Rick Shiels PGA Golf Coach & Best Selling Author
Going Pro – What’s Your Golfing Dirty Little Secret?
We all have our own dirty little secrets and I am no different. Mine is that I am a frustrated golf pro!
I love the game of golf, I really do. I would play all day every day if my body could handle it. Alas it can’t, so instead I like to write about playing golf and give advice on how to play the game.
But, if you were to ask me what my dream job was, then it would be as a golf professional at a local golf club. It’s something I tried to achieve many years ago and failed. Let me tell you why…
Can you remember the moment you decided to become a pro golfer?
I can, it was in 2008. I was 24 years old and playing my first round as a single figure handicapper. I’d just finished my university degree and had decided to go full time with my golf, becoming a professional golfer.
The feeling of freedom was amazing, I no longer had a boss telling me what to do, I could stay in bed all day if I wanted or play golf all day if I wanted. It was pure bliss.
But it didn’t take me long to realise that this wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. The life of a professional golfer is hard work and there is no guarantee of success.
Which brings me on to the title of this video, what is your golfing dirty little secret? You see most people have one and they are dirty because they are usually negative thoughts that we keep hidden away deep inside our minds.
Mine used to be that I would never make it as a professional golfer, but now every time that thought pops into my head (which it still does) I dismiss it straight away as rubbish because it doesn’t serve me in any way.
Think
If you haven’t heard of Rick Shiels, you must be living under a golfing rock. He is one of the most popular golfers on YouTube and he’s also one of the best in the world. He has over 600,000 subscribers and his videos have been viewed well over 100 million times.
He has a really good golf swing. I mean really good. It’s no wonder why he’s so popular on YouTube.
But he didn’t start out that way. In fact, his first few years as a professional golfer were anything but glamorous.
In this article, we are going to look at the dirty little secret that Rick Shiels doesn’t want you to know about: how he went from being a nobody golfer to the
I’m going to tell you a story that may help you to understand what it takes to become a professional golfer. And this story is based on my own experiences, the experiences of people I know and the experience of some of my students.
The problem with the dream of becoming a professional golfer is that most people only see the success stories and because of this, they don’t understand how hard it actually is to make it as a pro. They totally underestimate the amount of work and dedication it takes. The reality is that for every person who does make it, there are many more who don’t.
So, why don’t they make it? Well one reason is that they take their eyes off the ball so to speak; they lose focus, get distracted by something else or simply run out of money.
The point I am trying to make here is that if you want to become a pro golf player, you have to be prepared for any situation – good or bad – because in all honesty making it as a pro is not easy!
But… If you have your eyes on the prize and are prepared for anything, then there is no reason why you can’t succeed and live your dream!
I don’t know how many of you reading this were able to watch the Golf Channel’s ‘Going Pro’ show that we filmed last August. It was a surreal and amazing experience for me, even though I knew that I had absolutely no chance at a pro career. But it got me thinking…what if? So I thought I would share my thoughts with you all on what the reality of going pro is like compared to the dream!
I’ve had the privilege of playing golf with some awesome pros over the years and there are some striking similarities between them. They have all been passionate about the game since they were kids and have sacrificed so much for their love of golf. They all have incredible work ethics, practicing religiously (no pun intended) and working hard on every aspect of their games as well as their fitness levels. I am in awe at how good they are at promoting themselves and their sponsors through social media, blogs and YouTube channels, which is something that just isn’t part of my skill set! They all know exactly what they want from the game of golf and have no fear in chasing their dreams.
So what are these guys doing that I’m not?! It might sound obvious but they are so
For years I’ve been asked the same question: “when are you going to turn pro?” But that question always seems to be followed by another one: “Is it hard to turn professional?”
I never used to be able to answer that because I didn’t have a clue what it was like at the time!
But now, nine years after making my first YouTube video and two years on from going part-time as a Golf Professional, I thought it would be interesting to share how my journey has gone.
Everyone has their own story and I’m no different. The only thing that makes me stand out is that I make YouTube videos.
Rick Shiels has been a PGA Golf Professional for more than 10 years and started making YouTube videos on his channel four years ago. He loves creating golf-related content on his YouTube channel that is factual, informative, fun and entertaining. His videos includes golf tips, equipment reviews, on-course videos, news shows and golf lessons. Rick absolutely loves coaching golf, and he has setup his first golf academy in Lytham (UK). Quest Golf Studio is where he calls home, and it has the latest equipment that can help any golfer improve and better understand their golf games. You can book a lesson with Rick here [questgolf.co.uk/](http://www.questgolf.co.uk/) or via his social media channels below.
Rick Shie…