Qualifying for US Open

So I have been wanting to set a personal goal to start focusing time and attention to. I have landed on wanting to qualify for a US Open. I know its very far fetched but gonna shoot for the stars. I haven't taken any lessons in about 2 years and figure thats a good place to start. I also lift weights and do cardio 5 days a week but want to start curtailing my workouts to what would benefit a golf swing. Would anyone have any plans or regimens they would be willing to share, I am all ears. I have played multiple sports at high competitive levels, but have only golfed in some local golf tournaments. Is there books recommended to work on the mental game? Any and all advice is welcomed, but lets keep the counter productive comments to a minimum.

Thanks in advance, again I understand how crazy this sounds but why not shoot for the stars.

Posting your current and best index might help keep replies more on topic if they are low enough.

Thought I had included that, I am right around a 10 handicap right now...Best score has been a 76.

You may want to shoot at some cans before you aim at stars

The cardio/fitness piece is almost irrelevant to your singular goal. Simply the amount of on course work you are going to do will have you in condition to compete in the local and sectional. If your stated goal was a sustained run at a tour it plays a bigger part but for 54 holes of golf it’s a minor factor. You are going to need to work on scoring under stress. 76 once in a casual round needs to be 76 on an awful day under high pressure and rare. Everyone improves differently- some beat balls and wear out the short game area (Tom Kite). Others practice moderately and play a ton (Ben Crenshaw). Heavily favor the golf side - play and practice with great players. All the time. Working out is almost irrelevant as your golf stamina will be more than sufficient just from the work you put in - consider it 40ish hours a week for a couple years just to get to a place where you can legitimately break par often. From there you have a long way to go to get through local, then a longer way to get through a sectional.

> @puttin4dough said:

> Thought I had included that, I am right around a 10 handicap right now...Best score has been a 76.

I think that qualifying for, or competing in your state championship would be a good first goal.

While it's not a great score the 76 was in tournament conditions and the second day of the tournament.

This seems like a misplaced thread. Not your fault though. Anyway, last year I bought “Fix your body, Fix your swing”, after a recommendation from this site. Though not a mental strategy or exercises, it has been the best golf related book I have ever bought. (admittedly I don’t buy golf books or videos) The emphasis is on stretching and breaking down physical boundaries to creating a solid swing. I think for someone like yourself who has had success in other sports, this would be a huge benefit, as the muscles used in golf are unique to other sports. I can’t tell you how many natural athletes I have seen take up golf and struggle and just look totally awkward. So if you don’t have it, check it out.

Mentally, like the above have stated, you just have to compete. You can’t learn the mental game in a classroom or from a book/video.

But I believe the barrier to competitive golf that you are talking about starts with the physical. And believe me that barrier is extremely high. You will know if you have it before you ever reach the mental barriers. Once you obtain the physical threshold, then you can start working on the mental part. I mean until you can shoot in the 60’s on average with no pressure, you are still working on your physical skills.

It’s a far fetched dream but nothing wrong with it if it gives you reachable short term goals to obtain.

I've had some even par, 2 under rounds going through 12-13 holes before but once I realize that...I have typically fell apart. So trying to figure out that mental aspect of staying in the moment. That was also back a couple years ago when I played a lot, which I understand that time invested is going to the biggest asset again.

> @puttin4dough said:

> While it's not a great score the 76 was in tournament conditions and the second day of the tournament.

You have to be a 1.4 or lower index to even enter US Open qualifying. So basically, your first goal should be to get to scratch.

Yes, I am aware of this.

Start with your local qualifiers. I'm playing to a 4 right now and just shot a 92 in my first Q of the year. It was an Invitational Q filled with collegiate golfers on a tricked out, private golf course and I was completely out of my element. Two 69s and a 71 qualified. IF I played well and had a couple bounces go my way, I might have broken 80. Very likely what a US Open/US Amatuer/etc. local qualifier is like (x10), so put yourself under the gun in some high caliber local tournaments first. These are not your best ball beer league-type tournaments, these are the real deal and you're competing against players that will shoot a 73 on a bad day.

After that it's getting your index down to a 1.4 or lower. From a 10 handicap, it's going to take you a lot longer than you think it will.

That being said, "vision without a plan is just a dream". Plan your dreams, execute your plans, and never look back and think "what if?" Get out there and do it, life is short.

What age are you?

I'll put my flame suit on first, but let me tell you it's virtually impossible.

Sign up, shoot the scores, qualify. It’s simple stuff.

The people who qualify are full time 80 hour a week golfers with years/decades of high level experience, so if you want any chance at qualifying you’re going to have to do that, too, or just out talent them (which won’t happen since you are a 10). Anything less than that and you are just kidding yourself.

The US Open is the highest level of competition in the world. A 10 hdcp with no experience saying they want to qualify comes off like a C student at podunk University saying their goal is to be a F500 CEO while they pound Coors Light 6 nights a week and skip half their classes.

> @mjen43 said:

> Sign up, shoot the scores, qualify. It’s simple stuff.

>

> The people who qualify are full time 80 hour a week golfers with years/decades of high level experience, so if you want any chance at qualifying you’re going to have to do that, too, or just out talent them (which won’t happen since you are a 10). Anything less than that and you are just kidding yourself.

>

> The US Open is the highest level of competition in the world. A 10 hdcp with no experience saying they want to qualify comes off like a C student at podunk University saying their goal is to be a F500 CEO while they pound Coors Light 6 nights a week and skip half their classes.

The last part is a bit funny considering the beginnings of fedex... "The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’, the idea must be feasible.”-This was the response from a Yale University professor after reading about Fred Smith’s initial idea of forming a reliable overnight delivery service in a computer information age.