All the gear no idea...

[Oddsocks]

I know there is a common debate about gps and range finders slowing up play, and as a rule ive always been against it, i cant see how a gps could slow up play until this weekend.

We played a course local, and while standing on the 13th tee, a shortish par4 a guy walks across from the 9th tee to in front of the 13th tee. hes retrieving he's tee shot/drive up the 9th. Now to get to this position he must have shanked a driver 100 yards max on a angle of at least 45-50* the right, which is weird considering the hole is a par4 dogleg left, infact to get to where it was its almost a duff shank...

Anyway, he pushes he's snazzy 4 wheel trolley up in front of our tee, so after a little chuckle we stand back and wave him to play as the green still isnt clear. he proceeds to walk about 10 yards closer to hes ball onto the tee to get a line of where he has to play.... Out with the bushnell for a pin distance... couple of mins later walks back to he's ball... looks at he's clubs and frowns... he must have a good 220 yards uphill carry to the pin, and given that the previous shot is a 100 yard shank, he decides hes going for the green. Out with a hybrid, nice swing... Duff.... 15 yards tops and is now pretty much where he stood to get a length reading the first time. repeats the same pre shot routine... DUFF #2 and it now on hes own hole but about 180 yards from the green.

As he walked past i had a peek at the kit, was a nice 4 wheeled trolley, big old tour bag with gps attached, a good mix of current model bats, and a swing that belonged to an axe murderer.

This has to be the best example of all the gear no idea golf... unless someone else has a contender

 

[Brookesy]

I know exactly what you mean lol the problem i see more at our club is on the greens.
People will take ages to read there putt and instead of reading it when someone else is putting they wait until their partner has putted out and they then begin to read there own putt!

Also annoys me when they read a 1-2foot putt and take ages!

 

[Lump]

I know exactly what you mean lol the problem i see more at our club is on the greens.
People will take ages to read there putt and instead of reading it when someone else is putting they wait until their partner has putted out and they then begin to read there own putt!

Also annoys me when they read a 1-2foot putt and take ages!

I don't mind slow putters too much. Aslong as they do there thing on the green and then move off quickly. I have a routine for putting and I stick too it even on 2 footers.

 

[Brookesy]

Its when they leave there bags on the opposite side of the green that the next tee is on!

 

[CMAC]

I know there is a common debate about gps and range finders slowing up play, and as a rule ive always been against it, i cant see how a gps could slow up play until this weekend.

I dont think the GPS or range finder played any part in this guys slow play

 

[Oddsocks]

I dont think the GPS or range finder played any part in this guys slow play

granted, but i dont think the 3 pre shot routines with a range finder helped. if he cant hit a fairway 125 yards wide, hes not going to hit a green 220 yards away when he has elevated tee's, trees and bunkers to carry is he.

 

[jp5]

Its when they leave there bags on the opposite side of the green that the next tee is on!

Ah but what happens when you leave your approach shot off to the side of the green on the opposite side to the next tee?

Do you leave your bag on the tee side, walk across the green and chip, back to bag to fetch putter, hole out. Or take your bag with you, chip and then switch for the putter straight away, hole out but then your bag is on the wrong side.

I've always wondered the best strategy...

 

[Bratty]

Ah but what happens when you leave your approach shot off to the side of the green on the opposite side to the next tee?

Do you leave your bag on the tee side, walk across the green and chip, back to bag to fetch putter, hole out. Or take your bag with you, chip and then switch for the putter straight away, hole out but then your bag is on the wrong side.

I've always wondered the best strategy...

I would take my bag over and chip. Then chip again from the same side. Then take my bag round to the correct side... and chip back on. Then go and mark and putt. Not what I want to do, but often what I end up doing!
Seriously though, I would take my bag over and chip on. Then if I'm furthest away, I'll go and putt, then mark and take my bag round, pausing as needed. If I'm not, I'll ask someone to mark my ball if it's in their way, and then walk round while they prepare to putt, pausing as needed.

 

[Dave B]

If you think it's bad with golf you should see some match anglers, £2K + 16m pole, £600+ box, 1/2 a dozen £200 rods and not a chance of winning anything.

