OCD Behaviour at the Golf Range

[gregsandiego]

Maybe it's me but I can't concentrate if there is some guy next to me spending 20 minutes twisting and bending and doing everything else but hitting the ball. Today the guy next to me had a full bucket and I swear he spent a half hour doing some kind of elaborate warm up routine involving slow motion drills, putting on his shoes, sitting down and having a soda, on and on and on. I was through 30 balls and this guy was still doing the rituals.

I know I should just block it out but can't. I picked up my stuff an moved down the range.I'll admit I'm easily distracted.

 

[vangator]

That could have been me.  Wait... I wasn't in San Diego today.    As long as they're not talking, I'm OK.  I had a guy a while ago that had a farting problem.  He ran through the whole scale too.  I was upwind, so I just kept hitting.

[Golfingdad]

Maybe it's me but I can't concentrate if there is some guy next to me spending 20 minutes twisting and bending and doing everything else but hitting the ball. Today the guy next to me had a full bucket and I swear he spent a half hour doing some kind of elaborate warm up routine involving slow motion drills, putting on his shoes, sitting down and having a soda, on and on and on. I was through 30 balls and this guy was still doing the rituals.

I know I should just block it out but can't. I picked up my stuff an moved down the range.I'll admit I'm easily distracted.

 

That is definitely a " you problem."  ;) And I would use caution when throwing around the term "odd."  Especially if you're using it to refer to stretching, putting shoes on, and drinking a soda.  I'm no doctor, but I don't think that's what the term means. :P

Edited October 11, 2015 by Golfingdad
Added smileys

[SavvySwede]

I usually do some stretches and play around with some resistance bands before tackling a pile of balls and I like to think it's a pretty good idea for anyone to do so.

[Patch]

My first question might be was the guy a better golfer than you?

Pretty sure that once you get some confidence with your own game, what other people do around you won't bother you at all. In fact, sometimes these other folks can be down right entertaining, and/or educational.  

The other guy was not OCD. He was just comfortable with his game, and that was his routine. 

[gregsandiego]

My first question might be was the guy a better golfer than you?

 

Surprisingly not. 

That is definitely a " you problem."  ;) And I would use caution when throwing around the term "odd."  Especially if you're using it to refer to stretching, putting shoes on, and drinking a soda.  I'm no doctor, but I don't think that's what the term means. :P

You forgot all the slow motion drills..

 

That could have been me.  Wait... I wasn't in San Diego today.    As long as they're not talking, I'm OK.  I had a guy a while ago that had a farting problem.  He ran through the whole scale too.  I was upwind, so I just kept hitting.

Major or minor scale?

I'm wearing ear buds the whole time to drown out the groans and moans some guys share.

 

 

[Mike Boatright]

Ha ha very funny I know what you mean.  What I hate is the guy huffing and puffing rapid fire hitting the ball with little random comments to himself looking as if it's a torturous endeavor vs fun or practice.

[Golfingdad]

You forgot all the slow motion drills.

Oh, well in that case ... ;). I also just noticed my typo earlier.  Meant ocd, not odd.

Regardless of what my neighbors are doing, I try not to pay attention.  Although on a less than full range I will try and employ the same strategy I use when using a urinal at a public restroom; try to leave a gap on either side of me whenever possible. :P

[Patch]

Oh, well in that case ... ;). I also just noticed my typo earlier.  Meant ocd, not odd.

Regardless of what my neighbors are doing, I try not to pay attention.  Although on a less than full range I will try and employ the same strategy I use when using a urinal at a public restroom; try to leave a gap on either side of me whenever possible. :P

Urinals, and driving range stalls. I get that. 

 

Edited October 12, 2015 by Patch

[natureboy]

I have one pre-shot strech that must look really odd. It's a dynamic stretch for my very tight hamstrings and looks kind of like a duck marching. I try to do it well behind the line. Fortunately, most golfers seriously working on their game don't seem to notice.

[Apollo]

I have no issue with golfers doing warmup drills or stretches... sometimes I'll keep a subtle eye on them and maybe learn something!

But occasionally I'll see something like week. A guy in a nearby stall, practising barefoot, slamming his club into the ground after every mishit, cursing under his breath. Then spending 2 minutes examining his club for damage. Distracting, but kinda entertaining!

My range peeve is unsupervised kids... the shouting and screaming to each other bugs the hell out of me! And yesterday (this was a first) I had a kid run right in front of me to get one of my used tees as I was about to swing. I had to abort my swing... at least the father had the decency to come over and apologise.

[garush34]

I never notice people at the range. I just go to work on what I need, couldn't care less what anyone else is doing.

[nevets88]

I wonder how differently people would practice if all of them practiced as if they were alone. I think the dynamics of a range changes how people practice more than one would think.

[Patch]

I think (for the most part) it's just human nature when a person is practicing their golf game, that  they want to look good ( to others) while doing it. Probably the same when on the course working on a scorecard. It's how they look good that can be annoying to others.  

About the only thing that bothers me is the worker on the lawn mower who is cutting the turf near where I am set up. It's not the noise, or the movement, but the thought that he/she might want to cut the turf where I am standing. I figure I am in their way, and they have a job to do. 

From a mental standpoint, I practice like I play. By that I mean I never go rapid fire when practicing. In between shots, I take in the sights around me before the next shot. Once I am ready, and go into pre swing mode, I am oblivious to what is going on around me until I see where I hit the ball.  

    

[gregsandiego]

Oh, well in that case ... ;). I also just noticed my typo earlier.  Meant ocd, not odd.

Regardless of what my neighbors are doing, I try not to pay attention.  Although on a less than full range I will try and employ the same strategy I use when using a urinal at a public restroom; try to leave a gap on either side of me whenever possible. :P

Good analogy. And taking it further... don't you find some ranges don't allow sufficient gaps between the mats?  Sometimes I feel like a horizontal practice swing in the air is going to come close to the guy next to me.

I never notice people at the range. I just go to work on what I need, couldn't care less what anyone else is doing.

With that superiority I'm surprised you even bothered to reply then.

[garush34]

 

With that superiority I'm surprised you even bothered to reply then.

It not superiority at all, I just don't see why someone two bays down, stretching or mucking about with balls would annoy you. If your getting distracted by something like that your not really paying attention to what your doing and there for not working on what you came to do.

Maybe it's just me, but when I go to the range I go to work on something I don't spend my time looking at what others are doing. It's not going to benefit me in any way.

[gregsandiego]

It not superiority at all, I just don't see why someone two bays down, stretching or mucking about with balls would annoy you. If your getting distracted by something like that your not really paying attention to what your doing and there for not working on what you came to do.

Maybe it's just me, but when I go to the range I go to work on something I don't spend my time looking at what others are doing. It's not going to benefit me in any way.

OK that works for you - fine.

[nevets88]

This year, I saw a guy sunbathing at the range. Twice. Folding chair, shades, sleeping.

Edited October 12, 2015 by nevets88