4 ms·

The relationship between caddies and golfers is unique and I can't think of any equivalent in any other sport. A caddy is not a coach (golfers also have coaches

The relationship between caddies and golfers is unique and I can't think of any equivalent in any other sport. A caddy is not a coach (golfers also have coaches although they don't follow the golfer within the ropes like caddies do). At the same time, caddies might give some advice to the golfer that could be classified as "coaching" in a broad sense. Some caddies become really successful, for example Billy Foster is very famous in golf circles and has caddied for many golfers including Seve Ballesteros https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrP5R3gFAgo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrP5R3gFAgo While working as a developer for a golf website, I was lucky to become friends with an experienced caddie-turned-golf-journalist, he introduced me to many aspects of the game that I had ignored until then.

kazinator 5y ago
If caddies are so smart as to give advice, why aren't they in the tournament? Maybe it's because they are smart; they get paid, win or lose. Just like the hedge fund manager who makes money whether or not you lose yours, or the consultant who gets paid whether or not your business flops and so on.
- gjs278 5y ago
  umm they aren't in the tournament because they might not have a good swing or the strength or focus the actual golfer has
- DamnYuppie 5y ago
  Can you clarify as to what you mean by "why aren't they in the tournament?"? They are in all the professional tournaments, if you haven't noticed all the professional golfers have caddies. If you are implying why aren't they professional golfers that is a different story and has a great deal to do with skill. I have known a few professional caddies on the PGA tour and they are very good golfers just not at that upper echeleon that it takes to make a good living on the tour.
  - kazinator 5y ago
    In the course of the PGA tour, can a golfer be replaced by another one who plays for him or her? Can a competing golfer's caddy be replaced? The answers to these questions (I don't know what they are) should speak to who is actually registered as a competitor in the tournament.
- jimmyvalmer 5y ago
  Wow, you've clearly never played.
  - kazinator 5y ago
    Even if I did, how would it help? I'd have to play with a pro caddy to understand.
    - jimmyvalmer 5y ago
      Because then you'd realize someone who's crazy and skilled enough to make this godforsaken sport his livelihood would sacrifice anything to be the "man in the arena."
      - kazinator 5y ago
        So we can look at it from the perspective of the caddy needing someone crazy and skilled to do that sacrificing.
- opinion-is-bad 5y ago
  Because knowing where you should try to put that ball, and being able to do it, are different skills. Golf is not purely a mental game, unlike investing.
  - kazinator 5y ago
    But my analogy says, essentially, that investing has "caddies" too, not that it doesn't. It's not purely a mental game, because you have to bring money to the table, and the ability to absorb the consequences of risk. Someone who has the mental wherewithal can practice that, using other people's money and risk.
- MSM 5y ago
  Think of the golfer as LeBron James and the caddy as an NBA analyst. The analyst knows that a specific defender is weak when driving to their left, but the 43 year old 5'2" overweight analyst will never score a point against that defender regardless of how well he knows him. However, the analyst can feed that info to LeBron who turns it into an extra 3 points per game.
- CheezeIt 5y ago
  Caddies aren’t smarter, they just have more detachment in a high pressure situation, and reduce some of the player’s preparatory burden.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - kazinator 5y ago
    So, that's like investment. The investment broker has detachment because it's not their money.
- theluketaylor 5y ago
  Tour caddies get paid generally about 5-10% of the winnings. If their pro gets cut there is no money. And the winnings are heavily weighted towards the top few positions. When the player wins (which is rare even for elite players) it’s well understood the caddy is going to get a big bonus. Caddies have a huge investment in their pro and the difference between winning and losing is huge for them too. There is so much money on the pga tour now that being a caddy on the bag of a top 10 player is highly lucrative, but it’s not true caddies get paid win or lose, especially on the lower tours. A great example is Jordan Speith and Michael Greller. Greller took a huge chance on a very young Jordan while he was still an am and therefore making no money. Speith was a highly touted young golfer, but that doesn’t always translate to elite tour player. Greller was along for the ride as Speith got his card, started winning, won major championships, and then got lost in the woods for a few years. Greller could have left for many other bags but didn’t and now Speith is back to winning.
- notdarkyet 5y ago
  These takes are extremely poor.

kazinator 5y ago

If caddies are so smart as to give advice, why aren't they in the tournament? Maybe it's because they are smart; they get paid, win or lose. Just like the hedge fund manager who makes money whether or not you lose yours, or the consultant who gets paid whether or not your business flops and so on.

gjs278 5y ago
umm they aren't in the tournament because they might not have a good swing or the strength or focus the actual golfer has
DamnYuppie 5y ago
Can you clarify as to what you mean by "why aren't they in the tournament?"? They are in all the professional tournaments, if you haven't noticed all the professional golfers have caddies. If you are implying why aren't they professional golfers that is a different story and has a great deal to do with skill. I have known a few professional caddies on the PGA tour and they are very good golfers just not at that upper echeleon that it takes to make a good living on the tour.
- kazinator 5y ago
  In the course of the PGA tour, can a golfer be replaced by another one who plays for him or her? Can a competing golfer's caddy be replaced? The answers to these questions (I don't know what they are) should speak to who is actually registered as a competitor in the tournament.
jimmyvalmer 5y ago
Wow, you've clearly never played.
- kazinator 5y ago
  Even if I did, how would it help? I'd have to play with a pro caddy to understand.
  - jimmyvalmer 5y ago
    Because then you'd realize someone who's crazy and skilled enough to make this godforsaken sport his livelihood would sacrifice anything to be the "man in the arena."
    - kazinator 5y ago
      So we can look at it from the perspective of the caddy needing someone crazy and skilled to do that sacrificing.
opinion-is-bad 5y ago
Because knowing where you should try to put that ball, and being able to do it, are different skills. Golf is not purely a mental game, unlike investing.
- kazinator 5y ago
  But my analogy says, essentially, that investing has "caddies" too, not that it doesn't. It's not purely a mental game, because you have to bring money to the table, and the ability to absorb the consequences of risk. Someone who has the mental wherewithal can practice that, using other people's money and risk.
MSM 5y ago
Think of the golfer as LeBron James and the caddy as an NBA analyst. The analyst knows that a specific defender is weak when driving to their left, but the 43 year old 5'2" overweight analyst will never score a point against that defender regardless of how well he knows him. However, the analyst can feed that info to LeBron who turns it into an extra 3 points per game.
CheezeIt 5y ago
Caddies aren’t smarter, they just have more detachment in a high pressure situation, and reduce some of the player’s preparatory burden.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- kazinator 5y ago
  So, that's like investment. The investment broker has detachment because it's not their money.
theluketaylor 5y ago
Tour caddies get paid generally about 5-10% of the winnings. If their pro gets cut there is no money. And the winnings are heavily weighted towards the top few positions. When the player wins (which is rare even for elite players) it’s well understood the caddy is going to get a big bonus. Caddies have a huge investment in their pro and the difference between winning and losing is huge for them too. There is so much money on the pga tour now that being a caddy on the bag of a top 10 player is highly lucrative, but it’s not true caddies get paid win or lose, especially on the lower tours. A great example is Jordan Speith and Michael Greller. Greller took a huge chance on a very young Jordan while he was still an am and therefore making no money. Speith was a highly touted young golfer, but that doesn’t always translate to elite tour player. Greller was along for the ride as Speith got his card, started winning, won major championships, and then got lost in the woods for a few years. Greller could have left for many other bags but didn’t and now Speith is back to winning.
notdarkyet 5y ago
These takes are extremely poor.