Tour Caddies, are they the problem for how long a pro round takes?

[patricks148]

from a few comments on the ladies open tread, about lining up shots etc, got me thinking about caddies and if they were not there would pro's play faster??

Ive only watched a few pro 's play live as it were and the conversations iv heard and seen on TV some are very long winded and on the whole are unnecessary, discussing a simple shot for 2 or 3 mins. Then there is the Womens with the lining up every shot.

anyone else think this or are they helping pace of play?

 

[jamielaing]

From experience, when I have played with a caddy it takes longer. When I play I think about the shot then try to execute it. When I played with a caddy I think about it, ask his opinion, discuss it and then 9 times out of 10 play what I thought.

You only need to look at 4 ball comps at your club, how much discussion goes on between partners over putts etc.

 

[Slab]

No doubt they add time to a round but they also reduce time in other areas like divots/bunkers, club cleaning, carrying bag, sorting out everything when it rains and probably another dozen things

On balance I'd guess the nett difference is slightly towards adding time



edit: just had the ludicrous mental pic of a televised tour event where player has to rake the bunker and what that would come across like on TV in terms of continuity of the action

 

[ScienceBoy]

Keep them for carrying a bag but introduce F1 style communication rules?

 

[Slab]

Keep them for carrying a bag but introduce F1 style communication rules?

Sounds fun

"You’re doing great Rory, 8 shots behind the leader, just keep it tight round the dogleg, there’s casual water on the left. Yellow flags on holes 1-9 but we’ll red flag it after that. Got you a dentist appointment for 2:30 just in case, over"!

 

[User 105]

I think they probably add a bit, but that's all been brought about by the psychologists involved these days. Sticking to this long winded "process", that doesn't even start until the other guy has hit his shot.

Not sure caddies raking bunkers and replacing divots saves any time either as the player has to wait for them anyway before the whole 'process' starts again.

 

[ger147]

Keep them for carrying a bag but introduce F1 style communication rules?

The F1 radio rules have just been scrapped as everyone knew they were a nonsense, so not the best example...

 

[Deleted member 1147]

From experience, when I have played with a caddy it takes longer. When I play I think about the shot then try to execute it. When I played with a caddy I think about it, ask his opinion, discuss it and then 9 times out of 10 the ball just goes wherever it wants to.

That's how it is for me after any discussion about the best way to play a shot!

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don't think the caddies slow down play, but the increased reliance on them from the players to tell them how to play does.

That's what I always liked about Tiger with Steve Williams. It appeared to be a case of Williams gets the yardage and adds or subtracts for the wind & slope, Tiger then chose a club & hit it.

There's too much fannying around discussing whether both player and caddie agree on what to hit and how.

 

[Foxholer]

Their job is to get their player round in the lowest possible score - not in the quickest time!

How that happens - withing the framework of the Conditions of Competition - is up to the relationship between the Player and the Caddie!

It's up to Administrators to sort out PofP concerns, not Players or Caddies - though they will almost certainly certainly respond positively to any changes!

As for lining up...While it looks time-consuming, it only costs a couple of minutes over the course of a round - as it's done pretty efficiently in practice! Remember, that if it saves a single shot (either through the extra confidence or by avoiding a wayward shot) it has probably 'saved' as much time as lining up costs for the entire round!

 

[BTatHome]

Have you ever seen a player been incorrectly lined up? I don't think I've ever noticed a player line up again after their caddie has looked .... if true, then it probably doesn't add any time at all.

 

[patricks148]

Have you ever seen a player been incorrectly lined up? I don't think I've ever noticed a player line up again after their caddie has looked .... if true, then it probably doesn't add any time at all.

Its not something you see too often in the men's game