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Unsolicited, on course advice


wkndhckr

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To those that offer unsolicited, on course advice, why do you do it? Do you feel that the round already in progress will improve for the person and they will enjoy it more? Did the person say anything that makes them appear to want the advice? No sarcasm intended. Genuine inquiry here.

I know you all are out there because we all have played with you. Any insights are appreciated.

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Only get little bits of advice on the range, never on the course.

I’d guess that most people who give advice don’t like to see others suffering? Most...some might simply gain sadistic pleasure watching newer golfers floundering about doing things they’re told no matter how silly. LOL

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"To those that offer unsolicited, on course advice, why do you do it?

Often it's the mutterings of the weekend hacker we're playing with that's hitting the ball all over the place.

At the same time it's part of human nature to be conversational, and helpful. "Do you feel that the round already in progress will improve for the person and they will enjoy it more?"

Yes.

And we're also hoping it will limit our time helping you look for your repeated lost balls."Did the person say anything that makes them appear to want the advice?"

Usually.

Or it could be that look of disbelief on your face when you've hit yet another ball not where you intended, as a result of you doing something so intrinsically wrong."No sarcasm intended. Genuine inquiry here. I know you all are out there because we have all played with you."

Suuuuuue.

But don't worry, you hit enough of them sideways we'll eventually give up after we lose interest.

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I often offer advice if I'm paired with a higher HC player as my partner in a money match. I never give swing advice however, only course management suggestions. After all, I've got a vested interest. ?

It amazes me how poorly so many higher caps manage their games, often making horrible decisions in club selection and how to play a golf hole. It doesnt really take skill, just some smarts in using good strategy to avoid big numbers and take advantage of stroke holes.

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Ping i200 5-UW (2 flat) - Nippon Modus 105X
Taylormade HiToe 54 (bent to 55 & 2 flat)
Taylormade HiToe 64 (Bent to 62 & 2 flat)
Palmer AP30R putter (circa 1960s)
Taylormade TP5X Ball

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Question background is I don't know if any other sport or leisure activity where you can do that. You don't see it and pick up basketball or bowling or softball but in golf it's frequent. I'm also interested in how good of a player you have to be before you can offer advice.... Or how bad of a player you have to be before people offer you advice. I also was curious if people thought it would help the round move faster or if they were just being helpful and social.

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Offering advice on hitting the ball is often times futile. People (hackers) aren't going to magically be able to get a good crack on the ball just because I gave them the secret formula. However, helping somene with course or game management is more than likely going to shave some strokes immediately, and help the round move faster, and decrease the discouragement.

 

You don't have to be a great player, nor does the other person needs to be a bad player. All you have to do is know something that the other person might not know. And for me, I'm of the mind that you can earn something from everybody.

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a couple of outdated hybrids
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You could easily flip this around and ask "Why does offering someone a possible tip or insight bother them so much?"

Truthfully though, from my experience, there is no one single answer. Most of the time someone who does so is just trying to be either helpful, conversational or both. It's no big deal to me and on occasion the information was actually good.

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I had that done to me this past year, I guess I fatted 2 different wedge shots on 2 different holes (short grass fairway, ground was saturated wet) and a player in our group suggested how to play a wedge shot and dropped 2 balls (during an MGA no less) and asked me to try his suggestions. I just looked, rather stared at him in amazement, and said "thanks for the 'tip', but no thanks for the practice shot" and moved off to my cart, lol.

But the one that will likely never be upstaged is the one time a guy in my group said "I know what your problem is".... and he was serious (and I didn't even know I had a 'problem')...… "you're using Callaway irons but not using Callaway balls; you know, they are matched to play better together; same with Titleist balls play better with Titleist irons; I know this for a fact". I was so stupefied by the comment, I couldn't think of anything to say in response except "oh", lol.

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You can flip any question and derail anything. Also unsure where you saw that anyone was bothered by it. I've come to expect it but was curious why it's socially acceptable for strangers to offer advice to other strangers in such a personal sport. I suppose I would have an issue with advice being given by a person who cant hit a fairway but I've never had that happen.

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Truthfully, two of the best tips i've ever gotten were unsolicited . Though to be fair one of them came from a friend, the other was from a stranger though who happened to be a very good player back when i was starting. He talked to me about my grip about halfway through the round, and i honestly credit that comment with getting a lot better early in my golfing career.

There's a way to do it though. Like asking "do you mind if i make a comment about X" ...just be respectful. And make sure you actually are knowledgeable enough on the subject to give that advice.

I've also been given advice from people i've been paired with who were 20 handicaps when i was a scratch, saying things like "you took your head up too quick on that one!"....after a poor bunker shot....

