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An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

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Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#51

Post by davidreiss »

icelancer wrote: post #19
icelancer wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The average person isn't able to spend ~7 hours a day, every day for 4 years, on a non-salaried activity. I basically did this over 6 years, 3-5 hours per day on a non-earning activity to eventually launch the business I now run. In the last 3 years I've averaged 60-70 hours per week at work, only recently earning close to my last salary (about 65% as of last check) as a Data Scientist. It's doable enough. Just very…

Also the "10,000" hour rule (which has obviously been debunked) isn't really about 10,000 hours of focused practice on the task alone. Focused work and previous experience in other domains transfers into the activity/goal you chase. Being a Data Scientist gave me a huge leg up about understanding data structures and statistical analysis, huge in my field. Formerly a software developer, I was able to install, configur…

But 10000 hour rule isn't about being competent. It's about being an expert.

> Formerly a software developer, I was able to install, configure, and hack together a workable WooCommerce/WordPress PHP/MySQL CMS that generated content and still is our main shop, selling millions of dollars of merchandise per year.

But anyone could really do that just following simple online guides/examples. CMS is child's play especially when you didn't even build one from scratch but just pieced ready made software together.

> I used to work retail and retail management when I was young and putting myself through high school and college. Lessons about stocking, shipping, marketing, sales, logistics - all transferred into my online retail business.

Sure, but you aren't an expert in any of those.

Of course cross domain knowledge helps but I think you are missing the point of the 10000 hour rule. It was a rule to make you an expert, not a jack of all trades.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#52

Post by throwaway2016a »

I started learning golf a few years ago and to me it definitely seems like something most people can master with practice. Especially if you are good at putting your mind in the right place. It's really easy to become too stressed in golf or too careless or get too focused and overthink the shot. It is most mindful than any sport I've played. [1]

With that said, I think there are two hard requirements for golf:

- Time

- Money

The first one comes with the second as someone who has f* you money can make a lot of time. I know someone who "retired" at 40 for two years to exclusively practice golf. He eventually went back to work, not because he had to but because he was bored (serial entrepreneurs have to start companies... it's an addiction)

I unfortunately am in the middle. I have been able to spend hundreds of dollars on the sport not thousands like some people I know. I have a hitting net at home I can go in my yard so I don't need to go to the driving range and that helps (a few hundred dollars well spent) but if I went to the course every weekend I'd be broke in no time. And I most certainly can't go on "Golf Vacations" half way around the country (though if I happen to be on vacation near a course I will go).

[1] I found my shot improves ridiculously if I step back, breath, and stop thinking so hard about it. I've spent a long time thinking about shots only to slice it then gone up to the tee and swung without giving it a second thought and hit a perfect shot... repeatedly.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#53

Post by pakitan »

erikb wrote: post #42

Pure marketing and zero professionalism it seems. A real person attempting pro will have real trainers. They will help him make plans that don't overstress his body in a way that kills his back in 5 years. Then you set goals that are hard but reachable, not outright impossible. Of course some "impossible" goals can be reached, but not without first achieving some goals from the "possible" category.

What it seems is that you have read neither Dan's blog nor the article you're commenting on. He did hire real trainers.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#54

Post by efferifick »

davidreiss wrote: post #51
icelancer wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also the "10,000" hour rule (which has obviously been debunked) isn't really about 10,000 hours of focused practice on the task alone. Focused work and previous experience in other domains transfers into the activity/goal you chase. Being a Data Scientist gave me a huge leg up about understanding data structures and statistical analysis, huge in my field. Formerly a software developer, I was able to install, configur…

But 10000 hour rule isn't about being competent. It's about being an expert. > Formerly a software developer, I was able to install, configure, and hack together a workable WooCommerce/WordPress PHP/MySQL CMS that generated content and still is our main shop, selling millions of dollars of merchandise per year. But anyone could really do that just following simple online guides/examples. CMS is child's play especiall…

I think you are missing the point of the parent post.

