Tour Players, Some Sort of Advantage?

[Dent]

While I was watching the tournament this weekend I had a good thought.

This is not an excuse on how they shoot better than Everyone else on this forum does, but think about this:

If you had a caddy carrying your clubs - (To reduce Fatigue)

Practise Rounds before playing a course youve never played before - (Increase score)

A Notebook on the course with complete yardage

A caddy to help with putting and green read

Would you play a better game?

I feel that if golfers like us had this kind of advantage we'd shoot better also.
I really don't know what Im getting at but I feel PGA players have large advantages. Not Considering their amazing playing ability.

[r7 425]

I agree with you..having a caddy makes a big difference--especially in 90-100 degree heat--Once in a tournament i got dehydrated and saw my scores drop off--the extra weight of the bag was setting in as well...so yes it is an advantafe

[golf_junkie27]

Dent,

You answered your question. The PGA players have exceptional playing abilities. A lot of these tournaments are held at the same courses, over and over. You might have a lil higher rough or a new sand trap or some planted trees, etc. However, I firmly believe these guys would still shoot low scores.

[Shindig]

While I was watching the tournament this weekend I had a good thought.

Sure, assuming I didn't do anything stupid, such as getting nervous around a single additional person.

Practise Rounds before playing a course youve never played before - (Increase score)

Improved score, sure. I play far better my second time on a course than my first. Courses with which I'm the most familiar tend to produce the best scores for me. That's why I'm trying to get more familiar with tougher courses

A Notebook on the course with complete yardage

Sure. These advantages are there. They have some disadvantages over us, such as the risk that someone will deliberately try to mess them up (Vijay's approach at API) or accidentally (Tiger at WGC-CA). But overall, their advantages outweigh the disadvantages, I believe. Being so damn good it isn't even funny helps too.

I feel that if golfers like us had this kind of advantage we'd shoot better also.

You can make some of these advantages yourself. The caddy might be tough unless you can convince a friend to do this for you. The yardage book won't be perfect, but you can make your own, or at least an approximation thereof with some notes to hazards etc. You can play the course ahead of time. In any case, taking note of what makes them better than we are is a good way to improve, I believe, for any advantages they have that you can replicate, or even approximately replicate.

[Dent]

One day ill try this and see How much better I shoot, fatigued is definatly involved in your scores, and knowing accurate yardage and pin position helps also.

[lamebums]

If you had a caddy carrying your clubs - (To reduce Fatigue)

Possibly. But most of us use carts these days (and some courses require them).

Practise Rounds before playing a course youve never played before - (Increase score)

Usually the courses we play, we've probably played hundreds of times. In that sense it's an advantage for us over a pro who's play played the course once.

A Notebook on the course with complete yardage

SkyCaddie.

After, Natalie's been pushing those for a few months now... heh, that's on my birthday wish list. But for the 99 out of 100 of us who don't have one, you can bet a good yard book is worth five strokes especially on an unfamiliar course.

A caddy to help with putting and green read

The amount of advantage may vary but it helps with a few strokes.

Would you play a better game?

I think I'd shoot five to seven strokes better with all of those at hand on an unfamiliar course. If I played at my home course though, it'd only be two or three strokes.

[Dent]

You proove some good points lamebums. That brings up a new topic also.

How Many Strokes Do you think you could shave off?

I think I can take off about 3-4

[x-forged]

keep in mind they had to get to the pga playing the same way we do. no caddie, no awesome yardbooks, etc. needless to say, i dont think these advantages are unfairly helping them play good golf. They worked their butts off to get to where they are and now they get to have someone carry their bag for them and give them accurate yardages.

[chingali]

I figure that having a tour caddie to help your average player with course management would be a BIG boost to their scoring capability. Every weekend when I play with a lot of 20 handicappers I watch while they waste half a dozen strokes through nothing more than ridiculous shot choices.

