Would you do this?

[Rob Person]

Played a match with another group of coworkers yesterday.  Something I noticed, and had to ask one of them afterwords about, was his routine. 

First, he plays a new ball every tee shot. He keeps 2 dozen new balls in his bag. Every round he plays! Doesn't matter if it's a par 5 or a par 3. His mind is set on a clean opportunity every chance he gets. I can understand that. (He plays srixon Q tour divides)

The second thing I noticed he cleans his clubs both before AND after,  every single shot.  Not just a quick brush or wipe down. A FULL CLEANING,  Every single shot or putt!

Third, he never ever drives the cart.

This leads back to #2, he says he uses the cart time to clean the club, think his strategy, etc. Driving the cart is a distraction for him. He has not played a solo round (in a cart) in over 30 years!!!

I asked him about if he ever plays alone. He said he plays some solo rounds and has used a motorized push cart for the last 4 years,  and a regular push cart he used before that.

It all made sense.  Also, he doesn't touch his club to the ground pre shot, just steps up, hovers half a second, and hits the ball. He is a 2hcp, btw

 

It's cool to me , working at the GC, to be able to witness so many unique things.

The new ball thing to me is excessive, but again, I can understand the reasoning. 

Asked him what he does with all the once used balls, he said he gives him to the local high school team in his town.

 

[sirchunksalot]

I think it's understandable why he does that and it's good he has a consistent pre shot routine that he believes in and I think we could all use that. 

Personally, I couldn't do what he does simply because golf balls are not cheap. I sometimes use a new golf ball twice in the same tee box and that hurts my soul. 

I think it's cool if him to give his gently used balls to the local high school, I guarantee they appreciate that. 

[Hacker60521]

That’s a really thorough pre-shot routine. My initial reaction is that this behavior has to be a way of channeling nervous energy or maybe some OCD (I am not a medical professional). I’d be really curious as to why he thinks it’s necessary to start with a new ball on each hole. The best I do is pick up the ball when it’s on the green to clean it off — and I don’t even do that every time. 
 

 

Edited August 4 by Hacker60521

[barney_bogey]

Q stars are $40 brand new in my location. An added $60 per round. I can't imagine.

Tour pros use the same ball more than he is and they have sponsored equipment.

I'm likely to agree that there is at least one acronym associated with that behavior. Not judging. I walk around with a few like most of us.

But good on him for hooking up the youth as a by-product.

Cheers

[TJ Hall]

I can support a few of these…I clean my club after every shot (brush and wipe), always like having a clean club.

And, the cart riding…my preference is to ride, not drive, the cart.  This is mainly because I’m left handed and it generally keeps my bag on the proper side.

The ball thing is a bit different, but if it works for him, so be it!

[Rob Person]

Our course doesn't have srixon balls for sale. I'm guessing like a number of members here, he buys bulk when there's a good sale. His accuracy is amazing too. 

 

[Coulter]

I would go broke! I already lose enough golf balls with the slice I have been fighting on the driver.. I definitely need to pick up cleaning my clubs (after) every shot but other than that I just line up my club in my hands with the ball and landing area to find a spot a couple of feet in front of the ball, take a breath, address the ball and hit. 

[KC Golf]

Probably can’t afford to put a new ball into play on every hole or to have a chauffeur for each round driving the cart

But it sounds awesome…  clearly it works for him, that’s all that counts in my view…

[Brian A]

Who wouldn’t love a new ball every hole… just can’t afford it. Golf is mental though and if it works for him then go for it. We all have our idiosyncrasies 

[RyanGi]

I could see how having a strict routine keeps him focused on every hole. I usually start off pretty relaxed and focused but that degrades a little each hole. By the middle of the back 9 my swing changes quite a bit. Trying to force it. I think it’s small deviations on each hole that keep pulling me a little more off course as the round goes on…which adds frustration…which increases deviation. Something I’m trying to work on. 
 

I never thought much about pre-shot routine as a way to control the larger picture for the round, but I’m becoming more and more convinced it’s not about a single shot, rather it’s about maintaining the zen/flow/feel throughout the whole round. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

A bit OCD but better than a lot other OCD.  I like not touching the ground.  And at least looking at the club head before and after, clean from even the tiniest speck of dirt extends the life.  If you like your clubs, treat them nicely.  Lucky high school. 

