Playing When Walking vs. Riding?

[snapfade]

I'm sitting in Schipole airport in Amsterdam waiting on a connecting flight and this question popped into my head. Forgive me, it's been a long day. Anyways, is there a difference in your game if you walk or ride? I think i play a little better walking. How bout you guys.

[Rippy_72]

I play faster and enjoy it more walking.  I very rarely ever take a cart but when I do it seems that I am more prone to strategic errors and had always felt it was due to a disconnectedness from the terrain and conditions while riding compared to walking.  Due to a medical condition, I will be in a cart now and I am not thrilled about it although being holed up in Schipole is probably worse.

[David in FL]

Better in a cart, especially in the heat.  I’m less fatigued and find it easier to keep cool and hydrated.

 

[Rkrider99]

It took me a while to get used to riding. When I lived in Wisconsin, we always walked. I felt a better internal rhythm while walking. We moved to Florida, and you pretty much can't find a course down here that allows walking. When someone else is driving the cart, I'll usually walk to my ball more, and allow the cart to catch up.

[boogielicious]

I like to walk and feel I play better walking. But when it's hot, I need to ride because it can be very fatiguing. 

[CarlSpackler]

Walking is better for me. It keeps my back loose. Also good exercise.

[mcanadiens]

Not sure there is a real good pattern to judge by. I walk most of the time, so this is sort of anecdotal at best.

Some of the best rounds I've ever played are the few times I've got a cart and nobody in front of me. I'm just zipping through the joint. Normally, I'm completely alone when this happens. Maybe it just gives me the ability to not overthink too much and focus on hitting the next shot. 

However, if the going is slow, some of the worst rounds I've every played have been in a cart. While waiting, I'll drape my legs over the dashboard. It will be too hard to resist getting beer from the cart girls. Bad holes tend to linger the longer you don't move. At least walking, I'm still moving a bit and the beer will wait until the end of the round.

[IowaGreg]

I ride.  Not a lot of choice anymore.  But those times I walked, it didn't seem to make much difference.  I still have to concentrate on the ball, make a good swing, make good contact, make a good follow through…… what little mental game I have is when I'm standing at the ball.  Not how I got there.  But this is just me.  I can see that it could make a difference depending on each individual.

 

[Rippy_72]

When the cart hits bumps, it jams your spine.  This puts my spine erector muscles into spasm.  Bad for my game.  Some courses are impossible to walk.  I've sometimes been able to walk by agreeing to pay the cart fee but some places insist on 5-6 hour rounds and golf carts on the "path only" are the sure way to accomplish that.

[RWC]

Looking at my scores over the past 2 seasons, walking has given me the best low scores but only if I use my push cart. The push cart has a seat so I can sit and rest as needed. I like to play quickly and riding in a cart tends to get me to the ball too quickly. I tend to take one quick look at the shot and swing. If I am walking, I have time to consider the shot and find I make better judgements. So, all in all, walking with a push cart is better than riding. Riding is better than carrying my clubs once warm weather arrives.

[NM Golf]

It makes very little difference in my scoring. I used to think I played better when I walked, that I stayed in better rhythm, stayed loose, all that jazz. I found though that my stats didn't support it at all in fact my scores were slightly better when I used a cart. I would imagine the slightly lower scores from riding come from lack of fatigue. This is especially noticeable when I walk multiple days in a row 

I do prefer to walk, especially in the fall, winter, and spring. I like the exercise and lord knows I need it. When I play in competitions I tend to ride now because I need all the help I can get.

[gbogey]

I used to believe that I played much better walking but one thing I've noticed since I've moved is that the difference seems less.  The real issue, IMO, has to do with pace of play.  Before I moved walking fit perfectly into the pace of the courses - relatively little standing around.  If I rode there was a lot of hurry up and wait.  Here I find the pace of play a little faster for various reasons so when I ride there's less standing around.

FWIW - I do find walking easier on my back and joints than riding in a cart.  I know it makes so sense since you are exerting a lot more energy walking, but the jolting of the cart and the getting in and out of the cart is much harder on my body - that can lead to better playing.

[ChetlovesMer]

8 hours ago, snapfade said:

I'm sitting in Schipole airport in Amsterdam waiting on a connecting flight and this question popped into my head. Forgive me, it's been a long day. Anyways, is there a difference in your game if you walk or ride? I think i play a little better walking. How bout you guys.

I have no idea, as I've never tracked this sort of thing. I think I've had good and bad rounds both walking and riding. I prefer to walk when it's allowed, but only because I like to walk. There's really no quality of play variable involved in that decision. 

BTW - I lived near Amsterdam for a couple years back in the 90's. Kan je nederlands praten? 

[iacas]

I play about the same, though I do try to walk longer distances from time to time.

I used to say I played better walking, but that may have just been more of "what I was used to" even though I may have previously attributed it to "feeling the course beneath my feet" or some other such thing.

Also, poll added. Let's try to do these types of things, people.

[ChetlovesMer]

7 minutes ago, iacas said:

Also, poll added. Let's try to do these types of things, people.

Can you add "I have no idea" to the poll? 
😕

[dsc123]

I tend to lose focus riding in a cart.  I do more chatting and less thinking about the last/next shot. 

I also think I stay looser while walking, but that benefit may be cancelled out by feeling more fatigued towards the end of a round. 

I'm not sure if any of that translates to a real difference in score.

Either way, I think is more enjoyable to walk.  I wish more courses were walking-only. 

 

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Can you add "I have no idea" to the poll? 
😕

Yes.

[Darkfrog]

I have no idea, because I pretty much always walk.

Maybe I'll take a cart out 1-2 rounds a year. When I do, it's generally with a less serious golfer friend who's just looking to spend some time outside, socialize, whack some balls around, and drink a few beers.

So I'm not really focusing on playing my best golf. We usually aren't adhering strictly to the rules of golf. And we often try to pull off pointless feats, like teeing off on a short par-3 with driver and seeing who gets closest to the hole.

I suppose if I took a cart out on a more serious round, it may not be all that different than walking  as far as score is concerned, although the rhythm of the round would be different compared to walking.