Region3
Ryder Cup Winner
Could be said of so many things.
The importance of putting well.
- Thread starter louise_a
- Start date
Could be said of so many things.
Pants
Challenge Tour Pro
Guvnor2013
Medal Winner
Putting stats are OK if taken over a long(ish) period but one element to consider is what type of putts you are leaving yourself. The more intelligent golfer will try to leave uphill putts or at least get onto the right level of the green. If you are missing swinging downhill putts on fast greens that's one thing but if you are missing the relatively straight uphill six-footers then that's another.
Equally, if you are hitting shorter putts confidently then they will tend to drop. Miss them and you can end up farther away and the confidence dissipates for the rest of the round. I've seen lots of putting tips but mental strength when standing over an important (aren't they all?) four-footer is key for me.
I like the idea that putting a good stroke on the ball is important and if it drops it drops. Good philosophy for putting (and most other areas) but difficult to maintain long term - I'll be giving that a whirl.
Equally, if you are hitting shorter putts confidently then they will tend to drop. Miss them and you can end up farther away and the confidence dissipates for the rest of the round. I've seen lots of putting tips but mental strength when standing over an important (aren't they all?) four-footer is key for me.
I like the idea that putting a good stroke on the ball is important and if it drops it drops. Good philosophy for putting (and most other areas) but difficult to maintain long term - I'll be giving that a whirl.
pokerjoke
Money List Winner
Yes please tell us again how your quest for single figures is going,quite frankly......
nickjdavis
Head Pro
I'm probably going to disagree with most of the thread.
Whilst putting is important, it depends on how good a player is taking their game into consideration as a whole, as to whether improving their putting will have a more beneficial effect on scores than improving their driving or perhaps their course management.
Once you start getting into low teens and single figures then generally you've probably got a decent enough long game and will see real scoring improvements by taking fewer putts....now whether that's taking fewer putts because your iron play has improved...getting you closer to the hole...or because your chipping has improved or even that the putting itself has improved is another matter.
But IMO the vast majority of higher handicappers...folks struggling round in 90+...will see far greater gains in scoring by improving their driving....stopping putting themselves in deep trouble off the tee and improving their course management....wedging out sideways rather than going for the hero shot out of deep grass.
The better you get, the more that fine tuning your short game will have a benefit to your scoring.
Whilst putting is important, it depends on how good a player is taking their game into consideration as a whole, as to whether improving their putting will have a more beneficial effect on scores than improving their driving or perhaps their course management.
Once you start getting into low teens and single figures then generally you've probably got a decent enough long game and will see real scoring improvements by taking fewer putts....now whether that's taking fewer putts because your iron play has improved...getting you closer to the hole...or because your chipping has improved or even that the putting itself has improved is another matter.
But IMO the vast majority of higher handicappers...folks struggling round in 90+...will see far greater gains in scoring by improving their driving....stopping putting themselves in deep trouble off the tee and improving their course management....wedging out sideways rather than going for the hero shot out of deep grass.
The better you get, the more that fine tuning your short game will have a benefit to your scoring.
Our greens have been hollow tinned, sanded and top dressed in the last week, and are much slower than they where before. This morning I just couldn't get putts up to the hole and left quite a few dead on line but a few inches short. Hence I only scored 27 points! Putting is important for making a good score! 
Last edited:
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Our greens have been hollow tinned, sanded and top dressed in the last week, and are much slower than they where before. This morning I just couldn't get putts up to the hole and left quite a few dead on line but a few inches short. Hence I only scored 27 points! Putting is important for making a good score!
It's unlike you to blame you rubbish golf on something other than you del
Nobody is arguing that putting is important, but most of us try to improve rather than wanting something changed.
Actually I didn't putt that badly, but only made two up and downs all round, with one three putt on a very wet green when I left a downhill 3 feet putt 6" short!It's unlike you to blame you rubbish golf on something other than you del
Nobody is arguing that putting is important, but most of us try to improve rather than wanting something changed.
UlyssesSky
Head Pro
Couldn't find the original article (L.J. Riccio's "Statistical analysis of the average golfer" - does anybody here have access to scientific data bases?), but at least a website that cites part of it.
What he did was record scores and statistics of 100 golfer of different abilities, then run an analysis what parts of the game had the biggest impact on the scores.
On this website: http://probablegolfinstruction.com/golf-scoring-statistics.htm you can find a table that shows the strength of the relationship of the various parts of the game and overall score.
As you can see, the # of GIR has a strong relationship, whereas the # of putts only has a weak relationship to the overall score, showing that good iron play is more important for shooting low numbers than good putting.
I do also agree with nickjdavis, though, putting probably does become more important when you get closer to scratch.
What he did was record scores and statistics of 100 golfer of different abilities, then run an analysis what parts of the game had the biggest impact on the scores.
On this website: http://probablegolfinstruction.com/golf-scoring-statistics.htm you can find a table that shows the strength of the relationship of the various parts of the game and overall score.
As you can see, the # of GIR has a strong relationship, whereas the # of putts only has a weak relationship to the overall score, showing that good iron play is more important for shooting low numbers than good putting.
I do also agree with nickjdavis, though, putting probably does become more important when you get closer to scratch.
the_coach
Journeyman Pro
the one 'stat' within the 'stat' of GIR that's truly important in piecing together a good score into a great score - is distance to the pin
as the percentage chance of holing a putt under 10' is a different world to the percentage of holing a putt over 15' - even if you have a reasonable sound putting action
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Strange, 'cause I could have sworn you were blaming the greens for only scoring 27 points
I didn't play that well today, but probably well enough to score 30+ points, I had quite a few shortish putts for birdies or pars, but none of them would quite go in. As I said before, I left nearly all of them short, due to the slower than normal greens. I have since remembered that I had another three putt, so 2 up and downs and 2 three-putts for 36 putts for the round. Should have been about 30 putts on another day. I am an OAP playing on a fairly long course btw, so rely on scrambling to get decent scores. According to the HDID stats I only hit about 35% of greens in regulation. Even if you hit 100% of GIR, but then 3 putt them all, you won't be much better than 18 handicap. I play off 12, and was down to 10 not so long ago!Strange, 'cause I could have sworn you were blaming the greens for only scoring 27 points
Last edited:
t0m
Head Pro
I think chipping is more important need to be getting it withing 3 ft
