I was lucky because I came to the Course over 2 hours early.
I disagree.... ....I think you made your own "luck" in that case.
It is not hard to figure out how you got your stage name. The attention to detail and willingness to leave no stone unturned serve you well. I am so glad you are posting here.
I've lurked for awhile around here, but this thread is an absolute goldmine. Thank you both immensely for your contributions!
I have a couple of questions for you as well.
1. When you and your pro are, say, 4 or 5 over through the first 9 holes (or 6, for that matter), do you take a different approach to the rest? Obviously, you try and keep target- and shot-oriented, but what else goes on? I know the mindset has to change somewhat, whether you like it or not.
2. You've got a two-shot lead going into the final round of a tournament. How does the approach differ, if at all? What about the final 9 holes? Final 2?
3. Do expectations change from week to week? If your guy has made, say 2 cuts in the first 8 events, is just getting to the weekend the goal? Or conversely, if he has just made 2 or 3 straight top-20s or top-10s, is he solely focused on winning? Obviously expectations may not be openly discussed, as a lot of people advocate avoiding them altogether, but deep down there's got to be a change in confidence level based on past performances. And it seems to me that this change in confidence can affect the level of expectations. Or am I way off ?
I've lurked for awhile around here, but this thread is an absolute goldmine. Thank you both immensely for your contributions!
I have a couple of questions for you as well.
1. When you and your pro are, say, 4 or 5 over through the first 9 holes (or 6, for that matter), do you take a different approach to the rest? Obviously, you try and keep target- and shot-oriented, but what else goes on? I know the mindset has to change somewhat, whether you like it or not.
2. You've got a two-shot lead going into the final round of a tournament. How does the approach differ, if at all? What about the final 9 holes? Final 2?
3. Do expectations change from week to week? If your guy has made, say 2 cuts in the first 8 events, is just getting to the weekend the goal? Or conversely, if he has just made 2 or 3 straight top-20s or top-10s, is he solely focused on winning? Obviously expectations may not be openly discussed, as a lot of people advocate avoiding them altogether, but deep down there's got to be a change in confidence level based on past performances. And it seems to me that this change in confidence can affect the level of expectations. Or am I way off ?
H
I am a Tech, so here is my approach;
1. When we have a really bad start, we tend to make an extreme change; something that my player has to focus on so he cannot be thinking about anything else. Harbour Town, one year, he shot a 40 on the first nine; on our 10th hole we moved the ball in front of his front foot for a few holes; he shot a 28 and played well for the rest of the week
2. I have been lucky enough to be in this position a few times and everyone was different. On one occassion I had to reign in my player, he became very aggressive in what he wanted to do. On the 17th hole I stood in front of the bag and would not give him a club until he promised me that he would make a conservative play. In another Tourn we were standing on the 18th tee (short par 5) with a one shot lead. We had played it as a par4 all week, but there was some discussion as to whether we should play it as a 3 shot hole. I said, hit your driver and then we can decide; the ball went into a fairway bunker, and I said, now its a three shot hole/////I believe, all things being equal, that your approach should not differ, unless it has to.
3. My short answer is No, if a player does not feel that he has a chance to win, he should stay at home. I believe it was H Ford who was credited with saying that - it doesn't matter if you think you can do something or you think that you cann't, either way you are right- At a tourn in S.C., my player (after missing a few cuts) shot an 81 on Thur. He was going to go home but I talked him into playing on Fri partley because we were the first group off and after playing he could still go home. He hit the cart path with he first shot but managed to make a nice put for birdie. On the way to the second hole, we decided to keep the scuffed ball in play. He shot 31 on the front and 32 on the back (same ball) and made the cut. I kept the ball for several years and then gave it to his son.
P.S. The next week he won////////
Last edited by Overkill : 01-08-2008 at 03:08 PM.
Reason: addition
I've lurked for awhile around here, but this thread is an absolute goldmine. Thank you both immensely for your contributions!
I have a couple of questions for you as well.
1. When you and your pro are, say, 4 or 5 over through the first 9 holes (or 6, for that matter), do you take a different approach to the rest? Obviously, you try and keep target- and shot-oriented, but what else goes on? I know the mindset has to change somewhat, whether you like it or not.
