Putting matters (just not as much as we thought)

[revkev]

I've been hard on putting here lately. So I wanted to set the record straight. It does matter it's just that modern metrics have shown that it's not as all important as some have made it seem in the past.

 

The two important facets of putting are consistently holing short putts and three putt avoidance (generally speed).

 

So while I will continue to point out that ball striking is more important than putting I'm acknowledging that putting is important.

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

True. Ball striking and getting them close from the fairway sure would statistically lower the scores more than putting counts. I personally experienced the benefit last week while going for 2 of the greens and made it. Made birdies on my counts. I kid you not I asked myself what would rev do.

 

 

Then we are back to our original argument, and aged old argument short game vs long game. Sure ball striking can be very beneficial but it can take average golfers off a long time to master while their score are in the swamps. Short game improvement approach offers much shorter solution and simple path to lower scores and it transfer to better long game as well.

 

You just can't become a better player from avg golfer without a good short game but there are plenty of low handicappers who can get away with so-so long game. That's the metric I think.

 

Short games separate too player from average ones, long game separate better player from good ones. Strong course management and mental game with both separate the best from the rest.

[revkev]

I'm so there on the course management. By being good at that I can work around my weaknesses.

 

 

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[Rusty1885]

I'm so there on the course management. By being good at that I can work around my weaknesses.

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You and me both pal.

[Brjpool]

I'm so there on the course management. By being good at that I can work around my weaknesses.

 

 

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Course management is absolutely a skill I think alot of golfers do not think about and are weak on. Playing to your strengths will definitely help lower scores.

 

 

Ping G20 driver through wedges

Bombtech blade putter

[GolfSpy_APH]

I love that you mentioned course management. This is my first year being a member at a course and I've learned how to manage not only certain holes but my game as a whole. I am much smarter with my clubs off the tee to get myself to a yardage I like into the green. Whereas before I was pretty typical driver off anything I could. It's definitely helped as I've gone from a 16-11 handicap.

Side note I know putting is important and a huge asset to have as a skill, but I would side with rev where ball striking would be on the more important side.

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

My putting was once again great today. My driving was good too. Only missing a few fairways in the second cut when out of the fairway. My course management was good as usual. My approach shots today were Meh....

I missed a lot of greens today and my game suffered shooting 78 with 2-doubles. UGH!

[BIG STU]

I think that it has to do with one's game and the importance is different for different folks game.

 

Back when I played competetive golf I never ever considered myself a good ball striker. But I stayed in the hunt by being able to get out of trouble and a good short game and great putting. My old man used to hate my game and said I lived and would die by the wedge and putter. If my putting was off I suffered.

 

Actually now I am a better ball striker than I ever was and hit more fairways and GIRs. I have gotten older and do not putt bad but not nearly as good as I used to

 

Course management that is a broad subject for me. Back in the day my late friend Big John told me one time "You hit the ball long and are a heck of a wedge player and a stellar putter but your course management simply sucks"  I guess with age my course management has improved but sometimes I can get so stupid that even the wedge and putter can't help me. I do not get as stupid now as often as I used to but sometimes it will surface

[mrsmith123]

Could it be that the value of putting is a matter of perspective? If I miss a bunch of greens, putting is the most important part of my game, but if I'm hitting almost every green, I don't lean as much on it.

 

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[Canucklehead]

^ this! When I'm hitting greens, I 2 putt much more than chip then 1 putt

 

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[cnosil]

I've been hard on putting here lately. So I wanted to set the record straight. It does matter it's just that modern metrics have shown that it's not as all important as some have made it seem in the past.

 

The two important facets of putting are consistently holing short putts and three putt avoidance (generally speed).

 

So while I will continue to point out that ball striking is more important than putting I'm acknowledging that putting is important.

 

 

I do agree with you.  While I could possible shave a few strokes off my score with putting,  I could put a lot less pressure on that aspect of my game by hitting more greens or improving my short game.   If I am badly out of position with the driver,  I am losing strokes by having to pitch back to safety.  if I am hitting fairways or narrowly missing,  i have to hit solid iron shots to get myself within 2 putt range.  If I am missing greens I have to be able to get my chips/pitches to withing 1 putt range; which is my biggest struggle.    

 

In the end it is up to each individual to assess the aspects of their game to determine the optimum place to work on their game.   For some it could be putting,  for others it could be tee shots,  approach irons, or shortgame.   I just don't think a generalization that one place is best for everyone no matter what their handicap.

