Progressing Beyond a Golf Swing: An Issue of Uncommon Skill

So you can swing a golf club.  Big deal.  Golf swings that are decent enough to play consistently well are a dime a dozen, yet so many of these players still very bluntly stink.  To logically decide what must be done next in order to play golf well, the mystery of “a golf swing is hard” needs to be solved first.  A few of the next specific questions to be asked and answered are, why do so many consider a golf swing to be difficult to perform, exactly who are the players that believe this fallacy, and how can this indoctrinated attitude be corrected?  While not the only reason the golf industry has lost masses of players in recent years, the portrayal by many “masterminds” these days that a golf swing is more sophisticated than most other learned endeavors has surely contributed some to that exodus.  While I admit that aids such as computer swing analysis programs can be helpful and supportive teaching tools in the right hands, this same technology has also opened the door for some new (and quite worthless) golf swing theories from some, which have sadly started to give golf a distinctive “reputation.”  One effect of this is that more people are deciding to move on to something more enjoyable for themselves.  This direction will likely continue until golfers and the industry see the light.

Now the human condition is one thing that is indeed complex, and a belief that a golf swing is difficult can be arrived at in an infinite number of ways.  As result of this, I find that comparing outlooks and beliefs at totally opposite ends of a spectrum can offer intriguing insights as to why something occurs.  A well-rounded comprehension of the situation(s) can thus be established.  This is the approach I will take in answering the questions put forth above.

I begin with casual golfers, who while naturally trying to improve like all others, rarely play in a golf season by choice or other circumstances.  In the most extreme cases, I am referring to those who play no more than a few times a year, ride in a cart for eighteen holes, drink plenty of beer while playing, and score maybe 100 give or take by the end of the round.  I am not talking here about bona fide beginners, but rather a lifestyle that a certain segment of golfers maintain for years on end.  Now if you need any more proof about how much talent is required to swing a golf club effectively, consider this.  In how many other athletic endeavors can you find someone in that condition who never completely misses the ball, and who is still able to make decent and consistent enough shot contact to average only about one and one-half shots more per any given hole than some of the best golfers on the planet?  That is pretty “staggering.”  Some remark that golf if not even a legitimate “sport.”  This is indeed true with respect to many players and is yet another indicator of true golf swing difficulty.  To be continued.