Missing those darned birdie putts

[woody69]

Every time someone says 'for birdie' I always think they mean a gross birdie, which is probably why some people were saying you shouldn't be complaining for a 22 handicap golfer.
But your score card shows you mean 'net birdie', which completely changes the picture.

No it doesn't? On holes 5, 6, 7 and 9 he hit GIR gross. Not GIR net. On 5 he appears to have 3 putt, but the others was gross par. They are blue as Golfshot records that as a net birdie. If he had actually sunk those putt he'd have hit a net eagle, gross birdie and they'd be coloured red.

 

[Birchy]

No it doesn't? On holes 5, 6, 7 and 9 he hit GIR gross. Not GIR net. On 5 he appears to have 3 putt, but the others was gross par. They are blue as Golfshot records that as a net birdie. If he had actually sunk those putt he'd have hit a net eagle, gross birdie and they'd be coloured red.

Its the 4 putt that confused me lol. I had one at the weekend too, not a nice feeling.

I think 8 should have been a GIR as well shouldn't it?

In reply to original post putting looks like the quickest way you could improve. Level 2 putts would have seen you gross 41 which off 22 is excellent scoring.

When I last practiced I went on the putting green and holed 10 x 10ft non consecutive and 5 consecutive 5ft before I was allowed to hit any balls. I think them are the money putts so the ones im most interested in.

 

[londonlewis]

No it doesn't? On holes 5, 6, 7 and 9 he hit GIR gross. Not GIR net. On 5 he appears to have 3 putt, but the others was gross par. They are blue as Golfshot records that as a net birdie. If he had actually sunk those putt he'd have hit a net eagle, gross birdie and they'd be coloured red.

You are completely right. Not sure how I missed that!
I think I was focussing too much on the first three holes and thinking those were the net birdie putts.

Whoops!

I stand corrected, thank you Woody!

 

[patricks148]

i wouldn't worry about birdie putts, bogie on every hole is still 4 shots under your handicap.

 

[dufferman]

Unfortunately, my club has naff 3G / 4G signal so I couldn't look at the putting drill on YouTube last night at the range, so I might see if I can pre-load it tomorrow and hit the range after work.

I'm hoping to get my handicap cut asap, I've been playing a lot better than 22 over the past few games, and I know that dropping a few more birdies will seriously help that!

 

[woody69]

Unfortunately, my club has naff 3G / 4G signal so I couldn't look at the putting drill on YouTube last night at the range, so I might see if I can pre-load it tomorrow and hit the range after work.

I'm hoping to get my handicap cut asap, I've been playing a lot better than 22 over the past few games, and I know that dropping a few more birdies will seriously help that!

I can understand where you are coming from, but that is entirely the wrong place to be focusing your game IMO. Sinking a few birdies is irrelevant if you're still so inconsistent that on some holes you're hitting triples and quads. Best way to get your handicap down would be to focus on your 3rd shot (on a par 4), whether that is scrambling for a par / bogey or that elusive birdie putt on the green when you manage a GIR (expect it to be rare). That 3rd shot, which is usually a shot from less than 20 yards is so important as it's the one that means you're getting close to have a single putt for par or ensuring it's a 2 putt max and a bogey. After all 18 bogeys is an 18 handicap isn't it. Get a few down in less than that and you're falling even further.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Unfortunately, my club has naff 3G / 4G signal so I couldn't look at the putting drill on YouTube last night at the range, so I might see if I can pre-load it tomorrow and hit the range after work.

I'm hoping to get my handicap cut asap, I've been playing a lot better than 22 over the past few games, and I know that dropping a few more birdies will seriously help that!

You're focusing on the wrong thing. Making more birdies will always be nice but holing out from 15-20 feet isn't easy. I can say with almost certainty that you can spend as many hours as you want on the putting green and you still won't hole more than 1 in 5 from that range out on the course. If you're not 3 putting from that range then you are doing OK. You should be more concerned with why you are taking doubles and trebles on the other holes IMHO.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

You're focusing on the wrong thing. Making more birdies will always be nice but holing out from 15-20 feet isn't easy. I can say with almost certainty that you can spend as many hours as you want on the putting green and you still won't hole more than 1 in 5 from that range out on the course. If you're not 3 putting from that range then you are doing OK. You should be more concerned with why you are taking doubles and trebles on the other holes IMHO.

Yep agree

Knocking doubles and trebles down to bogies is as good as any birdie

 

[dufferman]

I guess you're all right. I know those silly doubles get the better of me. Usually I just lose concentration for one shot and end up having to scramble in some way or another. I am however practicing my chips and lobs, because when I do miss the green in 2 I find that my short game is either great or awful - I'll either get it close and 1 or 2 putt, or I'll chunk it and take 2 chips and still be 2 putts away from the hole!

 

[dufferman]

Well I went out last night for 9 holes - 2 birdies out of 4 attempts!!

However, a 10 & 2 sevens meant I finished gross 46, nett 35. Still -1 but it was my tee shots that messed me up on the bad holes!

 

[woody69]

Well I went out last night for 9 holes - 2 birdies out of 4 attempts!!

However, a 10 & 2 sevens meant I finished gross 46, nett 35. Still -1 but it was my tee shots that messed me up on the bad holes!

You must be playing very well to be off 22 and be getting consistent GIR and birdie opportunities. If you can address those blow out holes your handicap will drop in no time.

 

[dufferman]

You must be playing very well to be off 22 and be getting consistent GIR and birdie opportunities. If you can address those blow out holes your handicap will drop in no time.

That's the plan! It's the blowup holes that are killing me - yesterday of the 9 holes played, I hit GIR 4 times, and 2 other holes I was just off!

 

[Hobbit]

To help avoid boredom on the practice green, play a matchplay between different numbered balls. That said, I can quite happily practice putting for 1.5hrs - love it!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I agree with others - for us AMs one day birdie putts drop the next they don't. And so I don't put much store on how well I am playing based upon whether or not I hole 'em. Get the rest of my game in reasonable health to create the birdie opportunities and on my good day and with a fair wind some will drop. And any good score I card that day I will put down to my general play and not my putting,

Last time out (Saturday) I dropped four birdies in 12 holes - with another two lipping out. And then the rains came and in we went. But that was simply my putting having a good day (note it was 'my putting' rather than me - I just did what I always did just that on Saturday they went in).

 

[garyinderry]

don't attempt to score birdies at holes where I par would do.


its so easy to drop shots, not so easy to pick them up. I drop shots when I get too greedy trying to get close to pins I have no right doing so. examples include pins tucked at the edge of greens or in behind bunkers.


its hard to stop the natural urge to get it as close as possible on the approach. just have to remember, after the tee shot, if it isn't safe, the pros know that the birdie chance is gone.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

don't attempt to score birdies at holes where I par would do.


its so easy to drop shots, not so easy to pick them up. I drop shots when I get too greedy trying to get close to pins I have no right doing so. examples include pins tucked at the edge of greens or in behind bunkers.


its hard to stop the natural urge to get it as close as possible on the approach. just have to remember, after the tee shot, if it isn't safe, the pros know that the birdie chance is gone.

Yup - much of the time I just get it somewhere, anywhere on the green in regulation - only then do I have a chance of holing a birdie putt.