Want to score better?

[dhartmann34]

Not to knock the average since you have to make putts but only hitting 7 greens gives you 11 one putt opportunities .

Oh no doubt!

 

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[cnosil]

For practice I focus on line. For warmup I focus on distance getting a feel for the greens

 

Focus on line first was the advice provided by my putting instructor. It works on mechanics to ensure a consistent stroke and face angle no matter the length of the putt

[M. Parsons]

For some reason it doesn't usually all come together for me. I mean one round I can have over 40 putts and score in the high 90's and the very next round I can putt in the low 30's and still shoot in the high 90's. I distinctly remember putting 46 times in one round and the very next round I had 34 putts and still shot the same score.

 

 

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[scooducks]

That's a sick low putt average- I don't think any pros are that low...

That's like one-putting half the holes..

Which means he's missing greens but chipping it close more often than not. Not so much a measure of good putting as it is a measure of good hands around the green.

 

 

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[STUDque]

Which means he's missing greens but chipping it close more often than not. Not so much a measure of good putting as it is a measure of good hands around the green.

 

 

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Yeah. Which is almost a direct quote from his original comment stating that his short game is his Savior.

 

I'm a single digit player, but it's only because of my short game. I average about 27 putts a round, but I only hit 4 fairways and 7 greens on average. Of course I'm working on that. But putting and chipping are my saviors...

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

The problem with most golfers who have putting problem is they are treating putting as a science. Putting is an art.

 

If you can toss a ball to your partner's hand a few yards away, you have the necessary hand eye coordination to make putts on the green. You'd do it without thinking about the angle of release, the velocity and the trajectory of the ball leaving your hand to your friend's hand.

 

There are at least 3 speed and lines option on every putts. Fast and firm putting speed takes straightest line and least break. Medium speed takes more break, and slower speed take the most break. So you can only get an idea of how the put may brake but when your brain tells you the line it already pick the speed. Your job is simply stay out of the way and let it happen.

 

Around the green shots and especially on the green, pros have no physical advantage than any golfers. Putting from outside 20 feet statistics are pretty close between pros and amateurs. On shorter putts especially 3-4 footer, amateur has slight mental advantage because most pros are afraid of missing these short putts. Afraid is a kind way to put it.

 

My secret sauce is practice making the putts. I want to hear the putts drops. The more I do it the more confidence I am. There's no point practicing 20 footer one after another and seeing miss putts after miss putts. Put your brain on autopilot during the round and you'll be amazed how close you get your first putt.

[cnosil]

The problem with most golfers who have putting problem is they are treating putting as a science. Putting is an art.

 

There are multiple ways to solve a problem; some take the artistic approach and some take the scientific approach. People are wired differently and you have to find what works for you. Lots of ways to toss a ball; you still have to find the one that works best for you just like you have to find the best way to putt.

[TBT]

Sure putting is important....if you really want to shave strokes practice everything from 100 yards and in....especially 30 yards and in.

 

Get those chips and pitches closer to the hole and then you'll have more 5-10 footers to save pars.

[scooducks]

Yeah. Which is almost a direct quote from his original comment stating that his short game is his Savior.

 

 

 

 

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I'll call it an Executive Summary then

 

 

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[StrokerAce]

... Putting from outside 20 feet statistics are pretty close between pros and amateurs. On shorter putts especially 3-4 footer, amateur has slight mental advantage because most pros are afraid of missing these short putts. Afraid is a kind way to put it.

 

 

HUH??? 

 

You must not have played with the guys I have... 

[revkev]

This is one perspective and while the basics are fundamentally true it isn't a complete picture. Yes, taking fewer putts will always make your score lower but if my proximity to the hole was 10 feet closer on average I might also lower my score with the same putting success rate.

 

Hitting more fairways, hitting more greens, better course management are all possible ways to lower scores. The book every stroke counts provides a statistical model that shows putting isn't where most strokes are lost.

 

The way to lower scores is to improve all aspects of your game. Look at the big picture of how you play to determine the areas to prioritize.

Exactly what I logged on to write. The closer you hit it to the hole in regulation the better putter you'll be. Plus for an older guy excessive putting practice is extremely hard on the back - seriously. Following this advice would hamper my ability to play.

 

Advice about working on putting is meant to help but it's old advice. Newer data suggests there are better approaches for saving strokes. You need to analyze your own game carefully to see where the gaps lie and either work on them or manage around them.

 

Saving strokes is not a one size fits all proposition.

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

Everyone is mostly talking about putting, chipping, hitting fairways, etc... yep, those will all improve your score/game. What I haven't read is managing your game. I'm mostly referring to risk taking. My advice will probably save a lot of guys around here 2 or more strokes a round. Especially higher handicap players. Another way to think about this; Stop trying to be a hero by pulling off the 1 out a 100 shot. You'll lose. Learn to recognize your honest ability and stop trying stupid stuff that turns a bogey into a double, triple or worse. As one example only... punch your ball back onto the fairway and try to get up and down for a par. It happens sometimes. At worst... you make bogey. Take it and move on. Right there you've shaved one stroke off your card where before you tried to pull off the near impossible and make a double or triple.

