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"That" Range Guy

RayG

RayG

Well-known member
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Jan 11, 2013
Messages
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Location
Astoria, NY
Handicap
14
Every range seems to have one. Spends hours hitting 10 balls, stopping for a coffee and a chat with whoever, then another 10 balls, another break to wander around. Always has advice, whether asked for or not. I have 'tolerated' him for a few years now, and have already put the kibosh on the unsolicited advice about my swing. He normally has the same stall since he gets there very early, and when I arrive there is usually a good slot one or two bays away. A pleasant hello, etc... and some small talk through the couple of hours that I am there. We have chatted a bit before and he's mentioned that he's 74 yo.

Late in my session on Sunday AM, he wandered over to ask about 'spin' on his driver.

"Does it make a big difference where I hit the face?".

Well, it depends a bit on your driver...

"I pretty much hit the middle all the time... (I looked, and yes, his wear pattern is pretty much dead in sweet spot- A Sim 2 Max D) One of the guys bought a used one of those monitors the other day and my spin was up around 4000 something and wasn't going as far as I think it should "

Gee, that's high- what's your loft, AoA and SS?

"It's a 10.5, SS is about 90, and I know I don't hit down on it..."

What's the shaft?

"I love this shaft- Fujikura 45g Stiff..."

<stifling a bit of a gasp- 90SS with a Stiff shaft. I've seen the swing many times. A stiff is NOT the right shaft. I don't care if it weighs 25 grams, much less '45'>


Now, to me, there is no way that swing, SS and club combination should spin that high. Then I realized something-

Wait a second, what balls did you use?

"These range balls...."

Seriously? These spin like crazy and only go about 85-90% anyway...

"Really?..."

Yes, really- and it's possible these balls aren't being picked up by the monitor correctly. Especially if you don't have those little stickers... So you've been given one more thing to confuse you based on bad information from a 3 year old monitor...

"Oh.. okay... thanks.. maybe I'll switch back to my Stealth Driver instead that's only 9.5*..."

Yeah, that should take care of it... :rolleyes:
 
Some people just aren't educated :eek:
 
Some people need to spend more time here.... They might learn something!

I do find, that most of the people I play with have these kinds of thoughts. The stopped to learn the bare minimum about their equipment, etc have have assumed everything else they know based on that foundation of knowledge.
 
DaBuckBoys said:
Friendly & uninformed is better than "Get off my lawn" old guy... I try to find the balance as a future get off my lawn old guy.
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At least the "get off my lawn" old guy isn't going to come over and bend my ear or try to give me swing tips. I'm not there to socialize, I'm there to hit golf balls.
 
Doesn't happen at my range ... to me. I whisper sweet profanities as I chunk, so they leave me alone.
 
I can't remember the last time I talked to anyone at the range or someone approached me. Outside of events where I know a lot of folks.

I must be intimidating. 🤷‍♂️
 
echico said:
I can't remember the last time I talked to anyone at the range or someone approached me. Outside of events where I know a lot of folks.

I must be intimidating. 🤷‍♂️
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I thought that the whole last year and a half. Never had any encounters like this.

So far the past month I have had 2 - neither were positive. One started every sentence with some variation of how bad he is at golf "I don't know a club from a broomstick BUT..." "I'm not professional I'm just out here BUT..." "I know I swing like I don't know what I'm doing BUT..."
 
Desmond said:
Doesn't happen at my range ... to me. I whisper sweet profanities as I chunk, so they leave me alone.
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Oh I don't whisper mine...

Last time this happened to me was last year, I had hit maybe 2-3 balls and the guy ambled over trying to tell me everything I was doing wrong. I cut him off with a "I'm working on stuff I'm working with my pro on, thanks" even though I wasn't. He insisted on wanting to tell me everything that was wrong and a loud "I'M GOOD THANK YOU VERY MUCH" and turning my back to him got him all huffy and complaining to others on the range... who also ignored him :ROFLMAO:
 
RayG said:
Every range seems to have one. Spends hours hitting 10 balls, stopping for a coffee and a chat with whoever, then another 10 balls, another break to wander around. Always has advice, whether asked for or not. I have 'tolerated' him for a few years now, and have already put the kibosh on the unsolicited advice about my swing. He normally has the same stall since he gets there very early, and when I arrive there is usually a good slot one or two bays away. A pleasant hello, etc... and some small talk through the couple of hours that I am there. We have chatted a bit before and he's mentioned that he's 74 yo.

