[Shoe Lace]

Wow I didn't think so many people disliked "slow players". Why do you hate people who play slow?

I just started recently (4 games of 18, and about 600 balls at the range is my total experience). In my most recent sessions I'm sort of getting my swing down. More often than not I won't top the ball or shoot it 500 miles off to the side but I still have that problem sometimes.

So lately I've been charting my clubs at the range. It's not as accurate as I'd like (obviously), but if I make a good swing and get a solid connection usually the ball will go the distance I charted it at (within 15y or so). It might veer off to one side, but whatever.

Anyways, when I take a shot, I usually take a reasonable amount of time.

1) I look at any yard markers on the floor. I estimate to see how far I am to the pin or where I'm trying to aim at.

2) I take a general look at my elevation to the pin/landing point. I'm not good enough to figure out how much harder or softer I need to hit it, but it obviously effects how far my ball is going to go.

3) I look at my lie. Again, I know the rules (the ball's trajectory changes based on the ball slope's condition) but I really don't know how to apply this yet. I spend a fair bit of time on this because it's important IMO.

4) I'll spend a few seconds to judge the wind. Again, not nearly enough experience to figure out what I should be doing exactly, but I make an effort.

5) I take a quick look at the green/landing point to see if I need to avoid anything nasty, and if I can, attempt to read the slope of the green (from where I'm standing, I don't walk up to check it out).

6) After all this is done I setup my stance (doesn't take long), and maybe take 1 practice swing. Then I'll let it rip.

All in all this process doesn't take THAT long, but I don't just walk up to my ball, pick a club instantly and smash it. I can't imagine anyone getting better if they do not at least adjust to the conditions before they shoot.

It's pretty stressful for me sometimes when I do play because usually the place I goto is packed. It's very common to be paired up with "strangers". Out of the 4 times I've been out, on 2 occasions (holes) someone told me to pick up the pace and on one occasion the pair behind us told me to take my shot already (he screamed it down the fairway).

I'd like to wrap a club around their face when they rush me, but at the same time I'm not in the mood to goto jail.

Btw the entire shot process usually takes 15-20 seconds (including everything). Surely this is not "playing slow?".

People who tell other people to play faster is what annoys me (as long as the game is moving at a reasonable pace and someone isn't clearly taking a retarded amount of time to shoot).