Think about this and enjoy your lower score today. 

[Peaksy68]

Apart from a very rare shocking day with the putter, my bad scores are nearly always the result of bad misses off the tee.

 

Sure, everyone should be able to get around with low 30's putts, but this won't automatically make for a low score. Quite often if I have mid 20's it's just a reaction to missing greens and chipping well.

 

Obviously you need to do everything at least ok to score well, but really bad full swings will cost more shots than really bad putting most of the time.

[Sluggo42]

It's an interesting concept, of average putts per game.

 

Some in the 20's, most in the thirty, either high or low.

 

But they don't really correlate to scoring that much. Some people count any shot with the putter as a "putt" whereas others only count a putt as a "putt", if the ball is actually on the green.

 

But at the end of the round, does it really matter? Because your final score doesn't really care about which method you count putts.

 

The point of this thread was to simply say that I think the vast majority of players could shave a few strokes by becoming a little more familiar with their flat stick.

 

How many people go to the range and pound bucket after bucket, then hop in their car and roll, without even looking at the practice green?

If you have a grooved full swing that's wrong- it won't improve regardless of how many balls you hit.

 

But if you spend 15 minutes circling one hole, working on 2,3,4,5,6 foot putts, you will get better, regardless of your putting style

Then take some longer putts to get a feel of speed.

 

This is a process that anyone can do for free, and it will help you sink more putts.

 

Regardless of how many shots it takes you to get there...

For that, is a whole different discussion...

[EthanSterlingPrice]

Practice your putting.

 

Just by not missing 2 or 3 putts within 4', and making one or two putts from 5-10 feet, you will instantly pick up 3 or 4 strokes that game.

 

There are a million putting drills- try some

 

Already a great putter?

Then you probably are already a decent player...

 

Great players who are great putters, are the low single digit guys

I would agree and expand this to anything inside 20 yards (ideally 100). Even your best players miss greens but good wedges and a strong putter make up for a lot of those and the occasional hole out from the fringe always helps.

 

 

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[yungkory]

For me, the thing that will lower my scores most is getting consistent from 60-100 yards. I'm absolutely smashing my tee shots and finding fairways, but my approaches in and scramble ability are absolute ass cancer. I could have saved 10 strokes today in pitches and putts. That's just MY game though, I don't know if it's something that's so easily-generalized. I'm sure we could all benefit from putting only 18 times, but that's a bit unrealistic.

[silver & black]

How many putts do you miss every round that makes you mad? A few probably, right ?

 

Ummm....................well..........yep.

[Spur22]

Apart from a very rare shocking day with the putter, my bad scores are nearly always the result of bad misses off the tee.

 

Sure, everyone should be able to get around with low 30's putts, but this won't automatically make for a low score. Quite often if I have mid 20's it's just a reaction to missing greens and chipping well.

 

Obviously you need to do everything at least ok to score well, but really bad full swings will cost more shots than really bad putting most of the time.

I can relate to this, shot 85 this weekend couldn't hit a green or fairway but only had 29 putts. Everything failed me that day except for chipping and putting.

 

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[StrokerAce]

Apart from a very rare shocking day with the putter, my bad scores are nearly always the result of bad misses off the tee.

 

Sure, everyone should be able to get around with low 30's putts, but this won't automatically make for a low score. Quite often if I have mid 20's it's just a reaction to missing greens and chipping well.

 

Obviously you need to do everything at least ok to score well, but really bad full swings will cost more shots than really bad putting most of the time.

 

Couldn't agree more... I can "recover" from a bad putt and I've never lost a ball on a putting green ::

 

A bad iron/tee shot is much harder to recover from...if I can find it!

[Zylem]

Putting is very important in golf. There's no way around the fact that you use your putter more per round than any other club in the bag. That being said ever player's game is different.

 

I think that fastest way to improve your score is to understand and improve your misses. I hear a lot of people saying they are bad off the tee because they missed three fairways. That's not bad, that's golf. The pros don't hit every fairway. But yet those are the people that sit on the range blasting nothing but driver and then get frustrated that they are not improving.

 

To get a good unbiased evaluation of your game have an on the course lesson. These are great because the pro will watch you play a few holes then tell you what you should be working on.

 

But if you want my opinion as a forum member, not having played with anyone here, I believe any amateur can save shots practicing around the green. Missing a drive or fairway shot won't hurt you as much if you have the ability to get up and down for par. The other part as I've said in other posts is course management. Just because you can hit driver or go for a par five in two doesn't always mean you should.

 

To improve you have to practice and you have to practice your weaknesses which is something no one likes because it is not as fun as working on your strengths.

