The best two (sort of) caddies I've had:
A few years after I became a member at NB, I asked Martyn, our head professional, for a playing lesson. He grew up on the links, so it made sense that I should try to pick his brain on the course. Wow. He helped with course management decisions, but equally, walked me through his thought process for certain shots.
As we approached 14 green, I started to add up my score, and realised I was on track for a record round. I subsequently got into my own head, but the time out there was invaluable. I would encourage anyone to get a playing lesson at your home club as it can really help understand percentages around a place you play a majority of your golf. (Note: I carried my own bag
).
The other was at Riviera. I thrive on positivity, and the caddie had the perfect way of helping me make decisions and then reaffirming those with positive words of encouragement. If you hear caddies on tour, they always say 'I love it', which gives confidence.