A PGA Tour player said that handicappers can speed up their game by being more prepared for weak shots while in the box, but is he right?
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Alex from Arlington, Va. writes: Ben An caused a stir on social media this week asking why senior disabled don’t bring an extra ball to the tee so they don’t have to waste time going back to the cart to get another when they drop the first out of bounds. What is your opinion? Should hackers like me carry extra ammo in our pockets to help keep up?
Dear Alex:
Last checked out by Etiquetteist, Ben An plays on the PGA Tour, a circuit whose competitors have for decades been the poster children for slow play, routinely taking over five hours to swing a three. while modeling terrible pacing habits that have inevitably filtered down into the recreational game. Rather than singling out the daily chops, An might consider asking something along the lines of: Why does Patrick Cantlay shuffle 16 times before stroking a 2-foot shot?
But since that’s not the question he – or you – asked, let’s get to it.
There is no doubt that most of us disabled and older people can take steps to improve our pace. We can be ready to strike more often. We could do less practice moves. We could make fewer bad jokes before taking our shots. Carrying an extra ball around can shave off a few more seconds here and there. But it shouldn’t be a requirement. Not for anyone.
Golf is now 90 percent mental. Why add to the psychological burden? Climbing to the top with an extra ball in your pocket is essentially an act of resignation and something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Consciously or subconsciously, you’re signaling to yourself—and the world—that you’re expecting to tie your first to the tree. And so you do. No golfer, regardless of handicap, should be forced to suffer through such a sad and self-defeating ritual.
The good news is that it’s easy to avoid. As part of the modernization of the Rules of Golf, The USGA has implemented a local rule — intended primarily for recreational play — allowing for a stroke and distance option. Instead of catching another ball, simply walk out to the spot where you think your first shot missed, find the nearest edge of the fairway, drop and play with a two-stroke penalty. No need to return to your cart to reload.
Better yet, if you’re healthy enough to do so, don’t take a stroller. Walk and carry so that if you decide to reload, a second ball is always within easy reach. Do it fast enough and no one will notice. If you don’t do it on every tip. In this case, it might be better to spend over five hours on it range of practice instead.
