Shot Timing

[NM Golf]

 

15 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

This^^.  Unless my ball is in another player's line of play, I will have picked my aiming point and be setting up to the ball while his shot is still in the air.  In something like 5-10 seconds after he hits, my ball is on the way. 

5-10 seconds seems awfully quick. Are you talking once you are over the ball or from the time you pull a club? 

Once I am over the ball I pull the trigger within 5 seconds or so, but 5-10 seconds from pulling a club would look a lot like Happy Gilmore.

Also, you don't help watch your playing partners' shots? 

23 minutes ago, iacas said:

In theory, cool. In practice, though, my pre-shot routine takes 25 seconds or so, and starts after I've identified that their shot - which I'm watching as a dutiful and respectful playing partner - is going to be okay.

Agreed. Watching your playing partner's ball is just common courtesy, as is not walking around pulling your own clubs out of the bag and addressing the ball while they are hitting. I cannot count how many times I have not seen a shot I hit, and my playing partners point me in the right direction because they were paying attention and did see it. 

[bm85]

My routine is 20-25 seconds. Nearly a minute for every shot is nuts.

[HJJ003]

reading through some of the comments I was reminded about a guy I played with before that took almost practice swings before every shot off the green and still managed to wormburn most of his shots...one of the slowest rounds I can remember playing and it was only 9 holes lol!

[Fourputt]

5 hours ago, iacas said:

If true, that's ridiculously fast yes.

In theory, cool. In practice, though, my pre-shot routine takes 25 seconds or so, and starts after I've identified that their shot - which I'm watching as a dutiful and respectful playing partner - is going to be okay.

When I was a kid we'd often have two balls in the air at the same time in a group, we'd hit so quickly after another player hit. But as an adult, I watch the balls of other players, then start my pre-shot routine. It's not long, but there's no way that I could ever hit five seconds after someone else has hit. I'm watching their shot to help them out. Even if they stripe it, it takes two seconds to recognize that, then the pre-shot routine.

I can take a second or 2 just as I start to move up toward my ball to see if my FC's ball is headed someplace funky or not.  If it seems headed off target, then sure, I'll watch to get a spot on it, but if it's more or less headed in the right direction, it's just a waste of time to stand and watch it roll onto the green like most guys seem to feel they have to do. 

I read an article 30 years ago in Golf or Golf Digest where a Scotsman and an American were discussing this very subject during a round at a small town course somewhere in the Highlands.  The Scot couldn't see why the American felt that they both couldn't hit at the same time when they were playing from opposite sides of the hole and nothing they did could interfere with the other.  All of this standing around watching is part of why golf is so slow these days.

Edited February 14, 2018 by Fourputt

[iacas]

2 hours ago, Fourputt said:

All of this standing around watching is part of why golf is so slow these days.

No. The eight seconds it takes to watch a fellow competitor's shot is something you owe to them, and something that you can easily "make up" by walking a tiny bit faster or something.

Furthermore, and maybe it doesn't apply to you, but good players can learn about how the green is reacting by watching another player, what the wind may be doing, etc. So it's beneficial to watch a player's shot, too.

[saevel25]

Standing around next to one person and watching them hit will slow down play. 

[bm85]

11 hours ago, iacas said:

The eight seconds it takes to watch a fellow competitor's shot is something you owe to them, and something that you can easily "make up" by walking a tiny bit faster or something.

This might be a stupid question, but what do you mean by "owe to them?"

[BreaksLeft]

I'm in the 20-25 second range with most of the other posters in this thread.

Gotta agree with Iacas above about watching the other players hit before starting my own pre-shot routine.  There is a decent chance that the bogey golfers I play with will launch one sideways.  It's everyone's obligation to watch in case a search is necessary.

 

[iacas]

4 hours ago, bm85 said:

This might be a stupid question, but what do you mean by "owe to them?"

It's part of your responsibility to watch their golf ball.

Good etiquette.

[Fourputt]

31 minutes ago, iacas said:

It's part of your responsibility to watch their golf ball.

Good etiquette.

