First Impressions

On another thread yesterday some of us discussed the things that players do which makes them stand out as duffers, and this thread will continue the theme. Here I want to know what assumptions you make about a player before a shot has even been hit. For example this could be based on any action they take, item they put in the bag or clothing they wear. In general something about them that you notice from the point they pull into the car park to the point they strike the ball on the first tee. Maybe they just have a weird pre-shot routine or set up over the ball?

We don't need to limit this to what identifies the player as a duffer, you should also mention things a player does or has that would make you think they are pretty good and that you are about to take a hammering.

Secondly, how often are your assumptions made on first impressions correct and how do your first impressions affect your approach to the round, especially in the one on one matchplay scenario. Have you lost a match due to a an incorrect snap judgement on the 1st tee?

I have recently played with our scratch team and they all take it very seriously. I like to lay my club down on the tee and crouching, use both hands to place my (castle) tee. I hope they don't think I'm a duffer...

Don't know. I rarely think what someone looks like/has in their bag means they'll be a hacker/Tour pro.

That said though, I'd say having someone demonstrate a practice swing would give a decent clue (albeit not failsafe by any means) and to see some MP33/67s in someone's bag showing ~10p-size sweet spot wear marks through to the steel on their irons would worry me a bit - certainly in a scratch game.

Pencil bag containing mizuno blades = top player
Tour bag + top of the range gear = could be anywhere from tour pro to total hacker

Visor with fake hair wig in it. Hacker.

Any sign of donnay or dunlop logo = I'm on a council course or playing Lee Westwood

A good friend of mine used to drive an 18-wheeler, would turn up for golf, park his "tractor", and stride to the first tee in jeans and rolled up shirt sleeves and, with a homemade swing, stripe it. Always played in jeans. It never looked good until you added up his score. Great guy.

Plenty of times I've played at nice resort courses and been grouped with blokes dressed to the nines, very often from the British Isles, told us they had a ten-handicap, and belted the ball consistently into neighbouring zip-codes.

You just can't tell.

I used to a play a lot of golf with a writer and part time painter (now full time writer). Anyway he wears low cut black Chuck Taylors, no socks, never uses a glove and plays to a 3. As Kwin says, you just can't tell.

We have a tory councillor at our place who has a selection of matching gear (down to his shoes and hanky) in some outlandish colours - bright yellow, sky blue, Dick Flower orange, etc. He plays off 26 and has done for the last 10 years.

Mac,
The lawyer who I used for my house purchase always wore a shirt and tie for golf, whatever the weather. Used to play in a group of six or seven known as The Gamblers. Carried a 4 handicap and was always jetting off to play Pine Valley & Shinnecock; Shotrock probably knew him.

MontysMerkin wrote:We have a tory councillor at our place who has a selection of matching gear (down to his shoes and hanky) in some outlandish colours - bright yellow, sky blue, Dick Flower orange, etc. He plays off 26 and has done for the last 10 years.

I know people play for different reasons, but if I was a 26 handicap standard at anything for 10 years, I'd give it up.

Kwin - I'm playing Merion East on Sunday so I'll keep an eye out for this guy!

super_realist wrote:

MontysMerkin wrote:We have a tory councillor at our place who has a selection of matching gear (down to his shoes and hanky) in some outlandish colours - bright yellow, sky blue, Dick Flower orange, etc. He plays off 26 and has done for the last 10 years.

I know people play for different reasons, but if I was a 26 handicap standard at anything for 10 years, I'd give it up.

Careful supes that could be construed as golf snobbery!

Simply saying Monty that on a personal level, if I was that bad at something (and being a 26 handicapper can't be described as anything but bad) then I'm not sure how I would get satisfaction from it.

Others might, but I don't see the fun in being bad at something especially if there was no improvement in 10 years.

If you were the equivalent of a 26 handicapper in any other aspect of your life, would you carry on doing it?

super_realist wrote:Simply saying Monty that on a personal level, if I was that bad at something (and being a 26 handicapper can't be described as anything but bad) then I'm not sure how I would get satisfaction from it.

Others might, but I don't see the fun in being bad at something especially if there was no improvement in 10 years.

If you were the equivalent of a 26 handicapper in any other aspect of your life, would you carry on doing it?

I thought you played 5 a side?

I do, but I'm not a 26 handicapper at 5's. I probably was at one point as a kid.

A 26 handicapper at 5's would be someone who couldn't control the ball, couldn't pass and couldn't score a goal or save anything.

I had plenty of birdies and even a few eagles off 24 when I started (just not in the same round!)
Ah well, at least you get a run out with your mates.
I wonder how handicapping would work in 5 a side?
Say Ronaldo or Messi was off say +6 or +7 how would your average clock watcher fare?
Maybe a h'cap of 40?

MontysMerkin wrote:I had plenty of birdies and even a few eagles off 24 when I started (just not in the same round!)
Ah well, at least you get a run out with your mates.
I wonder how handicapping would work in 5 a side?
Say Ronaldo or Messi was off say +6 or +7 how would your average clock watcher fare?
Maybe a h'cap of 40?

The point was Monty, that everyone is rubbish when they start golf (or anything). I was a 24 handicapper as my first junior handicap, but the crucial thing is I didn't stay at that standard, and if I had for 10 years as per example. I wouldn't have kept playing. Like I said, people play for different reasons, but I'm not interested in being perpetually bad at something, for me, I'd get no satisfaction from it. I'm not that much of a masochist.

Golf though, seems to me to be the only sport at which people seem content to remain bad at.

And angling.

Super - If this guy off 26 plays every week then yes I'm with you.

But what if he's an occasional golfer, plays once a month during the summer? He's not going to improve at that rate. Knocking it round in the high 90s for a bit of fun with your mates sounds great, he might hit a couple of good shots and make a par or birdie which makes it all worthwhile... you don't have to take it seriously to have fun.

I go bowling about once a year. I've seen no improvement in my scores over the last 10 years, but I still see it as fun and manage to get some strikes.

If he's an occassional golfer, no probs, but I read into it that as a player of 10 years, and that you see him regularly enough to comment of his golf attire, hence I presumed he was a regular player.

I wouldn't expect someone to be good at anything if you only do it once a year, and I wouldn't criticise someone for being bad at it, like I said, people play for different reasons.

raycastleunited wrote:
I go bowling about once a year. I've seen no improvement in my scores over the last 10 years, but I still see it as fun and manage to get some strikes.

ha what a loser! I won't play anything that I could not represent my country at. And that includes bowlsing. And angling.

kwinigolfer wrote:Mac,
The lawyer who I used for my house purchase always wore a shirt and tie for golf, whatever the weather. Used to play in a group of six or seven known as The Gamblers. Carried a 4 handicap and was always jetting off to play Pine Valley & Shinnecock; Shotrock probably knew him.

That has to be an improvement on the average golf fashion statement.

I disagree. I can tell what someone plays off to within 2 or 3 shots just by looking at them in their golf gear - not even necessarily with clubs. I've rarely been wrong, even when confronted by the types mentioned such as the shirt & tie or a really scruffy player.

Interesting comment about the pencil bag full of blades - played a match once against a pair, one off 8 and one of '18'. He had a pencil bag full of blades, and 3 vokey wedges which he used to great effect to shoot 74. I was 3 under my handicap of 8 when we lost on the 16th, and my partner was level. We found out he wasn't even a member of the club he claimed the 18 handicap was from, and got them kicked out of the comp.