Getting Close with Bag Bangers and Pocket Jigglers

[cros0x]

Ever experienced this?

 

You’re in a close match and suddenly your opponent can’t get close enough… to you. Crowding you at the tee, standing very close/square on for approach shots, standing behind you when chipping…

 

I can’t find anything in the rules to prevent this, other than ‘spirit of the game’, which wouldn’t resonate with these types and doesn’t seem to have a penalty.

 

Is it just a case of asking them to move over and over again?

 

A related question is how to deal with ‘bag bangers’ and ‘pocket jigglers’ who purposefully make noise in your backswing e.g. put their club back, take off a glove off, loudly rummage in their pockets full of coins ‘looking for a tee’.

 

I’ve experienced all the above recently in matches from different people and wondering how best to deal with it.

 

Sometimes it’s done so subtlety, you know they’d act “oh sorry I didn’t know” but it’s clearly intentional.

 

I can avoid these people socially, but not in competition.

 

Many thanks all for any rules examples or tips in how to deal with this.

[Hawkeye77]

Ask the person to move. The rest?  I don't play comps very often, really haven't played a match play match in several years, but I never encountered anyone intentionally making little noises in my backswing to disrupt play, let along a lot of different people in different matches - don't know why you have so many folks that exhibit this behavior but if it's a problem then you either have to learn to deal with it or mention it and get it dealt with.

[cardoustie]

I’ve only ever had two clowns do this to me in 40 years of golf

 

And it was a very stern speaking to and it stopped

 

In the one incident I literally watched a guy sit in his cart waiting for my partners backswing before firing his rangefinder into the cart well for a loud rattle

[tatertot]

Dude, where are you playing? I feel sorry for you ... I've ran into a few jerks, but never consistently.

 

Best advice is do what feels natural and stay in your comfort zone as best you can. Kill them with kindness, confront them, ignore them, do it back to them ... they're trying to rattle you, do your best to at least not let it show, during or after the match. 

[naval2006]

You must ask the person to move as many times as necessary.  They'll eventually notice it.  I've played match play for ages and sometimes there are players who like a cough or two during a backswing, but I don't know if there are so many.  You must have come across a bunch larger than average out of bad luck; or you may check on yourself too.  It's not anusual the player that, as the match gets going, gets edgy or a bit oversensitive to little noises mostly out of the building pressure of the game.

[Cliffy2020]

I too became hyper-aware of competitors back in the day, but after coaching & playing with high school freshman, JV and even varsity squads I can literally block out anything while playing just short of the Korda sisters in bikinis I guess.  

[antip]

The rules protection is under 1.2a, conduct expected includes not distracting the play of another player. Deliberately distracting other players while they are making strokes is identified in 1.2a/1 as 'likely to be considered serious misconduct', potentially a DQ offence. 

My advice is just confront politely "please step back" or "please remain still and make no sound during my stroke, the same consideration I offer to you". If you put up with bad behaviour it ain't going away.

[SNIPERBBB]

Sit back and wait till they're done or offer to help find what they're looking for.

[bcski]

If these small things bother you, then say something each time you have to.  But honestly if these small noises and proximity to people bother you, you need to work on your concentration and muscle memory in your varied swings.

[getair23]

Considering that you are clearly in their head.  Use it to fuel your confidence and close them out quickly.  

 

Post round politely address the issue and be done with them.  Good luck.

[rp4golf]

6 hours ago, cardoustie said:

I’ve only ever had two clowns do this to me in 40 years of golf

 

And it was a very stern speaking to and it stopped

 

In the one incident I literally watched a guy sit in his cart waiting for my partners backswing before firing his rangefinder into the cart well for a loud rattle

Yeah, I've only ever had a couple of clowns do that kind of crap too.

One was a change jiggler, when anyone was over a makeable putt on any green where he was in the running for the hole.
The other was a cougher, seemingly on every teebox, in the middle of whomever had honors' backswing.

