The Golf Thread - 2018!

[Digger]

Doofus said:

I'm not a golfer, so I apologise, but did Fowler keep putting a marker down and moving his ball before putting?

Yep, he was just realigning the aim line that’s drawn on his ball!

That’s something I want to see banned. Slows play down and unnecessary imho.

[DuncanM]

cuprabob said:

thebraketester said:

Seems to be a fair amount of hate for reed, anyone know why? He got the job done. Can’t really argue with the scorecard.

First time I have watched the masters. Loved it.

I believe it's to do with his antics at the Ryder Cup
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/rydercup/11...

He's from Augusta (college) and yet you could hear the crowd wanted anyone but Reed to win. He has a reputation for cheating in the past, and is arrogant and angry - not the best traits for a golfer.

Brilliant golfer though.

Wish Fowler had won, quite a bridesmaid he's becoming :O

[Blaster72]

43034 said:

If anyone reads the RacingPost, Steve Palmer is on for a big win if Reed holds on

Nice result!

[rsbmw]

Digger said:

Doofus said:

I'm not a golfer, so I apologise, but did Fowler keep putting a marker down and moving his ball before putting?

Yep, he was just realigning the aim line that’s drawn on his ball!

That’s something I want to see banned. Slows play down and unnecessary imho.

If you use a line on your ball to line up your putt as most golfers do, and it's misaligned, then of course you need to realign it. Would be ridiculous to ban that.

[Andy 308GTB]

HaplessBoyLard said:

thebraketester said:

Seems to be a fair amount of hate for reed, anyone know why? He got the job done. Can’t really argue with the scorecard.

First time I have watched the masters. Loved it.

From further up the thread...

http://tobaccoroadblues.com/2015/01/30/the-villain...

That's an interesting read into the world of college golf.

It looks like a pushy/overbearing father combined with a son with some autistic traits. Whilst his 'win at all costs' mentality over the years doesn't meet the very high standards that golf expects, he'd be held up as a role model in football! His wife appears to semi-manage his career and is either protecting him from his father or is trying to spite his parents.

I'll stop now and get on with writing tomorrows 'Dear Deirdre' column.

[Doofus]

rsbmw said:

Digger said:

Doofus said:

I'm not a golfer, so I apologise, but did Fowler keep putting a marker down and moving his ball before putting?

Yep, he was just realigning the aim line that’s drawn on his ball!

That’s something I want to see banned. Slows play down and unnecessary imho.

If you use a line on your ball to line up your putt as most golfers do, and it's misaligned, then of course you need to realign it. Would be ridiculous to ban that.

It just struck me as an opportunity to move the ball.

[mattyn1]

Doofus said:

It just struck me as an opportunity to move the ball.

I do, as do most golfers, the same process but use the name on the ball..... line Tiltleist up on the line of the putt. I do it with less finesse and detail though..... and as I am st at putting I may have a reason for that!!

For these guys each putt is worth probably thousands of dollars come Sunday.

[TeeRev]

I use a two ball putter so prefer to set the ball up with no markings showing so that I have no distractions from visually lining up the three balls with my chosen line.

Of course choosing the right line and getting the right distance are still a minor problem https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/10.gif

[Digger]

rsbmw said:

Digger said:

Doofus said:

I'm not a golfer, so I apologise, but did Fowler keep putting a marker down and moving his ball before putting?

Yep, he was just realigning the aim line that’s drawn on his ball!

That’s something I want to see banned. Slows play down and unnecessary imho.

If you use a line on your ball to line up your putt as most golfers do, and it's misaligned, then of course you need to realign it. Would be ridiculous to ban that.

No. I meant I’d like to see aim lines drawn on balls banned fullstop.

[rsbmw]

I'd suggest that's even more ridiculous!

[Digger]

I’m old school!

[Skii]

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

[swisstoni]

Skii said:

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

Me too. It's like firing a rifle while looking down on it.

