Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?

[thret]

Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice? - St. Petersburg Times

It doesn't seem like he's made any prop bets on what he'll end up shooting, but I am quite curious as to how good he gets. I imagine pro's don't just have x-hours of training, but some innate skill... For me though, his end result may be a good indication of just how good I could possibly be if I play for the rest of my life.

[Strong Play]

i didnt watch/read the thing...

10,000 hours of practice is a fucking lot... i got down to like hcp 5-6 without a lesson ever and nowhere near 10k hrs... a 40hr week every week for nearly 5 years the guy is lol if he cant get there... (obv im aware that each shot one loses is harder than the last etc etc)

of course, the definition of a pro is quite varied...

[thret]

I think the goal is to get onto the pro tour. He has a professional coach, and he's 30. If he makes it I see a pointless feel-good movie in his future.

[Strong Play]

there are many pro tours...

the biggest/best one, the USPGA tour, mite be interesting... would say he'd get on any single country's pro tour without too much hassle tho...

[59progolfer]

...of course, the definition of a pro is quite varied...

Plenty of Overweight PGA Pro's who plays off 5 Handicaps. You might have found your calling SP.

there are many pro tours...

the biggest/best one, the USPGA tour, mite be interesting... would say he'd get on any single country's pro tour without too much hassle tho...

Disagree with this, even though 10,000 hours is a lot of practice there's still a lot of factors to consider. Quality practice is a major key to his improvement but also an ability to perform under pressure. I've played many a Qualifying rounds with hot Amateur players who buckle playing against the big boys. The Amateurs who have the ability and mental toughness have usually played a lot of representive State and National Amateur Golf.
10,000 hours of practice over 5 years equates to nearly 40 hours per week. Dont like his chances though.

Dan played competitive tennis as a boy, and was good at it, and then quit. He ran one year of cross country in high school, and was good at it, and then quit. He wanted to run on his own. He followed his brother to Boston University for a year and was a physics and math major, and then quit. Instead, he traveled, alone. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in photojournalism and was a photographer for a newspaper in Chattanooga, Tenn., for a year, and then quit.

He has started five novels.

He took one piano lesson.

I'm off now to golf will debate more later after i shoot 5 over.

[thret]

Quality practice is a major key to his improvement but also an ability to perform under pressure. I've played many a Qualifying rounds with hot Amateur players who buckle playing against the big boys.

I guess you are right about that, if even professional athletes can have trouble with the pressure. Even if he doesn't have what it takes to perform under pressure though, I'm interested in where his score ends up.

Hank Haney on how he fixed Rush Limbaugh and why he couldn't save Charles Barkley - Tours & News - Golf.com

That was the weird thing about Barkley. You did fix him. On the range and on the simulator, he had 300-yard drives. He couldn't take it to the course. He had the mental full-swing yips, and you had him killing it.
Yeah, the change was that before he couldn't do it on the range. Now he can do it on the range, but still can't do it on the course. So he's playing left-handed now. He's actually pretty good.

It's bizarre that a professional athlete wouldn't be physically able to do it.
He is physically able to, he isn't mentally able to. It's bizarre when somebody shoots less than 50 percent from the foul line, it's bizarre when Chuck Knobloch can't throw it to first base, it's bizarre when Rick Ankiel throws 18 pitches in a row to the backstop. But it happens.

[59progolfer]

Age starting out also has a big bearing IMO. Only exception I can think of was Larry Nelson who took up the game at 21 years old and was breaking 70 within 9 months of starting the game. He qualified for the PGA Tour at 27 yrs old and at 34 won the first of 3 Majors (81 PGA, 83 US Open and 87 PGA).

This guy needs to be off a +1 or +2 h/cap to consider having a shot at any Tour when the time comes. My bet he gets to a 2 or 3 at best and even if he went to Q-School would be lucky to break 80 each round. PRESSURE!!!!

He would have a better chance maybe doing an Apprenticeship and becoming a Club Pro but has to be on a two H/Cap to start that.

[dekkyboy]

3 hours training a day for over 9 years + modicum of talent = pro