aitrocious.com/c/5XDyS5?f=gifs&q=15&noflip=1&ixid=dW5zcGxpdC5ydmFsaWM&cbid=7l1rI2Mjv0M6 But even after the “finesse is everything” approach, some players still struggle. What if that ball you are hitting doesn’t quite get on line? What if you can’t quite time it right to get that perfect putt to work? In my years coaching, the one thing I’ve learned is the value in practice. But it’s true of all sports, as your body and mind learn the fine and minute details of what it takes to master your sport. I’ve noticed a theme when working with our young adult players of late. They are frustrated with their performance, and I really want them to be. It’s not that I’m not patient or that I’m not trying to understand the emotions or the frustration, but it’s a topic that I haven’t addressed before. I know they can be pretty hard on themselves sometimes and have set very high goals, especially with this year’s trip to the United States Junior Girls’ Championship. A lot of good golfers go to junior nationals as an amateur. Sure, they make some of the biggest amateur wins in the game, but they still don’t get to wear that big “champion” hat. But a lot of junior players I talk to (or have to speak with) seem to want to skip a step. They want to go pro and turn pro from the very start, almost like a teenager wanting to get their driver’s license, all without ever having driven a car. It isn’t that I’m suggesting this is impossible, it’s more that I think the game of golf can sometimes make this path seem more easily obtainable than it actually is. We aren’t selling an easy dream, but the reality of that decision is what I really want to address. That’s why the conversation I had with one of my young players stands out for me right now. At the time, he is a rising star in our organization. He is going to play in his first U.S. Junior Championships this year, and already has won two World Golf Junior Championships. The conversation went a little something like this: Player A: “I’ve heard it said that you will win a professional event when you’ve won a junior event. I don’t know if I understand that, but it seems that if you win something like that junior event, it is easier to get a sponsorship, and if you win some big amateur events, it is even easier. I don’t know, I am not trying to sound smart, I just don’t understand the process.” My answer: I don’t want you to sound smart. I’ve said the same thing to my players before. To win a professional event you must win a lot of professional events. It really is that simple. I want to win a lot of pro events. Player A: “I don’t get it. There are tons of guys that win local pro events every week, and they have sponsors, and I am trying to get that same opportunity. Why does it seem like I have to win a junior event, and then be sponsored?” And that is when it hit me: I shouldn’t use that example anymore. At the end of the day, this conversation was a lot like what we discuss when we discuss how hard the game can be. Maybe you don’t see that, or maybe you think I am just saying it because I don’t like the kid, but I hope you get it. There are so many good young players with so much talent, and yet there are even more that don’t get the opportunity to display that talent and show the world that talent. If you are good enough to go pro, you probably already have won enough amateur events to have sponsors knocking down your door. You just need the professional tournament wins to start them coming in. You just have to play more tournaments. I mean, did you ever expect to play golf when you were younger? No, because it was hard. Did you ever expect to play golf at a higher level than your age group when you were younger? No, because it was hard. I guess I am just having a hard time with the same player now being frustrated with losing a match when he already has the talent and the tools he needs to win. I guess I am worried about how easy it could be for one or two talented kids to get ahead of everybody else when the truth is they are where they need to be. They are on the right track. But like any other sport, golf can sometimes make you feel like the only thing standing between yourself and a professional win is a junior win. In the end, there are some things you just have to do, and you have to work your way through them. Sometimes we can’t change them. Sometimes there is nothing to be done. And in those cases, all you can do is keep moving on and keep working. That’s how you work your way through the game and how you will eventually win. About the Author: Mike Schlueter is a senior technical director at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He’s also a freelance writer for a variety of golf publications, including www.golfdigest.com, among others. You can contact Schlueter on Twitter, @m_schlueter, or on the web, mschlueter.com. Comments (5) Mike, your first paragraph is spot-on, and is a great reminder for the game of golf. Golf, like any other endeavor in life, requires great work to become great. Your kids, as the last paragraph suggested, will be better served if they focus their efforts to win more and more amateur and professional tournaments. “Don’t let anyone ever tell you that good things don’t happen to good people because that’s simply not true.” ~Jim Valvano Great article – thanks. I agree with everything you say. To succeed in golf it takes more than “hitting the shot” but requires the ability to handle loss, frustration and to bounce back. With regard to this I would like to refer to a piece I wrote in GolfWorld last month. Your point on “finesse is everything” and that some players can win with finesse may be true for the short game and putting. But for the longer game of scoring points in the fairways and woods, finesse will not always work. I find the same thing happens in football. Sometimes players with tremendous skill cannot score points against teams with strong defenses. Or, on the flip side, a strong defense that can prevent big runs is a strong defensive team with little finesse. The game is not just a game of “hitting the shot” but a game of “outscoring the other players.” In that sense, the strongest teams have the best all-around skill and fitness. The best golfers understand that and adjust their games accordingly. Thanks, Mark Barron VP of Golf at IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. Also a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) and strength and mobility coach. Author of many articles and