Practice range etiquette

[keiko]

What would you do if in the middle of your practice session, some guy walks up to you and starts giving you tips on your swing?
I find this very rude and intrusive unless maybe the guy is sadlowski or some other notable lda guy.
Anyway, when this guy did this to me, I handed him my club and said go ahead pro show me what you got. Everyone on the range was staring at him, he turned 3 shades of red and walked away.
Some folks got no class.

[theauditor]

I understand this would be frustrating.  However, I really hope there was only two people on the range and both were right next to you.  Getting pissed at the practice range does not do long drive's image problem any favors.  The second guy to react always gets caught.  Embarrassing someone in front of others is never classy. 

[ceejay]

They don't give advice if they have seen my drives before they walk up. They ask me for advice. :]

Anyway, it depends on who it is and what kind of advice it is. Haven't been adressed to that kind of situation yet.

[Mikee]

What would you do if in the middle of your practice session, some guy walks up to you and starts giving you tips on your swing?
I find this very rude and intrusive unless maybe the guy is sadlowski or some other notable lda guy.
Anyway, when this guy did this to me, I handed him my club and said go ahead pro show me what you got. Everyone on the range was staring at him, he turned 3 shades of red and walked away.
Some folks got no class.

My favorite line is, "Its too late in the year to change my swing now.  I kind of know my flaws when I get a certain ball flight and can correct it."

Or you can can start "listening" to there "great" advice and start hitting shanks and show them that there tips are worth less than what you paid for them. 

[NITROFORCE]

Keiko, you handled that perfectly.  To ask "put your money were your mouth is" is certifiably politically correct.  Almost the exact same thing happened to me.  But the guy actually hit a couple balls with my club.  They were 50 yards short of mine and I pointed that out.  He stopped giving tips after that to me.

[PGW]

Situations like that- you have to remember each individual is somewhat representing longdrive
99% of the time people will just watch ' when your hitting well'
If your not hitting well- that's when someone would probly come up to you
Whether its out of ego by them or you- when your not hitting well what does it hurt to listen
That person may say something simple that he knows that may help
Alot of times people don't need a full overhaul of their swing
It can be something as simple as keeping your head down
What's does it hurt besides ego when someone does come over to listen and just say your not quite on that day and/ or working on stuff
Again- as individuals- we may be the only ones that represent to people

[POUNDS IT]

This has happened to me numerous times on the range and its always the same thing. You look a little off balanced and that may be why your spraying them out to the right. I just listen to their advice and smile. Simply because I don't want to hear the guy blab on for the next 30 minutes about how he has been teaching for 20 plus years but he's practicing and hitting balls at the most obscure places in my area (the one that don't mind if you lose their golf balls). Also, I could flip the situation around and say "okay champ, lets see you hit one." We all know (or should know that most of the average golfers out there cant hit our clubs) that's a no brainer simply because they don't train with the length of shaft we do. So, instead of pissing the guy off and have him leaving thinking all LD guys are complete pricks I just smile and say thanks. Now he leaves felling like he's accomplished something. As much as I wanna tell the guy to leave me alone in a not so nice way you guys have keep your composure and just treat them as a fan or someone who wishes they could do what we can. The sport is so fragile right now I don't think we can afford to piss anybody because we're having a bad day at the range. I'm not saying you cant defend yourself or the sport but to embarrass someone who was just trying to help (weather you wanted it or not) is never a good thing. I'll defend this sport and the guys who participate (who also do the right things) as much as I can but pointing out that you let a guy hit your club and he was 50 yards short of you is just childish. We're not 10 years old here. You want this sport to be taken seriously then conduct yourself like a professional and move on.

I hope in the next couple of years there will be more events and more sponsors but if we don't take ourselves seriously how can you expect potential sponsors to take us seriously. Just my .02

Gentry

[TheDoctor]

well said Landon.

[jeasterly1]

I would approach that situation this way.  If your going to give some advice about something, you never walk up and just start telling them what you think they are doing wrong.  If I am going to give advice to someone, I will ALWAYS, ALWAYS ASK them if they would like some advice.  That way they can say yes or no.  I do that with my good friends.  I have NEVER just started telling them what and how they need to change something.

Just my thoughts about it.

[Bobbyjones]

Like PGW said,
I would prefer let them talk and see what they have to say and see if they can bring something new to my swing that's gonna help it is cool. It often happen to me that I hit ball during 3 hour then I am so pissed off that I missed them all. When somebody arrive and told me hey guys you sould do that or just remember me to be more stable I think it is cool NO?

