How do you deal with the 'Gimme' players?

[Slice of Life]

I have no issues with gimmies. However, a gimmie is a putt that you would have to try to miss. 6" or less. 10" is not a gimmie...I've seen many of those missed before. IK Kim anyone? lol

[k-troop]

I takes seconds to putt out a sub 12" putt. Not much more than it takes to pick it up.

In theory I agree with you, but in practice I find it doesn't always work that way.  A Saturday morning foursome.  Everyone is on the green at once.  You putt first and hit your 30-footer 12 inches past the hole.  Your options:

1. Pick it up--it's good.

2. Try to putt it without trampling on someone else's line.  More often than not you're taking an awkward sideways one-legged stance, or you hit it backhanded.  When you miss it you feel like a complete ass because you tried to get cute.

3. Mark it and wait your turn.  Move your mark out of someone else's line.  Move it back....

Options 2 and 3 can really slow down the group, especially when one or two players in the foursome are doing this on 18 holes.

I understand that Option 1 is "cheating", but that's how I'm playing it on my typical Saturday morning round when we're just out enjoying the morning and playing golf.  If I'm playing in league or a tournament, I putt everything (and yes I've missed 1-footers in these situations).  If I'm playing skins or match, it's the opponent's option.  But for 75% of my rounds, which are casual rounds played on busy Saturday and Sunday mornings, I'm taking Option 1.

[turtleback]

I have no issues with gimmies. However, a gimmie is a putt that you would have to try to miss. 6" or less. 10" is not a gimmie...I've seen many of those missed before. IK Kim anyone? lol

But that is not how most of the gimmee giving part of the golf world view it.  Most seem to think that in the leather means the length between the putter head and the grip, when traditionally it meant the length of the (leather) grip.

[Slice of Life]

But that is not how most of the gimmee giving part of the golf world view it.  Most seem to think that in the leather means the length between the putter head and the grip, when traditionally it meant the length of the (leather) grip.

Yeah, I hear you, I just disagree with the general definition. For me, if someone wants to hit my putt back to me that I left 2" from the cup, sure...I'm making that putt 100% of the time.

Even if I only miss a 1' putt 2% of the time, to me...it's not a gimmie.

[bplewis24]

It pisses them off because they don't want to face up to the fact that there scores and handicaps are BS. When you insist on putting out they feel a little pressured to putt out as well and seeing as they never putt anything under 3' they know damn well that they're probably going to miss and maybe not get the come backer either.

On the NFCn blog, we would call this a "truthbomb!"

[Jeremie Boop]

I'll usually putt out even if someone says "that's good" or "pick it up". I've yet to miss one they tell me to do that on either, but that's not the point. It takes me just as long to tap it in and grab it from the hole as it does to grab it pretty much. Now the ones they knock back at me.. well I suppose I could walk over and put it back down but I just tell them I like to putt out and they'll typically let my ball alone the rest of the round.

[Dave2512]

In theory I agree with you, but in practice I find it doesn't always work that way.  A Saturday morning foursome.  Everyone is on the green at once.  You putt first and hit your 30-footer 12 inches past the hole.  Your options:

1. Pick it up--it's good.

2. Try to putt it without trampling on someone else's line.  More often than not you're taking an awkward sideways one-legged stance, or you hit it backhanded.  When you miss it you feel like a complete ass because you tried to get cute.

3. Mark it and wait your turn.  Move your mark out of someone else's line.  Move it back....

Options 2 and 3 can really slow down the group, especially when one or two players in the foursome are doing this on 18 holes.

I understand that Option 1 is "cheating", but that's how I'm playing it on my typical Saturday morning round when we're just out enjoying the morning and playing golf.  If I'm playing in league or a tournament, I putt everything (and yes I've missed 1-footers in these situations).  If I'm playing skins or match, it's the opponent's option.  But for 75% of my rounds, which are casual rounds played on busy Saturday and Sunday mornings, I'm taking Option 1.

I suppose all of that is possible but my experience is there isn't much to sweeping in a 12" putt. I can't remember the last time I marked one that wasn't something tricky, like above the hole on a day the greenskeeper decides to torture everyone. Most of the time it's nothing more than a one handed move.

[Jeremie Boop]

I suppose all of that is possible but my experience is there isn't much to sweeping in a 12" putt. I can't remember the last time I marked one that wasn't something tricky, like above the hole on a day the greenskeeper decides to torture everyone. Most of the time it's nothing more than a one handed move.

Speaking of the gimmes, anyone else notice it's easier to make those shorter putts one handed? Like playing solo you grab the flag out and hold it while you putt out? I rarely miss anything under 3 foot that way but I'll miss a few if I lay the flag down and putt out normally.

[Slice of Life]

Speaking of the gimmes, anyone else notice it's easier to make those shorter putts one handed? Like playing solo you grab the flag out and hold it while you putt out? I rarely miss anything under 3 foot that way but I'll miss a few if I lay the flag down and putt out normally.

Yeah, because you don't rely on both hands. Only one needs to do its job. Add another in and you lose stability, but if one wants to do something different than the other, you lip out a 2 footer.

Troll hand. lol

[MissouriHack]

Mark you ball and putt out. I don't think telling people that you want to putt out is a big deal. Just don't make it one.

[bplewis24]

Mark you ball and putt out.

There are plenty of opportunities for playing partners to knock your ball back to you before you can mark, if they are so inclined.  The key is to either let people know on the first tee how you play the game, or let them know after the first time they knock is back to you that you like to putt everything out.

[MissouriHack]

There are plenty of opportunities for playing partners to knock your ball back to you before you can mark, if they are so inclined.  The key is to either let people know on the first tee how you play the game, or let them know after the first time they knock is back to you that you like to putt everything out.

I think the Key is too not touch another persons ball on the putting surface. Have you ever had someone do that too you?

[k-troop]

I think the Key is too not touch another persons ball on the putting surface.

So is that Six Simple Keys now? This is getting confusing, and now Erik is going to have to retool his entire marketing campaign.

[Gatsby1923]

I say "I just love the sound of it going in the cup."
No one has ever insisted after I say that.

[MissouriHack]

So is that Six Simple Keys now? This is getting confusing, and now Erik is going to have to retool his entire marketing campaign.

Retooling, yea thats the other key. You could also have a golf shirt made that says." Real men don't stop till they hit bottom."

[dsc123]

No problem putting out those 10", unless when you look up into the fairway, you see the next group waiting...then its not ok. You're not on tour, and if you want the practice from 10" out, there's more than likely a practice green readily available

It's always Ok to play by the rules. Slow play and playing by the rules are two different things. It's absurd to complain that about someone following the rules. Everyone is out there playing golf. Besides, its not the guy that insists on putting out that slows up play, it's the guy that takes way too long to hit that 1 footer.

[Slice of Life]

It's always Ok to play by the rules.

Slow play and playing by the rules are two different things. It's absurd to complain that about someone following the rules. Everyone is out there playing golf.

Besides, its not the guy that insists on putting out that slows up play, it's the guy that takes way too long to hit that 1 footer.

I agree. Seriously trying to say that you should just bypass the rules if there are people behind you?

"Well, I missed the green, but it'll probably be quicker if I just drop a ball on the green and take the gimme...easy birdie!"

[Yukari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsc123

It's always Ok to play by the rules.

Slow play and playing by the rules are two different things. It's absurd to complain that about someone following the rules. Everyone is out there playing golf.

Besides, its not the guy that insists on putting out that slows up play, it's the guy that takes way too long to hit that 1 footer.