The importance of putting well.

[louise_a]

Pretty obvious statement I know, but I was thinking about my round on Saturday in our Lady Captains day. I had a net 78 (6 over SSS) I had driven into a bush, driven into trees and visited quite a lot of bunkers so in my mind I generally hadn't played well. I also didn't hole a putt longer than a couple of feet.
Now a few weeks ago I had a nett 72, so in my mind I must have played pretty well, however I remember that I holed quite a lot of decent length putts.
So when I compare the 2 rounds one where I thought I had played poorly and one where I though I had played well the real difference in the scoring was my putting.
Is the difference between good and bad rounds that simplistic?

 

[Craigg]

Sometimes the putting stats can be a bit misleading I feel. If you are missing GIR's, but missing them close, say, a couple of feet/metres, then you can chip close and one putt. The same green, hit in regulation could be a huge green and end up an easy 3 putt. Having said that, if you can putt well, you will usually score well. Don't forget you only have 18 tee shots, and a lot more putts.

 

[Fyldewhite]

Certainly can be. I've often thought before that you can hit it from tee to green exactly the same on two days and easily score 4 or 5 shots different just because of the putts from inside 10 feet. Some days you just miss them all. Can be the difference between winning and being an also ran.

 

[bobmac]

When you are a high handicap, you will find all parts of your game are probably a bit rubbish.
As you improve, you have less room for a bad area of your game.
Once down to Cat I, you have to have a good all round game.
Everyone has their own favourite area.......driving, approach play, short game.
IMHO, good putting is the most important part.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

When you are a high handicap, you will find all parts of your game are probably a bit rubbish.
As you improve, you have less room for a bad area of your game.
Once down to Cat I, you have to have a good all round game.
Everyone has their own favourite area.......driving, approach play, short game.
IMHO, good putting is the most important part.

Actually a very short and excellent summation of Golf, cheers Bob, made a copy

 

[MendieGK]

I agree with this, a few weeks ago I shot a 71 in a comp but on reflection, made a lot of putts and was probably the absolute best I could have shot.

2 weeks later I shot 77, but hit 14greens in regulation and made no putts all day! That was the absolute worst I could have shot.

 

[FairwayDodger]

Easiest way to improve your scores is to putt better.

My best tee to green round coincided with my worst putting. I hit 17 GIR and shot 74 but 38 of them were putts.

I had several 3-putts and even missed a couple of really short (practically gimmie) ones. Think that was only one over par but I definitely had the potential to shoot in the sixties that day.

This weekend I played two rounds where I'd say I putted relatively well but didn't actually hole much other than a few five footers and one from about 8 feet. Other days it seems everything goes in - I was five under par through six holes earlier in the year and had only hit six putts.

Mentally, I'm trying to go with Bob Rotella's concept... As long as I follow my "process" and put a good stroke on it I don't get upset if it doesn't drop. Easier said than done sometimes!

 

[bobmac]

Golfer 1 hits a great drive down the middle, second shot on the green, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and misses it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 2 hits a poor drive, not a great second shot, pitches to 15ft, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and holes it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 1 will still be angry about the 3 putt bogey 2 mins later on the next tee shot.
Golfer 2 will be relieved he saved bogey on the next tee shot.

Who's going to hit the better tee shot?

Moral?
3 putts can cost you more than just one bogey

 

[alexbrownmp]

on the flipside and playing the Avocado card what about the golfer that takes 4 or 5 to get on pretty much every green then 1 putts most and 2 putts some and cant break 85? I have played with people like this.

The short game I agree is the best way to lower scores, by short game I refer to 100yds and in.

 

[bobmac]

on the flipside and playing the Avocado card what about the golfer that takes 4 or 5 to get on pretty much every green then 1 putts most and 2 putts some and cant break 85?

If he wasn't a good putter he wouldn't break 90

 

[rickg]

Some great pointers here from Bob :thup:

Looking back at my KO semi final yesterday, I had 5 1 putts and a lip out in the last 6 holes to come back from 4 down to all square......... I would have been dead and buried if it hadn't been for a red hot putter.

I also seem to putt better in Matchplay than strokeplay, usually down to needing to hole a putt for a half, so no point being short......in strokeplay I'd estimate 90% of my putts come up short due to the fear of turning the hole into a 3 putt. It's something I'm working on but finding it hard in reality.

 

[alexbrownmp]

If he wasn't a good putter he wouldn't break 90

yes, thats also an excellent point although I seem to have missed the points that rickg has spotted

 

[UlyssesSky]

Golfer 1 hits a great drive down the middle, second shot on the green, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and misses it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 2 hits a poor drive, not a great second shot, pitches to 15ft, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and holes it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 1 will still be angry about the 3 putt, but have confidence in his driving when stepping on the next tee, knowing his long game will likely give him a bounce back chance.
Golfer 2 will be relieved he saved bogey, but will be anxious he might hit another bad drive and this time even his good putting might not be able to save him.

Who's going to hit the better tee shot?

Moral?
Bad drives can cost you more than just one bogey

 

[Fish]

31 putts for me on Saturday, when I didn't hit GIR I chipped close and sunk the single putts for par and those I didn't were just a tap in for bogey. I'm not overly focused on stats as they can be misleading as described above but I rarely 3 putt thankfully even when on a green in regulation, unless their humongous and exceptionally [silly] fast.