[NITROFORCE]

This has happened to me numerous times on the range and its always the same thing. You look a little off balanced and that may be why your spraying them out to the right. I just listen to their advice and smile. Simply because I don't want to hear the guy blab on for the next 30 minutes about how he has been teaching for 20 plus years but he's practicing and hitting balls at the most obscure places in my area (the one that don't mind if you lose their golf balls). Also, I could flip the situation around and say "okay champ, lets see you hit one." We all know (or should know that most of the average golfers out there cant hit our clubs) that's a no brainer simply because they don't train with the length of shaft we do. So, instead of pissing the guy off and have him leaving thinking all LD guys are complete pricks I just smile and say thanks. Now he leaves felling like he's accomplished something. As much as I wanna tell the guy to leave me alone in a not so nice way you guys have keep your composure and just treat them as a fan or someone who wishes they could do what we can. The sport is so fragile right now I don't think we can afford to piss anybody because we're having a bad day at the range. I'm not saying you cant defend yourself or the sport but to embarrass someone who was just trying to help (weather you wanted it or not) is never a good thing. I'll defend this sport and the guys who participate (who also do the right things) as much as I can but pointing out that you let a guy hit your club and he was 50 yards short of you is just childish. We're not 10 years old here. You want this sport to be taken seriously then conduct yourself like a professional and move on.

I hope in the next couple of years there will be more events and more sponsors but if we don't take ourselves seriously how can you expect potential sponsors to take us seriously. Just my .02

Gentry

No, you are wrong, it's not childish.  Some guy interrupts your training. Dumb.  He starts telling you tips on how to do something he doesn't do. WRONG.  He wanted to show off and show me something while I am training that he thinks will help.  THANKS, BUT NO THANKS.  I DIDN"T ASK.  Stupid people don't get my respect and if they are looking for it, well, I'll give them a chance to hang themselves without me having to make them look stupid. END OF STORY. 
This kind of crap happens to me all the time in the gym, and I treat it with the same position.  MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS and don't butt in.  I'm not here for your social outlet.  Have some respect and have some etiquette.  If you have a question, that's one thing.  If you offer training instruction, you better have some credentials.
As far as representing the LD community with being politically correct to everyone that wants to chime in when I'm busy trying to focus, I'll work on it.  But I seriously doubt it's going to change, I gave my LD chapstick and kneepads away a long time ago.

[jeffrey]

why would it have to be sadowski or any of the top guys before you would take any advice. Some of the greatest teachers are not great at the sport their giving advice to. Angelo dundee, Butch harmon, ect. I've been doing long drive for 11 years and always open for advice to improve. Humility always raises ones character and admiration. Have fun on the range, we are ambassadors for the lda. Peace,Jeff

[Titan]

I don't mind if someone comes and starts a conversation with me on the range or in the gym. It just shows that he's interested in what I'm doing. It's fun to talk about your swing and training with people you might have never met before. I have accepted the fact that I'm hardly ever the most accurate guy on the range and if I'm hitting it wildly all over the place, I understand that someone might think I need a helping hand. That's because the majority of the golfers are still trying to hit it straight, not as far as possible. If a guy doesn't hit it as far as you, it doesn't mean his advice are worthless. Any low handicapper can give valuable advice no matter how long he hits. On the golf course I'm trying to have fun and be friends with everyone, not just some ass**** who hits it a long way ...

[babrad06]

100% agree Landon, good post

[TheBeast24]

Well said, Landon. You are a class act, brother.

As for behaving on the golf course or driving range like we are in the gym. GROW UP. When I'm lying under 455lbs and trying to get psyched up to crush the weight instead of it crushing me, then I certainly don't want some wannabe coming up to me and telling me some kind of crap. However, when I am on the range working on speed, power or just technique I'm really not too worried about it. The ball's not going any where... It is not going to fall on me if I lift it wrong. It takes a bigger man to be polite. Any ahole can be an ahole, it's the easy way out... Pardon my French.

-JC

[tribaltecgolf]

maybe Sadlowsky listen to that guy???

Claude

[NITROFORCE]

It is rather presumptuous and judgemental to know what happened at the range with me and my particular situation don't you think?  It sure is easy to takes sides and have an opinion when you weren't there so you make things up and be a hypocrite.  Were you at the range while the guy in the cargo pants, high top basketball shoes, and tee shirt barked out instructions and comments 20 ft behind me on how "you don't have to swing so fast" and "your grip is too strong" in the middle of a timed set of practice balls?  Since the guy didn't know what I was trying to accomplish and was ignorant, i filled him in.  I even let him demonstrate his technique with one of my clubs.  He hit it 50 yards less than I did, probably less.  He sure did, he didn't even pay ANY attention to the SSR the pure contact monitor or the timer and went on about "You'll never hit the fairways and break 90 hitting like that."  YOU wouldn't put up with crap like that, and NOBODY should.  He was looking for attention, so he got it.
Now that I have your attention,....
You are no longer IGNORANT as well, as I have painted the picture.  It is nice that you guys have opinions on what is childish behavior, what constitutes holding the long driver image up to scrutiny, name calling, etc.  How nice of you to have etiquette and speak so highly of yourself.
So, go ahead and make your ignorant presumptions about a situation that you know nothing about.  You want to talk about class?  Bashing another LDer with your comments on etiquette is far beneath informing and accommodating some dick at the range pertaining to having class and being a class act.
Next time you make a comment, check your facts before you put your ignorant, judgemental, presumptuous foot in your mouth and talk down tome about class.
You feel better now?  Let's hear some more classy comments.

