Club selection is one area where experience really matters — and where overreaching can do more harm than good. A new caddy who gives confident but wrong club advice is worse off than one who simply asks the golfer what they prefer. Here's how to handle this well at any experience level.
You are not expected to know which club fits a given yardage or condition. That's okay. The best thing you can do is ask: "What club are you thinking?" or "Would you like me to grab a couple options?" Most golfers are happy to make their own club decisions — they just want someone to hand them the right bag and support their choice.
What you *can* do from day one:
As you gain experience on the course, start paying attention to patterns:
Once you're comfortable reading conditions, club selection becomes a genuine edge:
Think about where the miss should go. If there's water left and nothing right, recommend a club and aim that favors the safe side: "Let's take one extra and aim at the right edge of the green — even if you pull it slightly, we're still on the putting surface."
When you make a recommendation, commit to it. "I like the 6-iron here" is better than "maybe a 6 or a 7?" Golfers need decisive guidance. If you're between clubs, go with the one that fits the better miss.
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