Gimme's - Rant

[Hateto3Putt]

I once missed a benign 18 inch putt that cost me a $200 skin.

 

Playing with casual guys with nothing on the line, they can do what they want.

 

If you're part of my match, putt it.

 

We had a guy in our skins game where if the putt didn't have any win potential, he would pocket the ball, usually never recording a number higher than bogie. After the round he always wanted to know what everyone shot, then would say "hey, I beat you (or you only beat me) by X"...

 

One day, he was in my group and I suggested a group bet of $5 a man for total putts. Having to hole everything, I think he recorded 41 putts.

 

He never mentioned scores or played the putting game again...

[Naptime]

A downhill putt with a big break versus a straight uphill putt of the same distance?  No to #1, yes to #2.

[Sean2]

On 9/16/2020 at 7:52 PM, A.Princey said:

I know gimmes speed up play and are generally regarded as a gentlemanly approach to the game, but so many putts inside 4-5ft get missed, and by good golfers as well. It's my general rule that 18" is in fact the upper limit of a gimme, with 2' being the absolute max. Meanwhile, in your local night leagues, guys are raking in 6 footers in and marking legit scores. If a group isn't being rushed or slowing folks down, I feel the 18" distance is the threshold of make for anyone, almost in an eyes-closed sense. In my opinion, if you cannot hole 20 putts in a row from within a certain distance, that distance is not gimme territory. I also feel that putting more of the short ones out, under pressure, makes you a better putter. I typically find as well, that the people that argue my rule are generally the ones that cannot make much inside 5ft. Isn't the design of each golf hole to hole out, legitimately, rather than inflating your ego??? Discuss...   

Inside the leather okay, but...five to six foot gimmes? lol

[cristphoto]

In my senior league we play a grip length (standard grip - not those extra long models).  Reasoning being nobody is missing those and it helps pace of play.  When it used to be "inside the leather" that was widely abused so we stopped it.  We all became better putters.  

[Mcgeeno]

In a sadistic way, there is nothing I enjoy seeing more than the guy who has scooped them up all year sweating those 3-4 footers at the year end when the chips are down.

 

It won't take a tournament tested guy more than a half dozen holes to tell the guys apart. At least thats what I've found.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Gimmies are fine in my Golf world for league and casual play with friends. For birdie, hole it. For par, about 12" for bogey or double maybe 18". Beyond that who cares, pick up and move along. 

[Warrior42111]

On 10/16/2020 at 11:42 PM, Mcgeeno said:

In a sadistic way, there is nothing I enjoy seeing more than the guy who has scooped them up all year sweating those 3-4 footers at the year end when the chips are down.

 

It won't take a tournament tested guy more than a half dozen holes to tell the guys apart. At least thats what I've found.

I like giving a few early ones in a match even a 3 footer here on there, keep them cold on those putts and force them to hit them on the back. First, they haven't hit one since warm up, and second they may start second guessing that I see something in the putt they don't see. 

[dlygrisse]

On 9/21/2020 at 3:21 PM, Hawkeye77 said:

 

As long as it's a firm standard!

Our group has a firm “inside the leather “ rule.  All of our bets are usually based off of match play rules, so they are basically auto concessions.  

[ChipNRun]

My former senior group played best ball, foursome vs. foursome. The gimme questions came up often.

 

One year after Memorial Day,  someone brought a yardstick, assembled the masses, and put a piece of tape around each putter shaft 18 inches from the sole. We were "standardized" until people washed their grips, got a regrip, bought new putters...

 

Chaos returned in about 6 weeks.🙄

[Krt22]

5 hours ago, dlygrisse said:

Our group has a firm “inside the leather “ rule.  All of our bets are usually based off of match play rules, so they are basically auto concessions.  

I love when guys actually put their putter in the cup to measure and it ends up being well beyond the entire length of the putter lol

[Pepperturbo]

I understand the OP's point, but don't believe his assessment is appropriate for all golfers all the time.

 

f it's not directly affecting "YOU", no money on the game, no tournament, etc., nobody should be concerned about what others do while playing golf.  The only time I would be concerned is in a $$$ game or actual tournament.  Other than those conditions, I often take 2' putts on benign greens.

 

 

 

 

[EmperorPenguin]

When I play I only give one-footers.  "Inside the leather" is not close enough especially on slanted putts.  Use the reverse-ego strategy: for putts from 1' to 5' they are certainly not gimmes, so try to make them and hope to miss them so it will help your handicap in the future.

[straightshot7]

Casual/personal games vs. Competition

 

In your own casual games, do whatever you want or whatever you and your group agrees to

 

In competition or any round that matters, you have to putt out. Otherwise we have no objective standard for measuring performance. 

 

Because everyone has a different system for gimmies. Some people start giving themselves or others 5+ footers. It turns into a circus. Not real golf. But if it's just for your fun, casual rounds then it's none of my business. 

 

 

[lchang]

I was expecting to join in on a rant about how my buddies don't give me enough Gimme's!!  I kid, I kid.

 

The phenomenon that puzzles me is that some people get mad at their golf buddy if they're not given a putt--and then they miss it.  (Or similarly, if someone judges you as being a jerk for not giving your opponent a putt that is subsequently missed.)  It was obviously not a gimme! 

[taporsnap17]

The best putts are the ones I don't have to make 😄