Fairy Dust and Truth Serum

I have been in the golf business for over 40 years and it was late in my career when  I finally figured out something important. One of them is fairy dust and how it applies to golfers and the other is the truth about golf instruction.  I haven’t decided if nobody is aware of it or just chooses to ignore it.

Fairy Dust

Fairy dust is what I call natural talent or potential. I guess it could be described in a lot of different ways but I prefer to call it fairy dust because it doesn't apply only to golfers or just athletic ability.

 At birth everyone has fairy dust sprinkled on them in varying kinds and amounts. Sometimes it's in the form of athletic talent other times it may be in the form of musical talent or a great singing voice but certain individuals are just simply potentially more gifted than others.  They got more more fairy dust.

Truth

 The truth that nobody seems to be aware of is that we only get the fairy dust at birth. Nobody else has the ability to sprinkle it on us.  I think one reason golfers get so frustrated is they are often led to believe that with proper instruction or equipment there is no limit to how good they can become and this is a complete falsehood.  Saying that with proper teaching and enough lessons and practice any can become a scratch golfer is like saying with enough work and training everyone can be an accomplished musician, singer, or artist.

Unfortunately that just simply is not true.  When I was younger and played baseball and football I wanted to be able to run faster.  I learned that even with good athletic talent and hard work I could shave of a few tenths of a second off my speed but was never going to be able to run fast.  I didn’t get dusted with the speed potential at birth.

One of the things I did get was the power dust.  Even in little league I led the league in home runs and triples.  In golf I could hit the ball 300 yards as a teenager with balata golf balls and persimmon woods but even at that there were a few that got more of the dust than I did.  I don’t think you can learn it.  You are either born with it or you are not.  On average, most recreational golfers, according to Golf Digest, average somewhere around 195-205 yards with their drivers.

Research shows that most of them can improve by only around 11 percent .  That means 195 yards becomes 216 yards.  That is the amount of fairy dust they got at birth.  This unfortunate truth does not fit well in marketing of golf lessons and golf equipment but it is true nonetheless.  Any time averages are discussed there will be exceptions at both ends but the odds are against you.

The same is true with putting.  If you are a poor putter you can improve but only to a certain level.  If you don’t have the sprinkle of dust you will never be a great putter.

Have Fun

Golf is a wonderful game that can be played by all ages for a lifetime and anyone that has not tried is probably missing a wonderful experience.  The point here is to realize and accept your limitations but learn to have more fun doing it.

We hear all the time about lowering scores or hitting the ball better, etc. but how often do you hear anyone promising that you can have more fun.

For all but a very tiny percentage of people golf is just a hobby or a pastime like fishing or painting or many other things.  It is something you do for enjoyment.

Even if you can’t become a long hitter or a scratch player you can learn to have more fun while playing the game.

Think about what you enjoy the most in golf.  Surveys indicate hitting more good shots is more enjoyable for the average golfer but golf instruction seems to be fixated on shooting lower scores.

Which is more fun and gives you a bigger rush, shooting a lower score or hitting it stiff and making birdies and bragging to your buddies?  Since instruction seems to be fixed on scoring you are constantly being encouraged to hit to the middle of the green.  In a recent study it showed that golfers with handicaps in the 15 to 20 range only hit an average of slightly less than 4 greens a round.  If you are aiming at the middle of the green how many birdie putts will you have.  Unless you are a great putter the answer is none.

If you want to have more fun follow spots psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella’s advice.  Always pick a small, well defined target.  If you want to have more fun aim at the flag stick.  If you are successful you will have a short birdie putt.

Conclusion

We all have potential in some area and very few end up realizing their full potential .  I think that is the real point of golf instruction.  Helping people develop their potential and not building a perfect swing.  I also think we need to be honest with students and give them realistic expectations.

The talent we are born with is what we have.  Nobody can give us more later.

Once a player's knowledge level matches their talent level, more knowledge does not improve scoring or ball striking much.