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Why do pros make their caddies do this?

Headhammer

By Headhammer
in The 19th Hole

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Headhammer  

Headhammer

Posted
Posted

Sorry this is one of those things that used to drive me crazy about Tiger and yesterday on the practice tee I saw a lot of other pros now doing it. Why do they make their caddies throw them balls each time they reload on the practice tee? Its even more of a head scratcher when there are a pile of balls 6 inches from the tee they have in the ground and could easily pull another ball over with their club?

 

Inquiring minds want to know! 

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revkev ‎

revkev

Posted
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I don't know the answer to that but there was a time when most courses did not have practice ranges. Pros carried their own balls with them. The caddy would go out and stand in the field so that the pro had a target. He would shag the balks and bring them back. Seriously - I remember it. I had a friend who caddied for Nicklaus in an exhibition that had to live it. He said when Nicklaus got to five iron it became frightening. He was hitting some so high and far that he couldn't see them and they were landing just a few feet away.

 

 

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DaNNsN

DaNNsN

Posted
Posted

I have seen that too but I thought they were only doing it when the player was using the driver or putting the ball in a tee. If that's the case I can understand that a bit more than doing it in every shot.

 

I can only speculate but I'd have to take a guess that it's more like a team building/bonding type thing? Maybe help keeping the loose or something?

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Peanut05  

Peanut05

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I think the caddies are cleaning the balls before the players are hitting them off a tee.  If they are on the range in the morning, chances are there is dew on the ground and it's probably gotten all over the balls that are on the pile on the ground.  Usually they only do this if they are hitting them off the tee.  If the dew or sand is on the ball, it may alter the flight of the ball a little.  For us, that's not big deal, but for them, they want to see exactly how the balls are flying.  

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cnosil ‎

cnosil

Posted
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Just repeating what has already been said. Watching lots of players on the practice range the ball are only cleaned when hitting off the tee to remove sand and water

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Canucklehead  

Canucklehead

Posted
Posted

Imo it could be so they have to stop, look back, focus on catching the ball, then go back to hitting the ball. Keeps the warm up from just being autonomous.

 

Same reason why, when I'm at the range I set the bucket behind me instead of dumping the whole thing in the tray in front of me. Makes me turn around, grab a ball, and reset.

 

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TBT  

TBT

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As others have said, it's to clean the balls being hit with driver, if you watch most don't do it when they are hitting irons.

 

 

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Golfspy_CG2  

Golfspy_CG2

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Yep mainly to clean as has been said.  But also it's a last double check that it is the players balls.    Most may or may not know this.

 

At the range of a tour event, there is a tent/shed/trailer that all the range balls are kept bagged.  They are sorted by brand.  So Steve Williams will grab a bag of ProV1's for Adam Scott, and Bones previously would have grabbed a bag of Chrome Soft for Phil.   They are gathered and sorted from the range, but the caddie is also make a last check before he gives the ball, that a wrong one didn't get in the mix.  

 

yep, tour players are most definitely catered to!!

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cnosil ‎

cnosil

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Yep mainly to clean as has been said. But also it's a last double check that it is the players balls. Most may or may not know this.

 

At the range of a tour event, there is a tent/shed/trailer that all the range balls are kept bagged. They are sorted by brand. So Steve Williams will grab a bag of ProV1's for Adam Scott, and Bones previously would have grabbed a bag of Chrome Soft for Phil. They are gathered and sorted from the range, but the caddie is also make a last check before he gives the ball, that a wrong one didn't get in the mix.

 

yep, tour players are most definitely catered to!!

That is true on the PGA tour but not on all the other tours. When I worked the range at a Symetra event the tour actually provided range balls. One of the range duties was to actually separate the clubs balls from the tours balls.

 

From watching the LPGA event I volunteer at, they don't have balls separated by brands

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Golfspy_CG2  

Golfspy_CG2

Posted
Posted

That is true on the PGA tour but not on all the other tours. When I worked the range at a Symetra event the tour actually provided range balls. One of the range duties was to actually separate the clubs balls from the tours balls.

 

From watching the LPGA event I volunteer at, they don't have balls separated by brands

You're right, I should have specified PGA Tour.    I know a few years ago when we played in a Symetra Pro Am, they had volvik balls on the range for everyone, I think one of the girls, said they box them up and cart them from stop to stop.

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TheWahoo  

TheWahoo

Posted
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At the Quicken loans, they used different colored bags for each ball brand.   It was clear that the Pro-Vs were the most used.  When I worked the LPGA tourney at Bulle Rock, there were Titleist and Callaways only.   At the Web.com, Bridgestone supplied the balls.  After the tourney, I was told that the balls were donated to such programs as the First Tee.

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ole gray  

ole gray

Posted
Posted

What,you guys don't make ya wives/significant others do this?! :blink:

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Severtheties  

Severtheties

Posted
Posted

What,you guys don't make ya wives/significant others do this?! :blink:

It's the entire reason I got married and had kids..................someone's gotta pick up the slack when my wife quits.

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Rusty1885  

Rusty1885

Posted
Posted

Sorry this is one of those things that used to drive me crazy about Tiger and yesterday on the practice tee I saw a lot of other pros now doing it. Why do they make their caddies throw them balls each time they reload on the practice tee? Its even more of a head scratcher when there are a pile of balls 6 inches from the tee they have in the ground and could easily pull another ball over with their club?

