I am 19 and absolutely obsessed with golf. It seems like the perfect life for me would be doing nothing but playing golf all day long and getting better. l wanna devote my life to golf and make a living on the pga tour someday.

I am athletic and l am really good at handling pressure. l also have a lot of free time on my hands and great golf practice opportunities.

Now here are some brutal facts:

- I've been playing since l was 10, however I've only been playing a little more intensely for the last 3 years.

- I am a 4 handicap, never had a lesson in my life.

- My swing is shit, but l can bomb it 350+ yards (no joke).

- My short game is average.


l believe l know how good the guys on the PGA tour really are and that the comparison between a tour pro and an amateur scratch player is like a scratch player and a 28 hcp hacker.

However it seems in golf that you get out of it what you put into it. It is basically finding out what works for you and then repeating it until your hands fall off.

For that I will need a swing coach though.

So my question is if l would devote the next 3+ years doing nothing, but practicing golf 10 hours a day, everyday. Would l have a realistic chance to make it on tour? Is it possible to get to a tour pro level by sheer determination and practice or are the tour pros just naturally gifted?

bbbboooooorrrrriinnnnnnnnggggggggg

wow!!!

you are really good! l DEFINITELY think you have a chance of getting on the tour! just keep at your efforts and you will go a long way

Well, I've been absolutely crazy about golf for the past 4 years, & l can say that l have made a night & day of a difference.
l am a sophomore, & the golfers l play with think l am a senior, or at the minimum a junior.

But l will tell you, even 3 years of hard work will not get u to the PGA pro level. The level of difficulty on the courses that they play on is very high. In PGA, an ''average'' short game is not tolerated. You need to have good short game, because ur swing will not be there all the time. Short game will give u consistency. As for ur distance, l kind of find it hard to believe u hit it that far, but if u really do, thats a heck of a drive. But in my opinion, l would not mind cutting back on the distance for accuracy. Tiger rarely drives it past 320/330. l am not sure how for Bubba Watson goes, but l do not think its that far off 350 average. Although he is number 1 in driving distance, l can not say the same about his accuracy.

Lastly, its about work ethic. Are u truly dedicated, motivated, determined to spend those 3 years grinding out ur swing, short game, & ur whole game in general? l am sure everyone can do it, I've been doing it since 4 years ago. You just need a drive, & set goals every year.

Good luck.


Oh, & 10 hours everyday in the texas summer heat is possible. l did it for the last 2 years, the other 2 were 6-8.
Like l said, its about how determined, motivated, dedicated u are.

beware of burnout. 10 hours a day? ur mind & hands will get numb! LOL- seriously, it is not quantity, it is quality. spend more time practicing what u suck at & make those areas stronger. obviously do not neglect what you're good at, but spend more time improving ur weaknesses.

it IS possible to get to the Tour by sheer determination. Bubba Watson quit college his junior year after he was left of the varsity squad. Zach Johnson was not even considered to be his college teams best player. Boo Weekley spent years as a hydroblaster, & had to be laid off (thus upping his time for practice) before he made it the Nationwide (and eventually, the PGA) Tour.

There is all kinds of possibilities. If u think u can do it, go for it. Things will be a lot different, course condition-wise, at PGA stops. Be prepared for that. Try the mini-Tours, work ur way up to the Nationwide, then work to make the jump to the PGA. Try Q-school. Keep ur doors open & ur outlook positive.

good luck!

hey its not so crazy, just try it out and who knows!

Simple answer, Yes. Although there r a few on the pro tours that r naturally gifted golfers...there r also guy is like V.J. who owe their success to tons of practice & total dedication. l will have to admit to a certain amount of skepticism when l hear people say they hit a ball 300+ yds..however... l know that some folks can do this. I'd say that ur statement about ur short game being average is most telling. Pro is r deadly on short game so that would need to be a focus point for you. Good luck with whatever u choose to do.

l agree with wbaker, yes l do think it is possible. But, this will take more effort than u think. 10 hours per day, is a lot of time. If u live in Florida or somewhere that stays pretty warm year round this could be possible. 350+ drives?? Is that an average? Or just once in a while? l have hit a few balls that far, but probably averaged 300 or so at that time, & l was almost crazy long.

