Something missing from this story: money. How does this guy pay for six years of training (doing what he wants) with no income? I guess the lecture circuit and some Nike sponsorship, but will that be enough to pay rent, food, travel and maybe support a family?
Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
151–160 of 173 posts
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#152I have been playing golf since I was 6 years old (I am now 25, running a YC company and whiteyboard). I've played competitively, going all over the country and even got a full scholarship to a NCAA Division 1 university for the sport. I can honestly say that this guy does not stand a chance, and here is why. 1. Golf, especially when it comes to playing professionally, is more of a mental sport than physical (both str…
Do you have more or less than 10,000 hours of golf experience?
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#153I have been playing golf since I was 6 years old (I am now 25, running a YC company and whiteyboard). I've played competitively, going all over the country and even got a full scholarship to a NCAA Division 1 university for the sport. I can honestly say that this guy does not stand a chance, and here is why. 1. Golf, especially when it comes to playing professionally, is more of a mental sport than physical (both str…
When I read this I'm thinking of Unskilled and Unaware of It[1]. You know how hard golf is because you have som experience with golf. But probably lots of things that you don't think would be as hard as golf actually is just as hard.
[1] http://people.psych.cornell.edu/~dunning/publications/pdf/un...
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#154I contacted Dan and suggested he try to find interested neurosci guys to scan his brain as he progresses, he's going to do so (local uni) tomorrow, very cool.
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#155I don't see why not. Rory McIlroy went from pro to amateur overnight.
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#156Earlier quoted context omitted.
The theory isn't about becoming the best in the world. It's about achieving "greatness" or "success." Most people can't even run a marathon, much less do so in under 3 hours. I don't see how you could call someone unsuccessful who can do so.
This kind of crazy promise sidelines real athletes working hard for many years. Many athletes working hard were in his shadow in the media. Media spots are very important for non-professional athletes as they depend on sponsorships and donations. I find it very disrespectful.
How is someone practicing 6 hours a day, 6 days a week for 6 years with the intention of going pro not a "real athlete working hard for many years?"
That's what I don't understand about all the negative replies in this thread. What defines a "real athlete" if it's not a whole lot of hard work? How does quantifying the effort make it less real?
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#157I'm not fond of all these attention grabbing hotshots. Gladwell's theory is completely bogus. A guy in UK tried to do that for Marathon and aimed to become an olympian. He did a lot of media and called his upcoming documentary "The Road to Beijing". He didn't make it, and wasn't even close (from what I remember it was 2:40 or 2:45). Then he went to Ethiopia and picked a protege. His protege was fast but didn't win a…
The theory isn't about becoming the best in the world. It's about achieving "greatness" or "success." Most people can't even run a marathon, much less do so in under 3 hours. I don't see how you could call someone unsuccessful who can do so.
>"Most people can't even run a marathon, much less do so in under 3 hours."
// Most people don't try.
I think that most healthy people could walk (you said "run") a marathon if they desired to. even if you walked for 2 miles an hour and had a 10 minute break that would be 17 hours of effort. 3mph is the usually quoted walking speed.
Perhaps I'm wrong.
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#158From the article
>'Dan spent last month in St. Petersburg because winters are winters in the Pacific Northwest. "If I could become a professional golfer," he said one afternoon, "the world is literally open to any options for anybody."'
// The world is 'open to any options for anybody' who can write a novel book, do a lecture and has $100,000 USD to fall back on whilst they train for their new venture ...
If he's done the experiment first, then written the book and done the lectures it would have a greater validity IMO.
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
And one of two things will be true at the end of his experiment; He'll be playing in the PGA, or he won't. In both cases he has learned a number of valuable things Though one could argue that "learning an important lesson" isn't enough payoff for six whole years of your life. "Well," he can say, "I spent six years of my life, and fuck-knows-how-many hundred thousand dollars in lost earning potential, and I still didn…
Its an interesting argument hugh3, that the learning is insufficient payoff for 6 years of your life, but the cynic in my says the same could be said of going to college and coming out with a masters degree is Celtic Literature of the medieval period. (6 years, little employment in the field, not a Phd so you probably can't get a teaching job, etc etc). Lets say he does make it into the PGA, and plays for four years…
Well, chances are you'll have a better tan & more vitamin D. Yet I can't imagine that you can get a masters in Celtic Literature of any period without studying something other than Celtic Literature. You will have a bachelors degree as well, with more to it than quite a few of the degrees out there.
Re: Can a complete novice become a golf pro with 10,000 hours of practice?
#160I just wish he'd tried this on an actual sport.
braces for down votes from Golf fans