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  1. #1
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    Default Reach your potential within 3 years

    I just saw a comment that according to the USGA , if you have played golf for 3 years you have already reached your potential.

    Thats probably fairly accurate for me, 3 years on the nose.

    How about you?

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    That's a piss take right?

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jazz18 View Post
    That's a piss take right?
    This.
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    Quote Originally Posted by markTHEblake View Post
    I just saw a comment that according to the USGA , if you have played golf for 3 years you have already reached your potential.

    Thats probably fairly accurate for me, 3 years on the nose.

    How about you?
    I'm well past it then as I have just hit my 50th!
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  5. #5
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    Rather fortunately, I did not reach my potential when I was 14, in golf or in life.

    Depending upon your definition of potential, I either took 10 years to reach it, with a few little boosts in handicap since then (followed by a few regressions), or I still haven't reached it. i prefer the latter, and I'm sure that if only I could find the perfect driver, or the perfect putter I could still get to my true potential.

    I'd certainly like to think that I know more now about course management, managing my game and the so-called mental side that i would have done even if I'd started at 18 and took it very seriously for 3 years.

    For many of us, the illusion that we still haven't reached our potential is what keeps us going.
    "There are 50 things to remember in the golf swing. Trouble is that I can only remember 49 of them" - Bob Hope.

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    Tiger Woods never won another US Amateur after 1996, so it's true in their minds.

    Imagine the mess, if USGA got to design golf rules and a handicapping formula.
    You don't get me. I'm part of the Union.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve57 View Post
    I'm well past it then as I have just hit my 50th!
    That’s a fair effort for a bloke who didn’t take up the game until he was well into his 30s

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    Quote Originally Posted by 3puttpete View Post
    That’s a fair effort for a bloke who didn’t take up the game until he was well into his 30s
    Thanks pal!
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  9. #9
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    I understand the USGA comment comes from the analysis of handicap data.

    Another was the average score is 97.
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    3 years was about spot on for me because I started young.

    Off 4 by the time I was 16, decent break for uni/travel/work, came back off 14 and might have got to 5, so effectively haven't improved in 40 years. Am now on the slide toward getting a double shot sometime.

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    Quote Originally Posted by PerryGroves View Post
    so effectively haven't improved in 40 years
    We are twins! Though being on the same handicap now as 40 years ago I would suggest is a significant decline relative to other golfers around us.

    at 17/18 yo a 5 handicap had me representing District mens team and missing out on the state schoolboys team by one place ( so i was told, other 5 hcappers made it)Today 5 handicap wouldnt even get us a participation certificate.
    Last edited by markTHEblake; 3rd July 2020 at 08:58 AM.

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    Blakey, I reckon the 16yr olds giving a shot or two playing with persimmon and blades would still dust up the old boys pretty easily.

  13. #13
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    I agree PG, we cant compare directly todays players to yesterday for lots of reasons, the same with cricket, football, etc
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    Criticism doesn't bother me, as it means I am doing something and people are watching.
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    Started at 14, peaked at 37, hoping there is another peak to come. Maybe I am an outlier.

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    I'm a slow learner, starting at 22, peaking at 49.

    The latter was solely due to the first handicap overhaul, where 34/35 points dropped handicap by 0.2/03 each game (rather than always getting 0.1 back).
    You don't get me. I'm part of the Union.

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    Is the 3 years the timeline for an American to start the game, then decide it is too hard and give up?

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    Quote Originally Posted by AndyP View Post
    Is the 3 years the timeline for an American to start the game, then decide it is too hard and give up?
    To work out not to count penalties and take gimmes

  18. #18
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    How do you know what your potential is until you reach it or you don't?

  19. #19

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    Dunno, only been back playing six months. I feel like I can be a fair bit better than I currently am although I feel like I'm getting more consistent with my hitting. I don't know how but I've largely gotten rid of my slice. Grip change perhaps. Best round so far was +21. I'm under 100 consistently now although have had a couple of blowout rounds recently. Just enjoying being back playing again for the moment, and not off in the bush to the right all the time 😂.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Webster View Post
    How do you know what your potential is until you reach it or you don't?
    How long did it take scarfie to conquer the game?
    Forum needs more banter.

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by markTHEblake View Post
    I just saw a comment that according to the USGA , if you have played golf for 3 years you have already reached your potential.

    Thats probably fairly accurate for me, 3 years on the nose.

    How about you?
    I find it odd they would publish this without a connecting reason. Anyone in marketing could tell you as a leisure industry they should be selling hope.
    Is there are a connecting reason?
    For me the connecting reason would be to do with the handicapping. The handicapping system always favours the new golfer and gives very little to the declining golfer. They could build something in to the calculations to account for this. I always knew when I was on school holidays I was a good chance to win the Tuesday comp against all the retirees. Much harder to win on Saturday. But we had so many juniors we weren't allowed to accept the Saturday prize because an adult would never have won a comp. Instead of grades by handicap clubs should look at grades by age or grades by tee.


 

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