Quote:
Originally Posted by Snakster66
I guess I oversimplfy things, but I have found that I usually score better in rounds where I have 30 putts than rounds where I have 36 putts. So, for me, that makes putting kinda important.
Not sure what to make of your last sentence. A three stroke improvement in someone's handicap is not a big deal? .
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You're right. A 3 stroke improvement would be a significant improvement, but I think most putting "improvement" is transient. One day you're hot, the next day you're not. A consistent 3 stroke improvement in someone's putting game would be monumental and almost impossible to sustain. (Improving your # of putts/round by hitting it closer and chipping better, is surely a realistic goal.)
My point, was the putting is not what's holding most people back. It's a statistical fact. People tend to over-rate how well PGA Tour Pros putt and how poorly they themselves putt. The guys you're watching on TV, are the guys who are putting well that week ... not the guys who are putting average or worse.
The number of putts you take in a given round, isn't a very significant statistic. A friend of mine, once held the PGA Tour record (for about 9 months), for "fewest putts in a tournament". His name was Bob Menne and he was the first PGA Tour Pro, to use less than 100 putts in a 4 round tournament. [1977 TPC]
Bob couldn't putt for crap. I asked him one day, "Hey Bob, how they hell did you set that record, you can't put for $h_t". He said, "Did you see where I set the record? Those Greens at Sawgrass are so small, I think only hit 2 of them. I chipped it close every hole and made the putts".
The Arccos golf database has billions of shots. They claim one of the most significant statistics/goals for the average golfer, is GIR+1. You need to be on the Green, in no more than 1 shot over GIR
Arccos also posed an interesting question for this week's Masters. What would a 12 Handicap shoot at The Masters, if he got to start on the Green?
Every hole, you start on the Green. The ball is in the longest possible place from the hole (the average would be 86' from the hole). What do you shoot?