If any one round has convinced me it's all about scrambling...

[John_Findlay]

...it's the one I played today. Bit of a mad round which I hope you don't mind me sharing. Those who have played with me should appreciate.

This morning I decided to pop down to my nearest council course for a bash. I'd played yesterday at another and despite playing well (61% GIR) I'd scored a disappointing +9 thanks to atrocious chipping and pitching.

Today I played considerably worse from tee to green (44% GIR... my worst of the year) but managed to knock it round in 68 (+1) thanks to some unusually good chipping (for me) and 27 putts. A 50% scrambling stat. Oof. I can only dream of that.

It really IS all about the scrambling when it comes to my good scores. I tend to average 50% GIR but that can mean +18 or +1 it would seem depending on how I chip and pitch at those other 9 holes.

The strange thing about today's score is that, now that I'm using my GameGolf device for my stats, I had absolutely no idea what I'd scored until I got home! I really have stopped counting my score completely. Seriously. I knew I'd had some birdies but in fact I'd had 4 in the front 9 to be out in -4 !! (2 of them were thinned wedges to tap in distance but the other 2 were deserved) In a way I'm glad. Instead of blowing up to +5 on the back 9 I would probably have collapsed to +18 or something similar.

Anyway. I couldn't help but share. One of my goals this year was to post a level par round at some point. What would I have done if I'd hit it in February?! Retire? The only time I've had one was in 2008 on the same course and also with 4 birdies and 27 putts!

Also, I'm certainly not resting on my laurels now. I wanted to have a look at my swing after a lesson on Monday so took some GoPro footage on some holes. A wee bit of slow-mo is always instructive.

http://youtu.be/fvHMrIMQz6Q

Jeez. My swing really is in a state, so lots of work to be done. Ho hum. It's never-ending and mystifying this game, isn't it? Can someone explain it to me? Please.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree 100%. All my focus from Spring onwards will be from a hundred yards and in. I need to find a short game I can rely on. Too often still having too many swing thoughts over tiny chips and so need to find something I wholly trust without getting caught between several different techniques at once

 

[pokerjoke]

A round will only become a scrambling round if your not hitting greens in regulation.
If you are obviously it will be down to putting,however getting up and down from chipping distance
will indeed help.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

A round will only become a scrambling round if your not hitting greens in regulation.
If you are obviously it will be down to putting,however getting up and down from chipping distance
will indeed help.

For me though, when the short game is on, it actually takes pressure off the rest of the game and I'm not under so much pressure to hit too many GIR's. However, the opposite is true when I'm having a bad patch. I feel I have to hit fairways and greens and not rely on getting up and down and that isn't always a good thing if you want to swing freely

 

[Imurg]

Short game saves me on a regular basis!
Especially putting...
Looking back at 4 years worth of stats on SS2 I've been averaging a whisker over 30 putts since 2011!!
Chipping and putting, especially at our level where we don't hit most greens, can make or break a round.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Totally agree, John. I realise that during a typical round I am either on or around probably as many as 90% of greens in regulation. The good rounds come when either a particularly high proportion of those are GIR or the short game is firing.

On Sunday I hit 12 GIR and was hitting a chip or bunker shot on the other 6 holes. But I chipped and putted like an idiot and shot 13 over par!!!!

 

[duncan mackie]

If you idea of this heat game is FIR and/or GIR then you have missed the point.

Such statistics will help you understand how you are performing - bit only in context.

GIR needs putting performance to be relevant.

FIR needs GIR And putting stats to have relevance.

My really good rounds (scores) are a simple function of getting g the ball down the hole.

 

[Beezerk]

Short game saves me on a regular basis!
Especially putting...

Ditto, being a mid/high handicapper I have to be able to get up and down at least a few times a round.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

On Sunday I hit 12 GIR and was hitting a chip or bunker shot on the other 6 holes. But I chipped and putted like Tiger and shot 13 over par!!!!

Fixed that for you Karen

 

[FairwayDodger]

Fixed that for you Karen

lol, obvious, but lol anyway!

:rofl:

 

[John_Findlay]

If you idea of this heat game is FIR and/or GIR then you have missed the point.

But they are usually a good indicator of how much enjoyment I get out of a particular game, in other words, I've hit lots of decent shots. It's not always about the score.

