 800 yards longer and even a little tougher). But, on any other day I can dominate the course. Even my home course. EASY. Simple. Everything is short, greens hold, etc. Well, I helped set up the course last year for Pro-Am. I did pin positions, they let the rough grow for quite a while, let the greens dry out, we pushed the tees back. Let's just say when people got done golfing (some of the best in our area again) I did not volunteer the fact that I had set the pin positions. It's amazing how much more difficult an "easy" course can be made with a few pin changes and a little drying out and rough growing. Let's just say most courses aren't set up for "pros" on regular days. It'd keep the public away. When the ads say "These guys are good" they aren't kidding you. But, if it's your dream go for it. It will make you a better golfer. But most of the people playing in Q-School are GOLFERS. As in, they play golf all year and not just for fun. They play on mini-tours around the globe. They have a LOT of experience...not that you couldn't beat any given one of them on any given day, but playing day after day after day and golf has a way of letting those with the most experience and best game win.

  37. #37
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    Some good news shot a 66 today it was only -3 of the green (winter tees) but i'm stil very happy it is proabaly the best I have played, it is about time all that practiceing payed of I spent £50 on range balls last week.


    Also I might be getting a job in the pro shop next year then I will start a 3 year pga course wa hooo.
    Feels just like it should.

  38. #38
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    The 4500 just to get in (ouch)! really hurts. At least its a lot to me. A couple mis hits and youre out of it, and out of $4500. Maybe Im just a cheapskate.
    Id say go for it if you really want it, though. Id also like to add that being ripped might actually hinder your game, as you would lose flexibility.Its not a weight lifting contest, its a precision contest. Being in great shape probably helps, but look at guys like Daly, Stadler, etc.. Not in the greatest shape, theyre just very skilled. Give it a go if you can, but I think if you truly have a love of the game, you can just enjoy golfing, anywhere with anyone, anytime, even if you dont qualify. best of luck.

  39. #39
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    I think I will try it once when i'm in my mid 20's give it 9-10 years of practice and if I feel i'm ready I might give it 1 try. Life is too short do the things you want, im not one to pass on oppourtunities.

    Hey shooter, bang bang.
    Feels just like it should.

  40. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by The master
    I think I will try it once when i'm in my mid 20's give it 9-10 years of practice and if I feel i'm ready I might give it 1 try. Life is too short do the things you want, im not one to pass on oppourtunities.

    Hey shooter, bang bang.
    Whats up master, I'll look for you in Qschool in a few years! I think its time to change my avatar, too. But its hard to let go of the chris farley one, its just so damn good!

  41. #41
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    Do you like my new one I just found it today. Yeah every time I look at your avatar I think that you look like him lol.....


    Question. How do you have a image in your signataure box? Tried image tages the lot, im aware that spanked knows how to do this but he isn't around.
    Feels just like it should.

  42. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by The master
    Do you like my new one I just found it today. Yeah every time I look at your avatar I think that you look like him lol.....


    Question. How do you have a image in your signataure box? Tried image tages the lot, im aware that spanked knows how to do this but he isn't around.
    Yeah its cool. Funny thing is I look nothing like Chris farley, Im tall and skinny. Just a big fan.

  43. #43
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    Yeah no one could look like him. Could they?

    Hey shooter Somebody's closer.


    Ouuuu......Happy learned how to putt. Ut Oh!
    Feels just like it should.

  44. #44
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    Didn't bother to read past the first post, you're never going to make it on tour in 2005. Impossible. You're not going to make the tour in five years either. I'll give you a one in a million chance for ten years and beyond that. Sorry

  45. #45
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    Learn to walk before you run......

    My advice is have a go at your state Open followed by your home states ameteur Open tourney. What ever your handicap it has been said you can add 10+ strokes to it until you get some seasoned tourney experience under your belt. I belive you should save your 15 grand and stick to the state level and when you can place decently enough then try the mini tours. Once you can hold your own at this level then maybe and that is a big maybe you may just make it into the second stage of Q-school.

  46. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game
    putting is the same...i can confdently say...and my coach agrees, that my game within 120 yds is pga tour caliber...and he coached Shaun Micheel...the 2003 pga champion...coached him for 4 years and said my short game is as good or better...
    ...
    If this bit is true and you have a razor sharp short game, then potentialy you will go far. Don't sacrafice it for long irons. Work as hard as you can (>50% practice) from 120 in, especially the putting, and you potentially can go a long way.
    You know me you know the score. Keep them satisfied in bed and they wont bother your golf - wise words from The Master, Feb. '05

  47. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Czar of the Short Game

    to be honest, my goal for 2005 is justtoget to the Q school finals...i don't expect to qualify this year.
    i dont get why you think that you wont get a card, if you are good enough to get to the finals (which I doubt you will), you should be good enough to get a card if you play consistently and are not worn down from the previous stages

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