Jack Nicklaus on Today's players

[golfortennis]

The dude did kill his wrist pretty bad, and had an insurance payout that was repayable if he ever teed up again. Think it was in the $10 mill range. We can assume he would have made that, but you never know.

[3whacker]

could it also be that the golf architect in Jack is having difficulty designing courses for the player of today because they play a game with which he is not familiar. His dilemma may be trying to design a course that could be worthy of hosting a pro event, but one that the members can enjoy with being brutal or overly penal

[rangersgoalie]

As an old man

the comment that the current crop doesn’t work hard enough is crap

the difference in work ethics and athleticism today vs the 90’s vs 70’s has grown tremendously

 

players made fun of Gary Players work ethic and fitness training

 

They teased guys that didn’t drink and smoke

Even in the 90’s the guys training and I mean seriously training were the minority.

 

jack makes the kids today sound complacent. IMO the kids today as a whole work way harder than the generations I grew up with

 

There are always athletes that separate themselves. Jack, Tiger, Hogan,

gretzky/Orr/Howe

jordan/Kobe

 

many we’re focused/disciplined AND gifted

that’s why they are remembered

[golfortennis]

[MUNIGRIT]

"Oh well I'll make 100 plus grand with a top 20 and I'll get on my jet to SFO and update my tick to and IG"-Rickie

[Guest]

So hard to compare today’s players with those from Jack’s day. Better clubs, lower spin balls, launch monitors and high speed video available to speed up the learning process. One big thing that hasn’t changed is that then, like today, If a player can’t handle the mental stress, he will never play at the highest levels. Jack and Tiger were so much better than everyone else not only at shotmaking, but at performing under pressure. The majority of tour players have similar playing skills but what separates the elites, the guys who win majors, from the rest is their ability to play their best when the pressure is on. You could work 24 hours a day perfecting your game, but hard work can’t make up for nerves that can’t stand up to the intense pressure.

[ChrisL52188]

Jack has designed over 500 courses and that surely isn't the problem.

[smashdn]

You keep showing it for logistical reasons. It shows the finality of the hole and score and gives the talking heads an opportunity to recap the approaches you didn't see. The camera doesn't need to move it can stay in a tower. One camera catches all the putts of a group and it never moves. Much easier than the guy running around with a camera on his shoulder.

[smashdn]

I got paired in a scramble Friday evening with 3 guys that could do it. Not every hole were they accurate but hitting it a long way is not uncommon and not hard if you have the equipment and time to practice with it. Out of the 4 of us in the 5 capable of doing it we had 4 drives(we used) over 300 in 9 holes. Guys ranging in age from about 35-50.

Maybe my area is an anomaly but I get paired with guys and drawn in scrambles and grouped with guys that drive it 300+ on the regular. Not waht you would call "good" golfers who are really going low all the time either. They just hit it a long way.

[Ashley Schaeffer]

"And it didn't take any hard work for Rickie to do so." -Nicklaus

What a joke.

[Sean2]

I agree. The game has become fiercely competitive. Not that it wasn't before, but players now hit the gym with a personal trainer, watch what they eat, visit with their swing coaches regularly, have sports psychologists, etc. Being talented isn't good enough anymore...you have to take that talent to the next level. And, you can't take it for granted that you are just "good enough". Lot of guys fighting for those 125 and up spots.

[Ashley Schaeffer]

Great points, @Sean2. I think I remember you having some insight into the women's game through a relative (If it wasn't you, I apologize for the mistake). I'm seeing it now. When I was in college, a woman who could break 80 could get a scholarship somewhere. That wasn't THAT long ago. It isn't enough anymore to "like" golf and play it well. It has to be one's life from an early age. There has to be natural talent AND work ethic to even sniff a tour these days.

[cxx]

On balance Nicklaus is right. When he started, you had to finish high consistently to feed your family. He, Palmer and Player were the ones who started getting more money in the game. Even in his later playing days there were players who were happy playing and finishing mid pack and collecting the checks. Now the checks are just much bigger thanks to Tiger.

Anyone have the net worth of the top 200?

[nsxguy]

 

LOL

You're right. You never said he has no idea what he's talking about.

I guess maybe it was your stating "Nicklaus saying nonsensical things" that fooled me.

 

[Sean2]

You might be thinking of Megan Khang. I have known her since she was 10, and she is now on the LPGA Tour, which is also fiercely competitive.