[revkev]

Course management is absolutely a skill I think alot of golfers do not think about and are weak on. Playing to your strengths will definitely help lower scores.

 

 

Ping G20 driver through wedges

Bombtech blade putter

I would go further and say that it is a skill that people think they are better at than they really are. Mention it and invariably people start talking about hitting less than driver off the tee. That is hardly what course management is about. It's about knowing what strategy on each hole will net the lowest possible score over a period of time for your game and the having the flexibility to be able to determine how to continue on a hole when you get out of position.

 

It could be a huge error in golf management to take less than driver on a hole also BTW.

 

 

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[null]

Putting has saved me ass when ball striking was bad and it has hindered me when I can't miss a gir.

[Kenny B]

Putting matters to me... a lot!!  It's what saves my rounds, or dooms me to mid-80's rounds.  There are several holes at my course where I have difficulty getting to greens in regulations.  Some are just long for me, and others are long when the prevailing wind blows.  I don't hit many wayward shots, so the long game for me is about as good as it's going to get unless I can gain another 25 yards.  (They keep saying they make drivers that will give me more yards, but they lie!)  So, I have to take advantage of the shorter holes, and scramble well on the longer ones.  That's why I work hard on chipping and putting.  I can see you saying that I should move up to the senior tees, but if I can still shoot in the 70's, I'll stay where I am.  Actually, the senior tees on many of the longer holes don't give enough yardage to make much of a difference.  On those holes where the difference is substantial, it wouldn't really affect my play on the course.

[Rusty1885]

My putting stats went up from 1.6 to 1.8 lately and upon my investigation it turns out I've been using more of my Texas wedge lately. Ok it's cool.

 

On the topic of course management, for me it starts before my round begins. I plan out all of the shots and options I'd hit on every holes in advance. This usually makes it easier to visualize my shots and sticking to the plan which is the hardest thing.

 

Plan for the best way to score each holes make options for misses and stick to it. Many of my playing partner fail this because when they stand over the ball they change their plan and go-for-it with such a low percentage shots. Take inventory of your shots regularly and make the plan and stick to it.

 

 

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[kingcscott]

Ya know Branden Grace had 28 putts on the 62. I had 29 on my 75 the other day ( for me it was like shooting a 65 at the Open) I think you have to get efficient everywhere you can. Make up for lost stroke with gains somewhere else.

I played a tournament against a team the was low single digits and +0.7. They were good. Real good. But mostly they were long off the tee accurate approach and then had shorter putts. It is a real good recipe for success in this game.

 

 

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[cnosil]

My putting stats went up from 1.6 to 1.8 lately and upon my investigation it turns out I've been using more of my Texas wedge lately. Ok it's cool.

 

Most people don't count a putt unless they are on the green. Using a putter from the fairway or rough is a choice, but doesn't count as a putt

[Rusty1885]

Most people don't count a putt unless they are on the green. Using a putter from the fairway or rough is a choice, but doesn't count as a putt

My game golf live counted that I believed when I tag it. I guess I can go back and edit the rounds but it's ok with me.

[cnosil]

My game golf live counted that I believed when I tag it. I guess I can go back and edit the rounds but it's ok with me.

Interesting. When entering does that app ask where the shot was taken from? Tee, fairway, bunker, rough, etc

[Rusty1885]

Interesting. When entering does that app ask where the shot was taken from? Tee, fairway, bunker, rough, etc

No. It's a tagging device. Wourking with the app on the phone. Tag it and forget it.

[TWar]

Completely agree putting is crucial but not the most crucial.  I work on speed and putts within 10ft.  As with what most have said, course management is something I have really worked on and helped immensely.  Understanding pin position and how that affects positioning the ball off the tee.  I have always been pretty wild off the tee, mainly because where I played didn't require much accuracy.  I joined a club this summer and the course, a Donald Ross, has put me in my place.  So I have made a concerted effort to really focus on ball striking and accuracy with all clubs in the bag.  Its almost a new game, definitely humbling but gives me something to work on...

Currently working on:

Long iron accuracy...

Wedge distances (

Driver and 3d workability...

 

Its a process...

[GolfJunkie302]

In Mark Broadie's book, Every Shot Counts, he talks about how putting is way overrated. Tour playes lose the most strokes from the 200 yard range. Don't get me wrong, putting is important, but if there were a couple of things you wanted to work on, work on ball striking and long iron shots.