 

[13Aces]

Golfer 1 hits a great drive down the middle, second shot on the green, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and misses it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 2 hits a poor drive, not a great second shot, pitches to 15ft, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and holes it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 1 will still be angry about the 3 putt, but have confidence in his driving when stepping on the next tee, knowing his long game will likely give him a bounce back chance.
Golfer 2 will be relieved he saved bogey, but will be anxious he might hit another bad drive and this time even his good putting might not be able to save him.

Who's going to hit the better tee shot?

Moral?
Bad drives can cost you more than just one bogey

This

 

[bobmac]

Golfer 1 hits a great drive down the middle, second shot on the green, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and misses it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 2 hits a poor drive, not a great second shot, pitches to 15ft, rushes the first putt 6ft passed the hole and holes it coming back.
Bogey

Golfer 1 will still be angry about the 3 putt, but have confidence in his driving when stepping on the next tee, knowing his long game will likely give him a bounce back chance.
Golfer 2 will be relieved he saved bogey, but will be anxious he might hit another bad drive and this time even his good putting might not be able to save him.

Who's going to hit the better tee shot?

Moral?
Bad drives can cost you more than just one bogey

Consistently 3 putting would test the patience of even the best drivers.
As I said earlier on, to be a good player you cant really have any bad parts of your game but if pushed, I would say good putting has the edge

 

[UlyssesSky]

Consistently 3 putting would test the patience of even the best drivers.
As I said earlier on, to be a good player you cant really have any bad parts of your game but if pushed, I would say good putting has the edge

I don't disagree that to be really good every single part of your game needs to be good.

I do, however, disagree that good putting necessarily has to be what 'has the edge', as well as the conclusions you made in the post that inspired mine.


First of all, looking at this years strokes-gained-putting statistics and this years Fedexcup rankings shows that superior putting and overall performance don't show any kind of strong correlation. The two best players on the putting statistic (Jimmy Walker and Jason Day) are ranked 7th and 1st in the Fedexcup. However, Aaron Baddeley and Russel Henley, who rank 3rd and 5th in the putting statistics can be found on ranks 157 and 167 in the Fedexcup respectively. The 4th ranked putter, Freddi Jacobsson, is on rank 38 in the Fedexcup.
(Interestingly, the top 5 in driving distance can be found on ranks 6, 3, 1, 106, 19, indicating that good driving might actually be more important for the total score than putting. I know this is just a first indication, and no real proof...)

Regarding the effect of 3 putts on the psyche of a player, I'd say the effect is different for each player. For me personally, bad putting typically leads to more bad putting, since I tend to get more nervous with the putter in my hand, but the rest of my game stays unaffected. I guess the "crossover effect" will be different for everybody.
It propbably also depends on what you see as your strength. If you consider your putting as your major strength and your game is based around it, a cold putter will have a larger effect on your game than a cold driver.

 

[pokerjoke]

If 2 players that are driving the same hitting their irons into the greens the same then the best putter will win every time.

Tiger Woods was talking in an interview once and said "we can all hit the golf ball but the one who sinks the most putts will win".

In an equal playing field putting is everything imo.

 

[UlyssesSky]

If 2 players that are driving the same hitting their irons into the greens the same then the best putter will win every time.

Tiger Woods was talking in an interview once and said "we can all hit the golf ball but the one who sinks the most putts will win".

In an equal playing field putting is everything imo.

Boy, this is getting exhausting. Don't you guys see that the points you are making apply to every single part of the game? All of the following sentences are equally true:


1. If 2 players that are driving the same hitting their irons into the greens the same then the best putter will win every time.

2. If 2 players that are putting the same hitting their irons into the greens the same then the best driver will win every time.

3. If 2 players that are driving the same putting the same then the one who hits his irons into the green the best will win every time.

"In an equal playing field putting is everything imo." If by "equal playing field" you mean that everyone is driving equally well, hitting their irons equally well chipping/pitching equally well that's a tautology, rendering the statement completely useless. What you're saying is basically "if you only look at putting, putting becomes the deciding factor".


Luckily, there is no such equality in golf, meaning players can make up for a weakness in one part of their game with a strength in oher parts. Not good at putting? Better stick your approach close to the pin! - Short off the tee? Well, your long irons better be pretty accurate! - Wedge play sucks? Couldn't hurt to learn how to sink 20 footers.


Again, noone is saying putting isn't important, but it's just one important thing among other equally important things.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Easiest way to improve your scores is to putt better.

Sometimes.

By coincidence, the rounds that got me back to 9 both last year & this year were composed entirely of pars & single dropped shots. Practically every shot I hit to the green finished a long, long way from the hole. I didn't have a single birdie chance in either round. Every time I missed a green I dropped a shot. I actually putted quite well both rounds, holing a lot of 4' to 6' second putts. The improvement was required, in my case, in the short game and, to a lesser extent, the middle irons, to get closer to the hole. Both were the kind of rounds where I came off the course thinking "I couldn't really have scored any lower than that" I'm sometimes quite encouraged if I have a decent score which includes a few missed putts, knowing that, next time they may drop. But I agree, holing as many of the holeable ones as possible is the key to a good score.