Possible turning pro

Question
Hey Paul.
Someday, I would like to turn pro. I am 20 years old. I can shoot mid-80s. I would like to turn pro in my late 20s.I know I need to practice as much as I can. But, I work around 50 hours a week, so I am kind of limited on time. Is it possible to turn pro if i dont practice 5 or 6 hours everyday?

Answer
Hi Eric,

The short answer to your question is "yes"...it's possible.

I get questions similar to yours more than any other question and I always try to give a realistic answer.  Here's what you need to understand:  Other young men your age that are also desiring to make their living playing tournament golf are getting top coaching, are playing in tournaments appropriate to their age (i.e. college golf in your case) and are working very hard on their games.  Since you must work a real job while working on your game, you're at a disadvantage.  But that doesn't mean that you can't succeed.

Hitting a lot of golf balls is less important than playing in lots of events.  But your swing needs to be good enough to produce good, predictable ball flight.  It's probably more important for you to have a good swing coach because you don't have time to work it out by trial and error.

And you need to spend at least half of your practice time on shots inside 100 yards.  That's every kind of wedge shot including bunker shots and putting.

The bottom line:  In order to compete with the top players wanting to get on tour, you need to have a legitimate USGA handicap of PLUS 4 or better.  Not a lot of people ever get that good.

Of course, if you love the game and want to spend your life working in the game, you can also opt for becoming a club pro, teaching pro or golf coach.  It doesn't pay as well but can still be a rewarding career.

I hope my advice helps you.

Sincerely,

Paul Dolman