Overrated/Underrated (Golf) Topic

[Vinsk]

15 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

Overrated/Underrated #14: Working with a Teaching Pro

Seriously, this is underrated. Golf is hard. I know there are many ‘just swing the club’ types out there or the ‘ it's just like walking down stairs’ type of people who really think they can beat the system and play excellent golf with that mindset. Yeah no. Now I will say that live in person lessons can definitely suit some people better than online instruction. But instruction from someone who knows what they’re doing is priceless. I’ve seen several ‘notable’ instructors who provided me poor information. Many no-name instructors who couldn’t diagnose any problems for me and sent me off on wasteful tangents. Yet one post from @iacas (an excellent instructor) where he was able to define my errors very specifically and put me on a proper track which I’m pursuing on Evolvr. I could’ve never done this on my own.

[nevets88]

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Underrated. 

I've always ragged on announcers, but it's a tough job to fill in all that empty time. As much as I'd like there to be less repetition (plenty of green to work with), less sentimentality (Hello friends), better research (enough with the breaking towards the whatever), we're stuck with what we have for now. But I think the existence of NoLayingUp speaks to a desire for something more than the what I think is the dialing it in announcing that's happening now.

While imho, ratings will be about the same no matter who is announcing, we're watching because who's in contention, the prestige of the tournament, the course, etc..., it certainly would be a better experience if we had people in the booth who had some fire under their seats and haven't been doing what they're at for literally decade and decades. I get people want familiar faces, but what we have now is almost akin to lifetime tenure. It's too staid.

[dennyjones]

31 minutes ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

I'm going to say overrated for the exact same reason.   Regardless of who is announcing, if the big boys are playing well, most people will watch regardless.

[NJpatbee]

20 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

 

I say underrated.  Even though today's broadcasts move to different holes there is still enough quiet time where a competent golf announcer can add some substance to the round.  I did not always agree with him but Johnny Miller but his 25 PGA wins and two majors gave a lot of credibility and insight (and criticism!). 

[rehmwa]

20 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Overrated - The primary announcers.  I tune them completely out as 90% of their schtick is trite and the little 'golfisms' are annoying ("golf shot", "nice 'attempt'", "of the golf balll") and then the weird, petty stuff.  I like some the history stuff when it's info and not just their personal stuff.  Who was talking about compressing the golf ball yesterday?  It was about putting......I am certain McCord just chucks out anything that spills from his brain....

Underrated - The on the spot reporters.  They can really add to a broadcast with their input and interviews.  But they need to ask questions about play and intent and get the player to engage.  And just avoid the mindnumbing "How does it feel to...." questions etc..... right now it's a bit bland.  And when not interviewing, I like to know what the player's lie and distance and caddie discussion is about and which club he's using.....

Edited January 28, 2019 by rehmwa

[NM Golf]

20 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast.

This is a tough one, I have to go with overrated as I truly believe that most of the guys out there are kind of garbage yet I still tune in 4 days a week. Perhaps I am just getting irritated as they are all "old guard" and completely full of false information that they continually spew for the masses. Between Peter Kostis just butchering what is actually going on in the golf swing and Some other old dude talking about guys "laying up to a number" it's brutal. 

[klineka]

20 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Underrated, but for a slightly different reason. 

In my opinion, most announcers have a negative affect on the quality of the broadcast, and I dont think enough people realize how much misinformation is being spread by these announcers which is why I am going with underrated. 

In my opinion announcers contribute very heavily to the unrealistic expectations that most amateur golfers have, and that creates a huge negative affect on the quality of the broadcast. 

Watching the final round yesterday was no different. I think it was the 11th hole yesterday, a 228 yd par 3 with a tucked flag, Justin Rose put it to 15ft, which was a remarkable shot and they acted like he was expected to do that and it was no big deal.

Had that shot from Rose ended up on the left-middle of the green 40 ft from the flag, they likely would have said that was a poor shot when in reality 40ft proximity is right on the PGA tour average from 200-225 yds (yes I know slightly different since that stat is mainly comprised of approach shots from fairway/rough and not tee box, but my point remains the same)

No wonder amateurs think they've hit a poor shot when they put it to 35 feet on the middle of the green from 200 yds out.

It doesn't do any good to show that a player has 18 ft 10 inches left to the hole along with a 20% make percentage if the announcer sits there and says something like "ooh that was a putt he should have made" when the player misses. No, he really shouldn't have made it, as the statistics show he will miss that putt on average 4 times for every 1 time that he makes it.

