What's your putting handicap?

[perseveringgolfer]

My post in putters about trying to get a blade-ish putter with the moi solid feel of a mallet got me thinking.

 

I played in a match yesterday and my long game was very good (for me) even hit the pin on a long par4, but I lost the match as I either 3 putted or my opponent would sink (another) 8-10 footer and I wouldn't. In my view I played to a 4 h/cap with my long game but an 18 h/cap with putting (no disrespect to 18 cappers )

 

In my putter post it was recommended to look at the evnroll er2 so thats what I will do especially as its recommended by MGS!

 

 

 

so in your opinion whats your putting h/cap compared to your actual h/cap?

[DPattGolf]

This is when it is nice to have Arccos. Right now I am about 0 but Arccos has my "putting handicap" at a +4.5. Too bad that is being perfectly offset by my terrible approach game at the moment! 

[GolfSpy MPR]

The joy of stat tracking: I don't have to guess or have an opinion :-)

 

According to Game Golf, I'm a 15 handicap, but I putt as a mid-high single digit player. I'm slightly worse than the 5-handicap benchmark, but better than the 10.

 

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[cnosil]

I don't have stats to back my statement but I am probably right at my handicap or slightly better.

[Brian A]

Averaging 1.6 putts per hole this year. However shooting in the high 90's

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

How do you go about figuring out your putting HCP?

[DPattGolf]

How do you go about figuring out your putting HCP?

If you have a shot tracking system then they can usually calculate it automatically. 

[null]

Here is a good system to determine the HDCP of different parts of your short game.  It was developed by Dave Pelz

 

http://www.jmgolfacademy.com/dave-pelz-short-game-handicap/

[perseveringgolfer]

This is when it is nice to have Arccos. Right now I am about 0 but Arccos has my "putting handicap" at a +4.5. Too bad that is being perfectly offset by my terrible approach game at the moment! 

another good reason for me to look at evnroll ER2, is it a toe hang putter?

[DPattGolf]

another good reason for me to look at evnroll ER2, is it a toe hang putter?

It has a little. Website says 22* toe hang. ER3 has a slight bit more at 25*

[Thin2win]

another good reason for me to look at evnroll ER2, is it a toe hang putter?

It has 22* of toe hang.

 

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[GolfJunkie302]

I have a 5.8 index but I would say my putting handicap is close to a solid 45 or so. Worst part is I'm pretty convinced nothing will bring it down!

 

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[revkev]

I like the thread.

 

What would be really fun is for everyone to give his opinion on his putting handicap and then go out and find what the reality is.

 

IMO putting is the anti driver - so if we could do it we would find that as a group we don't hit the ball nearly as far as if you took every average driving distance reported here and divided it up. My guess is that number would be over stated by 30 plus yards.

 

The opposite will hold true for putting, most of us will be much closer to our handicap as putters than we'd care to admit.

 

Putting is hard in that little talent of things need to go right to hole a 20 foot putt. The difference between the very best putters and not so best putters at that distance is not much in regards to putts holed. Where the difference will surface is over number of three putts taken.

 

 

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[Canucklehead]

15.7 right now and my putting hdcp is probably a 25 🤣 I know I need more practice but getting fit is my next step. I like my putter, but I want something more than "This one feels good, she's coming home with me."

 

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[GolfSpy MPR]

Played for the first time today since the course shut down for the winter last October. The course just opened this weekend, but I was out of town the past two days. Drizzly day today.

 

All that to say: today, my putting handicap wasn't a number: it was the greens themselves! Fuzzy, furry, uneven things. Ended up with 19 putts for 9 holes (8 two-putts and 1 three-putt), for a strokes lost to scratch number of (gulp) 6.28 (about a 30 handicap equivalent)!

 

But I'm saying this all with a genuine smile on my face. The course is open, the greens are definitely going to improve, and with them, so will my putting.

[Kenny B]

Two years ago my golf coach sent out a stat tracking form.  We were to play 4 rounds and record the following stats:

 

Fairways Hit:
Tee Shot Distance:
Green in Regulation:
Pitch Up & Down:
Chip Up & Down:
Sand Saves:
Penalty Shots:
Putts:

 

I played 3 rounds at my club and one round at another local course.  I sent the stats in by email, and I got an analysis back on my game.  My coach ranked my putting as a 1-5 hcp player; I was a 9 hcp player at the time.  Today I am a better putter than I was then, at least I feel like I am.  My new Ping Sigma G Doon has made a lot of difference.  I had 26 putts last Monday, but I typically have around 30 putts per round.

[revkev]

.

Your thread kind of reminds me of the old analogy, "drive for show, putt for dough."

And/or the idea that the average golfer spends an inordinate amount of time on the driving range compared to the putting green, and that we could all probably benefit from doing it the other way around.

I'm sorry but statistically that adage has turned out to be a myth. I have to call people on it every time it comes up because it stunts people's growth. The best players are the best ball strikers.

