continued progression

[N0rs3man]

Hours of devotion does not always mean getting better... In many competitive scenes there are people with thousands of hours of experience that just do not improve or move on to the next level.

 

How in golf can we avoid this? Just simply going out for a round once a week for the next 20 years... yeah you might improve.. you might also get worse. This is one of the scariest things. Devoting your life's spare time into this game and it not improving. For me this game isnt so social.. i play alone and am chasing the scores... If i spend the next 20 years being garbage I will become pretty depressed.

[third-times-a-charm]

Everyone is different and has different levels or expectations and goals.

 

Reading your mindset in your post...prepare to be disappointed if all you're doing is chasing scores.

 

Sure, I like playing well - but I enjoy the outdoors and being outside, nature, the animals on the course, etc. Fishing has a similar aspect.

 

Be sure to have fun, too.

[sprcoop]

I think that with golf with even a little athleticism (like making highschool JV sports teams) with the correct practice for thousands of hours you could go pretty far (low single digit).

 

You might not ever hit 300yd drives but playing the correct tees, course management, short game, etc. I would think it's doable.

 

Emphasis on correct practice, being smart. I'm not very diligent or smart so I git what I git and don't throw a fit.

[buckeyefl]

You improve by consistently doing the correct things. Proper practice far outweighs time practicing.

[jvincent]

> @N0rs3man said:

> Hours of devotion does not always mean getting better... In many competitive scenes there are people with thousands of hours of experience that just do not improve or move on to the next level.

 

Here's a hard truth about golf, or anything requiring physical skill. No matter how long, or hard, or effectively you practice you will eventually reach a limit based on your physical ability. And then at some point age kicks in and moves the limit.

 

Assuming you have decent physical skills, you should be able to get to single digits. I'm 53, don't practice, and I'm a pretty solid 6 to 7 index. One year where I played a lot and practiced a bit I got it down to a 4.

 

If you really want to get better you have to commit to working on the parts of your game where you are losing strokes. The smarter you practice the more effective it will be.

 

Good luck.

[DBurns]

Diminishing returns for sure. El hosel lately.

[heatedwire]

One thing i'll never understand about people and golf is how poorly people practice, or how many people are surprised at their stagnated improvement without seeking any tuition.

I guess everyone is different, and some people might be capable, but for me, getting regular coaching literally changed my golf obsessed life.

 

I don't worry about that at all anymore, because I know what my tendencies are, and how to break through the 'bad round'. I always find a way to ask the angry guy in the random group i'm in whether they have ever had lessons. I am usually amused at the response.

[MelloYello]

Adults need reasons to do things. When I was a teenager I could spend all day doing what I loved which at the time was playing guitar. I could learn new parts, practice various exercises or discover something I didn't know. I got really good because I loved doing it. There was never a stated goal involved. I simply wanted to be able to play everything I came across. That initial phase of discovery is always great, especially when you're young because your passion is high and you have so much free time.

 

But as an adult I find that I often philosophize about the "why" behind things. Sure, I could dedicate all my time to meeting some goal but there has to be some practical point to it all. Dedicating all my time to something is easier said than done.

 

If you're playing golf by yourself with the goal of being as good as you can I think you're in trouble. First off, golfing alone can be dangerous. It's better to golf socially if you tend to be critical of yourself. Second, being good at golf is kind of a random goal. Being good at golf needs to serve some purpose for you. If it doesn't, you'll never practice with any structure or near the amount of dedication necessary to reach your goals. Adulthood comes with time limitations that restrict us in ways that we weren't as kids who could spend all afternoon/night doing something we loved just because we wanted to.

[Ferguson]

> @N0rs3man said:

> Hours of devotion does not always mean getting better... In many competitive scenes there are people with thousands of hours of experience that just do not improve or move on to the next level.

>

> How in golf can we avoid this? Just simply going out for a round once a week for the next 20 years... yeah you might improve.. you might also get worse. This is one of the scariest things. Devoting your life's spare time into this game and it not improving. For me this game isnt so social.. i play alone and am chasing the scores... If i spend the next 20 years being garbage I will become pretty depressed.

