[Hennybogan]

Thanks dude! Are you and the guys thinking "number" with every club or just shorter irons? How do you practice to get good a hitting it a specific yardage? And how tight are the tolerances?

Word.

B

Bucket,

I am always thinking number. I consider every factor and come up with a number that I think the shot will play. I want to be as definite as I can. I would say "it's five yards downhill for 157" rather than "it's 165 and down half a club." I want to define the shot as much as possible. "We want to land it 167." I will do this with every shot except greenside, including tee shots.

While my player is putting, I'm looking at the wind and considering the next tee shot. The player needs to let his mind wander or engage on non-golf subjects in between shots to keep fresh. I do that too, but I want to be a step ahead of his thinking. I don't have to stay in the present.

Although I want to come up with my info and decision as quickly as possible, I usually wait for the player to ask what we have--esp. if we have to wait for the group in front. Some guys want the number as soon as possible--to have longer to consider shot--others want to keep the same rhythm of number, target, club, routine, go.

What the player does with my information is totally up to him. He is going to have a stock number for each club and a way to add or subtract yardage to hit the shots in between. How he translates the number to his swing is up to him. I know TGM would have definite ideas about how to vary yardage

Even though I am a total numbers guy, I am going to trust my intuition. On every shot, I get a gut reaction to the shot--more likely than not--that will be the club I'll go with. I want to define the target number as much as possible in real terms and react to that number.

Many players stop using numbers when they get close enough to walk up and have a look. They just trust their eyes and feel. I think Reigger has posted about that.

People often ask me how it works and how much discussion there is. On every shot, I want to decide what I think the club is before I talk to the player about it. Say I think it's an eight and he says "eight?" -- I say "Yep." That's how it goes on most shots. It's what we do, and most shots are not that tough to figure out.

What if he says "seven?" First, I try to figure out how he came up with the club. I run it again in my head. I might ask about the type of shot he wants to hit or if he wants to take something out of play. Maybe he wants to hit it down or curve it with or against the wind. Pros have enough shots that they could hit at least three different clubs from each spot. I want them to choose the most straight forward shot unless there is a compelling reason to do something different. I think regular shots are more consistent.

When we initially think two different clubs, we have to find a way to get on the same page. I may back off and let him hit what he thinks. The more positive he behaves about the selection, the more likely I am to let him go. It's like walking up to a putt and seeing the whole track it will take to the hole. You know it will go in. When a player feels a shot like this, you just get out of the way. Often the best rounds work this way. They have confidence in every facet of their games, so they think well. When you work for the same guy for a while you get a real sense for this. Some days they just have a really good feel.

It changes day to day, and you have to read how sharp they are thinking. This forum started with John Wood helping Mahan define his shot on the last hole. It's not always the pressure packed situations. Often, a player feels out of sorts. There are a variety of causes. Lack of sleep, tough schedule, rain delays, etc. Maybe he's just butchered a hole and his head is off. The more in tune you are to your player, the better your sense of when to take a stand.

Once in a while, I feel so strongly about a club that I'll say "NO, It's this club." I might have to make my case by referencing the shots we have hit this week or this day. It usually comes down to reading the lie or the wind. There might be a factor that one of two has overlooked that has the other leaning towards another club. In order to get the most out of his caddie, the player must be able to handle these conversations, decide, and commit to the shot. The player must own the decision. Otherwise, the caddie would be concerned that by expressing his opinion, he will put the player off. Then he can't help his player.

Practicing. Easy way. We use the laser on the range to determine the distance of each flag. You will often see a caddie walk down the side of the range and drop targets (towels or buckets) at specific wedge distances like 30, 40, 50, etc. Guys do that more with new wedges, or if they are stuggling with a particular shot. The best practice areas will have greens allowing the players to hit wedges to flags from every distance.

Tolerances. The goal in practice is to make tight little piles of ball. They will often hit away from the flags to a clear spot where they can keep track of their patterns. When a player is really dialed in, he may have trouble understanding the outcome of shots with a particular club. Many times, we have had our lofts checked (and found them off) based on shots on the course. Forged clubs often change and need to be checked frequently.