[keiko]

The guy was behaving like a jerk with the intention of belittling me. I kept my conversation with him just between he and I. I had just arrived at the range and had not even loosened up so admittedly I was not swinging at my best for someone without any credentials to just walk up to me and act like Butch Harmon is insulting.
I appreciate reading the other posts.

[POUNDS IT]

It is rather presumptuous and judgemental to know what happened at the range with me and my particular situation don't you think?  It sure is easy to takes sides and have an opinion when you weren't there so you make things up and be a hypocrite.  Were you at the range while the guy in the cargo pants, high top basketball shoes, and tee shirt barked out instructions and comments 20 ft behind me on how "you don't have to swing so fast" and "your grip is too strong" in the middle of a timed set of practice balls?  Since the guy didn't know what I was trying to accomplish and was ignorant, i filled him in.  I even let him demonstrate his technique with one of my clubs.  He hit it 50 yards less than I did, probably less.  He sure did, he didn't even pay ANY attention to the SSR the pure contact monitor or the timer and went on about "You'll never hit the fairways and break 90 hitting like that."  YOU wouldn't put up with crap like that, and NOBODY should.  He was looking for attention, so he got it.
Now that I have your attention,....
You are no longer IGNORANT as well, as I have painted the picture.  It is nice that you guys have opinions on what is childish behavior, what constitutes holding the long driver image up to scrutiny, name calling, etc.  How nice of you to have etiquette and speak so highly of yourself.
So, go ahead and make your ignorant presumptions about a situation that you know nothing about.  You want to talk about class?  Bashing another LDer with your comments on etiquette is far beneath informing and accommodating some dick at the range pertaining to having class and being a class act.
Next time you make a comment, check your facts before you put your ignorant, judgemental, presumptuous foot in your mouth and talk down tome about class.
You feel better now?  Let's hear some more classy comments.

Frank,

No one is bashing you here. This is a public forum where opinions are expressed. There is nobody picking sides like children (which you pointed out in your post). You're right though, nobody was there but you. You did, however neglect to provide details of how the guy was actually acting. In your 1st post you just said some guy tried to give you tips and he hit 50 yards shorter than you and that was it. So, basically to me and probably everyone else who read that thought "wow, a LD'er just made an average guy look like crap cause he didn't want to be bothered." I took it as maybe the guy was curious and was genuinely trying to help, but you didn't paint the picture of how he was acting. With that being said I still stand behind what I said about being professional. No matter how much of AHOLE the guy was being you can still keep your composure and just brush it off. We all know 99.9% of people can't hit it like us but we still need to do our part to act professional. Do you think any PGA tour guys want to be bothered all the time...let me answer that for you, NO!! Guess what though, its part of the job and maintaing an image and integrity of the sport is important. Nothing was ignorant or arrogant about what I wrote. If you feel differently, then maybe you need to reread the posts and really see what they meant.

Gentry

[NITROFORCE]

Interestingly, the rest of that particular story was the fact that I let him show me his "tips" and get all the attention he was seeking and I came off as being rather professional by accommodating the guy.  Yes, i did point out that he did hit it good and straight, but for what I am trying to accomplish, he is needing another 50 yards to be competitive.  He had the intent of informing me, and walked away BEING informed.  That situation could have gone WAY wrong, and yes I could have done something very childish and told him to "take a hike before I kick your @$$", but in the end he was acting like he helped me and now had respect for what I am doing.  The two older gentleman that were hitting next to me thought i did quite well keeping my composure because they said they would have told the guy to "eff off".  So in the end, I made three fans of LD perhaps.
Pertaining to conduct and class, I have been a professional trainer for close to 25 years in all sorts of environments.  The practice range is no different in the way in which i conduct myself, which is professional and with respect to others.  Your post on being professional by all means is right on target, and in light of my situation I am sure your opinion of how I handled it was perhaps mislabeled.  Jerks, clowns, and disrespecting users of any training, practice, or sports facility should be dealt with swiftly and professionally.  What I did and how it was done made everyone fell all "warm and fuzzy" and the "jerk" will not likely do that again.

You are right to point out that I did neglect the details, but nobody asked the details before it was assumed I was being the "jerk".  My post was very short on description and I kept it that way as others on this site have commented negatively on my rather detailed insights.  Funny how it is that if you don't give the full story you get wrongfully persecuted, and if you do go into a dissertation you get labeled as a bull$#!+er.  It's a fine line every time anyone writes anything on this site and I don't write things to offend anyone intentionally.  But, someway or another it gets misconstrued and I finally have to write to defend myself and my opinions.  Maybe I have a lesson to learn.  Never make a comment on this site that will, can, or could be subjected to crucifixion.  Ha,....that will be the day, huh?