 

[JCW]

My chipping is not what it was , but i do hit more GIR , maybe they are related

 

[chrisd]

I find that on the rounds where I don't mess up the usual 3 or 4 tee shots that I generally score well even if I miss greens. The seems to be a rule that if I hit a driver into the trees I will mess up the hole completely

 

[John_Findlay]

On Sunday I hit 12 GIR and was hitting a chip or bunker shot on the other 6 holes. But I chipped and putted like an idiot and shot 13 over par!!!!

Oh, I can identify with that, Karen!

Like you, I'm not often very far from the green in regulation but I can easily skull or chunk my first chip or pitch and end up with a double bogie (or worse) from a position where most high-handicappers would be looking at a par seven times out of ten.

My good round yesterday was simply down to the fact that I got it up and down from those positions on holes 1,4,6,9 & 11. I didn't on 10,12,13,17 & 18 (all within 5 yards of the green) and got bogies there. In my mind I saved 5 (or more) shots though.

Have to say I did spend an hour chipping before I went out yesterday. At least the practice lasted until the 11th.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Oh, I can identify with that, Karen!

Like you, I'm not often very far from the green in regulation but I can easily skull or chunk my first chip or pitch and end up with a double bogie (or worse) from a position where most high-handicappers would be looking at a par seven times out of ten.

My good round yesterday was simply down to the fact that I got it up and down from those positions on holes 1,4,6,9 & 11. I didn't on 10,12,13,17 & 18 (all within 5 yards of the green) and got bogies there. In my mind I saved 5 (or more) shots though.

Have to say I did spend an hour chipping before I went out yesterday. At least the practice lasted until the 11th.

I'm not too worried about it at the moment. The greens are challenging and I've been working on my long game rather than practising the short game.

I managed a four putt after woefully misjudging the pace of a (very) long putt, took four to get out of a nasty spot in a bunker and (annoyingly) took four shots to get in the hole after nearly driving a par 4.... I'll sharpen up before the serious stuff starts!

 

[garyinderry]

Oh, I can identify with that, Karen!

Like you, I'm not often very far from the green in regulation but I can easily skull or chunk my first chip or pitch and end up with a double bogie (or worse) from a position where most high-handicappers would be looking at a par seven times out of ten.

My good round yesterday was simply down to the fact that I got it up and down from those positions on holes 1,4,6,9 & 11. I didn't on 10,12,13,17 & 18 (all within 5 yards of the green) and got bogies there. In my mind I saved 5 (or more) shots though.

Have to say I did spend an hour chipping before I went out yesterday. At least the practice lasted until the 11th.

Hi
high handicaps are still not getting up and down from 5yards off the green 7 out of 10 times. Not a chance or they wouldn't be high handicaps.

 

[John_Findlay]

high handicaps are still not getting up and down from 5yards off the green 7 out of 10 times. Not a chance or they wouldn't be high handicaps.

Some high handicappers I know can do that, Gary. But they'll also lose 5 balls per round and hit 10% GIR on a good day.

 

[garyinderry]

Some high handicappers I know can do that, Gary. But they'll also lose 5 balls per round and hit 10% GIR on a good day.

True and I've met long hitting guys with big handicaps. They are the minority. Also they dont stay at that high handicap for too long if they continue to play and improve.

 

[Oddsocks]

Oh, I can identify with that, Karen!

Like you, I'm not often very far from the green in regulation but I can easily skull or chunk my first chip or pitch and end up with a double bogie (or worse) from a position where most high-handicappers would be looking at a par seven times out of ten.

My good round yesterday was simply down to the fact that I got it up and down from those positions on holes 1,4,6,9 & 11. I didn't on 10,12,13,17 & 18 (all within 5 yards of the green) and got bogies there. In my mind I saved 5 (or more) shots though.

Have to say I did spend an hour chipping before I went out yesterday. At least the practice lasted until the 11th.

Sounds like more time on the short game area with 7/8/9/w than sitting on the iPad looking at game golf stats.

Please do take that statement as rude or insulting, it sounds like we are at a similar level with the same weakness john and I now split my range sessions in half, 45-60mins on irons and the same in pitching and chipping.

 

[John_Findlay]

Good advice. Sounds like a plan.

I have a week off coming up soon and a bag load of practice balls just waiting to be hit. I'm getting this sorted!