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Do you carry a provisional ball in your pocket?

Do you carry a provisional ball in your pocket?

  • Yes

    Votes: 54 34.2%

  • No

    Votes: 104 65.8%
  • Total voters
    158
... and I should just add that if I'm playing with someone who fails to do the same, and then has to walk effectively 200 yards before reloading, they will be subject to my fiercest death stare.

I also feel that if you're fragile enough mentally to be affected by the mere presence of another ball, you're proabably too fragile mentally full-stop!
 
JezzE said:
Don't carry one in my pocket, but there are a couple of holes where you leave your bag and walk back to the tee at my place, on one hole the best part of 100 yards. So I'll usually take an extra ball back with me then, and chuck it down behind me out of sight on the tee, to 'kid' myself that I do trust myself really!
Click to expand...

We have a hole like that so I do the same. I have forgotten how many times I have left my "provisional" on the tee for the group behind to find.
 
JezzE said:
... and I should just add that if I'm playing with someone who fails to do the same, and then has to walk effectively 200 yards before reloading, they will be subject to my fiercest death stare.

I also feel that if you're fragile enough mentally to be affected by the mere presence of another ball, you're proabably too fragile mentally full-stop!
Click to expand...

Surely it takes being too fragile mentally in your own ability to carry one tho? ... ;)
 
Last edited:
No - don't carry one in my pocket - distracting - and certainly never take an additional ball to the tee on a hole with a risky tee shot - negative thinking begets negative doing
 
I keep 1 in my pocket.

My 'top of head' statistics indicate that whenever I have one in my pocket, I'm likely to hit the proper one well!

It's when I don't have one in my pocket that a provisional is most likely to be needed! :whistle:

Is your house insured? Do you expect to use the insurance?

Does the government expect to use any of the 200+ Nuclear weapons?
 
Last edited:
JezzE said:
I also feel that if you're fragile enough mentally to be affected by the mere presence of another ball, you're proabably too fragile mentally full-stop!
Click to expand...

Quite possibly!

In my case it's not so much the presence of the ball as avoiding the "don't hit it right" thought which is usually somewhat self-fulfilling. By digging a provisional out from my bag I'm already thinking about it....

Although, might be different if instead of digging it out specifically for that tee shot I just kept one in my pocket all the way round. Might try that approach.....
 
No, but only because it doesn't feel comfortable to have too many things in my pockets.
 
Ethan said:
Of course not. I don't carry a ball retriever in my bag either.
Click to expand...

Is the right answer :thup:

Besides, it's impossible to carry a provisional ball in your pocket. Until something happens in your game to force you to declare it a provisional, it is just a ball :D
 
fundy said:
yep, always do, always have. defeatist? distracting? really? just standard practise to me - some of you way overthink lol
Click to expand...

I just never have carried a spare ball - why would I as I carry. Stick a spare ball in my pocket and I am very aware of it being there - so I don't. And for me taking a ball to be a provisional on a tricky tee shot is negative because I would be walking to the tee thinking risky tee shot.
 
Never carry a provisional. But to avoid even having to think about it I ALWAYS take my bag with me to the tee.
 
Last edited:
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
I just never have carried a spare ball - why would I as I carry. Stick a spare ball in my pocket and I am very aware of it being there - so I don't. And for me taking a ball to be a provisional on a tricky tee shot is negative because I would be walking to the tee thinking risky tee shot.
Click to expand...

fair enough if you carry, its those who use a trolley, leave the trolley 150 yards up the fairway then hit it out of town and dont have one that I find amusing - can i borrrow a ball please? - no enjoy your walk :p
 
JezzE said:
... and I should just add that if I'm playing with someone who fails to do the same, and then has to walk effectively 200 yards before reloading, they will be subject to my fiercest death stare.

!
Click to expand...

How does that death stare hold up when you carve your original AND the provisional OB Jezz :eek: ;)
 
not now. I used to when I pretty much had to use one all of the time when I was rubbish. Now I am slightly less rubbish, I don't often need one!
 
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