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Would you score better with a caddy/mentor by your side?

ForeOnFour

ForeOnFour

Leave no birdie behind
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I'm watching the replay of today's Safeway open and loving the talking between Cameron Champ and his caddy. Wind help, aiming point, confidence building. It got me wondering if I had a caddy/mentor/coach with me would I play better?

I know I tend to score better when I golf with my 13 year old. I always figured it's because my buddies aren't there and I have no pressure to keep up score wise.

Now I'm wondering if its partly to do with I'm in my kids ear, helping him pick aim spots, pointing out where he can miss, and building him up. Maybe that's transferring to my own game.

So I think I pretty much would be a better golfer with someone in my corner.

What about you?
 
Great example of 'you have to give it away to get it/keep it'.

Focusing your effort on him might just let you play more freely. Being with him might just make you happy, so you play well. So many great reasons it could happen that way. (y)

I don't know about a coach once you're out there, but coaching in general can help, and I think a good caddie can be worth a couple strokes.
 
Yeah I would golf better with someone especially if I don't know the course like the back of my hand. Sometimes I need someone to say threading a 2 yard square gap 25 feet in the air in a tree when a perfect shot is like 20 yards better then the 100% safe option.

With the kid thing ask him why he does things, picked lines ect. Let him pick all of that and explaining why he does things might help him more in the long run.
 
Yes. For the obvious but also because I play better when constructively distracted.

I need to take my mind off of golf in between shots and only hone in when necessary. Otherwise, I'll overthink things and second guess myself.
 
WMac19 said:
Yes. For the obvious but also because I play better when constructively distracted.

I need to take my mind off of golf in between shots and only hone in when necessary. Otherwise, I'll overthink things and second guess myself.
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I have this issue too. I have to make a conscious effort to turn the focus on and off. A person that could help me do that would be great. Not to mention someone to veto my idiotic ideas sometimes.
 
I think everyone would. If golfers played better without caddies the pros would not use them.
 
I have been playing as a single a lot lately on courses that I have never played before. When I get paired up with a local who shares knowledge of the course I play better than if I play alone.
 
on a course I've never played, 1,000% yes. Knowing where aim (and sometimes more importantly where to avoid) is so valuable. I absolutely love taking a caddie and do it whenever I can.

on a course I'm familiar with? I think the most value would come from a) keeping me in check and stopping me from trying something really dumb and b) reading putts (I'm terribad at it)
 
A friend of mine always plays great when I walk him through his shots. He somehow manages to hit most any shots I explain to him....its pretty fun to watch. I explain his lie, distance, where the pin is and why I want him to hit a particular shot and he usually pulls it off. I think quite a bit of golf is the focus element of it....says Capt Obvious
 
Of the 5 rounds I’ve played with a caddy in the last 20 years, it did help because the course was new to me. Once I know a course, I’m not sure having a caddy would make any difference.
 
Since I have never used a caddy I would say yes. Reading greens would be a big help for sure.
 
There are folks I play with that when we’re playing seriously, I tend to play better with. They know my game, we can usually keep it lose, and things just go better. It’s not a huge difference, but maybe I get talked out of doing something I shouldn’t, or they see something I’m doing that I don’t realize. And I think there’s something to be said for that extra bit of confidence you get coming into a shot if you agree on something.
 
Only if it were a course that Im not familar with. On a course that I know, it makes no difference. I dont need someone to coach me, tell me the yardage, clean my clubs or build up my confidence. My phone gives me the yardage and I can do the rest myself.
The point was brought up, "if it werent an advantage, the pros wouldnt have a caddy". I think thats true to a point. Like I said, if its a course you dont know, its a help to have someone whose job it is to know the course and all the yardagaes. Its also an advantage in terms of competitive play when you have to keep your score and well as the score of one of your playing partners. Its also an advantage of not having to carry your clubs because you arent as tired by the end of the round.
Id contend though, that the practice of a caddy is more a carryover from a bygone era, where golf was a rich man's game and if you were rich, it was beneath you to do things like carry your own clubs, clean your own clubs, etc.
 
Yes.

Back around 1982-1983, I got back into playing golf, because I had befriended a golf shop owner. He was a legit 2 cap and I don't think I ever saw him score higher than 76 from the back tees, ever. In that first year, we would go out and play weekly and he mentored me. He was instructor, caddy giving advice and friend. It was immensely helpful. During that 1st year playing the same Fazio course I went from scoring a 122 first time out, to scoring a legit 76 with his mentoring.
 
I play with a guy about 3 times a year who is a few years older and about a 3 handicap. I always play better with him because he is always positive and encouraging. It seems to slow everything down and there isn’t that Uber-competitiveness that can occur. He knows that I am one club shorter than him and gives me advice that I like to have. A really chill person to play with. He has been very successful in business using these same skills.
 
Yes. I once played with with a former PGA playing pro (THPer too) and he was generous enough to give me a few playing tips. They were simple but massively helpful. And in my one THP event my playing partner, one with multiple THP event experiences, gave mE some needed playing and competing tips and coaching. Super helpful. I’m going to return the favor someday. Btw, if I could adopt @brianmk24 I would! ;)

Those experiences gave me data that affirms the benefit of coaching and basic mentoring (caddie) while playing. This is of course debatable but I believe my skills are much better than my game management. My ego says that I am a low single digits player who just needs to learn how to better play the skills I have. I can keep learning game management by falling over my nose or getting some learning while playing. I would choose the latter everytime.

so tl;dr yes.
 
At my home course or one I've played a lot I don't think it would help much. Somewhere new that I'm unfamiliar with it totally helps. Maybe not from a focus perspective but the course knowledge is huge.
 
ForeOnFour said:
I'm watching the replay of today's Safeway open and loving the talking between Cameron Champ and his caddy. Wind help, aiming point, confidence building. It got me wondering if I had a caddy/mentor/coach with me would I play better?

I know I tend to score better when I golf with my 13 year old. I always figured it's because my buddies aren't there and I have no pressure to keep up score wise.

Now I'm wondering if its partly to do with I'm in my kids ear, helping him pick aim spots, pointing out where he can miss, and building him up. Maybe that's transferring to my own game.

So I think I pretty much would be a better golfer with someone in my corner.

What about you?
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On a new course, I think so because it would make me talk through shots like I make my HS golfers do.

On a course I know well, I don’t think so.
 
On a course I don't know, I could absolutely see a big benefit in it. On my home course I have played over 1000 times, I don't think it would add any value.
 
On a new to me course, absolutely. Courses I’m familiar with? Only for green reading honestly. I’m pretty good with course management in general, and usually my mistakes are just from miss hits and not from mismanagement. I’d actually be a pretty good caddy/mentor for others if they weren’t familiar with a course I am.
 
Yes, on a course that I am not familiar with.
 
The answer depends on your skill level and the skill level of the caddy or players you are paired with. In my league this summer there were two players that went to college on a golf scholarship. Just watching them manage the course was helpful.

When I play with disrespectful a holes, i play and score way lower. When I play with players with a lower handicap than mine, I play and score better than average regardless of the course.
 
My Saturday round at Coure D'alene says yes.
I find the positive reinforcement of a caddy giving an exact yardage and target very helpful to a mental midget like me.
 
DataDude said:
I think everyone would. If golfers played better without caddies the pros would not use them.
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They actually have to though. I imagine on obscure mini tours where you only profit by winning plenty don't. I think the symetra tour allows push carts and some of the girls go that route with no caddie.
 
Since I'm new to reading courses the answer is yes. I always do much better when we have on course clinics or lessons vs just playing. The Pros that I have worked with have been great at telling me why they have chosen the ball path they recommend.
 
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