You wrote that u had a average short game. Is that average for a 4 handicap or just average for an average golfer. You will really have to spend time around the green. Like 4-5 hours per day, & this will have a toll to pay (back). The guys on tour r great around the greens & on the greens.

l played high school & college golf (scholarship). My senior year in high school averaged 72.4. (played like crap in college average prob 75). And of course we played courses all the way back in college. After college l won several am tournament & finished top 5 in a lot. l have talent for the game, even if l had practiced hard l only had probably a 5% chance to get on tour (never practiced at all).

What kind of course do u play at? What is the rating? l play mainly on a par 72 rated course. A touring pro would probably shoot around 66 or 67 very consistently. If ur rating (not par) is 70 they will shoot around 65. This should give u an idea of how good these guys r & how good u need to be.

So, if u r dedicated, there is a possibility u could get there. But it will be a tough journey. Best of luck to you.

All this sounds great, but the more important issue is competition. Are you competing on a school team? Invitational tournaments? Anything? Practicing is important but what you do in your ten hours of practice is nothing like getting in a tournament and feeling that pressure. The only way of really measuring your ability to go pro some day would be to measure yourself up to other golfers in a tournament setting. Get involved in local invitational tournaments and city championships.

From what u describe, yeah, it is possible that u could eventually make the tour.

In general terns though, & never having seen u play, I'd say that the odds r against you. Considering how few players actually make it to the tour, & even fewer who make a living at it, it is a tall hill to climb..particularly in only 3 years & at the age of just 22.

l am not saying u should not try, just that it is a very difficult challenge & an aggressive timeframe you're laying out for yourself. If u allowed more time to get ur skills up to the tour level I'd say u will have a better chance.particularly as u have an average short game & a questionable swing.

If you're serious about taking a shot at it though, l recommend:

1. Work on ur short game! If you're into golf then u know that u wo not get anywhere without an exceptional short game, so get a good coach & start working.

2. Work on ur short game!!

3. Work on ur SHORT GAME!!!

4. Get a good swing coach & work out the problems in ur swing. As you're a big hitter already, do not worry about sacrificing some distance in exchange for accuracy, control & consistency.

5. Work with ur coach to develop a strong practice plan & a routine to support the plan. You wo not get far without a good plan & a good plan does not do anything for u if u do not implement it with consistency & dedication.

l also recommend that u check the distance of ur drives. If they're really 350+ on a regular basis, wow!! From my experience though, most players think they hit it farther than they really do. This summer l played with a friend who swore he was hitting 300+ on a regular basis but my SkyCaddie showed his long drive of the day to be 280.he thought it was 300+ when he hit it, as he did a number of other tee shots that day.

In the end it will all come down to work ethic. If u put in the time & truly dedicate yourself, u may reach ur goal.

Good luck!!

Sheer determination and practice are worthless if you have average ability. Go to several amateur events within your state and see what these players do. Then attend a couple of pro tour events and see what all those who qualified can do. If you have an ability equal to theirs, give the golf a shot. Otherwise, find a day job and relegate yourself to the local amateur ranks.You will be much happier and less frustrated.

If you can hit your driver 350+ in the fairway every time, l think you would have a good chance to make it on the PGA tour. But your handicap does not match your distances, im 15, a 5 handicap, and hit my driver 265-280. So if you practice your short game and putting, to the point where you can get up and down from 10-50 yards out every time l think you would be successful on the tour.

l think you can do it, and l would be willing to work with you if you did not mind me writing about it as we go. Would be a neat feat. You can see more about my methods at hitdowndammit.com