He is not stating that the 10,000 rule will make you a jack of all trades. He is saying that he was able to cut down the "10,000" hours to less because of his transferable skills. S/he might not be an expert in these transferable skills, but s/he might be an expert in his business which is sports science.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#55

Post by davidreiss »

efferifick wrote: post #54
davidreiss wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But 10000 hour rule isn't about being competent. It's about being an expert. > Formerly a software developer, I was able to install, configure, and hack together a workable WooCommerce/WordPress PHP/MySQL CMS that generated content and still is our main shop, selling millions of dollars of merchandise per year. But anyone could really do that just following simple online guides/examples. CMS is child's play especiall…

I think you are missing the point of the parent post. He is not stating that the 10,000 rule will make you a jack of all trades. He is saying that he was able to cut down the "10,000" hours to less because of his transferable skills. S/he might not be an expert in these transferable skills, but s/he might be an expert in his business which is sports science.

> He is not stating that the 10,000 rule will make you a jack of all trades.

But that's not what he described.

> S/he might not be an expert in these transferable skills, but s/he might be an expert in his business which is sports science.

Sure. We all have transferable skills. I don't think the 10000 hour rule meant that you start off with a blank slate and went from the basics of learning language, mathematics, etc.

The 10000 rule is part learning and part practice/muscle memory/etc.

In other words, it "includes" transferable knowledge.

If you know latin, you'll have an easier time getting competent in italian. But to become an expert in italian, you still need to go through the 10000 hours. That's the idea of 10000 hours. I don't believe in the 10000 hours mantra, but that's my understanding of it.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#56

Post by HenryTheHorse »

icelancer wrote: post #22
jxramos wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just wanted to offer some kind congratulations and best wishes on your endeavors.

Thank you. I really do accept it. :) This is how I like to think about my journey, stolen directly from the link I posted in these comments from Lyle McDonald (perhaps without the DEGREE of acerbic attitude...): "Quick note: I’m turning off comments for this series of posts. The first reason is so I don’t have to delete the invariable trolling. The second is that I’m also not interested in atta boys or whatever. I sp…

> As it gets tougher, I get better at churning and slogging and fighting.

Can you please elaborate on that point? How did you get better at that skill? Was it acceptance? Something else?

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#57

Post by scott00 »

If you like this story you may also be interested in the book "Paper Tiger" by Tom Coyne. Same idea of total dedication to making the PGA, but starting as a guy who played competitively in his youth, but had gotten rusty. He was shooting in the 80s, and decided to dedicate a year to it. Entertaining read I thought.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#58

Post by roceasta »

netgusto wrote: post #32

It's the "Talent bound" vs "Effort bound" mindset. I side with "Effort bound" as a life motto. To challenge myself, if not for correctness relatively to the reality.

Effort in any field has the property that if you are bloody-minded enough it can bring you up to the wall beyond which talent lies. I hit this wall as a result of over-practicing piano aged 28 which I had to give up due to repetitive strain injury. The good news is that a few years later, in a separate development, the wall suddenly and completely dissolved. I can't describe the experience without sounding mystical. Still less can I explain it. The closest psychological concept I've found is Low Latent Inhibition and my guess is that this phenomenon lies behind all talent.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#59

Post by whipoodle »

nemo44x wrote: post #10

Going pro shouldn't be the mark of success on this endeavor. There are a very limited number of seats and very likely pros have committed well more time. The fact he got to a 2 handicap is evidence you can become a master. Especially since he suffered a physical limitation after about 6k hours. Talent matters. Age matters. The ability to "get it" faster matters. Access makes you get it faster. But to go from no game…

Too bad we don't have scorecards, though.

Re: An Average Guy Who Spent 6,000 Hours Trying to Be a Professional Golfer

#60

Post by hyperbovine »

icelancer wrote: post #17
danso wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Folks who decide to do a 10,000-hour challenge are probably already in some kind of elite group, in terms of wealth and free time (nevermind patience and perseverance). The average person isn't able to spend ~7 hours a day, every day for 4 years, on a non-salaried activity.

>The average person isn't able to spend ~7 hours a day, every day for 4 years, on a non-salaried activity. I basically did this over 6 years, 3-5 hours per day on a non-earning activity to eventually launch the business I now run. In the last 3 years I've averaged 60-70 hours per week at work, only recently earning close to my last salary (about 65% as of last check) as a Data Scientist. It's doable enough. Just very…

Of course it's doable if your aim is to acquire skills and enter a high-paying profession that already employs millions of people. Your opportunity cost all along the the way is lower than if you were on some quixotic bid to join the PGA.
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