Over my golf career I've played in many top tier amateur events and professionally for several years and some of the memories that stand out to me are moments I shared with friends who were caddying for me. You should definitely read this article before you commit to caddying for your friend next time they come looking for a looper, especially if you aren't sure what to expect. I will guide you through what the player expects of you and how to navigate through the week. First there are two types of caddies out there, the caddy who is more competitive than the player and the laid back caddy. I've had both types. First the competitive caddy; you can't be more negative or fired up than your player, it makes them uncomfortable. It makes the bad situations seem 10x worse. Your job is to keep the player calm and composed so they can play their best. Also, the competitive caddy always seems to be the caddy losing stuff like headcovers, towels, rangefinders, and even clubs haha. Your most important job is too keep track of everything, you need to be more engaged in that department, rather than how good or bad the player is playing. Keep calm and keep track of the stuff! Now, the laid back caddy can be even more challenging at times. This caddy always seems to be what I call the WE vs. YOU caddy. When things are good, WE are playing good. When things are bad, they let you know YOU need to start playing better haha! One time when I was on a roll, my buddy said, "Wow WE are tearing it up right now!" I responded back with, "WE need to keep up!" Which brings me to my next point. The laid back caddy has to walk at the pace of the player, there is nothing worse whether you're playing good or bad to be at your ball waiting for a caddy that is 20 yards behind you. When things are going good, you can't hit your shots fast enough and when things are going bad, the player doesn't want to wait around to hit bad shots. So the exchange I had with my caddy, although all in good fun, was also letting him know to keep up, I'm in a groove! The last point I'll make from the players prospective is, sometimes as a caddy there isn't anything you can say to make bad situations better. Golf is a game for realist. Bad situations are bad, don't make them worse by being overly positive and that goes for both types of caddy. Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all. Doesn't caddying sound like fun? But keep in mind I'm talking about caddying in important events. As a player though, you should always remember that this is your friend helping YOU out and YOU need to make it enjoyable for them as well, because after all, they are just doing it for fun and to help you out!
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