"How about a little noise. How do you expect a man to putt?"
About this Quote
Babe Ruth’s words, “How about a little noise. How do you expect a man to putt?” offer a playful juxtaposition of two distinct sporting cultures: the raucous realm of baseball and the restrained etiquette of golf. Ruth, renowned for his larger-than-life persona and dramatic home runs, relished the energy and spirited environment of the ballpark, spectators cheering, heckling, and erupting in applause. In contrast, golf is steeped in tradition, demanding hushed tones and near-complete silence to allow players intense concentration during a putt. Ruth’s remark pokes fun at this paradox: only in golf, it seems, would silence be necessary for success.
Underlying his jest is an endorsement of vitality and engagement in the sporting experience. Noise, laughter, anticipation, and even the unpredictability of crowds can energize athletes, pushing them to greater heights. Ruth’s attitude challenges the notion that silence is a prerequisite for performing under pressure; he thrived in chaos, amidst the clamor of thousands. For him, sports were about embracing the moment, with all its noise and excitement, not shrinking away from it.
There’s also an invitation to question tradition and confront conformity. Just because a sport “has always” been quiet doesn’t mean it must remain so. Ruth, coming from a game where sound is as essential as motion, finds golf’s formality odd, perhaps limiting. His tongue-in-cheek request for noise suggests that maybe true performance isn’t about eliminating distractions, but about learning to excel amidst them. Making the best putt, making the most difficult hit, all while ignoring, or even feeding off, unexpected stimuli is, for him, the ultimate test of skill. Ruth’s playful ribbing is, at heart, an affirmation of the creative, chaotic, exuberant spirit that makes sports so thrilling, both to play and to watch.
About the Author