Late in my session on Sunday AM, he wandered over to ask about 'spin' on his driver.

"Does it make a big difference where I hit the face?".

Well, it depends a bit on your driver...

"I pretty much hit the middle all the time... (I looked, and yes, his wear pattern is pretty much dead in sweet spot- A Sim 2 Max D) One of the guys bought a used one of those monitors the other day and my spin was up around 4000 something and wasn't going as far as I think it should "

Gee, that's high- what's your loft, AoA and SS?

"It's a 10.5, SS is about 90, and I know I don't hit down on it..."

What's the shaft?

"I love this shaft- Fujikura 45g Stiff..."

<stifling a bit of a gasp- 90SS with a Stiff shaft. I've seen the swing many times. A stiff is NOT the right shaft. I don't care if it weighs 25 grams, much less '45'>


Now, to me, there is no way that swing, SS and club combination should spin that high. Then I realized something-

Wait a second, what balls did you use?

"These range balls...."

Seriously? These spin like crazy and only go about 85-90% anyway...

"Really?..."

Yes, really- and it's possible these balls aren't being picked up by the monitor correctly. Especially if you don't have those little stickers... So you've been given one more thing to confuse you based on bad information from a 3 year old monitor...

"Oh.. okay... thanks.. maybe I'll switch back to my Stealth Driver instead that's only 9.5*..."

Yeah, that should take care of it... :rolleyes:
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I feel like I must have a very unapproachable look because this has never happened to me lol.
 
At 74 he might just be lonely and looking for some human contact, that's just the first thing that came into my brain...
 
He's a nice enough guy- but when him and all his cronies show up (4-5 guys), it's all nonsense about 'what you need to do...', 'I'm trying this...', 'I saw on YouTube..', etc... One of the main problems is that EVERYONE within 5 bays on either side can hear them- since they all are, or seem to be, hard of hearing. And it gets distracting for some people, and quite a few have just told them to shut up, already.

I tune them out, mostly because the bay(s) I usually get into nearby have the mats in the best condition. The place gets pretty full early on, so I take the good with the 'bad'. And I've already stopped the unsolicited stuff from any of them a long time ago.
 
Yeah, happens every once in awhile... Interestingly, I've actually had more women initiate conversation with me than men at the range.
 
RayG said:
He's a nice enough guy- but when him and all his cronies show up (4-5 guys), it's all nonsense about 'what you need to do...', 'I'm trying this...', 'I saw on YouTube..', etc... One of the main problems is that EVERYONE within 5 bays on either side can hear them- since they all are, or seem to be, hard of hearing. And it gets distracting for some people, and quite a few have just told them to shut up, already.

I tune them out, mostly because the bay(s) I usually get into nearby have the mats in the best condition. The place gets pretty full early on, so I take the good with the 'bad'. And I've already stopped the unsolicited stuff from any of them a long time ago.
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Ear buds. They block out the noise and they're a universal "Do Not Disturb" sign for all but the most oblivious/socially inept. I won't use them on the course, but they're fair game on the driving range.
 
Rarely talk to or get approached by strangers at the range. If I bring my son it happens a bit more, but it's still pretty rare
 
Got to love "that" range guy. There was one at my old work that actually tried to start giving his own putting lessons on the putting green. The GM put the squash on that.
 
BigMac said:
Ear buds. They block out the noise and they're a universal "Do Not Disturb" sign for all but the most oblivious/socially inept. I won't use them on the course, but they're fair game on the driving range.
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Not my thing- probably because my taste in Music doesn't lend itself to a nice smooth swing. And Audio Books or Podcasts would be worse, since it's just people talking in my head. I like my head to be empty when I play or practice. Dummy buds could work, though...