 

Driving is hugely important - typically you cover 60 percent of the golf course with your tee shots (including Par 3's). Putting covers 10 percent or less. It's not irrelevant but it is often over rated. Most shots played with putter could be played successfully with any club in the bag.

 

Beyond three putt avoidance putting is the one area that an amateur can be the equal of a touring pro. Do that and you will gain a few strokes per round. Drive it like a touring pro and you will gain way more. You will also become a better putter over night, shorter shots, closer to the hole, fewer putts.

 

You really need to find your true putting handicap. My suspicion remains that the original poster doesn't putt as poorly as he thinks. People have an over inflated view of what putt is makeable and where their 50/50 is. You need to know those things to reasonably manage expectations and to know what to practice - assuming you have a limited amount of practice time.

 

 

 

 

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[palvord]

I'm sorry but statistically that adage has turned out to be a myth. I have to call people on it every time it comes up because it stunts people's growth. The best players are the best ball strikers.

 

Driving is hugely important - typically you cover 60 percent of the golf course with your tee shots (including Par 3's). Putting covers 10 percent or less. It's not irrelevant but it is often over rated. Most shots played with putter could be played successfully with any club in the bag.

 

Beyond three putt avoidance putting is the one area that an amateur can be the equal of a touring pro. Do that and you will gain a few strokes per round. Drive it like a touring pro and you will gain way more. You will also become a better putter over night, shorter shots, closer to the hole, fewer putts.

 

You really need to find your true putting handicap. My suspicion remains that the original poster doesn't putt as poorly as he thinks. People have an over inflated view of what putt is makeable and where their 50/50 is. You need to know those things to reasonably manage expectations and to know what to practice - assuming you have a limited amount of practice time.

 

This is the key for all of us amateurs. Truly understanding our complete game and where the weaknesses lie. With that information, then taking our limited practice time to work on those weaknesses.

 

 

 

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[perseveringgolfer]

I'm sorry but statistically that adage has turned out to be a myth. I have to call people on it every time it comes up because it stunts people's growth. The best players are the best ball strikers.

 

Driving is hugely important - typically you cover 60 percent of the golf course with your tee shots (including Par 3's). Putting covers 10 percent or less. It's not irrelevant but it is often over rated. Most shots played with putter could be played successfully with any club in the bag.

 

Beyond three putt avoidance putting is the one area that an amateur can be the equal of a touring pro. Do that and you will gain a few strokes per round. Drive it like a touring pro and you will gain way more. You will also become a better putter over night, shorter shots, closer to the hole, fewer putts.

 

You really need to find your true putting handicap. My suspicion remains that the original poster doesn't putt as poorly as he thinks. People have an over inflated view of what putt is makeable and where their 50/50 is. You need to know those things to reasonably manage expectations and to know what to practice - assuming you have a limited amount of practice time.

 

 

 

 

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I like you

 

I did have 4 birdies the other day, putts were all under 5 feet. Its the longer ones I leave way short and the 10 footers dont even shave the hole.

 

I've going to practice the putter swing path more and try and have consistent strikes in the same place on the face to help manage consistent distance control.

[revkev]

That's the ticket

 

You'd be amazed to learn that touring pros miss half of their 8 footers.

 

 

 

 

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[mooremikea]

Keeping track of stats is very important to get a realistic view of your putting.  I have always thought putting was the worst part of my game.  In a typical round there would be about 2 to 3, three puts and not many birdies.  

 

After tracking my stats with Arccos my putting handicap is just a little bit better than my overall handicap.  It still feels like I am not that good at putting but that is driven by my approach shots.  It always seemed like if I was a "good" putter then I would never 3 putt.  Reading the MGS article from a couple weeks ago I should expect to three putt just a little under twice a round.  As far as birdies are concerned pros only make about 50% of their 8 footers.  My iron game is not good enough to get too many looks inside 8 feet.  

[Kor.A.Door]

I read that list of how to determine your putting Hcp, and frankly, I'm not going to spend that much time on a putting green to determine that actual putting Hcp. I always putt really good when I am just practicing. So that number wouldn't be correct anyway. How can I determine a putting Hcp by using my putts during a round of golf. Let's say I have 36 putts, 2 putts per hole. Does that make my Hcp 0. Since the par is set up for 2 putts per hole? If I take 36 putts in a round, does that make me a poor putter, or does that just mean that I didn't make any putts that day. My average putts are anywhere from 30-36 I rarely 3 putt but sometimes do. I also make some 1 putts, not a lot, but sometimes. I think we can be fooled by putting stats because someone could putt very well, but it's because they chipped the ball close and 1 putted. Does that make them a great putter because they only had 28 putts, but still shot 88. For me personally, 3 putt avoidance, and hitting greens in reg are more important stats that I need to work on. If I hit every green in regulation and 2 putt every hole, I would shoot even par.

