Are we saying that a golfer who uses yardage can’t play or can’t judge the effort required for the stroke to get him close to the flag. Has his/her game just imploded and their bodies taken over with nervous withdrawal & shaking. No, of course not, they do what they do naturally, they address the ball check location of pin and take the shot.
Imagine a plain field with no way of judging distance apart from a Flag that can be moved to a different position after every shot. How close a golfer gets their ball to the pin depends upon how skilled they are with the eye/body coordination. Let’s not forget that after going through the elaborate distance checking process with books, markers, electronic devices or even pacing out the distance, all that is overruled when the golfer actually address the ball and his eyes see the pin before the final swing is taken. Like it or not, the mind and body takes over automatically, rendering much of the distance information the performance in getting it next to useless.
Ladies and Gentlemen you are actually better golfers that you think you are, OK so it will take a few rounds to get your eye back in total control and allow your mind to purify itself of useless distance crap until it see the pin for that last time before the final swing.
Do not believe me than let’s go back to the above mention blank empty field except for that movable pin. Let’s give 100 golfers 100 balls and select 18 different pin positions for each golfer - all without any distance reference and see how close each gets to the pin, repeat the exercise with yardage aids. Wonder what the final outcome will be, I think it may well surprise some, but add to the fact that you probably did just as well unaided, yet I bet it was more fun and satisfying without the need for distance aids.
I most sincerely believe that distance information in the form of books, markers, electronic aids, selfish pacing and even from the Caddie is a total distraction to one’s game and can take the edge of a great day’s golf.
Distance aids are a very expensive and addictive Placebo when related to the Game of Golf. It does not look cool, it’s disrupts your train of thought and it is very addictive, but in truth is as helpful as any placebo used in any experiment.
Melvyn