Actually, this is never mentioned in the rules, not even in the etiquette section, not even as an oblique reference.  It's a courtesy that we all do, but it is not mandatory.  In groups at my level I may be near one of my companions when he plays, but I am rarely in close proximity to all of the other members of my group - we are more likely to be scattered across the hole.  In such situations, I'm unlikely to have a good line on a ball unless I delay even more and wait until he hits to go to my ball.  When I'm well to the side, I won't have a decent line on his ball, if I even manage to track it from my angle.  

I will assist a player in tracking his ball when it's seems appropriate, but I am not required to do it if it's not convenient, or if doing so would cause unnecessary delay in getting to my ball.  The player is ultimately responsible for his own ball, and any assistance I can offer is a courtesy, but not always the best choice of actions.   I always watch other players play tee shots, and in my experience, that is the most likely time for a ball to go astray.

I will always help another player search for an errant ball (and in most cases I will have seen it and will have some sort of a line on it).  It may happen before I play my next shot or after, but I will help until he abandons the search or the ball is found.  

Edited February 15, 2018 by Fourputt

[No Mulligans]

I timed myself

I'm 24 to 30 seconds when I am first to my ball.  Once I get to my ball;  I get my distance, select my club, practice swing, line up, hit.

14 to 20 seconds when I'm already at my ball and not first to hit.  I already have my distance and club so it's practice swing, line up, hit.

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

Actually, this is never mentioned in the rules, not even in the etiquette section, not even as an oblique reference.

I never said it did.

7 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

It's a courtesy that we all do, but it is not mandatory.

Never said that either.

7 minutes ago, Fourputt said:

When I'm well to the side, I won't have a decent line on his ball, if I even manage to track it from my angle.

If you say so. Unless someone is way into the trees or they're hitting right into the sun from my angle or something, I can't remember the last shot I didn't see. I mean, so what if the guy is 50 yards from you - you can still watch their ball.

Maybe poorer eyesight or whatever plays a role, but… I dunno.

[Fourputt]

39 minutes ago, iacas said:

I never said it did.

Never said that either.

If you say so. Unless someone is way into the trees or they're hitting right into the sun from my angle or something, I can't remember the last shot I didn't see. I mean, so what if the guy is 50 yards from you - you can still watch their ball.

Maybe poorer eyesight or whatever plays a role, but… I dunno.

I'n happy that you still have young eyes that don't require bifocals.  I used to have those eyes too.  I didn't wear glasses of any kind until I was in my 50's, and even then it was only reading glasses.  I started wearing bifocals less than 10 years ago.  I used to be able to track a ball as far as anyone could hit one, and that includes watching John Daly when I marshaled at The International.  Now I sometimes have trouble tracking one beyond about 200 yards even when I am standing right behind the hitter.  Even when my eyes were perfect, it was hard to follow a ball from across the fairway unless the light was just right.  Now I'm lucky to track one out of 10 shots from that angle.

Edited February 15, 2018 by Fourputt

[NM Golf]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

It's part of your responsibility to watch their golf ball.

Good etiquette.

Again I totally agree. Just like helping a playing partner hunt for their ball its just good etiquette. Part of what makes golf a gentlemen's game.

16 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Standing around next to one person and watching them hit will slow down play. 

 

20 hours ago, Fourputt said:

I can take a second or 2 just as I start to move up toward my ball to see if my FC's ball is headed someplace funky or not.  If it seems headed off target, then sure, I'll watch to get a spot on it, but if it's more or less headed in the right direction, it's just a waste of time to stand and watch it roll onto the green like most guys seem to feel they have to do. 

I read an article 30 years ago in Golf or Golf Digest where a Scotsman and an American were discussing this very subject during a round at a small town course somewhere in the Highlands.  The Scot couldn't see why the American felt that they both couldn't hit at the same time when they were playing from opposite sides of the hole and nothing they did could interfere with the other.  All of this standing around watching is part of why golf is so slow these days.

You know what else wastes a lot of time? Looking for a ball when you don't know exactly where it went. I guarantee what you lose politely standing while someone else hits you gain in not having to friggin hunt for balls all the time. It literally takes less than 10 seconds.