2013 WM Phoenix Open Discussion Thread

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dave67az

... when someone starts talking during my backswing.  ...

To me, this is the crux of it.  Not noise vs. silence, but rather, change.  If it's totally silent, fine, and if it's totally loud, fine, but if somebody starts or stops during my backswing, that's distracting.

Same is true, I think, for free throw shooters.  People behind the basket waving things the whole time and yelling doesn't faze them one bit.  But if you could coordinate everybody to go from waving and screaming to dead stillness and silence immediately preceeding the shot - or vice versa?  Then I think you'd start seeing some airballs. :)

The other part of it is expectance.  If we're on 16 at Augusta we're not planning on somebody yelling during our shot, but at Phoenix we know it's coming.  How many times have we seen Tiger Woods (or somebody else) glare or yell at a camera man for distracting him?  Now, considering the fact that these tournaments are frequently played on what might as well be nature preserves, how many times have we seen somebody affected by a bird chirping during their swing?  I'm going to say probably never.

[Side note to the Tiger thing:  Don't know why I remember this so well but during the AT&T; Pebble Beach tourney in 1995 I was standing behind the 9th tee watching Kirk Triplett (pretty sure it was him) hit a drive and then glare at a person standing by me with a crying baby.  Seriously, somebody brought a baby to a golf tournament.]

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

To me, this is the crux of it.  Not noise vs. silence, but rather, change.  If it's totally silent, fine, and if it's totally loud, fine, but if somebody starts or stops during my backswing, that's distracting.

Same is true, I think, for free throw shooters.  People behind the basket waving things the whole time and yelling doesn't faze them one bit.  But if you could coordinate everybody to go from waving and screaming to dead stillness and silence immediately preceeding the shot - or vice versa?  Then I think you'd start seeing some airballs. :)

The other part of it is expectance.  If we're on 16 at Augusta we're not planning on somebody yelling during our shot, but at Phoenix we know it's coming.  How many times have we seen Tiger Woods (or somebody else) glare or yell at a camera man for distracting him?  Now, considering the fact that these tournaments are frequently played on what might as well be nature preserves, how many times have we seen somebody affected by a bird chirping during their swing?  I'm going to say probably never.

[Side note to the Tiger thing:  Don't know why I remember this so well but during the AT&T; Pebble Beach tourney in 1995 I was standing behind the 9th tee watching Kirk Triplett (pretty sure it was him) hit a drive and then glare at a person standing by me with a crying baby.  Seriously, somebody brought a baby to a golf tournament.]

Exactly!  It's not the environment, it's sudden changes in the environment that throw us off.  Like that gust of wind that comes out of nowhere during your backswing.  Much more annoying than a steady breeze.

As for the baby, the idiocy of some parents amazes me.  They take them to movies, they take them to sporting events, they take them to concerts (future hearing aid users, I'm sure).  I don't even understand the ones that take them to Disney because it's not like they even know what's going on!  I love kids, but leave them at home with a relative/nanny/sitter or whatever.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dave67az

Exactly!  It's not the environment, it's sudden changes in the environment that throw us off.  Like that gust of wind that comes out of nowhere during your backswing.  Much more annoying than a steady breeze.

As for the baby, the idiocy of some parents amazes me.  They take them to movies, they take them to sporting events, they take them to concerts (future hearing aid users, I'm sure).  I don't even understand the ones that take them to Disney because it's not like they even know what's going on!  I love kids, but leave them at home with a relative/nanny/sitter or whatever.

Guilty as charged! ;)  Kids under 3 are free, so there's really no harm in it ... other than to your own sanity. :)

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Guilty as charged! ;)  Kids under 3 are free, so there's really no harm in it ... other than to your own sanity. :)

How conditioned have we become that we indulge in things just because they're free and not because we derive anything from it?  Had a coworker a few years back who planned on taking her baby (less than a year old) on a trip to Hawaii with her hubby (a late honeymoon) because she didn't think she could stand being away from the baby for a week, and it was "free".

