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flopmyshot
12th May 2016, 05:56 PM
Hi, I am a 6 handicapper trying to become a tour pro. I am 17 years of age and have left university to devote all my time to golf. Realistically I feel confident that I can do this with a couple of years of hard work. My question is, what is the most efficient way I can reach this level? Find a pro and get regular coaching etc? Thanks.

Captain Nemo
12th May 2016, 06:05 PM
Calling Virge, or SMS!


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backintheswing
12th May 2016, 06:08 PM
To be a tour pro, by the age of 17, you should be off +6.

Good luck mate.

Dotty
12th May 2016, 06:15 PM
Or borrow Vijay's magic pencil.

Yossarian
12th May 2016, 06:21 PM
Give it a year. If you aren't plus 3 or better strongly consider giving up. Unless you want to be a club pro in which case consider going back to uni.

Johnny Canuck
12th May 2016, 06:54 PM
Have a read of this book. It's a fun and easy read.

https://g.co/kgs/Seu3Z

Ashes
12th May 2016, 11:07 PM
Learn to deloft.

simmsy
12th May 2016, 11:20 PM
You are atleast 12 shots off where you need to be.

If you aren't hitting atleast 1000 good quality golf shots a day you aren't trying hard enough.


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3oneday
13th May 2016, 06:06 AM
The guys are probably being blunt in their responses, but honest.

You've been doing other things til now, whereas most aspiring golfers, as they say, at your age would already be on a plus something handicap.

There is nothing to say you can't, but I'd suggest the first thing you do is find a good coach, tell him what you want to do and go to him at least weekly until??? Until you can't afford it any longer probably :)

Get stuck in, at least you have brains so if you fail you can always get a job as a club pro :) (brains means you're ahead of most!)

Dotty
13th May 2016, 07:53 AM
I haven't seen the starters of other similar threads come back to say 'Ha Ha! I'm now a pro or I made it onto the Senior Tour'. ;)

I've seen a lot of scratch to 2 markers pick university, trade apprentice or corporate traineeship because they realise golf success is near impossible, fleeting and most likely leave them as a 30yo with the career prospects of a 16yo. (This is where the US college system is miles better than the Australian Q-school system.)

I saw one with family money behind him try what the OP wants to do. He went from a mediocre 2 marker to an unpredictable 5 marker in 15 months.

Ironically, the uni grads, apprentices, etc. now have the best golf gear and drive luxury cars to corporate days and pro-ams at the best courses.

Johnny Canuck
13th May 2016, 09:43 AM
A year is a very small part of your life.

Have fun, have a go; just be ready to get back into uni if things don't workout as planned.

Good luck.

flopmyshot
13th May 2016, 10:09 AM
Thanks for all the responses guys, sorry about the double thread thing haha didn't think I'd get one reply. I got on the phone to my old coach this morning and told him my plans for the future. After sending him my swing, he believes it isn't as far-fetched as most people think but it's down to me at the end of the day. I will reply to this thread in a couple of weeks to share my thoughts and progress that I've made.

Captain Nemo
13th May 2016, 10:11 AM
Let us know where your at, where your a member?

backintheswing
13th May 2016, 10:22 AM
I'll give you a tip. He likes pies.

Jerrymoo
13th May 2016, 01:28 PM
My two cents: As much as possible, play your golf with good players... ones better than yourself.

All the best :)

pt73
13th May 2016, 03:26 PM
It's not all gloom and doom but as others have said it's very tough.

Many years ago a young guy came to my club as a trainee pro, he was off 3 just before turning pro and he did OK for himself.

His name is Mike Harwood.

Steve57
13th May 2016, 05:09 PM
I'll give you a tip. He likes pies.
Where's that like button?:lol:

sms316
13th May 2016, 06:20 PM
I'll give you a tip. He likes pies. I presume that you are talking about me, which would make it the second time that you have accused a poster of being an alias that I have set up. Now I'm sure that the good mods of this forum are able to look up IP addresses so how about you put your money where your mouth is? I'm more than happy to bet $100 donated to a charity of the winner's choice if the mods are happy to adjudicate? If not, just admit that you are full of shit.

backintheswing
13th May 2016, 06:23 PM
I presume that you are talking about me, which would make it the second time that you have accused a poster of being an alias that I have set up. Now I'm sure that the good mods of this forum are able to look up IP addresses so how about you put your money where your mouth is? I'm more than happy to bet $100 donated to a charity of the winner's choice if the mods are happy to adjudicate? If not, just admit that you are full of shit.

So you've never had an alias account on here?

sms316
13th May 2016, 06:25 PM
So you've never had an alias account on here?Since the forum made having an unapproved alias a banning offence, so what's that? Last 4 years?

jimandr
13th May 2016, 08:50 PM
I don't know how to merge threads, and I definitely don't know how to trace IP addresses, but I do know how to ask people to stay on topic. Please do so.

The short cut to the pro ranks is to get head-hunted or at the very least talent spotted.

The way for a young player to get talent spotted is to firstly start playing larger events, and then winning them. We have a few young aspiring pros at my club who play all the local championship events, the local Vardon events, then State Championships and the like. They have already been talent spotted by the Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation, and after that the State Golf Association.

