I often wonder if watching professional golf help my golf game. There is no question in my mind that these athletes can perform an a regular basis, however as an aging amateur, I am not sure what they do applies to my game development. I mean, they hit the ball at least 4o to 50 yards farther than me off the tee; hit their irons a country mile; they can putter reasonably well; and they are as slow as molasses trying to roll up hill in January. Nothing they do applies to my game. So, other that watching professional golf for entertainment, I see no value in what they do that helps my golf game. Do you?
To be fair, I do enjoy watching the Majors and that is about it. I used to try and catch hours of play during regular tournaments, but now I find it is a waste of time. The pace of play is far too slow and the announcers do not keep my attention. I try to watch for situational learning tips and find that even this is not worth my time. Even the Ryder Cup did not capture my interest this year. Maybe it is me, but watching professional golf on TV is less of a draw now than ever.
I am not going to discuss the fracture of professional golf into LIV and the PGA. It is a rabbit hole discussion that watered down both leagues.
I do try to watch videos on how to improve my game and I use them at The Grateful Golfer often. The trick to these videos is that I must try on incorporate them into my training time. I usually give most videos a try and with the state of my game, just practicing is a good idea. For beginners just learning to play golf, watching simple training videos is far more advantageous that watching professionals play golf. Of course, that is just my opinion and it is not based on anything research or data collection.
To be fair, my opinion is not the end all to beat all. As a senior player, I am making my decision on what works for my game and only my game. You will have to decide for yourself. The flip side to the coin about watching professional golfers on TV is this:
“If you’re paying attention, you can learn a lot to improve your golf swing, grip, putting performance and more from listening to course commentators and watching the pros. Right from the start you’ll hear commentators discussing and breaking down a golfer’s stance, their strategy for the first shot, and their finish.” (https://redlandsmesa.com/how-watching-golf-can-make-you-a-better-golfer/)
After a search on this topic, the above paragraph seems to be the consensus on watching professional golf.
Watching golf to improve your game does take some effort. Seeing the players hit booming drives or watching them play out of difficult lies is entertaining, however focusing on the decision making can help your game to a degree. I guess it all comes down to what you are looking for or what your golf game needs to improve. Personally, there is another way to improve your game by using the experience of professional golfers.
A golf lesson from your local professional is probably the best idea to improving your golf game. These teaching professionals generally understand you your game needs by watching your swing a golf club. They can help with course management and are there as a valuable resource if you are looking to lower your golf scores. Personally, I recommend talking to your local professional to see if they can help your game or not.
The bottom line is you have to make your own decision on whether watching professional golf on TV is worth your time. For many, if offers entertainment value and that is a good thing for sure. If it helps improve your game than that is a double win. Regardless of what you decide, remember to be grateful and have fun!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