[BIG STU]

OHHH I would run him nuts--- I usually play a ball until I lose it or the paint comes off. I have played some Srixon Marathons like 72 holes and have them in my hitting net stash.
Now my clubs do get wiped down after every shot. Now that I am retired and play the signature set 3 to 5 times a week my grips get cleaned every week

[Kenny B]

I ride and my wife drives; I like it that way.  I wipe down my clubs after every shot.  But I would never use a new ball on every hole.  I don’t even use a new ball on the first hole!!  I can’t count how many balls I used to lose off the 1st tee.  Times have changed since then, but I still don’t take out a new ball until hole #5 and only then if the ball I’m using is starting to look a little worn.  It’s more difficult keeping the ball clean.  We don’t have ball washers on every hole and during the summer a wet towel does not stay wet very long.

I don’t mind a guy being so meticulous if it works for him, unless he is causing a delay... and it appears that he is not.  Good for him!

[Josh Parker]

All but the new ball makes sense. And the ball thing seems like more money than sense but to each their own. Haha

I would start offering him .50 a ball

[Golfspy_CG2]

I wipe my clubs after every shot.  But his excessive cleaning not just wiping especially the putter, seems like it would slow down play. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

1 hour ago, Kenny B said:

I ride and my wife drives; I like it that way.  I wipe down my clubs after every shot.  But I would never use a new ball on every hole.  I don’t even use a new ball on the first hole!!  I can’t count how many balls I used to lose off the 1st tee.  Times have changed since then, but I still don’t take out a new ball until hole #5 and only then if the ball I’m using is starting to look a little worn.  It’s more difficult keeping the ball clean.  We don’t have ball washers on every hole and during the summer a wet towel does not stay wet very long.

I don’t mind a guy being so meticulous if it works for him, unless he is causing a delay... and it appears that he is not.  Good for him!

The dig about Hogan:  when he shows up at the first tee at a tournament, the first thing he says "where's the ball washer?".  

[Rob Person]

1 hour ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

I wipe my clubs after every shot.  But his excessive cleaning not just wiping especially the putter, seems like it would slow down play. 

That's the thing, it doesn't slow down anything.  He uses the time in the cart to do it.

[Golfspy_CG2]

32 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

That's the thing, it doesn't slow down anything.  He uses the time in the cart to do it.

Ok not to ger technical and be a bi of a devils advocate.  
 

If he does a Full Clean before and after each shot.  How does he do both in the cart.  Say he just hit his  4 iron on a par 5 2nd shot so hes in the cart cleaning that club but how does he know what club he will hit next to do a Full Clean in the cart as well. 
 

He cant be doing both full clean before and after in the cart.  Im only emphasizing the before and after Full Clean as it was bolded as a point of emphasis.  
 

 

[Rob Person]

19 minutes ago, Golfspy_CG2 said:

Ok not to ger technical and be a bi of a devils advocate.  
 

If he does a Full Clean before and after each shot.  How does he do both in the cart.  Say he just hit his  4 iron on a par 5 2nd shot so hes in the cart cleaning that club but how does he know what club he will hit next to do a Full Clean in the cart as well. 
 

He cant be doing both full clean before and after in the cart.  Im only emphasizing the before and after Full Clean as it was bolded as a point of emphasis.  
 

 

My bad, misunderstanding of words

He  carries a towel and brush on his side

He was the furthest in almost all day, so he would clean while waiting for his partner to hit. Only took moments. Then he would clean while walking to his shot.  It was CPO that day as well.

 

[BIG STU]

7 hours ago, Kenny B said:

I ride and my wife drives; I like it that way.  I wipe down my clubs after every shot.  But I would never use a new ball on every hole.  I don’t even use a new ball on the first hole!!  I can’t count how many balls I used to lose off the 1st tee.  Times have changed since then, but I still don’t take out a new ball until hole #5 and only then if the ball I’m using is starting to look a little worn.  It’s more difficult keeping the ball clean.  We don’t have ball washers on every hole and during the summer a wet towel does not stay wet very long.

I don’t mind a guy being so meticulous if it works for him, unless he is causing a delay... and it appears that he is not.  Good for him!

If I am on a cart with someone I prefer to ride. With my size and injuries it is easier for me to swing off the cart. Lots of times especially in the league I ride by myself. LOL one of my buddies and I are the same size and absolutely can not fit on a cart together. LOL again our course owner says he does not have a cart in the fleet anyhow that can pull both of us at the same time. On golf stuff he and I are opposite. He has a huge cart bag that according to the bag drop guys weighs just short of 100 lbs. Me I use a little TM flex lite stand with a minimum amount of stuff plus only 11 clubs.

On the club cleaning thing I use a wet towel and we have a halfway house as I call it at the crossroads on #7 and 13. On really hot days I will re wet the towel there and it works fine