sac1

....another one of my pet hates. Often in the groups Im playing we are all short of the green, everyone stands still whilst others are having their shots, until it is the last players turn to hit and then the other three start walking to their ball on the green? ........leaving the last person to deal with the distraction of them moving or having to lob the ball next to them, over them etc. If you've just skulled yours through the green, doesn't give them the right to walk ahead whilst its your turn, walk right around the outside of the green if you have to. For me a pitch over a bunker off a tight lie is the hardest shot in golf, we don't need the added factor of "don't skinny it or Ill take out Freddy standing on the green" to put into the equation on such a shot.

Seems common sense, but there is no end of players who think they need to face the target whilst taking their practice swing and end up swinging at those beside them on the tee box.......I quickly turn my back and duck to give them the message that what they are doing is dangerous......often the reply is " I wasn't going to hit the ground".......to which I reply, "Im not willing to gamble my eyesight on your skill level" and often they do hit the ground sending stuff your way. Walking ahead of those in your playing group and expecting them to hit whilst you are standing ahead of them? +1 for turning around and letting them know you are watching so you can get out of the way if a mishit comes you way.............-1, for not realising that it is still the wrong thing to be doing. Im often 50 yards behind some of the big hitters at my club and many of think nothing of ignoring where I am and walking up to their ball and staying there based on they aren't in a direct line with my ball and the green/target. Often I prevent it by when we get to my ball actively tell them to stop right there. It puts unnecessary pressure on the people behind you to steer their shot so they will not hit you, ie, guard against pushing it right, pulling it left because you are standing on the right/left or swinging cautiously to avoid a shank etc. Often, Ill be positioned that I want to hit a draw or fade and need to start the ball directly at them, very off putting, especially when its see easy to hit a double cross or straight shot when aiming for the curve ball. Whether its your fault or not for getting hit, doesn't help the player who has just hit the ball and killed you when they have to turn up to the coroner's inquest and explain why the hit the ball when there were people standing ahead of them. Im not that confident that the average person can move fast enough if I mishit a 3 wood from 50 yards away that comes straight at them.....do the maths on ball speed, reaction time and distance.

Yes, seeing my own shadow flailing around when I'm swinging is distracting, but it's something everyone of us has to deal with...............that doesn't mean its okay for everyone else to stand with their shadow in my line of sight! Its just as distracting for me if I see someone's shadow six foot behind me as them standing there. Typically many people will start to move whilst you are swinging believing you wont notice them.........stand still until you've heard me make contact! People say one should be focussed on the ball? Hello peripheral vision! If I could get some blinkers to go with my sun glasses that would help, but otherwise is it really too hard for people to get out of the picture where you are somewhere as big as a golf course? When was the last time you saw another player on the pro tour standing behind the hole when another player was putting or standing close to their line? please none of the rubbish about it speeds up play.....how much time does it take to move 10 feet out of the way, and please when I'm the last to put out and have slightly more than a tap in, don't come right up next to me holding the flag ready to put it in........you can walk the 10 feet that you should be standing away whilst Im bending down to get my ball! .......and something Ive only realised recently.....the remove the hats and sunglasses thing at the last green.......I've just started doing it in case it offends someone else, not fussed whether others do it.

Bit off topic, but does anyone know of a device for marking lines on balls which will give as good as results as those in the bucket on picture 13 in the first post, or how does Callaway do it? Ive tried the ones commonly available and there is no way you can get the line straight to go all the way around the ball and get them to go through each other at perfect right angles. I obviously require it for putting, line the face of the putter with one line and point the ball in intended line of travel and strike through that line, works great(no lining up spots on the green), but once the lines are slightly wonky or don't go through each other at 90 deg, takes guess work as by how much to vary the strike and address position. I can hit the ball straight along the intended line every time with this method....only leaves reading the break and hitting speed as variables for me.

I think where most are getting side tracked is theory and reality. Im sure we all understand that the only way you'll turn a 20 marker into a scratch player is by improving their long game. But when a 20 marker has taken all the lessons they can and practiced 2 hours a day and still can only get their handicap down to 18 and there long game is about as good as its going to get, then the short game is where there is usually 5 or 6 shots to be made up. Getting out of bunkers in one shot, not skulling chips across greens.....just the basics. With just a moderate amount of practice on the short game the 20 handicapper with the stalled long game can get down to the 12-13 range, and any improvement after has to be from the long game.

If we all did what Aaron Baddeley does, you wouldnt be finished in 5 hours. Sure he just steps up and hits it, but next time you watch, put the stop watch on how much time he spends before this lining it up surveying the green etc.

Think you've misunderstood, if they were 25 yards away from me when Im hitting then good. Its that they keep walking up on you from inside 25 yards away when you are addressing the ball and have no intention of standing still , one has to hurry before they get too close or wait till they get level and I ask them physically to stop moving. Its simple, see someone addressing the ball, standstill and wait til they've hit it. As I said, whatever other distractions are thrown up on the golf course we have to deal with, but I find it unacceptable that it should come from playing partners, it represents either gamesmanship, ignorance and/or disrepect. You may not find someone walking past you as you hit distracting, but would may find it distracting if stand behind you with a whoopee whistle, respect others differences.

Golf etiquette, 90% of people I play with can't get it right. The golf course is a big place, why do you need to stand closer than 5 yds to people hitting? I've often asked people not to stand behing the line of the teebox where I can see them. Often some are so rude that they tell you that you should be looking at the ball and not them. Hello peripheral vision! I particularly dislike it when people stand on the line of my backswing,to be clear about it, the line Im hitting at is 0 degrees, directly behind that line is 180. People standing in the 180-225 region are in the plane of my backswing. Yes this is in the peripheral vision as when you are in your stance one isnt standing upright and this area comes into view, especially more so when putting. Why can't people stand still when another is hitting, people manage this on the teebox, but elsewhere on the course......out the window. My particular peeve is when playing from the fairway and you are say 25 yards in front of someone. You wait till they hit, move briskly to your ball get ready to hit and find that the person who has just hit keeps walking up behind you or to the side of you. Stand still, if I cant see you I can still hear you, either your clubs are rattling, your buggie is squeaking, electric buggies emit a high pitched noise. Simply if I can hear you, you are being a distraction, its no different to being right next to me talking. When asked to stop moving, stop fossicking in their bag for their chocolate bag, some idiots defend themselves with buts there is all sorts of noises out here, you cant expect silence etc... yes that is true, we have to cope with noise external to the playing group, that's part of the deal, but when the noise comes from your playing partners its avoidable and and obvious sign of disrespect. Players standing too close to the hole on the green while Im putting. Do we see the other three players in tiger's group standing around the hole when he is putting? no, get out of the picture, just dont take out the flag and stand right next to the hole, there's nothing worse than every put you have to have some fat belly who is too lazy to take a couple of steps in the picture of every put you take for the round. On that stand away from the putting line and the hole, do appreciate the player can be putting in a direction not straight at the hole due to the break, dont stand near that line either. People that walk ahead of you when its your shot! Its distracting for the reason they are moving, 2 because we have to think about where they are and avoiding hitting them. A shank can happen anytime, Id rather not have to contemplate(dont hit a shank) when one of my playing partners moves in front of me to the shank side of the shot. The same thing happens round the green, if someone is in a greenside bunker ready to hit, dont continue walking through the green in front of them placing your bag, picking up your ball(unless asked), its their shot, wait till they have hit, its very disconcerting being in a bunker beeing worried about hitting it skinny and cleaning up one of the idiots walking across with their backs to you. It will speed up play too, you've got plenty of time to do stuff when they are fixing up the bunker. I could keep going, but this is a fair grumble for my first post.