How good are caddies ?

[Jaco]

Just wondering how good the caddies for the top pros are at the game? It’s clear how integral they are to a successful round, and certainly not just bag carriers, but are they scratch golfers themselves? It looks a great job.

 

[Orikoru]

I think a lot of them would be, but it depends. Some golfers prefer their caddies to be a lot less involved than others. Sometimes they are more about keeping the golfer mentally comfortable than for giving them shot advice. It depends on the golfer and what they want I guess.

 

[SteveW86]

Fleetwood’s caddy is pretty handy I think

 

[Sports_Fanatic]

Full range from former pros to a wife or friend on the bag whose just there for support and mental game. Taking a quick look, Rory's caddie, who often gets stick it seems for being there due to friendship, represented Ireland and got to a +2 handicap.

Think I also remember the story of one caddie missing an event as he was competing himself to try and get a card, and if you take it to extremes Sophia Popov caddied for Anne Van Dam during Covid crisis and promptly won the Women's Open a few months later.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

It varies. I think there is now an ex-ET tour player on a bag and a lot have been single figure golfers. The likes of Westwood have their wife/partner on the bag. Even then I think Westwood has taught her what he wants to know in terms of distances, clubbing. Some have been on bags for decades and are quickly snapped up if and when they become available and others, a bit like golfers who have freshly earned their card are learning how to caddy at such a high level.

 

[Jaco]

Thanks, that’s really interesting. You’d think having a plus 2 handicapper would be a massive advantage over a wife or 28 handicapper. I think it’s nice that there is a wide variety of abilities on the bag. I’d love to caddy, even for a mate in the club championship. I’m always advising friends on their shots, usually whilst showing them how to triple bogey the same hole.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It varies. I think there is now an ex-ET tour player on a bag and a lot have been single figure golfers. The likes of Westwood have their wife/partner on the bag. Even then I think Westwood has taught her what he wants to know in terms of distances, clubbing. Some have been on bags for decades and are quickly snapped up if and when they become available and others, a bit like golfers who have freshly earned their card are learning how to caddy at such a high level.

I'm pretty sure Westwood makes all of the decisions now. His caddy, partner or son sometimes, pretty much carries the bag and keeps the clubs clean only. It's how he wants to do it now. Let's face it, he has played for enough years to know what club to play, the type of shot to hit.

Back to the OP, lots are very good golfers I believe. Enough to make you think very carefully if one asks to join you for a round and suggests playing for money ?

 

[cs1986]

Thanks, that’s really interesting. You’d think having a plus 2 handicapper would be a massive advantage over a wife or 28 handicapper.

Don't think that's strictly true. You look at football for example and great players don't always make great managers. Then someone like Jose Mourinho who was a professional footballer but not exactly a very good one, has won the top honours as a manager.

As has been said, some players will need a caddy for the mental side more than anything else. Depends on the golfer. To use another sport Jo Konta the British tennis player was ranked outside the top 100 for years and then in her mid 20s shot up to make the top 10, she credited that to hiring a mental coach. So she didn't feel her game was the issue but more the mental aspect.

I expect there will be people out there who are maybe 15-28 handicappers but can read a course and greens and analyse it's contours and where the ball needs to be superbly, they just can't execute it themself. Issue is how does a person like that ever get discovered as having a good golfing brain but just lacking the technical skills? Much more likely to get the opportunity to caddy if you are a top golfer already imo

 

[Bdill93]

Theres a great youtube video from Rick Shiels with a tour caddy on his bag! Worth a watch to see what the caddy actually brings to a pro's game! Course management seems to be the predominant thing

 

[IanM]

They are the same as doctors, dentists and lawyers....... good ones are worth their weight in gold, bad ones are very bad!

 

[Britishshooting]

I know Lee, Alex Norens caddy. He was off low singles / scratch and a solid player a few years back when he was a member at my local and I used to play with him now and then, his brother was also handy if not a little better actually and he went the green keeper route.

Not sure if he even plays golf these days as he moved down south and I imagine it takes a backseat, its a busy job for these guys really and if you are trying to juggle family life to assuming its not feasible to travel your family with you.

It's a great job but it requires full commitment, I imagine a typical week looks like:

Wednesday - Practice Round
Thursday - Comp Round
Friday - Comp Round
Saturday - Comp Round
Sunday - Comp Round
Monday - Travelling to next Venue
Tuesday - Measuring the course which will feed into the practice round also.