 

Inquiring minds want to know!

Because they are in playing mode not practice mode anymore. It's a now real shots that may require trigger. That may be the handing off the ball from caddie.

 

Players and caddie have some ritual going between them. Chi chi Rodriguez told his caddie only to mark the balata balls with pencil and very lightly because it may let out the compression of the ball.

 

 

 

 

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cnosil ‎

cnosil

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Because they are in playing mode not practice mode anymore. It's a now real shots that may require trigger. That may be the handing off the ball from caddie.

 

Disagree a bit here. It is done during the practice days as well as during pre round. Also I have almost never seen a caddie toss a ball to a player during the middle of a real round but they always toss the ball during practice and warmups.

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BIG STU  

BIG STU

Posted
Posted

Yep mainly to clean as has been said.  But also it's a last double check that it is the players balls.    Most may or may not know this.

 

At the range of a tour event, there is a tent/shed/trailer that all the range balls are kept bagged.  They are sorted by brand.  So Steve Williams will grab a bag of ProV1's for Adam Scott, and Bones previously would have grabbed a bag of Chrome Soft for Phil.   They are gathered and sorted from the range, but the caddie is also make a last check before he gives the ball, that a wrong one didn't get in the mix.  

 

yep, tour players are most definitely catered to!!

A friend of mine that usually runs the range at Quail for the Wells Fargo says the same thing you do

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Rusty1885  

Rusty1885

Posted
Posted

Disagree a bit here. It is done during the practice days as well as during pre round. Also I have almost never seen a caddie toss a ball to a player during the middle of a real round but they always toss the ball during practice and warmups.

You may be right. I'm using my own as a benchmark.

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KB13

KB13

Posted
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I would say to wipe the ball clean yes, but more of to check it's the correct ball, and to see if there is any imperfections on them.. sure they probably newer balls but they don't one getting in there with something on it which makes the flight different

 

 

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revkev ‎

revkev

Posted
Posted

Wiping the ball clean makes perfect sense to me.

 

I will have to ask Brittany about their range balls the next time I see her. I know that the PGA players have their own ball to warm up with but I wonder about the LPGA.

 

She uses our regular range balls when practicing at Bayou but her ball when working on her short game (that's a rarity). She used to play Callaways but I've noticed that she has recently switched to the Pro VIx.

 

 

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Headhammer  

Headhammer

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Thanks to all for the information I think all of those responses make total sense!!!!!!

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Ball: Whatever I find in the woods

:Arccos:

HCP:18

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Miboy62  

Miboy62

Posted
Posted

I also wondered why this was done all the time.

Thanks for clearing that up

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808nation  

808nation

Posted
Posted

Yep mainly to clean as has been said. But also it's a last double check that it is the players balls. Most may or may not know this.

 

At the range of a tour event, there is a tent/shed/trailer that all the range balls are kept bagged. They are sorted by brand. So Steve Williams will grab a bag of ProV1's for Adam Scott, and Bones previously would have grabbed a bag of Chrome Soft for Phil. They are gathered and sorted from the range, but the caddie is also make a last check before he gives the ball, that a wrong one didn't get in the mix.

 

yep, tour players are most definitely catered to!!

Ditto!

 

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ddryan  

ddryan

Posted
Posted

What,you guys don't make ya wives/significant others do this?! :blink:

No - I have the utmost respect for her time --- and my life!!!!

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Jmikecpa  

Jmikecpa

Posted
Posted

It's the entire reason I got married and had kids..................someone's gotta pick up the slack when my wife quits.

Started training the boy from a young age to fill in for the wife when she told me she was done.

 

 

 

 

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Severtheties  

Severtheties

Posted
Posted

Started training the boy from a young age to fill in for the wife when she told me she was done.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0009.JPG

 

 

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HA! Well played! I'm still working on this. Next year I think will be a defining year for my soon to be 3 y/o lol

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Jmikecpa  

Jmikecpa

Posted
Posted

HA! Well played! I'm still working on this. Next year I think will be a defining year for my soon to be 3 y/o lol

It works for a few years and now if he is on the range he wants to hit balls and work on his game. The nerve of that kid :)

 

 

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Fairway: :taylormade-small: M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

Fairway: :taylormade-small: Sim 19* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

Hybrid: :PXG: 0317x 22* KBS Proto 95x

Irons: :callaway-small: X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

Wedges:  :callaway-small: Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

Putter:  :callaway-small: Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

Ball: :srixon-small: Z Star Diamond

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Severtheties  

Severtheties

Posted
Posted

It works for a few years and now if he is on the range he wants to hit balls and work on his game. The nerve of that kid :)

 

 

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Kids these days...SO selfish! Generation Z...I tell you! (too early to start blaming them for everything??)

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Fairway Metal - :nike-small: Vapor Fly 15* w/ Mitsubishi Tensei CK Blue 65F 43"

Irons - :taylormade-small: SLDR 4i-pw w/ KBS Tour C-Taper 90S

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Putter - :scotty-cameron-1: 2015 GoLo 3 33"

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