First guy, every time he jiggled, I'd look at him and say, "Seriously, are playing with your balls?" He'd quit for a bit only to do it again a few holes later, claiming it was a nervous habit. Finally I took to loosening the strap on his golf bag on the next teebox and laughing my a** off when he'd dump his clubs heading down the cart path. He got the message.
Second guy, on the first par-3, I intentionally planned to hold off my follow-thru to so as to hit a low knock-down half swing shot - and when he coughed, I flipped my club over my back in his direction. ... He jumped like his shoes were on fire. When he looked at me all angry like, I said, "Next time you cough during my shot I'm going to be making a full swing, and my reactionary toss is going be coming at you about 50mph faster." Rest of the day nobody would stand within 10 feet of him on the tee box, but his gamesmanship BS stopped.
😉

Edited June 11, 2021 by rp4golf

[Mike_C]

I play with a guy who we joke that will back off a shot because he hears a butterfly land on a flower two fairways over.   I tend to hold my breath when he is getting ready to hit.  

 

But seriously, people intentionally making noise is BS.

 

When I was a kid, I caddied several times  in the state Am for a former champion, super competitive on the edge of being over the line.  I swear while not getting too close, he would always be somewhere in the opponent's line of vision, and would start walking halfway through the guy's backswing.....this was back int he 1970s....

 

 

[LeoLeo99]

This happened in high school to a guy on my team.  His opponent was exhibiting poor behaviors meant to rattle him.  My teammate punched the other kid in the nose and that solved the problem.   

[mark m]

I believe you often have to say something or it will continue. Most of these guys know what they are doing. It’s a real character flaw. 
 

In almost 30 years of playing inter club matches, I’ve encountered it all at some point. But last weekend beat them all. I played against a real piece of work in a four ball match. I made him replay a shot on the back side when he hit way out of turn. (I’ve never done it before. Hope to never do it again.) Lots of bad etiquette happened prior to that call. I got screamed at and called every awful name. He was self centered, rude and it was gamesmanship. My limit was reached. 
 

I have had a few other minor incidents where I have asked opponents to stop it - when I thought it was on purpose or just careless. Often mistakes/noises happen on public tracks and nothing is said. It’s a tough call on whether to speak up or not. It just depends on the circumstances. I hope you rarely (or never) encounter it. 
Good luck. 

[ArtMBgolf]

I have encountered guys with bad etiquette, but hardly ever thought a guy 
was doing that stuff on purpose.   
   
For the guys standing close, trying to be a distraction, notice if they do it 
to the guy they are playing or the guy leading the tournament.   They might 
do it to all and not on purpose.   
 
To those who time various noises to your backswing.  You can prove it with 
a fake swing.   Take your backswing and stop after starting down.  You will 
prove it's on purpose.    

[LeoLeo99]

11 hours ago, ArtMBgolf said:

I have encountered guys with bad etiquette, but hardly ever thought a guy 
was doing that stuff on purpose.   
   
For the guys standing close, trying to be a distraction, notice if they do it 
to the guy they are playing or the guy leading the tournament.   They might 
do it to all and not on purpose.   
 
To those who time various noises to your backswing.  You can prove it with 
a fake swing.   Take your backswing and stop after starting down.  You will 
prove it's on purpose.    

Tiger's father, Earl, used to jingle change and subtlety distract Tiger when Tiger was young to toughen him up.  Earl knew how some people act.   

 

I saw something on the golf channel during one of those made for TV reality golf shows where one woman messed up a shot and blamed another woman.  Saying the other woman scratched her leg while she was on her downswing.  Not that I'm impervious to distractions but that's a weak excuse.  

[MtlJeff]

Someone standing close to you is really no problem, you just ask them to move and don't play until they do. I play with someone regularly in tournaments and he is always asking people to move around. Really nice guy actually, just always seems bothered by people in his line of sight. It's no big deal, he asks me to move and i move

 

Someone making noise intentionally during your backswing is an a**hole. This is a bit more difficult, you can tell him pretty sternly that you know what he's doing and he needs to stop. But this sometimes only encourages people more. Some people are just jerks frankly

 

As others have said, small noises....Sometimes you just have to learn to deal with tuning them out.

