Another question about club selection

[caveman]

i also sometime pay attention to what other people are hitting, like in high school matches and stuff. After a couple holes, you can usually tell who hits it further and by about how much, so if its a course i've never played and we get up to a par 3 and i see a guy hits his 6 iron well but it come up just short, and i have been hitting it about one club further than him all day, i know i can get a 6 there. its especially helpful if your in between clubs, and as i said before, dont know the course well.

Playing in tourneys is definately a different situation. My thought is to get there early and play a practice round. This isn't always practical, but sometimes even some practice swings on the range and the chipping green as well as a good read on the putting surface.

Caveman

[iacas]

I agree you can learn from what you see, but I said it doesn't help them to know what club I used. Maybe if you knew I was using a PW that might give a hint at my distance for that club...wait...NO WAY...I hit a great knockdown shot from the back of my stance, and sometimes I can even try to keep my hands firm and have my hands at impact in front of the ball by 6 or 8 inches.

And if I were observant, I'd see that - either in your setup or in your ballflight (or both).

Other times I can open the face, correct the grip and get a good high pop and drop for those "thick grass, over the bunker, close to the edge pin placement shots. You see...my point is that there are too many variables to the golf swing, and my knowing what someone else is hitting won't help me a bit unless I fully understand exactly what they did on their shot, and maybe even what they thought they might accomplish with that shot.

You're a 20 handicap (so sez your profile anyway), so I likely wouldn't be paying much attention to you anyway. Which isn't a slight on you, just that I likely can't rely on reasonable contact.

But among better players, knowing what club you hit along with extra information like "ball flight" or "setup" or "lie" can be helpful. I don't go out of my way to ascertain the info, but occasionally, it comes in handy. Particularly on par threes where you're all standing around near each other anyway.

[golfchief]

I really don't care what you hit off the tee, I'm watching the ball flight and the wind. Shots from the rough and trouble spots don't really help cause you never now how the ball was laying. Playing your own game is hard enough without trying to figure what someone else is hitting.

[caveman]

You're a 20 handicap (so sez your profile anyway), so I likely wouldn't be paying much attention to you anyway. Which isn't a slight on you, just that I likely can't rely on reasonable contact.

I stand corrected. my index has never truly been figured. I will soon be putting in all my figures when I get to Arizona. However, I am surprised that an almost scratch golfer would need that form of additional information. Maybe I'm still too "green" but I thought that knowing your abilities and your equipment would be the best help.

Dave

[Wood]

...However, I am surprised that an almost scratch golfer would need that form of additional information. Maybe I'm still too "green" but I thought that knowing your abilities and your equipment would be the best help.

Dude- any info you can get helps. I'm a pretty consistent golfer, and know my game, and distances really well. I know that I can generally club myself off of some of the guys I play with (meaning we hit the same iron distances). It is still beneficial to me to know what these guys hit before me- if a hole plays shorter than it looks and measures as it is more downhill than it appers, etc.... It has nothing to do with whether or not I know my 8 iron goes 155-160, it is about the shot you are looking at. If I can get any info to further reassure myself about the shot at hand, it is beneficial.

I don't go out of my way to get club info- I won't look in someones bag or ask the question. BUT- if I see a guy pure a 7 iron 10 yards short, I know the hole is playing longer, and I need to adjust, or put a little more ass behind it. Every stroke counts, and if you can gain 1 by learning from playing mates or opponents, I'm gonna do it.

[GolfAllDay]

The real question to ask is did you go up or down a club - that is what you need to know. The rules say don't ask but with buddies we try and help each other get better. But you are right - all habits can end up in a tournement which could end up costing you.

[SubPar]

Playing in tourneys is definately a different situation. My thought is to get there early and play a practice round. ...

By

early you must mean a day early. If you play a practice round, or even hit one ball, on the course the day-of you are disqualified. When I am playing out of town tourneys, I almost never have the option to play a round in advance.

[caveman]

Dude- any info you can get helps. I'm a pretty consistent golfer, and know my game, and distances really well. I know that I can generally club myself off of some of the guys I play with (meaning we hit the same iron distances). It is still beneficial to me to know what these guys hit before me- if a hole plays shorter than it looks and measures as it is more downhill than it appers, etc.... It has nothing to do with whether or not I know my 8 iron goes 155-160, it is about the shot you are looking at. If I can get any info to further reassure myself about the shot at hand, it is beneficial.

Again, I stand corrected. I will even admit to getting a read from another golfers shot, at least the best read I can get...but I am convinced that whenever I have ...second guessed...my shot, I completely miss and normally I end up wishing I had stayed with my first thought. However, in practice rounds where I "take an extra shot" my first thought hasn't always been better anyway. Oh well.. so goes the sags of the extremely amateur "caveman" golfer. Regardless, I stand on my thought that I am better off not trying to get any information on my opponents club selection. caveman

[caveman]

By

Yes I mean a day or two early. But that's why I added that it's not always practical.