Pace of play and scoring

[Golferpaul]

This Golfwrx article is misleading at best.  The author clearly does not understand the difference between causation and correlation. 

 

Yes, there is correlation between slow play and higher scores.  But he presents no evidence that slow play causes higher scores.  If there is any causation at all it is more likely the other way around since adding strokes takes additional time.  

 

And the headline ("Data shows that slow play leads to higher scores across all handicap ranges") is totally false.  A more accurate headline would be "Higher scores leads to longer playing time".

 

Data shows that slow play leads to higher scores across all handicap ranges – GolfWRX

[caniac6]

I think playing outside of your comfort zone,regardless of fast or slow, would lead to higher scores.

[Hawkeye77]

Arccos did the “study” so he’s just reporting what they claim. He’s not claiming it’s accurate, but not questioning for sure. Definitely looks weak and no methodology presented but I guess it gets the company in click bait kind of news. More like an ad in today’s world. 

Edited January 22, 2022 by Hawkeye77

[davep043]

Like many amateur statistical evaluations, there's an assumed cause-and-effect relationship here, that may or may not exist.  A more likely interpretation (my opinion only, and I don't claim to have proof) of the same data is that the factors that cause slow play are also likely to cause higher scores.  But that wouldn't get as many clicks as the headline they chose.  And like pretty much everything online, its all about clicks, truth is secondary.  And of course I realize I'm assuming a cause-and-effect relationship here that also may not exist.

[vallygolf]

LOL mission accomplished.  Polarizing (Check)  Hot topic (Check)  Statistics to spin (Check)  Message board posts to keep it relevant (Check)  Looks like a win from where im sitting.  Also anything that gets some overtly slow players to speed up it a win in my book (even if the stats are misused, wink wink)

[Golferpaul]

On 1/24/2022 at 4:26 PM, vallygolf said:

LOL mission accomplished.  Polarizing (Check)  Hot topic (Check)  Statistics to spin (Check)  Message board posts to keep it relevant (Check)  Looks like a win from where im sitting.  Also anything that gets some overtly slow players to speed up it a win in my book (even if the stats are misused, wink wink)

That will not happen.  In my experience, slow players do not think they are slow.

[RSinSG]

6 minutes ago, Golferpaul said:

In my experience, slow players do not think they are slow.

This is accurate. In my group we have one guy who is by a large margin the slowest. We’ve been able to speed him up some by things like getting him to cut his practice swings and encouraging him to be ready to hit. But he’s still slower than the rest of us. 
 

A couple of months ago three of us (him included) were joined by a single. As is common the single apologized in advance for being a hack and our slow friend said “We’re not that good but we’re fast.” 
 

My other buddy and I looked at each other and both of us started cracking up. Our friend says “We’ll, apparently I’m not that fast.”  
 

Most slow players are clueless to what’s going on around them.