The second kind of advice giver i mention there, i'm not one to overreact, but those people should be flown to India at their own expense and thrown into a pit of hungry Tigers

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Tour Edge C723 21* w/PX hzrdus black 80

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Titleist Jet Black 54/60 with PX LZ 6.0

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Giving advice can take on some sneaky forms. For example, I consider it very bad form if someone says, "great drive, you really had great tempo and you finished high".

Equallly annoying is someone that breaks down the mechanics of their own swing, over and over, hole after hole. While I understand they might be struggling, they are forcing everyone in earshot to shift their internal focus (whatever that may be) to excessive focus on the, "how to" of the physical aspects of the swing. For me, as someone that never likes to think about the moving parts on the course, this is a distraction and it can sometimes impact my own play (I make a real effort to block it out and get tougher mentally...but it does not always work).

As for giving advice, I won't do it unless it s a friend and they have asked strongly. They can't hint, but rather they have to specifically ask. It's a very rare thing and more than half the time I tell them I can't help them because I really do not understand what is wrong on that day. Giving bad advice is even worse than giving unsolicited advice.

I broke my own rules twice in the 2019 season. One to help a friend that somehow got a serious fundamental misunderstanding about the swing into his brain jello. In that case I asked him if he would allow me to give him just one idea to try. He accepted, made the change, and played some of the best golf on the back 9 I've ever seen him play. Two days later he was back to doing the fundamentally incorrect thing and I never mentioned this again.

The second time I just said to a very good friend of my friend, "whatever you just did on that shot...keep doing it". Well, to that guy's credit, he did stop and think what was different and figured it out. And this last example of encouragement is really just another sneaky form of advice. I was not happy with myself for having said this to him, but got lucky and it worked out this time.

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If I see something obvious that a player might not realize they are (or should be) doing, I will always ask if they mind a bit of advice that may help them out. More often than not the answer is “absolutely”, though I have had the occasional “no thank you. I’m always polite about it, the responses are always polite, and I proceed accordingly.

 

I was playing once with a buddy of mine that I hadn’t seen in a few years. He was a great ball striker with a Jim Furyk looking swing. Probably around a 2 handicap at the time. Though he could hit the ball great, on the off chance he missed a green, his chipping was rather bad. I saw something that could easily fix his woes and asked him if I could offer a tip. He declined, we carried on.

 

After the round, he said he didn’t want to be thinking about stuff mid round, which is why he declined, and then he asked me to help him out. I happily obliged. a couple months later he texted (he lives a few hours away and was down visiting family that day) and thanked me for the tip, said his chipping had much improved since and he couldn’t believe something so simple could help.

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BTOB2PI47BMQ.jpgGonna cost him...

USGA Index: ~0

[b]WITB[/b]:
Ping G410 LST 9 degree - Tour AD IZ 6x
Ping G410 LST - Fujikura Pro TourSpec 73 
Kasco K2K 33 - Fujikura Pro TourSpec 73 
Callaway RazrX Tour 4h - Tour 95 shaft
Ping i200 5-UW (2 flat) - Nippon Modus 105X
Taylormade HiToe 54 (bent to 55 & 2 flat)
Taylormade HiToe 64 (Bent to 62 & 2 flat)
Palmer AP30R putter (circa 1960s)
Taylormade TP5X Ball

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LOL, I always took a serious glare and "get your a__ back on D" as advice when playing pickup basketball (otherwise it might have scared me).

I took the original post more about swing advice. Not only am I not a swing coach, I really do think it's bad form to offer unsolicited swing advice on a golf course to someone who isn't looking for it or expecting it to be provided, I don't care how it gets introduced. Save it for after the round, but that's a big maybe as well - again, IMO.

Course management type stuff depends on the situation, but I view that differently, but wasn't thinking of it as advice, which it certainly is but more comfortable talking about it if someone wants to.

 

 

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Depends upon the advice...if someone is pulling shots I might utter a simple “try turning your stance 45 degrees to the right/left”.

That’s just so we don’t have to look for balls every tee shot. The new 3 minute rule is nice too, but still saves a minute after they get to the spot they think the balls land.

Most of my higher handicap buddies just keep playing on after a shank into water.

Any advice speeding up pace of play is often warranted.

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If im playing with a complete stranger absolutely not wont Give advice. If I’m playing with a friend I won’t even give advice unless he goes what the hell am I doing wrong? I feel some high cap guys are just afraid to ask. But not worth it to even try. I find this to be true at the gym also. Same rules apply

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I wait at least until into the back 9, if I offer advice. By then I have an idea if the they are receptive to advice.

It's good to ask if they want an idea. IE if they have a good swing but a bad slice and I see they have a very weak grip or if they are flopping a chip

where they can use a 7 iron.

I don't feel advice has to be to improve the score that day, but might be something they can use longer term.

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