 

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[Canucklehead]

Putting is very important in golf. There's no way around the fact that you use your putter more per round than any other club in the bag. That being said ever player's game is different.

 

I think that fastest way to improve your score is to understand and improve your misses. I hear a lot of people saying they are bad off the tee because they missed three fairways. That's not bad, that's golf. The pros don't hit every fairway. But yet those are the people that sit on the range blasting nothing but driver and then get frustrated that they are not improving.

 

To get a good unbiased evaluation of your game have an on the course lesson. These are great because the pro will watch you play a few holes then tell you what you should be working on.

 

But if you want my opinion as a forum member, not having played with anyone here, I believe any amateur can save shots practicing around the green. Missing a drive or fairway shot won't hurt you as much if you have the ability to get up and down for par. The other part as I've said in other posts is course management. Just because you can hit driver or go for a par five in two doesn't always mean you should.

 

To improve you have to practice and you have to practice your weaknesses which is something no one likes because it is not as fun as working on your strengths.

 

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100% agree. I spent a solid hour and a hlaf practising my chipping and putting before a round. The next 3 days I had my best scores in a while

 

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[kingcscott]

I am not a great putter. But a 28 putt the other day resulted in a great round.

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

I have come to believe in Bob Rotella's self image theory. If your comfort zone is shooting 80, and you start playing bad somehow your brain finds the way to step it up and bring your game back on to shoot in your comfort zone. Vice versa, if you are on the hot streaks and not comfortable with it your brain would find the way to cool down the score. It's like self fulfilling prophecy.

 

I've been working very hard on the mental side of the game and staying out of my way on the course. It's been paying off lately. I've been fortunate that I could find some distraction in between shots.

[Canucklehead]

I have come to believe in Bob Rotella's self image theory. If your comfort zone is shooting 80, and you start playing bad somehow your brain finds the way to step it up and bring your game back on to shoot in your comfort zone. Vice versa, if you are on the hot streaks and not comfortable with it your brain would find the way to cool down the score. It's like self fulfilling prophecy.

 

I've been working very hard on the mental side of the game and staying out of my way on the course. It's been paying off lately. I've been fortunate that I could find some distraction in between shots.

I believe it was Annika, who the only time she was focused on her shot was when she was in an imaginary box 10' x 10' around her ball. When she stepped in, she was focused on the shot, once she hit, the focus turned away from golf. That really helped me out.

 

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[StrokerAce]

Caught a bit of the Golf Channel last night and one of the questions was about maintaining focus when you have to wait so much between shots.  The example they had was how Louis O. (I'm not spelling his last name ) put a black dot on his glove with a marker.  It was his on/off switch.  When he was ready to hit -- and concentrate -- he pressed the button (touched the dot) to turn it 'on' and when he was done he pressed it again to turn it 'off'.  Kinda hokey but the guy won a major doing it apparently...maybe I should give it a go ?? 

[yungkory]

Caught a bit of the Golf Channel last night and one of the questions was about maintaining focus when you have to wait so much between shots.  The example they had was how Louis O. (I'm not spelling his last name ) put a black dot on his glove with a marker.  It was his on/off switch.  When he was ready to hit -- and concentrate -- he pressed the button (touched the dot) to turn it 'on' and when he was done he pressed it again to turn it 'off'.  Kinda hokey but the guy won a major doing it apparently...maybe I should give it a go ?? 

 

What if he said his on/off button was his butt, and that he smelled his finger after pressing the "button?" Would you still give it a go? 

[Spur22]

What if he said his on/off button was his butt, and that he smelled his finger after pressing the "button?" Would you still give it a go?

Hahaha, I laughed way too hard at this 😂

 

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[yungkory]

Hahaha, I laughed way too hard at this

 

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LOL! Just poking a little fun (pun intended). I know stroker wasn't serious about following such a silly superstition. The moment presented itself and I just had to do it.

[revkev]

Everyone is mostly talking about putting, chipping, hitting fairways, etc... yep, those will all improve your score/game. What I haven't read is managing your game. I'm mostly referring to risk taking. My advice will probably save a lot of guys around here 2 or more strokes a round. Especially higher handicap players. Another way to think about this; Stop trying to be a hero by pulling off the 1 out a 100 shot. You'll lose. Learn to recognize your honest ability and stop trying stupid stuff that turns a bogey into a double, triple or worse. As one example only... punch your ball back onto the fairway and try to get up and down for a par. It happens sometimes. At worst... you make bogey. Take it and move on. Right there you've shaved one stroke off your card where before you tried to pull off the near impossible and make a double or triple.

Think about this and enjoy your lower score today.

This is most certainly true. Course management and self disciple is a huge issue for many players. Way under rated.

 

 

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[Zylem]

This is most certainly true. Course management and self disciple is a huge issue for many players. Way under rated.

 

 

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I hit on this a little in my post, but definitely not enough to do it justice.

 

 

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