John Cook told a radio show host the other day that a caddie can say three things to their pro:
1. Pro, you were right.
2. Pro, I was wrong.
3. Pro, you got screwed.
When I see the obvious talent and work ethic of Overkill and HB this perspective sickens me even more than it would have a couple of months ago. I am curious if this kind of ignorance is pervasive on tour or if there are only a select few idiots of this sort.
Matt
Matt
Thanks for the support; this is not the John Cook I know; I will ask him about it next time I see him. There are a few players who want very little input from their caddie, but they are few and far between.
I would have thought it more important for the caddie to have some talent rather than just be able to identify it.
So to be a successful tour caddie it's not 'what you know' so much as 'who you know'.
Strav,
I thought I might take some heat for my answer (the one I was thinking of when I asked the question), and as I read all the great answers, I thought about choosing a different one. I decided to stick with the one I started with rather than jumping the fence.
Part of the scenario I pictured was choosing a player on a lower tour to come up with, which is the best shot for a caddie to break in these days.
I stuck with my answer for another reason, as well. The better the player is able to hit his line and yardage, the more the caddies' information matters. If the player is just chasing his ball around the course (think Ben Doyle, "It's all smoke and mirrors out here."), knowing the precise yardage will not help much. The database will be scattered with abnormalities that make it difficult to apply analytical thinking. The only sensible play would be to aim away from difficult pins rather than figuring the shot so well that it becomes possible.
When a player is on and you tell him it is 169 to the pin, you better be right, because he will hit it the number. You want a player who is on more often than not.
One man's success might not satisfy another. Certainly, there is satisfaction in helping anyone improve. I was thinking more in terms of contending often, winning sometimes, and playing well in majors.
The better the player, the more useful the information the caddie provides. It's much more fun to try temper the player's excitement about having a chance to win than trying to pump him up to birdie the last three to make the cut on the number. Having a chance when you wake up Sunday morning is what all the work is about. Being out on the course and knowing that each decision could be the difference between winning and loosing.
I don't want to downplay the importance of the contribution a caddie makes. Finding a caddie whose skill set meshes with his will add a great deal to a player's results.
Analogy. Buying a stock low with the hopes that it will rise. Is the stock under-valued and primed for long term growth? I don't mean to suggest that the road to success should be as quick and easy as jumping on Tiger's bag (not that the job is easy, but success nearly a lock). One of the caddie's jobs is to see the leaks in a player's game and try to plug them. They might be mental, strategic, physical, etc. To provide an objective analysis of the player's game (shared or not) and contribute to the improvement. It could be a long road, but the caddie wants to know deep down that his man can play. That the player can acheive, in part, as the result of the caddie's diligent efforts.
All of the attributes that were descibed in earlier posts describe a great caddie. To acheive any success, the caddie must cultivate the player's trust by being professional, knowing the course, knowing when to jump in and when to back off, by keeping accurate notes, by thinking ahead, by knowing when the player needs a pat on the back or a whip on the butt, by making correct decisions/suggestions under the gun, etc, etc.
Tough question. I would assume that an excellent caddie for someone like a DL3 is very different from the requirements of a Kevin Na. The experienced player may sometimes turn on autopilot (being nine strokes behind on Sunday morning and the card secured) and it would be the caddies job to get the player focused and excited, whereas a young rookie or sophmore might get overly excited (being two strokes behind on Sunday and watching the leaders hit a wild shot) and the caddie has to cool down the player.
I would probably summarize the requirement most sought after is a keen sense of responsibility, but I realize the content will differ from player to player.
Tour caddies are a bit different from the "honor" caddies at your club. A tour caddy needs to be a sounding board, a researcher who understands stats, a psychologist, an encourager/motivator, and timely in his comments all at the same time. Did I mention enjoys travelling...
Steve Williams wrote a good book describing his philosophies and how he works with players. Check it out.
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Golf can never be considered an enigma. ~HK
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