 

Golf is a game and like any other game you must play it to get better.

[SecondandGoal]

> @N0rs3man said:

> Hours of devotion does not always mean getting better... In many competitive scenes there are people with thousands of hours of experience that just do not improve or move on to the next level.

>

> How in golf can we avoid this? Just simply going out for a round once a week for the next 20 years... yeah you might improve.. you might also get worse. This is one of the scariest things. Devoting your life's spare time into this game and it not improving. For me this game isnt so social.. i play alone and am chasing the scores... If i spend the next 20 years being garbage I will become pretty depressed.

 

One of the beautiful things about golf is that you can suck at it and still enjoy it, but it seems you need to adjust your outlook a bit to get to that point. Playing with others, especially playing competitively (whether it's for a simple bet or playing in tournaments) is probably THE best way to improve. If all you want to do is play by yourself and chase scores, maybe golf isn't the hobby for you.

[Warrior42111]

As with any sport or activity you get what you put in. Now we all have our physical limits but if you do not practice at all it's hard t just improve on the fly. Also, it's what and how you practice. Beating balls away aimlessly will get you nothing. Personally I only get amount 90 min to practice a week. So each month I look at my stats via an app and whatever my weakness is I decide to dedicate 60 min of that time to area for a whole month.

Also course management is so underrated. Knowing the best place to leave a shot and when to fire away is a great way to improve.

[DiscoDiner]

> @N0rs3man said:

> Hours of devotion does not always mean getting better... In many competitive scenes there are people with thousands of hours of experience that just do not improve or move on to the next level.

>

> How in golf can we avoid this? Just simply going out for a round once a week for the next 20 years... yeah you might improve.. you might also get worse. This is one of the scariest things. Devoting your life's spare time into this game and it not improving. For me this game isnt so social.. i play alone and am chasing the scores... If i spend the next 20 years being garbage I will become pretty depressed.

 

Deliberate and direct practicing will help... when I get to my computer I’ll post an article about practicing that has worked for me.

[hacker49]

I used to play regularly when I was in college. When I got into the military I played every so often. I never took regular lessons. A few years ago I got back into golf on a regular basis. During the season, I play at least a couple times a month if not every week. I also started taking lessons. The last couple of years I have been taking lessons about once a month or every few weeks. I never felt like I was improving and it was frustrating. I didn't measure my improvement by score but by how well I made contact with the ball. It wasn't until recently, last maybe 6 rounds or so, that I finally felt and noticed improvement. My last round I had one of the best 9 holes I have had. That was followed by my typical no signs of improvement 9 holes on the back nine. It was nice to finally really see improvement for several holes in a row. I loose many strokes in my short game or putting. Most are due to touch which comes with practice and play. So if I hit a chip well but too far or not far enough I count that as improvement because I hit it well. If I hit a putt on the right line but just short or just long, within a foot or two, I count that as improvement. So my score on a particular hole may not show improvement but my ball striking was better. That is how I see my improvement.

[Mych]

I'm not sure you get a ton better over time. Sure, you can technically improve certain skills, but I think the main improvement is in your expectations and decision making. Better golf is an exercise of making better decisions based on more realistic expectations. There's a limit to how much better you can get at hitting shots. There's no limit to how much better you can get at making decisions and strategizing.

Just like most other phases of life, experience helps you make better decisions. I could escape an angry dog better at age 16, but I can escape a traffic ticket better now. For most golfers, shooting a good round is more like escaping a traffic ticket than running from a dog.

[Birdie Mac]

Keep in mind the saying about insanity being doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If increased practice doesn't yield better results, then you're either practicing wrong, or putting too much pressure on yourself during rounds. Either way, take the pressure off of yourself: Can't keep your drives on the planet? Hit a 3 wood. Irons not working? Use hybrids. The idea is to have fun playing this crazy game.