 

Even if someone isn't doing it intentionally, sometimes a bird chirps, a guy on a peripheral fairway talks etc....Part of the game. I'm not the best competition player in the world but little noises don't really bother me

[cros0x]

Thanks everyone for sharing all your stories and thoughts on this. Nice to know I'm not alone! But also sad to know that some idiots actually do this on purpose.

 

Also thanks to @antip for quoting rule 1.2a, which includes "distracting the play of another player". 

 

Next time this happens I'll politely remind of the conduct expected of all players and quote the rule.

 

Thanks all!

[PoolPond]

I've been playing for 39 years, and have never had either of the people that you describe play with me or against me. I've played in hundreds of serious matches. Seriously, someone standing that close to you on all those shots and getting closer as the match goes on? I almost have to doubt this is a real issue. 

 

The only people I still get are the ones who want to stand behind me when I hit so they can watch my ball. As if they get a better look at it from standing behind me. I'm always too nice to say anything. But with all of it out on the course, music, guy standing behind, talking, whatever, I just block it out and swing the club.

[charli]

This is weak 

[Mcgeeno]

I'm lucky that when I'm playing golf you could do anything outside of firing off an air horn in my backswing and I wouldnt notice it. 

 

I would definitely have no problem speaking out and calling a golfer out if they were doing that stuff on purpose and often though. 

[MtlJeff]

Incidentally, Bag Banger and Pocket Jiggler were 2 of my stage names when i worked in a male strip club.

[bcski]

On 6/12/2021 at 8:54 AM, LeoLeo99 said:

Tiger's father, Earl, used to jingle change and subtlety distract Tiger when Tiger was young to toughen him up.  Earl knew how some people act.   

 

I have never had issues with distractions in my swing.  I was brought up to be mentally focused in sports and life.  I do not understand how people even hear things going on when the swing.  I just tune it out.

 

But to those of you bothered by it - JUST SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELVES!!!!!  Don't be afraid of pissing someone off.😀

[Long_Left]

Find the loudest group of kids on the range and practice next to them... or put earbuds in and play random music while practicing. You cannot "prove" that a player coughs or farts or whatever at the perfect time in your swing so you cannot get rules relief from it. Unless your competitions are more serious than the average club golfer and you have markers with every pairing, you have to toughen up or add some random movements in your routine, which would probably do more harm than the pocket pool...

 

Win the match, then call them on it in the 19th hole, be prepared to exchange opposing "opinions" on the matter.

[puttingmatt]

Its another tactic in a long line of rude gamesmanship, by shallow competitors or players. I usually address it on the spot.

No need to waste remaining holes with these kind of players.

[jacob7071]

I remember seeing an interview of Fred Couples (I think on Feherty) where he was talking about being paired with Raymond Floyd against Seve and (maybe Olazabal) at the Ryder Cup.  Seve started with his gamesmanship, and early in the round as they were walking off one of the tees, Floyd held Seve back and put his arm around him and whispered something in his ear.  The gamesmanship stopped after that.  Feherty asked what did he say?  I can't remember exactly what Couples said but it was something to the tune of, "we can play golf, or we can play games; I'm very good at both."

[larrybud]

20 years ago, in our league championship. I had an opponent that literally sat down on the green behind the hole (10' or so) when I went to putt. I told him to move every time.   He was an old fart, so I think he got tired of sitting and standing 3 or 4 times. We won our match to top it off.

 

If a guy stands too close behind me on the tee, I just back up behind the ball and start taking practice swings. They move without asking.

If I know the players, it usually doesn't bother me if they are behind me because I know they won't move around. But you have the guys who start moving during your swing that I manage to move off the target line).