2. You've got a two-shot lead going into the final round of a tournament. How does the approach differ, if at all? What about the final 9 holes? Final 2?
3. Do expectations change from week to week? If your guy has made, say 2 cuts in the first 8 events, is just getting to the weekend the goal? Or conversely, if he has just made 2 or 3 straight top-20s or top-10s, is he solely focused on winning? Obviously expectations may not be openly discussed, as a lot of people advocate avoiding them altogether, but deep down there's got to be a change in confidence level based on past performances. And it seems to me that this change in confidence can affect the level of expectations. Or am I way off ?
1. Really depends on how you got over par. If he has "earned it," ie, 5 bogeys vs. one bad hole, I might ask if he is going to shoot 90. He knows he won't do that bad, and sometimes it helps him realize that maybe all the bad stuff has already happened. A bad start could be mental, mechanical, conditions, etc. Just try to address the right thing. One key is to be so grounded in your process and routine that you don't know what you are shooting.
2. Keep doing what you did to get in the lead. We have all seen the college basketball team go into a stall too early and get run over at the end. I think that there is always a correct shot. We try to play that one each time, balancing risk and reward. The last couple of holes can call for a change of strategy based on the lead and what is going on. Mostly, you just keep playing. You should be practicing putting the game away every single day. Be a finisher. It is a mindset.
3. Forrest Gump. Life (golf) is like a box of chocolates. Turn up everyday expecting the best and prepared for the worst. You need to be in the habit of acting like a winner.
Do you know of any tour players that work on LAG? Of course there are 3 kinds... Accumulator, Clubhead, and Pivot Lag.
Clubhead Lag is "the secret". The tour players that I have talked to seem to have always have had lag, and are not really aware of it much... they just have it.
I know a fellow that went to the practice round of a major, and just filmed the hands of players coming into impact. He said every tour player had a forward leaning shaft, every one that he filmed. The only occasional guys that were not quite as good were... some of the club pros... this was the P.G.A. Championship.
Pros might work on clubhead lag indirectly. They might hit a lot of low shots to change a feel or pattern. My experience suggests that most have good shaft lean but fleeting face and path alighnments. Always working on matching the path and face (whether they know it or not). They work on it until they get the ballflight they want. Obviously, some players have much greater command. Did you see Tiger break the panes of glass ala Big Break----he had not problem.
I do think that they consciously work on pivot lag. Sequence, tempo, etc, are all related to that strong feeling of power in reserve. More later gotta go.
In 1992 (while I was still working in the 'real world') I was asked by a pro friend of mine to caddie for a young Aussie on a course that I knew quite well. The player was looking for an older person who could help him with the Course; caddie experience was not a requirement (good for me)
The short version is that the Aussie won, his first and my first////
He outlasted M Bradley, with S Stricker and C Dimarco right behind
S is a great guy and I was happy to see him play so well in H.
I worked a few more events and then in 1995, J Powell fired his caddie and I picked him up on the range; he was desperate// Anyway, he won the the event; my one and only Senior Tour Event.
Jan 1997 I was asked to by a young player to caddie for him at Lakeland Fl; his first pro event; he didn't win/// However he has since, on both the PGA and the Nationwide.
While at Lakeland, I worked for a player during the Wed. pro am who asked me to come work for him full time. I had told him that I was thinking about retiring after 30 years of policing.
I retired the end of March, the next week I was in Mississippi and three weeks later that same player won his first Nike Tour event, with me of course.
(By the way, that first week in Miss. I worked for one player on Mon., my own player on Tues., another player on Wed. my own player and another player on Thur. Fri. and Sat. and my player on Sun. I made over $1,000 and thought WOW, this could be OK)
At the end of my second year as a "Nike Tour Caddie" I was asked by a young player to go with him the next year to the PGA Tour. Our first year out he won twice and as they say "The rest is history".
I enjoyed my career as a police officer, but the last 10 years have been a great ride; I have been all over the World and have met a ton of wonderful people; including you all//////////
....I think you made your own "luck" in that case. 
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