[SpeckledJim]

Skii said:

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

I don't think it can, unless the person who is doing it believes it can, and then goes into the putt with more confidence as a result.

All in the miiiind, maaan.

[SpeckledJim]

Doofus said:

It just struck me as an opportunity to move the ball.

With the terrible, career- and legacy-damaging consequences of being caught, and the almost 100% likelihood of being caught, there no way any proper golfer would do that on purpose. Especially on Sunday near the top of the leaderboard at the Masters.

Such a thing would follow him for the rest of his life.

Golf doesn't really work that way, which can be hard to get your head around if you're accustomed to watching most other sports.

I think it's only really snooker and golf in which competitors routinely call penalties on themselves.

[HaplessBoyLard]

SpeckledJim said:

With the terrible, career- and legacy-damaging consequences of being caught, and the almost 100% likelihood of being caught, there no way any proper golfer would do that on purpose. Especially on Sunday near the top of the leaderboard at the Masters.

Such a thing would follow him for the rest of his life.

Golf doesn't really work that way, which can be hard to get your head around if you're accustomed to watching most other sports.

I think it's only really snooker and golf in which competitors routinely call penalties on themselves.

Yet at least 2 players on the (albeit less high profile) LPGA tour have been caught doing just that, and Lexi Thompson lost a major as a result of a viewer calling it in on the phone.

Thankfully they’ve banned call in penalties now. I can’t abide cheats, especially in golf, but I never go looking for minor infractions. I like to think the person I’m playing against has the integrity to police their own game.

Patrick Reed was apparently quite the cheat in his younger days.

[rsbmw]

SpeckledJim said:

Skii said:

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

I don't think it can, unless the person who is doing it believes it can, and then goes into the putt with more confidence as a result.

All in the miiiind, maaan.

It absolutely helps, pick your aim spot, point line at that (standing a distance behind and perhaps dangling putter to verify), then line up the line on top of your putter with ball line.

If I couldn't do that I wouldn't know where the hell I was aiming, once you're stood over it perspective changes and I don't know where I'm pointing.

[SpeckledJim]

rsbmw said:

SpeckledJim said:

Skii said:

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

I don't think it can, unless the person who is doing it believes it can, and then goes into the putt with more confidence as a result.

All in the miiiind, maaan.

It absolutely helps, pick your aim spot, point line at that (standing a distance behind and perhaps dangling putter to verify), then line up the line on top of your putter with ball line.

If I couldn't do that I wouldn't know where the hell I was aiming, once you're stood over it perspective changes and I don't know where I'm pointing.

I can certainly believe it helps. But I don't believe anyone can point the line at the point you actually need to hit it, and be accurate on anything over say 5 feet. It's just too blunt an instrument.

But I can see it helps confidence once stood over the ball.

A more accurate way to do it, if possible, is to ascertain a point on the ground a foot or 15 inches in front of the ball that you're trying to roll the ball over. Then your 'line' is 15 inches long, not 1.68 inches long.

Whatever helps (but please be quick!)

[bodhi]

rsbmw said:

SpeckledJim said:

Skii said:

Can a small black felt-tip line drawn over a dimpled 1.68" ball really help you aim? Happy to be educated but I've always wondered how much of an aid this is.

I don't think it can, unless the person who is doing it believes it can, and then goes into the putt with more confidence as a result.

All in the miiiind, maaan.

It absolutely helps, pick your aim spot, point line at that (standing a distance behind and perhaps dangling putter to verify), then line up the line on top of your putter with ball line.

If I couldn't do that I wouldn't know where the hell I was aiming, once you're stood over it perspective changes and I don't know where I'm pointing.

It can also help with feedback on how you've hit the putt - if the line stays straight when the ball is moving, then you've hit it properly.

Don't use the line myself as it's too much to think about imo (as you say golf, and especially putting, is all in the head), but know plenty who do.

[Digger]

Back of a fag packet.... a fourball each taking approximately 15 seconds to line up their putts (using the line) would save around 20 minutes per round