I think announcers are slowly improving compared to say 5 years ago, but I still think there is a lot of room for improvement in regards to things like course strategy on laying up, realistic expectations, commenting on how good/bad a shot is, etc.

[ChetlovesMer]

20 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

I'm going to say Overrated, because for me all the announcers are completely interchangeable. In my opinion less is more when it comes to announcers in any sport, but especially golf. 

[GolfLug]

21 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Underrated.

I agree with those who have posted that commenting does have a fair effect on how a lot of general public views professional golf. 

I think they are not just 'enhancing' (or whatever the opposite of enhancing is..) what we see but also there is a certain amount of journalistic value they bring that's hard to get watching TV - whether its good, bad or ugly is ones own perception.  

I tend to cut even the most annoying commentators (even McCord) a bit of slack but they should def cut out the instructional bits (plenty of weekend warriors that believe it to be legit instruction) and oft repeated old glory stories. 

Edited January 28, 2019 by GolfLug

[iacas]

23 hours ago, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Overrated, because the die-hards still watch, even if they have to put it on mute, and the newbies don't know enough to know what's good or bad.

I think the actual coverage - how many shots they show, how many commercials, how often they show a player out of contention, etc. has a bigger effect on how the broadcast is perceived.

[nevets88]

9 minutes ago, iacas said:

Overrated, because the die-hards still watch, even if they have to put it on mute, and the newbies don't know enough to know what's good or bad.

I think the actual coverage - how many shots they show, how many commercials, how often they show a player out of contention, etc. has a bigger effect on how the broadcast is perceived.

I was juuust thinking about commercials and production. Also more coverage not on broadcast networks but on cable. Although they broadcast a shortened version later. And the different platforms from which you can watch now. Maybe I need to rethink.

[Double Mocha Man]

I'll take Gary McCord over Feherty.  Probably because my sense of humor is closer to his.  McCord's wackiness is pretty much off the cuff, not prepared in advance.  Let this be a warning to anyone on this forum not to play with me unless you can handle a little McCord bantering.  (Gary, are you reading this?  How 'bout an invite to play with you at your Paradise Valley Country Club?)

[mcanadiens]

On 1/27/2019 at 5:59 PM, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Overrated. 

Good ones definitely help, but when you know what you are looking at anyway, bad announcers can be tuned out pretty easily. 

Really that goes for just about any sport. 

[NM Golf]

17 hours ago, Double Mocha Man said:

I'll take Gary McCord over Feherty.  Probably because my sense of humor is closer to his.  McCord's wackiness is pretty much off the cuff, not prepared in advance.  Let this be a warning to anyone on this forum not to play with me unless you can handle a little McCord bantering.  (Gary, are you reading this?  How 'bout an invite to play with you at your Paradise Valley Country Club?)

I like both McCord and Feherty. IMHO they add to the enjoyment of the broadcast without constantly peppering it with useless or even blatantly incorrect tidbits of advise and information. 

[RussUK]

18 hours ago, iacas said:

Overrated, because the die-hards still watch, even if they have to put it on mute, and the newbies don't know enough to know what's good or bad.

I think the actual coverage - how many shots they show, how many commercials, how often they show a player out of contention, etc. has a bigger effect on how the broadcast is perceived.

I can agree with this, but a decent commentator is a bonus. The likes of Peter Aliss and Ken Brown, for me, make it more entertaining.

I've watched it with the sound off when the missus has been on the phone and wont go into another room and i have to say it just isn't the same.

[Buckeyebowman]

9 hours ago, NM Golf said:

I like both McCord and Feherty. IMHO they add to the enjoyment of the broadcast without constantly peppering it with useless or even blatantly incorrect tidbits of advise and information. 

Same here, but McCord seems better in an extemporaneous setting. I like Feherty's writing, some of his stuff is absolutely brilliant. And he's become quite skilled as an interviewer.

[CaseyD]

On 1/27/2019 at 2:59 PM, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Underrated. 

A good announcer can make a broadcast enjoyable and the good ones come prepared and sometimes share fun/ interesting info.  A bad announcer can easily ruin an otherwise good event. For Chris Collingsworth or Petros Papadakis. There are more those two just jump to the top of my list. 

[Vinsk]

On 1/27/2019 at 5:59 PM, nevets88 said:

Overrated/Underrated #15: Effect of announcers on quality of broadcast

Overrated. I think it’s like a clean house. When clean nobody really notices much. When it’s a disaster...it’s all anyone sees. I’ve never watched golf and thought I’d sure like to hear xyz say more...But I’ve watched many tournaments where I just had to mute.