i mean im 27.. im not that old am i? lol

Too become a professional golfer, it is. Imagine if you start playing by the age of six, then you can completely build all your muscles around your swing.

A guy I play with from time to time started playing 5 years ago when he left college to sign with a MLB minor league team (he is/was a very skilled power pitcher). He took up golf that summer and now plays to around a 4 or 5 or so. With out a doubt he has the length to be a pro and overpower the courses we play. I would venture a guess that if he had spent the hours that Dan had on the short game that he would be at least scratch by now. He left the minors and got a job at a local course for a year until finding a 'real' job, so he's put in a bit of time playing, but nowhere near the amount of hours that Dan has.

I think there is a correlation between the muscles used while pitching (legs & core) that translate pretty well to the course. Just think about all of the Braves pitchers that turned out to be pretty good golfers. He's around 6'-2" or so, but quite stocky and has a very strong lower body.

Ok maybe sporadic was the wrong word, but one of them anyway played very little over the winters, and both worked full time all year round so only really played during the weekend, maybe an hour or two here and there the odd evening.

Relatively speaking just playing every weekend is fairly sporadic in comparison to what this guy is doing.

I really don't see what is so unbelievable to you about this. I'm sure there are lots of people who have done the same and better.

That probably the problem, too much information. Just go out (preferably on your own) and try hit the ball solidly. If something doesn't work try something else. Find out how your own swing works, not how the perfect swing works. At least stick to 1 coach, 3 is just not a good idea imo.

How long should you stick with one coach if you dont improve and you dont feel like your learning anything from the coach? Because thats how I felt about the first two coaches.

Some people just have the innate ability to play golf while others do not. Lyger's friends could be some of the lucky ones who can pick the game up fairly easily. Spino could be one of those that simply aren't born with the correct tools to be a good golfer. It's not a good or bad thing either way, people are unique.

Spino, just because you are having trouble improving doesn't mean you can't have fun, just don't worry too much about it. Lots of people really enjoy sex when they are completely incompetent at such.

BO

Well i'm really not qualified to say as i've never really had any consistent coaching myself. But I guess after 4 or 5 lessons, where you get a good bit of practice in between to actually work on it, you see no improvement you should change.

In my opinion you would still be better off trying it on your own for a while, just try get comfortable over the ball and make a comfortable swing, see what happens. Work with it for a while, if its really not working then try the lessons.

As Bo said enjoy it for a while, i'm assuming you do anyway.

Take BO, for instance!

I definitely went through multi month periods where i practiced all day several times a week while not being coached and just tried to improve myself, but didnt get anywhere.

As an amateur pitcher (though not close to as good as your friend) this correlation fascinates me. I suck at golf and am like a 28HC after almost 2 full years.

I've heard guys like Smoltz and Maddux, etc. asked about the correlation and it seems it's less physical and more mental. As a pitcher, they go into the game with at least a general gameplan for the day, and probably specific gameplan against each hitter they will face. This sounds similar to a golfer's gameplan for the day and for each individual hole ("I gotta make my bread on those 2 easy par 5s" "I can't let that tough par 4 beat me again - make par", "LAY UP on that long par 5 - don't try to be a hero again", etc.. Pitchers do a lot of thinking but they can also shut their brain off and let the catcher call pitches (similar to a caddy advising?). I think the most important link is that any successful pitcher HAS to be able to give up a big hit and not let it affect him. Realize that damage has been done and focus on the next pitch and execute. This is very similar to golf. You just double-bogeyed the opening par 4? And it might take you the rest of the front 9 to make it up? Deal with it. Make the turn at E or -1 and be happy.

NFL QBs are also good golfers and they have said the same thing. They go to the huddle and call a play and just focus on executing. If they throw a pick-6 they still have to feel like they are the best player on the field and simply start the next drive positive.

Both these guys are going to be plenty athletic enough to play golf, of course, and yeah having muscles in the right spot helps but I think it's more mental.

I have noticed my emotional demeanor on the pitching mound is astronomically superior to my demeanor on the golf course. The big difference for me, I think, is that I love the challenge of standing face to face with a hitter and just trying to beat him at the game. In golf, I don't view the foursome as challengers. You're really just trying to beat the course and play within yourself. Like if I gave up a homerun I would want to "take it out" on the next hitter and try my best to strike him out. Really get refocused. In golf I cannot "take it out" on the course. If it takes me 2 strokes to get out of a bunker I can't just amp myself up and hit a 180 yard iron shot to 10 feet of the pin. I'm going to hit it bad because I'm still pissed and can't believe it took me 2 strokes to get out of a bunker. Sorry I know this is way off topic but I'm fascinated by the link between sports.

