There are more than a few amateur golfers that one day dream of becoming a professional player. Professionals are the players that take part in the big events, the ones that take home the trophies, and the ones that earn the admiration of those around them.
There is no 10-step program to becoming a professional; it can take many years of hard work and sacrifice before being considered a pro, and there are certain skills that a player will have to develop along the way if they want any chance of making it big.
Patience
One of the most common failing among amateur players is a lack of patience. This can either mean feeling extremely frustrated to the point of it affecting the game, or completely losing their temper and throwing their club across the greens – a lot more common than many realise. Professionals are the ones that can maintain their patience throughout; to keep sight of their goal and to not let small frustrations, mistakes, and mishaps ruin their chances.
It might seem like a strange skill to develop – after all, most players believe that working on their swing is more important – but without adequate patience on the course in what can be an extremely frustrating game, becoming a true pro will be almost impossible.
Short Game
One of the biggest differences between a casual player and a professional is where they put more of their time. Casual players tend to put a lot of their focus on improving their swing thinking that it will make the biggest difference to their game while on the course. A professional player knows that ultimate success comes, instead, from perfecting their short game.
Getting a swing right is one of the first skills that a golfer learns, but it’s getting good at putting toward the end of the round that really makes the difference at the end of the game. This is where the player not only needs to put their skills into practise, but it’s where their emotions need to be kept in check, similar to winning often in Canadian gambling. Being able to maintain momentum and get that ball into the hole is a valuable skill to develop.
The Right Equipment
This isn’t technically a skill, but it’s as important as anything else, as most professionals can attest to. And this is also a barrier of entry to a lot of people – not everyone is able to afford the cost of having custom-made golf gear designed for their stature and play style.
Nevertheless, there’s no denying that having the right equipment on hand when on the course makes a massive difference to how successful a player is going to be. Investing the time and money into getting custom gear made will often leave players incredibly surprised once they take it out on to the course for the first time. For those that have their heart set on being a professional, putting the money into a quality set of gear is always worth the investment.