Let's decode this fascinating player-caddie coversation

Earlier this week the PGA Tour dropped on its YouTube channel a fantastic collaboration with NFL Films. They mic’d up players during the Players Championship to give fans a fly-on-the-wall look at the best golfers on the planet doing their job.

And it’s full of catnip for golf nerds.

Specifically, this player-caddie conversation between Akshay Bhatia and his caddie, Joe Griner, as they debate how to play the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass.

The moment I saw it I thought this would make a brilliant Golf IQ episode, because there are little bits of jargon along with some important lessons the rest of us can learn from, so let’s get into it.

You can listen (and subscribe!) to the full Golf IQ episode below, or keep scrolling for some highlights.

And to watch the full PGA Tour-NFL Films collab, head over to the PGA Tour’s YouTube Channel.

The number most amateurs ignore

The first piece of jargon is Akshay saying, “what are you on land?”, which means, simply, where do you want me to land this golf ball.

It’s an important note for the rest of us.

Most of us zap the pin and aim for that number, but it’s more important to think about where we actually want to land this golf ball. The pin may be 155, but budget for a little rollout, and the number we need to aim for may be closer to 145.

Pay attention to these details, and you’ll put a putter in your hands more often.

Your browser does not support the video tag. What “9 o’clock” actually means

Very often pros use a clock to talk about the direction the wind is blowing.

If I’m standing at a target, the target is noon — 12 o’clock on the face of a clock. Nine o’clock means the wind is coming from left to right; it’s blowing across him.

It’s an easy way to talk about the wind in a more accurate way than simply saying that it’s blowing from left-to-right. That doesn’t describe this important element in enough detail. Saying 9 o’clock instantly explains that the wind isn’t just across, but also a little into your face.

Your browser does not support the video tag. The debate and adjustment

The heart of this clip is that Akshay wants to take more spin off by hitting a longer club, but his caddie Joe thinks he’s overthinking it.

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The reason why is because Akshay thinks there’s more wind gusting into his face than Joe does, and is afraid of the ball ballooning.

Akshay is the player so he wins — he goes with the longer nine iron — but the most interesting bit is the subtle adjustment Joe helps him make along the way.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

With the shorter club, Joe says to try to land the ball at 135, and aim a little left of the pin so the wind brings it back.
With the longer club, the wind is going to affect it less and it’ll run out more, so he says the new landing spot is 132 yards (to budget for more roll) and the new line is to the right of the pin, more into the center.

Yes, it’s nuanced, but remember the lesson: different clubs require different lines and landing spots.

Your browser does not support the video tag. Commit to the shot you believe in

In addition to everything above, the lesson here is that ultimately, you have to pick the shot that you believe in — even if it may be the wrong one.

Akshay hit a perfect shot here. Perhaps Joe had it right on paper — personally, I think he did — but that doesn’t matter. Golf isn’t played on paper. It’s played in the mind and with your hands. Better the wrong shot you believe in than the right one you don’t.

Once again, you can subscribe to the full Golf IQ podcast right here.

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