Another benefit that I see tour players taking advantage of is the availability of drinking water on every tee. It's surprising how much better you play towards the end of your day if you drink plenty of water during the course of a round. On a hot day if you haven't consumed a minimum of 4 litres of water then you haven't had anywhere close to enough.

[Ogg]

I know their courses are set up tougher, but they are always groomed to perfection. Fairway grass is rolled away from the tee and the fact that the fairways are doubled rolled the week before a tournament makes for more roll. Also, how many times have you seen a ball hitting the crowd and staying right next to the green rather than bouncing 40 yards more down a hill next to the green?

All that being said, I don't know how much I would benefit from all of that. It's just too mental for me.

[jdumoit]

While I was watching the tournament this weekend I had a good thought.

I've never had a caddy, but even 10 years ago, when I was a 1 handicapp, I'm pretty sure Tiger would obliterate me; even carrying his own clubs.

[DDBowdoin]

without a doubt they are amazing at what they do but I have to agree with everything mentioned previously

not only do they have the advantage of caddies, yardage down the inch, perfect conditions and what not they also have a team of people working with every aspect of their equipment... changing lofts and small details to match the kinds of conditions they'll face that week.

I mean, I take pride in my gear and try my hardest to match what is best for my ability, swing and style but still who knows what is out there that is the best for me... for pga tour players they have that ability through an unlimited access to the newest technology and the best fitting, fitting that just isnt available to the general public

of course none of this takes away from their natural ability, it just helps you shoot a 64

[mikelz]

Gee, what a list.
Professional caddies are amazing and having uniform sand every week sure helps.

I would settle for having grandstands around every green.

[golf_junkie27]

for pga tour players they have that ability through an unlimited access to the newest technology and the best fitting, fitting that just isnt available to the general public

That equipment is available to you, too. There are plenty of websites that sell tour issued equipment. Additionally, many of the equipment manufacturers have Tour Vans that travel the country. You can pick up various items specifically tailored to your swing and the type of game that you want to play. For example, most drivers off the rack are either closed or open to a degree. In speaking to a few pros, their drivers are set at 0*. This allows them to work the ball in any direction. A good fitter can do this for you, too.

Regarding those fittings, you can be fitted the same way. A good, extensive proper fitting will cost you some money and time. It's not 25 minutes, do you like the club and here, hit off a lie board. A good fitter will make adjustments as you go along. This way, he or she can give you the best equipment, then and there, leading to optimal results. They will go through your entire bag and adjust the swingweights, measure all your clubs and make sure they are performing like they should. When was the last time anyone went to a retailer and the salesperson checked the equipment before they sold it to you?

[DDBowdoin]

That equipment is available to you, too. There are plenty of websites that sell tour issued equipment. Additionally, many of the equipment manufacturers have Tour Vans that travel the country. You can pick up various items specifically tailored to your swing and the type of game that you want to play. For example, most drivers off the rack are either closed or open to a degree. In speaking to a few pros, their drivers are set at 0*. This allows them to work the ball in any direction. A good fitter can do this for you, too.

I guess you didnt get what I was trying to say, its not the fitting its the ability to change and alter your eqiupment to suite conditions and different courses. I cant just run out and adjust a wedge loft or bounce because I know I'll be playing a course with packed sand or whatever. See where I'm going with this....

[golf_junkie27]

I guess you didnt get what I was trying to say, its not the fitting its the ability to change and alter your eqiupment to suite conditions and different courses. I cant just run out and adjust a wedge loft or bounce because I know I'll be playing a course with packed sand or whatever. See where I'm going with this....

Yes, I agree that an instant change is almost impossible. It's a luxury being able to walk off the course and into an equipment truck. I won't disagree.

My point was more to that you could purchase and have every piece of your equipment detailed to the most minute detail.

[DDBowdoin]

I'd like to see exactly what loft I should ideally be using for my driver... I've never had a fitter tell me you should using a 9.6798 degree loft

[Dent]

That is actually true. Local golf stores cant tweak a loft the way Custom fitters for PGA players do. Im sure they can get lofts down to the decimal we havent even heard of.