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My first caddie experience

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SethO

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I just got a text from a younger friend that plays in some Jr Tour or another. He asked me to be his caddy this weekend. I don't know why, but I am excited about this. I have no clue how to be a caddy other than carrying the clubs and keeping my friend company and trying to calm him down if he is having a bad day.

Do you guys have any caddying advice? We play together some what frequently so we are no strangers to sharing the course as playing partners (granted that he is a 4 handicap at age 15 and I don't even have a handicap). He usually sounds shots off of me before he takes them and I would never presume to tell him how to play a shot. He is playing our home course which we both know like the back of our hand.
 
just keep him company like you did me during Saturdays round and you'll be fine. I would ask him what he's looking for. Does he want you to help read greens, or does he want you to just carry the bag and keep him calm. Bring a wet towel and keep the clubs clean.
 
send Interlooper a PM
 
ddec0418 said:
just keep him company like you did me during Saturdays round and you'll be fine. I would ask him what he's looking for. Does he want you to help read greens, or does he want you to just carry the bag and keep him calm. Bring a wet towel and keep the clubs clean.
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great advice man. I have always been a better coach than a player I think. I am better at setting up golf shots than exicuting them haha. We are going to to over the course on Friday. I will def have to remember the towell thing.

One-T said:
send Interlooper a PM
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I will do that. Thanks OT.
 
All great advice. Get a yardage book for the course to be played and digest as much of it as possible.

Expectations are key. Some golfers like their caddy to offer advice, some do not. Ask what he expects. Since this is competitive golf, be as prepared as possible. I would not expect to be a buddy. Expect to be a pro caddy.

Be in VERY good shape!

Google caddy requirements and expectations and see what you get. We had caddies at the Celebrity Am at the BMW. Even though I was a caddy a million years ago, I was amazed at how knowledgeable all the caddies were, knew the course and yardages (even though they all came from different clubs) and how well they worked together.

Never loose a ball or a club. I did and it was not a good experience.
 
coughlin03 said:
All great advice. Get a yardage book for the course to be played and digest as much of it as possible.

Expectations are key. Some golfers like their caddy to offer advice, some do not. Ask what he expects. Since this is competitive golf, be as prepared as possible. I would not expect to be a buddy. Expect to be a pro caddy.

Be in VERY good shape!

Google caddy requirements and expectations and see what you get. We had caddies at the Celebrity Am at the BMW. Even though I was a caddy a million years ago, I was amazed at how knowledgeable all the caddies were, knew the course and yardages (even though they all came from different clubs) and how well they worked together.

Never loose a ball or a club. I did and it was not a good experience.
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Great advice. Course knowledge will not be a problem at all which is great for my first caddying gig. I am on this course at least 4 days a week.

I am lucky enough to be in fairly good shape, but this course is Very Hilly. I walk it all the time while I am playing and I don't think it should be much of a problem to lugging his shiz around.



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never hand him a dirty club and if he makes a decision that you may not agree with just go with it and back him on it.
 
I was a caddie/ball boy/ driving range rat when I was in college.
Yea don't suggest shots, especially if they're shots you can't hit yourself. But if's he's bouncing ideas off of you trust the tone of his voice. You don't have to know what he's talking about, but if he sounds worried about hitting a certain shot ask him why. Help him talk it through. Confidence is the number #1 killer of a golf shot.
Good Luck!!
 
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Your going to have a blast out there and I'm betting he picked you because the two of you calm and click well. Just being on his side and making the round a bit easier by cleaning clubs and some light hearted banter will likely go a long ways towards making him comfortable out there.
 
SethO said:
I just got a text from a younger friend that plays in some Jr Tour or another. He asked me to be his caddy this weekend. I don't know why, but I am excited about this. I have no clue how to be a caddy other than carrying the clubs and keeping my friend company and trying to calm him down if he is having a bad day.

Do you guys have any caddying advice? We play together some what frequently so we are no strangers to sharing the course as playing partners (granted that he is a 4 handicap at age 15 and I don't even have a handicap). He usually sounds shots off of me before he takes them and I would never presume to tell him how to play a shot. He is playing our home course which we both know like the back of our hand.
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Nice, Seth. Glad to hear you are excited about it. I was a looper back in the day and did a few tournaments myself. Here are a few pointers:

* Speak with him before hand to determine what he is expecting, i.e. Will you help him read putts? Gauge distance, etc.

* Always, ALWAYS, keep your eye on his ball. If he hits it in a precarious spot, be sure to keep a beat on it and walk in a direct line over to it without taking your eye off it. But wait for the player comes to begin searching, as the 5 minutes toll once the caddy OR the player begins searching. Nothing kills a round more than losing a ball that should have been findable.

* His confidence is key. You should be the sidekick that instills confidence before his swings, and helps him regroup after poor shots.

* Keep his clubs clean, fix his divots (if he doesn't want to do it himself) and rake his bunkers.

* Know the yardage book and the pin positions for the day (if they allow you to gather that informatin beforehand). You may not know exactly what his club distances are, but you can give him as much info as possible to help him make an informed decision. It will help that both of you are familar with the course.

Have a great time, Seth. I hope you guys make a great team!
 
Remember the other players. While it's easy to remember etiquette when you're playing, you might have a tendency to focus on helping your guy, and you don't want to be moving, clanking clubs, etc. while one of his playing partners is playing a shot.

Kevin
 
Help him visualize the shot, and then give him a 100% confidence boost for his current shot. Nothing will ruin a round more than a caddy arguing about shot selection with the player. Confidence and trust would be gone.
 
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