Then the Aspiring Pro doesn't have to worry about access to the best equipment and the best coaching. It is all provided for them.

How many of them make it? I don't know, but I'd reckon 1 in 50 might be a good guess to reach pro-am status, and it might be 1 in a thousand to reach tour pro status.

Dotty
13th May 2016, 09:04 PM
The problem with that is a 6 marker won't get a start in any Vardon events, most clubs' pennant squad or even their under 21 side.

Having left school, he is too old for the Jack Newton school holiday events.

billp
16th May 2016, 06:58 AM
You will need to make it to a 1 handicap or better to be able to participate in any of the Amature events, but normally to win one of these you need to shoot from -10 or better.

You should be training at least 4 hours a day, say 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. 30% long game, 70% short game (100m in).
Good luck, and I envy you for being in a position to at least give it a go.

I was an 12 handicap when I was 11, but had to give it away, as we didn't have enough cash for me to continue playing. My best memory of playing back then, was travelling from Mackay to Rocky for my first Tournament, it was a Greg Norman Junior Comp. I made two birdies including 1 20m bomb with a croud around the green, which got me to 11th place in the under 13's. Wish I could have kept playing, but such is life. Now I am just a 37 year old hacker that is lucky to play once a month.

PeteyD
17th May 2016, 06:07 AM
US College system. Get into college and try to walk on. You might not get to be a pro golfer but you'll have a degree and a debt.

3oneday
17th May 2016, 06:58 AM
Please stay on topic, that's not what he asked.

PeteyD
17th May 2016, 07:03 AM
Yes it is. The most efficient way to get to where he wants to get.

Hatchman
17th May 2016, 12:23 PM
You will need to make it to a 1 handicap or better to be able to participate in any of the Amature events, but normally to win one of these you need to shoot from -10 or better.

You should be training at least 4 hours a day, say 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. 30% long game, 70% short game (100m in).
Good luck, and I envy you for being in a position to at least give it a go.

Very much the bit in bold as they are the games you should be aiming to play in.
Bunting it around with members not at the same level or worse than you week after week wont help your gradual improvement much.

Shadesy
17th May 2016, 02:07 PM
Yes it is. The most efficient way to get to where he wants to get. plus the bitchez

Johnny Canuck
17th May 2016, 03:26 PM
plus the bitchez

Word.

Kaniss
19th May 2016, 12:08 PM
You will do fine, keep pushing yourself, dont listen to the neysayers in here and if you get there don't forget my support and my 911 Turbo.

davepuppies
29th May 2016, 07:35 AM
Give it a shot mate.

At 17 life is meant to be lived, and risks taken.

If you invest 2 years and don't make it what have you lost? You can still go back to your degree, and start to build a career starting at 19 instead of 17.

Follow your dream, and if it doesn't work, at least you will be able to reflect back on these times in your 30s,40s or 50s without regret.

davepuppies
29th May 2016, 07:36 AM
And agree with some of the advice here.

Get a coach.

Practice lots, with huge emphasis on short game

Play with better players than you

Compete in events whenever possible.

Go hard mate

Monty85
30th May 2016, 09:40 AM
There's a few pros on the tour that didn't take up golf until their late teens, so you're already ahead of those guys. In saying that though, I wonder where the motivation comes from to be playing off 6 and deciding, yep, im good enough to try and turn pro.

A few months ago (playing off 3 at the time) a guy asked me what I played off and when I told him he responded with I should be pro. So I wonder if its comments like that from guys who don't really understand the level of golf you need to be at that makes some people think they are ready for that next level.

Even now, I'm down playing off 1 and I don't consider myself even remotely close to compete at Vardon/State events let alone have a go at turning pro.

dee cee
30th May 2016, 10:01 AM
I like Dave Puppies above posts.

The only other thing I'd suggest is that you read some decent golf psychology books like Bob Rotellas, and put what he suggests into practice right away. It'll take years to ingrain. How you think, at the top level(s) is super important.

Good luck

Lagerlover
1st June 2016, 03:00 AM
Play with better players than you




This is what I find the hardest..

TheNuclearOne
1st June 2016, 10:32 AM
This is what I find the hardest..

Threaten them with a gun!!!

I think the OP has long left for the tour.

Dotty
1st June 2016, 12:14 PM
I think the OP has long left for the tour.
Or composing a letter to the university's re-admission officer.

TheNuclearOne
1st June 2016, 12:59 PM
Or composing a letter to the university's re-admission officer.
True, true!

Hard_Pan
1st June 2016, 03:31 PM
Our club pro's daughter will be turning pro in a few weeks apparently. She's 18 but probably has been playing since she could stand up.

pauly
10th June 2016, 12:51 PM
to be a tour pro, you should be getting a plus handicap and trying to get a scholarship into a US college - the Australian system isn't so good for getting yourself to be a fully fledged tour pro earning the big bucks
a club-pro on the otherhand could be well within your wheel house if that's the direction you want to head in, get the hcp down to 2 or 3 and apply to become a trainee if that's what you're after.
remember though a club-pro plays virtually no golf, mostly gives lessons, sells gatorade and repairs/sells gear.