Funny thing is, at that age, there's usually no shortage of relatives who would LOVE to spend a week with the new babies (particularly grandparents) in most families I know.  Give yourself a break and keep your sanity!  You may need that for your next golf round!  :-)

[k-troop]

Originally Posted by dave67az

How conditioned have we become that we indulge in things just because they're free and not because we derive anything from it?  Had a coworker a few years back who planned on taking her baby (less than a year old) on a trip to Hawaii with her hubby (a late honeymoon) because she didn't think she could stand being away from the baby for a week, and it was "free".

Funny thing is, at that age, there's usually no shortage of relatives who would LOVE to spend a week with the new babies (particularly grandparents) in most families I know.  Give yourself a break and keep your sanity!  You may need that for your next golf round!  :-)

I live in Hawaii.  I'll pay your airfare here and back if you take care of my kid for a week!!

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by k-troop

I live in Hawaii.  I'll pay your airfare here and back if you take care of my kid for a week!!

I'll pay your kid's airfare here if he can cook, clean, do my landscaping, and carry a golf bag.  lol

[Valleygolfer]

Originally Posted by dave67az

Quote:

Originally Posted by k-troop

I live in Hawaii.  I'll pay your airfare here and back if you take care of my kid for a week!!

I'll pay your kid's airfare here if he can cook, clean, do my landscaping, and carry a golf bag.  lol

I can cook and do landscaping....pay my airfare

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by Valleygolfer

I can cook and do landscaping....pay my airfare

An attempt at indentured servitude is worth it if I think the subject is still trainable.

I've seen your posts.  You have a mind of your own.  I already have a teenager.  I'll have to pass.  :-)

[Lefty-Golfer]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

To me, this is the crux of it.  Not noise vs. silence, but rather, change.  If it's totally silent, fine, and if it's totally loud, fine, but if somebody starts or stops during my backswing, that's distracting.

Same is true, I think, for free throw shooters.  People behind the basket waving things the whole time and yelling doesn't faze them one bit.  But if you could coordinate everybody to go from waving and screaming to dead stillness and silence immediately preceeding the shot - or vice versa?  Then I think you'd start seeing some airballs. :)

.]

i get what you are saying, i don't agree with it at all but i understand. IMO it is truely a matter of what you have trained your body to do.

i run a construction company, i started on site in the ditch and moved up. at every level of promotion there was noise and random crashing of steel, backup beepers, tools etc. when i got moved to the main office in a cube there 10 of us sharing a room. typically there were about 8 conversations going on at any one point in time...you learn to block noise and over time you won't hear it. When i got a priovate offfice it drove me crazy for months because i missed the noise...plus i have been married 20 years with kids and you have to learn to ignore noise!!!

[dave67az]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Golfer

i get what you are saying, i don't agree with it at all but i understand. IMO it is truely a matter of what you have trained your body to do.

i run a construction company, i started on site in the ditch and moved up. at every level of promotion there was noise and random crashing of steel, backup beepers, tools etc. when i got moved to the main office in a cube there 10 of us sharing a room. typically there were about 8 conversations going on at any one point in time...you learn to block noise and over time you won't hear it. When i got a priovate offfice it drove me crazy for months because i missed the noise...plus i have been married 20 years with kids and you have to learn to ignore noise!!!

So, in fact when you had a CHANGE in the environment that you were accustomed to, it was a distraction.

You just made our point.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Lefty-Golfer

i get what you are saying, i don't agree with it at all but i understand. IMO it is truely a matter of what you have trained your body to do.

i run a construction company, i started on site in the ditch and moved up. at every level of promotion there was noise and random crashing of steel, backup beepers, tools etc. when i got moved to the main office in a cube there 10 of us sharing a room. typically there were about 8 conversations going on at any one point in time...you learn to block noise and over time you won't hear it. When i got a priovate offfice it drove me crazy for months because i missed the noise...plus i have been married 20 years with kids and you have to learn to ignore noise!!!

Originally Posted by dave67az

So, in fact when you had a CHANGE in the environment that you were accustomed to, it was a distraction.

You just made our point.

Exactly.  You say that you disagree with us, but your explanation says otherwise.  Cheers!

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

To me, this is the crux of it.  Not noise vs. silence, but rather, change.  If it's totally silent, fine, and if it's totally loud, fine, but if somebody starts or stops during my backswing, that's distracting.

We have a couple of holes along a semi-busy street and nobody ever notices the cars going by, until one of the dopes yells "Fore" in somebody's backswing.