The point is they are the ones that keep on coming back in the hope of improving and it's anglers and golfers like this who help to fund equipment development and sponsorship for the better anglers/players. You may knock it but if they like it, leave them to it. After all they can only improve.

 

[wull]

more money than sense springs to mind.....

i like "swing like an axe murderer" lol!!!

i've seen a few like them but to be fair,they wouldn't hit much haha.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You clearly haven't teed off at Leatherhead on a Sunday morning and followed a few groups of gents and ladies from the Far East.

 

[Dreamer2]

great reading from the start,,my frame of mind is to play the part before looking the part, still over the top though with all the gear,if that sort of play Carry's on he will get less than half the price he payed for is gear on fleeeebay (ebay)

 

[theknife]

its ridiculous the amount people spend on gear who have no idea.....if they spent some cash on some lessons they'd probably get a lot further lol

 

[G1BB0]

unfortunately I am a bit obsessed with matching stuff up (or should that read as was)

I have now reached the conclusion that its not about the gear or having a nice looking bag but what you actually do with it.

My bag still looks f'ing sweet though

 

[backwoodsman]

Just to put the other side of the argument though...

Is it ok for good golfers to have top end gear? 'Course it is. How many were "good" from day one? Not many. So most people started with low end gear then spent loads of money swapping & improving their kit as their game improved? So what's wrong with starting with top end stuff and saving yourself a shed load of money on the interim purchases?

 

[Oddsocks]

woodsman, i quite agree, my point may have been somewhat missed. IM all for people buying quality gear, 2 players in our group this year had exchanged their cheap non branded poor quality kit for a complete new decent rig out that will see them good for 5 years from their current hc of 25 & 26 respectively, down to mid teens if not lower. at no point did i say that a high hc player cannot have all the gear.

My point is the guy has shanked a drive on a 45/50* angle 100 yards max, now again we have all done that at one point of another, even mid cappers do it. but my point is know your game enough to know when and when not to have a great big long pre shot routine for a shot that most cat/cat2 players couldnt take on.

He already knew the distance for hes 3rd shot, because that is where he used the range finder in hes pre shot routine for the 2nd shot that he ballsed up. yet he still found it a need to go through the hole role again, and again when he scuttled 3rd back onto hes fairway. truth is he had no chance in making that shot if hes was playing percentage golf based on hes own game, he was a good 200-220 yards away from an elevated and quite hard to hit green, then factor in the fact of a elevated tee box, trees, rough lie etc... it was never going to happen

he would have done better walking up, something like a 6/7./8iron back into play, then scope it, with something like 120/130 into the green... but to go through that same pre shot routine 3 times after shanking a drive and while crossing someone elses hole was both laughable and in all honesty rude, as he then held us up with hes pre shout routines for a shot he couldnt play.:temper:

Ps noticed your from south london too, drop me a pm if you fancy a game, but leave your flight scope indoors

 

[upanddown]

I have more of an issue with those who comment on guys who have all the gear and no idea.

If they wish to spend their hard earned cash on the best equipment, then so be it.

 

[Oddsocks]

up and down.. see my above reply. like you and them i enjoy spending on golf goodies, my issue isnt with the kit, mot the self beleif for a shot behond their capability.

 

[upanddown]

up and down.. see my above reply. like you and them i enjoy spending on golf goodies, my issue isnt with the kit, mot the self beleif for a shot behond their capability.

Fair play mate, totally understand where you are coming from.

I cannot abide slow play, if anything I would say I hinder my game by rushing along at times.

The guy could be maybe sticking to a routine that he is comfortable with, as most folk tell you do the same thing all the time, stick to a routine. Problem with this is that alot of peoples routines (like this guy) take forever and a day.

Lets blame the teaching pros for turning us into creatures of habit.

 

[backwoodsman]

I do actually see where you're coming from. ie Them who have all the gear and no idea..... about course management. If you've stuffed it just a hundred yards in totally the wrong direction, then you should be walking to the ball, pulling out a club and quickly putting the ball back somewhere in play. Then worry about the green. Ok there are those who could have had an aberration off the tee and could be capable of putting it onto the green - and so should weigh up their shot carefully. But the op made clear this wasn't one of those - as good players don't have several aberrations on the trot (?)