Should Caddies be banned from lining up putts for their player?

[Herbie]

The advice a caddy has always given in the past has had little or nothing to do with the mechanics of the game, ie. the physical action of shot or stroke in particular, otherwise coaches should be allowed to go round with them too. Advising a golfer when his club face is lined up correctly is just a little too far for me, what next, will they be man handling the player like a coach would to make sure their stance, grip and backswing are spot on? This game is in serious danger of slowing down and becomming a silly game rather than something we should all be in awe of. To me if a pro golfer uses a caddy in this way, then that pro is not 100% responsible for playing the shot. This is something a golf learner may find useful, but it gets rather silly when pro's do it. Maybe in this years marksmanship comps around the world, they should be allowed a gun case caddy who makes sure the guns on target before the professional pulls the trigger.

 

[Imurg]

It would require a rule change to stop it wouldn't it?
Not that that's stopped the R&A before.
If they did it would make the whole area greyer than John Major - when are they lining up/when are they just giving advice from behind the line?
To complicated. And anyway, if the players want to have it done and they end up playing 6 hour rounds then they've only got themselves to blame.

 

[Society_Fan]

The caddie's role has grown and grown, but I think it has gone over the top with the lining up. I have even seen it on full shots!
For some reason it seems to be more dominant on the LPGA tour, but I can not think why?

 

[CrapHacker]

No, if we end up creating different rules for the caddie it'll become to complicated.

Yeah

We wouldn't want complicated rules for golf now. Would we ?

( Personally I think the rules are so complicated, I can't see the problem with another one thatis genuinely for the good of the game )

 

[CrapHacker]

If they did it would make the whole area greyer than John Major - when are they lining up/when are they just giving advice from behind the line?
To complicated.

A caddy isn't allowed to stand along the line of the shot, or to comunicate with the player once the player has taken his stance - penalty two shots

How complicated is that ?

 

[Chrimbo]

Yep, it should be banned ....

On Thursday Robert Rock's caddie was lying on the green ensuring he was lined-up. As the commentator said in the conditions it can't be good for the greens a will cause indentations which would put other players at a disadvantage.

Singles golf is not a team sport so the caddies should be limited to carrying the bag, giving the players the distance and saying 'nice shot'.

 

[CrapHacker]

A caddie is there to assist the player in all aspects of the game and always has been. It would be chipping away at one of the traditional aspects of the game.

I humbly disagree.

Go back into the not too distant past and the caddy was connected to the club, not the pro. The advice was purely on the best way to play the hole - where to position drives etc. It was purely verbal, there was no physical help.

That's how it was then, and how it should be now.

 

[Junior]

Help read greens , yes, but not line up their player before they putt and certainly not line up their player on the fairway, which seems to be becoming the norm on the LPGA.

 

[freddielong]

I don't have a problem with the caddie helping them pick a line, its when the caddie stands behind while they address the ball and make sure they are online then I think it goes to far (this happens a lot more in the womens game). Lineing yourself up is part of the required skill level IMHO.

 

[bobmac]

I totally agree. The players should do it themselves, but Faldo has been doing it for years with his caddy.
Didn't want to mention her name, you know what Smiffys like

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Yes, yes, yes...and yes.

 

[RGDave]

I think this practice should be looked into. If the caddie wants to read it and offer "an inch outside the left" or something, that's fine. Standing and watching the player line up and adjusting the player from that position is dubious i.m.o.
Even I make more putts helped out this way.....

 

[Imurg]

A caddy isn't allowed to stand along the line of the shot, or to comunicate with the player once the player has taken his stance - penalty two shots

How complicated is that ?

But this happens every time a caddie lines up a putt for their player - they stand behind while the player takes his stance and then its "left a bit/right a bit - let me get out of the way then fire" They only move once the stance has been taken and the aim is on target otherwise what's the point of doing it?
They can't stand behind while the stroke is being played - before that they can do what they like (within reason..)

 

[RGDave]

A caddy isn't allowed to stand along the line of the shot, or to comunicate with the player once the player has taken his stance - penalty two shots

How complicated is that ?

But this happens every time a caddie lines up a putt for their player - they stand behind while the player takes his stance and then its "left a bit/right a bit - let me get out of the way then fire" They only move once the stance has been taken and the aim is on target otherwise what's the point of doing it?
They can't stand behind while the stroke is being played - before that they can do what they like (within reason..)

I think I agree with you. I suppose it's a q? of "when" the stance has been taken. We do a lot of lining up (in pairs, against other clubs etc.) and never had a problem. I guess the player can always claim to have not fully taken their stance?...especially if the putter hasn't been grounded?

 

[Herbie]

A caddie is there to assist the player in all aspects of the game and always has been. It would be chipping away at one of the traditional aspects of the game.

I humbly disagree.

Go back into the not too distant past and the caddy was connected to the club, not the pro. The advice was purely on the best way to play the hole - where to position drives etc. It was purely verbal, there was no physical help.

That's how it was then, and how it should be now.

I agree with this, the humble caddy is no more, but no line seems to have been drawn on their involvement, personally I dont think any pro can take 100% responsibility for their fortune in golf purely by their own skill and judgement any more. When does a caddy become a coach, who would accept Ledbetter wearing the garb of a caddy and carrying one of the tour pro's clubs I wonder?

 

[TRS30]

As i said in the other post, yes.

Ban caddies from the green all together, are way too many people walking on the greens.