Pro Vs. Avg Joe- Skill Gap

[thrembo]

Last year I played in a tournament with the 1st round being singles, and the 2nd round being a seeded round of best shot doubles. We used the pro tees for both rounds. I shot a +27 on the 1st round and a -6 on the 2nd round with my pro...

[BigSky]

Originally Posted by dmk1978

Big sky is coming...

Somebody rang?

Thank you for making a new thread. I feel bad about the derail in the Prodigy thread.

[bholy08]

Originally Posted by Widdershins

Between the average Pro and the average Am 1 the difference in talent is small. The Pro is better at consistency, putting and playing under pressure. So any given round the Am might score better than the Pro. It is a coin flip who has better power.

The difference between a top Pro and an average Pro is huge. The gap is the size of a small ocean (and there are no small oceans ). Average Pros throw few rounds which equal the top Pros handicap rating. When the top Pro is hot the average Pro is left in the dust.

At a World Championships any of the top 30 Pros have a chance to win it all, unless one of the top 5 catches fire, then only the top 5 have a chance to keep up. Like the year EMac won it in Indiana. If Feldberg or Climo or Nikko had a great week then EMac would have been an also ran. The same when Jenkins won it in Iowa. None of the top players had a good enough week and he snuck in.

As far as a casual player is concerned, he can't tell the difference between an average Pro and McBeth. Both can do what he never dreamed of.

Ball golf has little relationship to disc golf in terms of skill gaps. Ball golf is so, so ,so much more difficult that the gaps are much bigger. Most any good athlete could take up disc golf and rise to the cashing Pro ranks in a year. Most exceptional athletes could not earn a tour card if they spent a decade trying.

very insightful post!

[thrembo]

Another time, in a pro-am doubles tournament, there just happend to be 2 more ams than there were pros, so I ended up paired with the other am. They gave us a 3 stroke bonus, but we still came in easily in last place...

[thrembo]

Mark Ellis challenged me and my friend (an int/adv) to a round once where we would play best shot vs him (at the original Kensington course). We never had a chance...

[DISCenchanted]

The difference to me between a top-level pro and a seasoned am is not so much in ability as much as confidence and consistent execution. Basically it boils down to a solid mental game as MJ said, the ability to perform at a high level under pressure.

But sometimes the difference between pros and ams isn't all that huge. I played in my first PDGA sanctioned event this past Spring, the St. Louis Open. After two lukewarm rounds the first day, including one on my home course, I shot a hot round(the best round of my life) on Sunday shooting a 64(par 66) on a very long and challenging course. That easily took 1st for the round in INT and tied the top ADV score, putting me in the final 9 and taking 3rd overall. I found out later that Nikko had lost his cool and posted a 60 on the same course. I was just in the zone that day, all my shots were on and I didn't hardly miss a putt. The difference between me and the pros is that they can perform on that level day in and day out, when I can only do it once or twice a season.

[PMcBeth]

Not being cocky or anything like that but I took up golf about a month ago and shot a 85 in the first 2 weeks ill say that is playing everyday but i know if I want to go pro i'd have to puts years in just like anyone who want to.become a full time pro player.... Anyone can stay local and play.... It's almost like comparing a local top golf pro to tiger or rory and putting them both at the Masters. Wont even be close yet they both are scratch golfers

[Pwingles]

Originally Posted by PMcBeth

Not being cocky or anything like that but I took up golf about a month ago and shot a 85 in the first 2 weeks ill say that is playing everyday but i know if I want to go pro i'd have to puts years in just like anyone who want to.become a full time pro player.... Anyone can stay local and play.... It's almost like comparing a local top golf pro to tiger or rory and putting them both at the Masters. Wont even be close yet they both are scratch golfers

this

[BionicRib]

I really don't think there are enough disc golfer out there to really answer this question properly. The more "natural" athletes start to get into the sport (which is already happening more and more) the harder it will be IMO to be a 900, 950, 1000 and 1040 rated player.

To take a stab at it......because I did play a lot of ball golf when I was younger, I would say the largest separation is putting and the mental aspect. The guys that are at the elite level are just downright fearless when it comes to putting......I'm a 943 rated player and I see those 1000 plus guys run putts that I wouldn't dare try to actually make (I'm more happy laying up for a tap in).....just my two cents.

[Emoney]

I have played with many local 1000 rated players but they played local, one guy traveled and was 1000 rated and he was hands down the best of the group but even then u put him in the spotlight with mcbeast or mj and hd would be out of his league.

This thread is dumb, i will state some facts.., can i hit a 340yard drive like tiger right up the gut...yes, but i will shoot high 90s cause i prolly will only do that once every 4 rounds.
Can lebron james beat me in disc golf. HELL NO! Can i hang with him on the court? I can dunk, i can shoot a 3 and make it. The answer is NO..,,

DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE WHERE IM GOIN WITH THIS?

Close thread