ALTHOUGH- I will admit to offering some unsolicited advice to a 'Bay Neighbor'. A younger guy (early 30's, maybe), decent swing, decent contact and some distance. We just sort of caught eyes and started to chat about something mundane like the weather, or if the fans were working or something. I complimented him on his apparent game, he reciprocated and we sort of fell into a rhythm- as he was hitting, I was lining up, when I was hitting, he was lining up, that way we didn't distract each other. I took a little break and went out the door to smoke, but I could see his stall. I noticed his miss was a pretty nasty low slice. <shrug> 'I suppose he's working on that...'
I went back and could see that he was using one of the 'stock' rubber tees. WAY too low for Driver- I think it was a Ping G20 or G25. Now- I happen to have my own stock of tees and asked if he wanted to try one. "I don't normally do this, but that tee is way too short. It can sometimes make you come at it too steep and cause that nasty fade". Not a critique of his swing, just a comment about mindset. I gave him one of my taller tees to try and he said it felt a lot easier, and turned that nasty low slice into a bit more of a high fade. Sounded better, too. "you can have that one- Amazon has them for a few bucks for a set of 5 or 6 if you want a few".

Never saw him again. But for all I know, he went on to another forum and complained about that old guy screwing with my game!!!
 
This is why I like to wear headphones on the range lol.
 
I enjoyed the story very much. But I have to tell you that in my over 40 years of playing and frequenting dozens and dozens of ranges I haven't seen such a guy. I don't doubt your story, nor that that is your experience. Just to say that they aren't at every range.

Will be interested in how often others have encountered guys like this. I'm sure they are out there.
 
Saywhat4412 said:
I feel like I must have a very unapproachable look because this has never happened to me lol.
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RBF? It's RBF. Right? Resting b*tch face. Or politically correct it's Really Bothered Face...:ROFLMAO:
I've got it. A scowl. Or a sour expression most of the time. People leave me alone.:ROFLMAO:
 
Head down, a faraway, vacant look, and earbuds in pretty much keep the unwanted intrusions at bay.

As an added benefit, if I tune in my Pandora Burt Bacharach station while I’m hitting, I’ve got nothing but smooth to keep me in check. 😎😎😎
 
If you have one of the annoying guys take him out for a round (or 9 holes) and beat his backside. If he beats you maybe its time to listen :)
 
I was in a middle spot, hitting before heading onto the course. I'm turning one 8 iron over, fading the next, each time trying to carry over the 150 sign on my right and left. Guy walks up, " I could straighten your flight out."
"Thanks, but I don't need it."
Yes you do, look at you, you are all over."
I told him to go have relations with himself and leave me alone.


Yea, I can be that guy.
 
Nerdy said:
Rarely talk to or get approached by strangers at the range. If I bring my son it happens a bit more, but it's still pretty rare
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Same. It’s a good feeling to hear that my son has a good swing but I still can’t help but wonder if that means mine looks like trash. Spoiler alert: it does.

One of my favorite encounters was just a couple of looks from a guy 2 stalls down. My son was struggling and asked for help on a quiet day. So I listed like 10 things to do as he swung the club. The guy looked at me like I was crazy. After my son made terrible contact I set another ball down and said look at that pin right there, don’t think of anything but hit the ball that way. He striped it. My son looked back confused. “Simple game. Don’t overcomplicate it.” The guy looked back with a smirk. And that was the entire interaction.
 
russtopher said:
Oh I don't whisper mine...

Last time this happened to me was last year, I had hit maybe 2-3 balls and the guy ambled over trying to tell me everything I was doing wrong. I cut him off with a "I'm working on stuff I'm working with my pro on, thanks" even though I wasn't. He insisted on wanting to tell me everything that was wrong and a loud "I'M GOOD THANK YOU VERY MUCH" and turning my back to him got him all huffy and complaining to others on the range... who also ignored him :ROFLMAO:
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We have a lot of kids at our range at clinics so I must use my best whispering profanity techniques.

But I also dislike those guys that critique your swing.

So tempted when a kid is chunking shot after shot ...:censored:
 
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