To the question of why do Nov players think Pros cheat...
Baca's point about new players learning from the videos is a good point. I know a lot of new tournament players spend considerable time watching videos of the pros and pick up some bad impressions - playing through a hit, rubbing a hit off on a bunker, etc.
Also consider the word of mouth aspect. How many times have you heard experienced players (not necessarily pros) talking about how they got away with this or that in a tourny, or some new way to cheat? I've seen the thoughts from that IOG thread repeated many times, both on internet boards and at fields. Newer players hear or read this stuff and think that's how the game is played.
There's also the perception of cheating. I've seen plenty of guys screaming for paintchecks, convinced they hit their target, when they only hit the bunker. It's easy to convince yourself that the other guy is wiping, playing on or cheating in some way. That makes it easy for some players to rationalize it to themselves - "I have to cheat to win."
Another factor is to make up for a lack of skill, especially at the rookie/nov leve. I've played with people who seemed to think they were ready to turn pro, when they weren't really that good. If they got hit, they'd wipe it or play on with the hit because they couldn't accept being eliminated, even in practice. The more they do this in practice, the more likely they are to carry that attitude into a tournament.
Personally I can say that I've never wiped a hit or knowingly played with a hit since I started playing tournaments. Could I cheat? Yes, and I know a lot of ways to do it. Will I cheat? No, because it cheapens anything I accomplish.
Alright, soapbox goes back in the closet now.
Baca's point about new players learning from the videos is a good point. I know a lot of new tournament players spend considerable time watching videos of the pros and pick up some bad impressions - playing through a hit, rubbing a hit off on a bunker, etc.
Also consider the word of mouth aspect. How many times have you heard experienced players (not necessarily pros) talking about how they got away with this or that in a tourny, or some new way to cheat? I've seen the thoughts from that IOG thread repeated many times, both on internet boards and at fields. Newer players hear or read this stuff and think that's how the game is played.
There's also the perception of cheating. I've seen plenty of guys screaming for paintchecks, convinced they hit their target, when they only hit the bunker. It's easy to convince yourself that the other guy is wiping, playing on or cheating in some way. That makes it easy for some players to rationalize it to themselves - "I have to cheat to win."
Another factor is to make up for a lack of skill, especially at the rookie/nov leve. I've played with people who seemed to think they were ready to turn pro, when they weren't really that good. If they got hit, they'd wipe it or play on with the hit because they couldn't accept being eliminated, even in practice. The more they do this in practice, the more likely they are to carry that attitude into a tournament.
Personally I can say that I've never wiped a hit or knowingly played with a hit since I started playing tournaments. Could I cheat? Yes, and I know a lot of ways to do it. Will I cheat? No, because it cheapens anything I accomplish.
Alright, soapbox goes back in the closet now.
