In a nutshell
 

Professionalism.

Attribute
 

Pair of shorts? No. Wait - I've got it! A great player!!!! YES!

Respect.
Mutual respect, preferably.

How about simultaneous capacity (and preparedness)? The player need to stay in the presence. He needs to focus all energy on the shot before him. Once the caddie has left the player to hit the selected shot the caddie can do noting but think ahead. So everything that does not relate to the present is the caddies business.

One hand close to the putter. If the green is hit he should hand the putter to the player within 2 seconds, then get the divot, clean & put back the 6-iron. Get the bag. If he or the player needs a rest room he need to plan for that. Get the yardage book. Start studying the notes on the way to the green. Catch up with the player. Prepared to provide any information the player needs or discuss any topic. Do we have enough water? Do we have enough balls? :) Is the scorecard updated? Is it time to put on and/or prepare rain gear? Will we use a new ball on next tee?

Once the player has started putting on his own: Start thinking about the next tee. Check for wind indications.

Just guessing.... A combination of simultaneous capacity, look-ahead and preparedness.

Metallion,

Good answer. I can shift out of the present to prepare for the next shot. I'm always surveying the conditions and linking them to following shots. I will pay special attention to those types of details when the conditions have changed which may call for different strategy.

Often the caddie should begin a conversation not related to golf to allow the player to relax his mind. Very few players can focus on golf throughout the round. The player just needs a trigger to re-engage.

HB

Ding, Ding, Ding
 

Mike O wins the prize. Find a great player or one on his way to being great.

All the attributes discussed define a great caddie. They are attributes that make him sought after, do his job, and help him keep his job. Like any coach trying to put a team together, the single most important attribute a caddie needs to be successful is to be a good judge of talent. The players on the field make the plays. The caddies and coaches can inspire, advise, correct, teach, improve, etc. But the player is the one who gets it done.

My definition of talent would be different from the mainstream notion of powerful and pretty. The ability to make the ball go where you look is a precious one. The ability to do it when it matters is even more important.

HB

Who's your Caddy!
 

Kind of like how Mike O rides Bucket's coat-tails :naughty: ; or is it the other way arround :naughty: . Actually, I think they are both good judges of talent :thumright .

Mike O has a talent for riding on short school busses.

I would have thought it more important for the caddie to have some talent rather than just be able to identify it.

So to be a successful tour caddie it's not 'what you know' so much as 'who you know'.

John Cook told a radio show host the other day that a caddie can say three things to their pro:

1. Pro, you were right.

2. Pro, I was wrong.

3. Pro, you got screwed.

When I see the obvious talent and work ethic of Overkill and HB this perspective sickens me even more than it would have a couple of months ago. I am curious if this kind of ignorance is pervasive on tour or if there are only a select few idiots of this sort.

Matt