I'd imagine the vast majority of caddys are fairly solid golfers though but there are exceptions, some prefer those with psychological backgrounds that can help the mental mindset during a round and know the right things to say/do. I don't think it's overly critical that they are a scratch golfer. Take Brysons caddy the main reason he is on the bag is because he and his caddy are both fluent in the vector green reading system he uses and are both like to get a bit scientific. He was however also a very good amateur golfer reaching final stages of several championship events.

 

[Jaco]

Theres a great youtube video from Rick Shiels with a tour caddy on his bag! Worth a watch to see what the caddy actually brings to a pro's game! Course management seems to be the predominant thing

Thanks, I’ll look at that. Sounds interesting.

 

[Jaco]

Don't think that's strictly true. You look at football for example and great players don't always make great managers. Then someone like Jose Mourinho who was a professional footballer but not exactly a very good one, has won the top honours as a manager.

As has been said, some players will need a caddy for the mental side more than anything else. Depends on the golfer. To use another sport Jo Konta the British tennis player was ranked outside the top 100 for years and then in her mid 20s shot up to make the top 10, she credited that to hiring a mental coach. So she didn't feel her game was the issue but more the mental aspect.

I expect there will be people out there who are maybe 15-28 handicappers but can read a course and greens and analyse it's contours and where the ball needs to be superbly, they just can't execute it themself. Issue is how does a person like that ever get discovered as having a good golfing brain but just lacking the technical skills? Much more likely to get the opportunity to caddy if you are a top golfer already imo[/QUOTE

i was

Don't think that's strictly true. You look at football for example and great players don't always make great managers. Then someone like Jose Mourinho who was a professional footballer but not exactly a very good one, has won the top honours as a manager.

As has been said, some players will need a caddy for the mental side more than anything else. Depends on the golfer. To use another sport Jo Konta the British tennis player was ranked outside the top 100 for years and then in her mid 20s shot up to make the top 10, she credited that to hiring a mental coach. So she didn't feel her game was the issue but more the mental aspect.

I expect there will be people out there who are maybe 15-28 handicappers but can read a course and greens and analyse it's contours and where the ball needs to be superbly, they just can't execute it themself. Issue is how does a person like that ever get discovered as having a good golfing brain but just lacking the technical skills? Much more likely to get the opportunity to caddy if you are a top golfer already imo

I get what you mean and I thought of the same analogy myself, but it seems a little different to football management. Although the good managers generally weren’t world class players, they did play in the same sphere, i.e. pro sportsman (just less successful than the ones they manage), and although Fergie was obviously a massive influence on Beckham, he wasn’t actually standing next to him when he took a free kick, making suggestions how to play it, in the way a caddy is.

 

[larmen]

Theres a great youtube video from Rick Shiels with a tour caddy on his bag! Worth a watch to see what the caddy actually brings to a pro's game! Course management seems to be the predominant thing

I thought it was confidence, but it’s a while ago that I watched it. But I think to remember Rick saying he was hitting the clubs without doubt being the difference.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

One of my former juniors was an ex Wilts Amateur Champion at 18 years old and has caddied on the Tour for over 30 years.
Including 4 Ryder cup players.

 

[Ethan]

On the PGA Tour, a number of the caddies are mini-Tour players. Others such as Jim 'Bones' Mackay are not pros but highly experienced and knowledgeable. It seems that for some players having a father figure on the bag keeps them right, for others a mate who can talk rubbish about football or girls, and for others someone who can make sure they don't over pronate their right arm in the backswing.

 

[Grant85]

Just wondering how good the caddies for the top pros are at the game? It’s clear how integral they are to a successful round, and certainly not just bag carriers, but are they scratch golfers themselves? It looks a great job.

I think it varies from player to player.

Some players want a caddy to work everything out for them in terms of club selection and line, others are happy to do all that themselves and just have a bag carrier and a bit of moral support.

I think optimally, you'd want something in the middle. Someone to give you a bit of help or talk you into the right shot in certain situations, but ultimately the player has responsibility for the selection and shot. But you 100% need someone you are comfortable with and have a good relationship with.

I would also say that these days, there are far fewer genuine risk / reward decisions for most players. Most guys carry it long enough to take a lot of strategic penalties out of play and it's very rare to see a player lay back on a hole or not take a par 5 on in 2.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

I would never have broken 80 round the Old Course in 2013 without the Links Trust caddy I had. Not only knew the course like the back of his hand but knew when to push the right mental buttons when I started getting nervous about the score on the last few holes.