[perseveringgolfer]

I read that list of how to determine your putting Hcp, and frankly, I'm not going to spend that much time on a putting green to determine that actual putting Hcp. I always putt really good when I am just practicing. So that number wouldn't be correct anyway. How can I determine a putting Hcp by using my putts during a round of golf. Let's say I have 36 putts, 2 putts per hole. Does that make my Hcp 0. Since the par is set up for 2 putts per hole? If I take 36 putts in a round, does that make me a poor putter, or does that just mean that I didn't make any putts that day. My average putts are anywhere from 30-36 I rarely 3 putt but sometimes do. I also make some 1 putts, not a lot, but sometimes. I think we can be fooled by putting stats because someone could putt very well, but it's because they chipped the ball close and 1 putted. Does that make them a great putter because they only had 28 putts, but still shot 88. For me personally, 3 putt avoidance, and hitting greens in reg are more important stats that I need to work on. If I hit every green in regulation and 2 putt every hole, I would shoot even par.

I think to get a realistic putting handicap you need to take into account your overall score to avoid the situations you mentioned above about being a deadly chipper. I could of course be totally wrong but it makes sense not to take total putts in isolation.

[00sportsman]

I'm sorry but statistically that adage has turned out to be a myth. I have to call people on it every time it comes up because it stunts people's growth. The best players are the best ball strikers.

 

Driving is hugely important - typically you cover 60 percent of the golf course with your tee shots (including Par 3's). Putting covers 10 percent or less. It's not irrelevant but it is often over rated. Most shots played with putter could be played successfully with any club in the bag.

 

Beyond three putt avoidance putting is the one area that an amateur can be the equal of a touring pro. Do that and you will gain a few strokes per round. Drive it like a touring pro and you will gain way more. You will also become a better putter over night, shorter shots, closer to the hole, fewer putts.

 

You really need to find your true putting handicap. My suspicion remains that the original poster doesn't putt as poorly as he thinks. People have an over inflated view of what putt is makeable and where their 50/50 is. You need to know those things to reasonably manage expectations and to know what to practice - assuming you have a limited amount of practice time.

 

 

 

 

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I've been on this train for a long time.  I'd trade a couple of 3 putts per round for the penalties and major trouble I've run into in the past off the tee.  If every tee shot leads to crummy lies, penalty strokes or having to punch out because you're buried in trouble, you'll never really be able to score.

[MDGolfHacker]

23.7 according to Arccos but I would have guessed it closer to 30+...

MDGolfHacker

[romeopapazulu]

I play to a 9 hdcp and average pretty darn close to 36 putts a round. I find this whole discussion very intriguing. Pelz says I have to chip better to lower my handicap. I can buy that. If I can't chip to inside that 5-10 ft range I will likely be two putting. The other book I've seen referenced here somewhere says the (long) irons are the scoring clubs. If I hit that green instead of missing it, I skip the chipping and now iron play is where I make the biggest difference. I get that, too. I should write a book with a bunch of statistics that shows if I just drive the green in the first place and don't three putt too much, I will likely beat most of you guys most of the time. If enough people buy it, I could quit my job, hit the gym and the range and start working on that.

 

Does anyone record total feet of putts made in a round? Do you think that number would be consistent enough to be meaningful? What about distance of made putts over total putt distance? I guess that wouldn't account for a lag from 65ft to 6 in very well. I would probably call it a day and walk off the course if I did that. What calculation is an arccos or shot scope doing to calculate a putting hdcp? Is there a standard calc for that?

[robertson153]

I'm currently playing at a 10.9 index. I looked at my statistics over the past 60 rounds, and I'm averaging 33.4 putts per round. Bad news is, I'm only hitting 39.3% of GIR. A lot of scrambling going on with my game.

 

 

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[kingcscott]

another good reason for me to look at evnroll ER2, is it a toe hang putter?

i have an ER2 and j couldn't be happier with it. It rolls the ball so well. I cannot detect any skid, ever. It certainly functions only as good as the input, but when I am on, damn it's good.

 

 

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[Kor.A.Door]

I'm kind of thinking here, that putting HCP doesn't mean anything in regards to your actual game. It may show a weakness, and an area in which one may need to improve, but I really think it is very individualized in its affect. There is always room for improvement in putting no matter how good you are. So that's an ongoing process. If you really want to improve your overall Hcp, it really comes down to keeping the ball in play. It starts with the tee shot. Second the approach shot. We all have different issues that need attending to. For me, I pretty consistently hit 85-90 percent fairways, usually 11/14 up to 14/14. It's rarely less than that, but my GIR is 30 percent. I only 3 putt once in a while for the most part, there are times though, I probably average 32-34 putts per round. Less than 2 per hole. So where is my deficiency, it's clearly the approach shots. So should I spend more time on the irons, or on the putting green, I'm not saying to abandon All putting and chipping practice, but I need more focused practice with my irons than I do with the putter, so in my case does my putting HCP mean anything.

[dhartmann34]

My putting handicap is probably close to a 0. It's where all my scoring comes from. I track my putts and average 27.6 putts per round...and while that stat can be deceiving, depending on greens in regulation, I still believe it's the most solid part of my game.