[Shilgy]

Willett won after 72 holes. He was 12th in the OWGR leading in to that event and he is 38th today. Willets shot -5 Sunday, same as Faldo in ‘96.

 

Or in your opinion is every guy that wins because another player chokes just lucky?

[Shilgy]

Hell, Jack himself has been quoted as saying if he would have worked harder he would have won more. Lol, and now it’s those darn kids?

[Ashley Schaeffer]

Works both ways for Nicklaus when he puts it those ways. Shocking.

[ATLgopher]

Not sure naming things players of the past couldn’t afford hurts jacks point.

 

which he is 100% correct...as usual

[PhilsFanDrew]

It wasn't that they couldn't afford it back then, they just didn't need it back then. Guys like Gary Player who were fitness freaks were the anomaly on Tour. It shows how far the game has come and how competitive it is today. All the resources and tools I cited are proof most players of today are trying to get the most out of their game as possible. If they don't there is a whole crop of younger talent that employ the same trainers, coaches, etc that are waiting for their opportunity to eat someone else's lunch. I just don't agree with the notion that there are a bunch of players that can just hang around on Tour with exempt status without really working hard. I think the middle of the road players like your Kevin Streelman and Charley Hoffman type players have to work very hard just to maintain status year in and year out and they occasionally get that win when the stars align for them that week. It's not because they aren't working hard enough or aren't dedicated enough. They just have a ceiling that is lower than the more elite players and they are getting the most they can out of their game.

[ProStryker]

This could be said of all sports. Think about the NFL players that are top talents that sign with teams that they know have a low shot of even making the playoffs, but they do it anyways for more money. They could have signed with a super bowl contender for less money, but the money trumps the possibility of winning. Now granted an NFL players average career time is very short, and they gotta get the money while they can, but it’s still the mindset of money over winning...

[Darth Putter]

Back in Jack's day, Tour Pros missed out on the PGA Championship because two thirds of the field was reserved for Club Pros.

Now we have Ryan Moore turning down a spot in the PGA Championship so he can rest up for the Fed Ex Cup.

PGA Championship 2020: This is one of the oddest WD reasons you'll see at a major championship

 

[FakeClubPro]

Charley and Streelman are up against guys like DJ and maybe Koepka who are almost freaks of nature. They could probably play professional baseball too. Today it is just so competitive. I am impressed that Phil finished second this weekend, he is 50 and has pretty bad arthritis.

[forrester_fire]

There's more to life than working on your career.

[double_d]

That's obvious.

The hunger that Tiger had is really not there for many of these players.

 

[MUNIGRIT]

How fast do they run? Arm strength? Agility and quickness?

[oikos1]

I play with guys who hit it 300+ as well. And we all still love to see a long, straight ball. Every time. You act as if it's ho-hum. I assure you, the majority of golfers do not touch 300+ yards on the regular.

[smashdn]

It kind of is ho-hum. Especially now on Tour there are guys routinely putting it out there 320.

I like 300 being long. Take percentages of roll back and all that other non-sense out of it and I think the 300 yard drive is a nice threshold to have. Basically, the 100 mph fastball of golf. You drive it 300 yards that is a long drive and should be reserved for the longest of the long. Same that the 100 mph is sort of natural threshold that distinguishes a guy from a hard throwing pitcher to a really, really hard thrower.

And coincidentally, 300 yard drives or thereabouts seem to "fit" current layouts. If we could hit pause on distance gains where when DJ really gets into one at sea level and it results in a 310 carry I think that is just fine. 350y drives doesn't make the game more exciting or better, for me. I'm fine with being and recognize I am in the minority.

[Ashley Schaeffer]

Thing is: there are simply a LOT more "longest of the long" players out there these days.

Just out of curiosity, how far is the nearest ocean from where you usually play such that 300 yards is ho-hum?

[smashdn]

I am about eight hours from the gulf and am at about 600' asl.

I'm kind of like the USGA in the driving thing though, I don't care why or how they got to be that long, the effect of their length on the golf course is the issue, regardless of the cause of the length. I see it in my own game. I am not good I can just drive it a long way. I play driver-wedge most holes. Certainly no more than driver-7 iron. Most par fives are driver- 5 iron and most all are reachable even from the farthest back set of tees. And I'm not the longest person in my group either. Most are former baseball players who still work out a little. The few that played baseball and golf in HS are the ones who are the better at scoring within the group.

But I also recognize you can't regulate a guy going to the gym or being athletic or 6'4".