I don't think it's so much the physical stuff, but rather the mental stuff. An example that actually has an interesting relation to the above.

I've played some golf with Doyle Alexander, the former MLB pitcher who is the answer to a great trivia question. He was traded straight up for John Smoltz near the end of his career. Worked out well for both teams actually as Doyle went 10-1 I think it was after the trade that season for the Tigers and they made the playoffs. But I digress...

The first time I played with him we were part of a 4-person team playing against several other teams counting 2 balls, I was the A player and he was the B. After 4 holes we were sucking, I hadn't made any birdies, neither had Doyle, and the C and D players couldn't break an egg. On the 5th hole Doyle had a 8-footer for a par that we needed. Watching him study his putt I realized something had changed, really changed. It was the look on his face, he was focused. Really, really focused. It was a look that only another athlete would recognize but it was apparent he had done a complete 180 and the game was now on. The putt went in, never any doubt about that after seeing the look.

So after seeing that look I couldn't help but get ultra-focused as well, and for the last 13 holes the game came easy to both of us. And yes, our team won all the bets.

Many athletes have that ability to get hyper-focused on command and it aids them in other sports as well. I don't think guys like Maddux and Smoltz are excellent golfers because they are pitchers, I think in the heat of battle they mentally will the ball in the hole better than the average Joe. Just like in the heat of battle on the mound they willed the ball past hitters.

BO

So either BO has me on ignore, or he really, really, really wants me to think he has me on ignore.

His post is better though because he name-dropped the great Doyle Alexander. All I could do is cite interviews.

Not that I totally discount the mental stuff, but that doesn't take someone from not breaking 90 to being a scratch player. Two guys who have similar games but the pitcher scores better because they are stronger mentally makes sense.

But I would guess that the reason that pitchers are more likely than the average person to be a good golfer has little to do with leg muscles or whatever, but is simply because



Occamm yo.

In other words, most of you saps wouldn't have recognized the look on his face.

I understand the concepts of the mental portion of the game that you all are identifying, but the base concept of my point was that he seems to be at an initial advantage transitioning from baseball to golf because he is a highly skilled pitcher. it's hard to refute that his power on the course doesn't work in his favor (very strong legs & core from years of pitching at a high level), and i tend to believe that there is a rhythm to pitching that can be translated to a proper tempo on the course. if he can shave off the remaining strokes to get to scratch will likely depend a large part on his mental approach.

fwiw, he was named the most outstanding player in his position at the highest level he was at...i'm willing to bet there is some amount of tenacity in there to achieve such a thing.

If you aren't averaging 5-6 under from the tips on your home course, you got no shot. A scratch club player will have a difficult time shooting 80 on a tour set-up course. I get a kick out of the mid-40's player that thinks if he practices every day, in five years he can make it on the Senior tour. the Senior tour is more difficult to get on then other tours. most all the players were studs in their hey day and membership is targeted to ex-touring pros to keep the fans happy.

Meh pitchers are decent because they get to practice four days a week during season and all winter long.

There definitely is a correlation. I think the driving force in the hips and being able to bring your arm through in a whip like motion translates well to the golf course. The guys on my baseball team that were tall skinny and could throw low 90's were also the same guys that could drive the ball 300+ yards. I also read somewhere that most pro golfers have longer arms than the average person which allows them to create more of an arc.

Show me a guy blabbing about talent, and I'll show you someone with mediocre accomplishments.

which poast(s) are you responding to?

I think he's talking about Randy Moss. (j/k?)

Good luck to this guy anyway. I mean, anytime somebody chucks in the corporate grind and just lives life is great IMO.
But will this guy make the PGA tour, no, of course not, but as I think was pointed out that really isn't his 'goal' even though he stated it is.

I think I read this guys is playing to a 6-7 handicap. Which is great at this point if he was gonna make secondary tours he should be close to a stratch by now. It'll be interesting to see how he does from now on, getting from a 6 to stratch is incredibly difficult. I was never able to do it. I wonder if he'll stagnate for a year or so now...

Just checked out this guy and he is now a 7 handicap so basically completely stalled progress wise. Not that surprising. Would be very surprised if he gets below 2HC after 10,000 hours.

He lives in the PNW...how much handicap progress were you expecting during the winter?

Uh he's stalled out at a 6-7 handicap for more than a year now, I think thats pretty telling..

hey at least its better than me stalling out at a 25 handicap for over a year lol