 

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[Rusty1885]

In Mark Broadie's book, Every Shot Counts, he talks about how putting is way overrated. Tour playes lose the most strokes from the 200 yard range. Don't get me wrong, putting is important, but if there were a couple of things you wanted to work on, work on ball striking and long iron shots.

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It makes a lot of sense especially for better players and definitely tour pros. Mainly because of better course management skills and better short game as a prerequisite.

 

A high handicappers would not be able to advance forward properly, because they are already doing it. I don't know of any high or even mid handicappers who's not hitting the longest clubs in their bag on 2nd shot on long par 4s or par 5s. Either because they don't know what they don't know or they have yet the discipline to hit the shots in within their ability.

 

When was the last time you see a high handicappers compensate their aim, they are all line up to the hole best they can and proceed to slice or hook away from the target. If they have better awareness of their game and better course management skill, they'd would not be high handicappers because they'd have enough escape velocity to the next level even at the same skill sets.

 

Better players have better awareness of their game and their shot distance and probably have a half way decent short game so they can benefit more on the stroke gain theory. The group that benefits most is obviously tour pros where "every shots counts".

[TR1PTIK]

@Rusty1885 & cnosil  When editing your rounds with GG, you can tell it whether or not you were on the green. If you were off the green, it will remove that stroke from your putting stats. Just FYI. Avid user of GG for a while now.

 

I can certainly agree with the sentiment here about putting - absolutely important, but not as much so as ball striking and ability to find fairways and greens.

 

My current PR (at one of the easiest courses in my area) is a 78 in which I had like 26 putts or something.

 

If you can 2-putt more often than not and make the majority of putts inside 5' you should be working on your ability to hit the ball consistently and maybe even a little shot shaping - primarily being able to flight the ball. At least that's my opinion.

[TBT]

Putting isn't the be all end all that some make it out to be, but it's still very important.

 

In fact its more important for better players because it's a higher percentage of their total strokes. For higher handicappers like me, shots from 200 and in are probably the most important, if you can hit more greens you can quickly save a ton of strokes.

[drandrus]

I can struggle from the tee box keeping it in playable pisitions but can also struggle with 3 putts. Would my scoring benefit more from working on staying in play off the tee or reducing my number of putts per hole?

 

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[TSauer]

I can struggle from the tee box keeping it in playable pisitions but can also struggle with 3 putts. Would my scoring benefit more from working on staying in play off the tee or reducing my number of putts per hole?

 

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We just talked about this last night while out golfing and someone brought up a good point. As long as you're putting is on point, all you gotta do is get it on the green. Which do you feel you struggle more with, putting or tee shots? As long as you can get GIR or even close and you're putting is a strong point, you'll definitely shave strokes.

[GeekingGolf]

Truly everything is important in golf you have to be good at all areas of the game we love. Some are better at one area than others but the score comes to those who put it all together.

 

 

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[TWar]

It makes a lot of sense especially for better players and definitely tour pros. Mainly because of better course management skills and better short game as a prerequisite.

 

A high handicappers would not be able to advance forward properly, because they are already doing it. I don't know of any high or even mid handicappers who's not hitting the longest clubs in their bag on 2nd shot on long par 4s or par 5s. Either because they don't know what they don't know or they have yet the discipline to hit the shots in within their ability.

 

When was the last time you see a high handicappers compensate their aim, they are all line up to the hole best they can and proceed to slice or hook away from the target. If they have better awareness of their game and better course management skill, they'd would not be high handicappers because they'd have enough escape velocity to the next level even at the same skill sets.

 

Better players have better awareness of their game and their shot distance and probably have a half way decent short game so they can benefit more on the stroke gain theory. The group that benefits most is obviously tour pros where "every shots counts".

 

100% agree with this... Its not the be all end all for high handicappers.  There is also a book Lowest Score Wins and that is a particularly good book in playing to percentages which would be great for all handicaps.

[TR1PTIK]

@drandrus - If you struggle off the tee bad enough that you're accumulating penalty strokes then you should absolutely work on that first. If you're just missing the fairway, but able to maintain some sort of line at the green then I'd work on putting.

 

Another note about putting vs. ball striking... I think it's much easier to improve putting if you really throw yourself into it. Try some different putters, different grips, different shaft lengths, and purchase a mirror and or putting rail to help you dial in your setup posture and stroke.

Putters are the easiest club to demo because they don't require a real swing.

 

Minimize the 3-putts and then get to work on the other 60-70% of shots that make up your score.