Everyone has heard the saying “It’s just like riding a bike.” It seems to be used for everything. But what about golf? Is golf like riding a bike? Can it be picked right back up again after a significant layoff?
I think much of it has to do with your skill level. If you’re a golfer who’s used to shooting around par, but you come back after a long break and shoot an 80, something tells me you look at that differently than someone who shoots around 100, then comes back to shoot a 110.
Personally, I’ve never had a long enough break from golf to measure the result on myself. However, I’ve been around players on both ends of the spectrum and have had the opportunity to see what a long layoff has done to them. I’ll start with the good player.
I once played a few times in a local golf league. On one of the occasions, I played with a guy who was described to me as a scratch golfer and even a “borderline pro.” I guess this guy was so good, that he decided at one point in his life to quit his job and pursue a spot on the PGA Tour. Needless to say, since I was playing with him on an average local course, he didn’t make it. But somewhere between his attempt at a pro career, and a short time before we played together, he had taken a few years away from the sport. As I understand it, after failing to qualify, he felt like a failure and had no desire to go back to playing non-competitive golf. So he gave up the game entirely…for a few years anyway. But you wouldn’t have guessed that when I saw him!
Despite taking the game back up just over the prior couple of months leading up to our round, this guy went out and shot in the high 70’s while clearly playing with an “I don’t care” attitude. He was out there just playing with his buddies, relaxing, joking around and having fun. Some of the guys who had played with him years before told me that he would have been absolutely miserable and down-right pissed had he shot a 78 or so back then. But now, it’s no big deal. Good for him.
Now, at the other end of the spectrum, I had a guy ask me if I wanted to get out and play a round with him because he hadn’t gotten the chance since he had kids. Now again, we’re talking a few years since he had been out on the course. Before the kids, he was a golfer like me – happy when he breaks 100, which didn’t occur very often. And sure enough, when we got out on the course, he shot a 102.
So, is golf like riding a bike? Once you know how to play, do you always know how to play? Can you take a few years off and pick back up right where you left off? From the two experiences I’ve had with people who have done so, it would seem that, yes, you can in fact do so. But is that the same for everyone? Would it be the same for me? Personally I hope to never find out.
Even riding a bike is not easy for some people. It requires focus and balance.