Do you have a crab mentality? Do you fall into the trap of never wanting to share our golf knowledge because you think someone will become a better player than you? Well if you do, then you have come the wrong blog!
For those unaware of the crab mentality, it boils down to this saying: “if I can’t have it, neither can you”. The metaphor is derived the behavior of crabs that will literally pull an escaping crab back into the bucket so that they all remain trapped. This might sound foolish, but it I think it helped stem the other idiom of “knowledge is power, so keep it too yourself!” Never share information just in case someone improves better and faster than you. I am sure most of us have lived this at work, but do you ever see it on the golf course?
Personally, I am crowd sourcing type of person. It is defined as: “the practice of obtaining information or input into a task or project by enlisting the services of a large number of people, either paid or unpaid, typically via the Internet.” (Dictionary.com) I believe that I do not have all the answers and think by sharing what I know, others will do the same thing. Then we all become smarter.
With the explosion of golf information on the internet, the crab mentality is quickly falling to the wayside. With the thousands technique and training videos, anyone looking for golf info will quickly be overwhelmed. It is state of the deluge of information flow. I think this is a good thing and relish the time I spend watching an learning.
I think golf is an awesome game that has an endless supply of challenging scenarios where I am left scratching my head. In those cases, I reach out to many friends, as my friends reach out to me. We have or own crowd sourcing group that helps solve many head scratching situations. I know that over they years, this approach to being a better player has saved me a great deal of time and frustration.
If you have ever read the tag underneath the title of this blog, you will know that I am all about freely sharing information. I try to ensure everyone reading it understands that this is the world according to Jim. However, I feel that by at least sharing what I know without any expectations, I will receive the same 10 fold.
Besides, I figure if other professionals share their secrets to their golfing success, who am I to hoard anything! So, if you have the opportunity, I recommend that you share you knowledge; if nothing else, point them in the direction of the local professional.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Jim, very thoughtful post here. I like to share as well but up to a point. Full sharing may have an ethical component. For example, I’ve been asked for assistance from time to time from friends who are beginners. They want to learn the game but aren’t sure if they want to make the significant investment in money and time. I’ll give them a lesson or two but hold off on any more because I don’t want to be taking income from local teaching professionals. If they want to pursue, I’ll make a recommendation on who to go to.
Teaching pros never made a lot of money, even before the internet existed. I was in that group in my mid-20s. As you mention, the amount of instructional information has exploded and sharing is easier than ever. I wonder if the plight of the teaching pro has improved, stayed the same, or slid backwards as a result. Any idea?
Thanks,
Brian
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Brian,
You pose a good question about teaching pros and their ability to make a living now compared to years ago. For me, you approach is a very good one; present the information and then point the new player in the direction of a professional. Personally, I think we amateurs with our experience provide a 70% solution to get the ball rolling, but we (or at least me) do not have the overall skill to provide “expert” advice to anyone.
I will see what I can find about teach pros making a living now verses years ago. It is a good question.
Cheers Jim
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Oh I think you know by now I don’t suffer from a crab mentality. I have to fight to keep my mouth shut until asked. 😂
It was a tough day out there today. The heat index was 100 degrees and we had a hot breeze blowing 28 mph gusts. And it was only going my way on 4 of the 1st 6 holes on the front nine leaving a couple of the toughest holes dead into the breeze near the end coming back. Funny enough, I only screwed up one of the easier down breeze holes. I hit a sweet little draw. What I didn’t do was compensate enough for executing a draw swing with my feet below the level of the ball. A scenario that tends to make you pull it a bit. I had plenty of room to adjust my aim, but I didn’t think the shot through well enough. I executed the shot perfectly for what I did take into account but since I didn’t plan it well enough, I not only failed to hit the green, but lost the ball in a stream on the left side.
This is a hole that is usually not too hard. One of the few greens that isn’t raised 5 feet off the fairway. What I wanted was a low shot to run up onto the green. What I got was a low shot that bounced left on the very slight maybe 1 foot rise at the green and shot towards the water. 5 feet right, and it would have been flag high on the left side maybe 20 feet. If I’d have compensated correctly and landed it 15 feet right, it might be an ace. But what I got was a double because it was thick where I had to drop and I got more grass than ball coming out leaving me a 30 foot putt for bogie. What they call not ideal. But, mental errors happen too. I had a couple of other sub par shots judging the wind incorrectly that brought a couple bogies, but I also had a couple birdies including one 35 foot putt that dropped for me. Or rather tapped the cup since they’re still raised here.
But I ended up 2 over. Exactly what I lost with that double on number 6. And knowing it was a mental error, not a swing fault was a bit frustrating. But the highlight, that 35 footer that dropped on the 17th, made up for it. That hole is a 195 yard par 3. The toughest one on the course. It’s over water, and the tee boxes are cantilevered so what little space before the green you do get from the blue tee box is rough. I chose to hit driver dead into that monster breeze. I was choked up about 3 inches and only taking about an 80% swing again to keep hit that low stinger kind of shot, and it was on target but it was still just a bit too much club and it ran off the back about 8 feet. I got a bit lucky there because the 17th and the 1st green share a mound and where my ball stopped was a fringe area that connects between the two greens rather than the rough. I chose to go ahead and putt it and I got lucky. The ball bounced a lot on the fringe. A little left, a little right, back and forth as it headed to the green. So as far as direction goes it was definitely luck, but I had good speed and it slowed just before it caught the ridge that drew it down to the hole. Made it look like I knew what I was doing. 😂😎 And after a par on the 18th I walked off happy enough.
I’m not sure if there is anything to learn there, but I think there might be. I know for myself I’ll probably never go in the water on the 6th hole for the same reason. And I’ll continue to hit those off the wall shots on occasion like the choked up 195 yard driver stinger. They seldom cause lots of trouble, and pay off on occasion.
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Kevin,
Sounds like you had a grinding round. I am not sure we can really account bounces around the green, but any good result is always intentional…..right? Shooting 2 over with a lost ball on a hot windy day sounds pretty darn good to me. Well done!
Cheers Jim
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