what is the value of keeping your own stats?

Hi all,

Have a question for the group about the utility of keeping your stats.  Generally, do we feel that you can gain actual insights that can help improve your game by keeping stats?  I have always diligently kept my own stats (putts, greens, fairways, etc), but I've recently started keeping much more detailed stats around what club I used off the tee, where my approach was from, how far was the approach, were there any hazards to avoid, etc.  The idea is that by having stats the the pros have kept for them, I could isolate trends and patterns in my game and understand when I could be setting myself up for bad shots.

The basic principle is that I feel like if I had the same stats the pros had kept for them, I could be a better golfer.  I'm interested to hear everyone's thoughts.

- Zack

"Generally, do we feel that you can gain actual insights that can help improve your game by keeping stats? "

Absolutely. Knowing my tendencies has been the key to shaving points off of my score. When I pay attention to my stats (IE I am inaccurate at 180 yards but very accurate at 165 yards), I can par the hole by leaving myself with 165 yard approach.

The trick is being very accurate with your shots and very consistent with the distances. The stats don't work if you spray the ball.

Also, you have to know the course very well. I stink at hitting a 165 yard shot on a slope below my feet.

And how do you keep track of all that stuff?  Phone app on the course?  Makes a lot of sense, and that's exactly the type of stuff that I'm trying to know.  If I could have a tip box before I tee off on each hole, telling me those types of stats when they are relevant to the hole I'm playing, I think I could shave 5 or 6 strokes per round.

I don't see much value in it for me other than to keep my mind on things like fairways hit off tee, Greens in Regulation, Up and Downs, putts, and penalty strokes.

It helps you look for patterns, both good and bad. If I play 18 and hit two drives OB right, what did I do the last couple of rounds. Was it a bad day, or is there a trend in wayward drives?

Two years ago, I got a good deal on a dozen distance balls. Over 54 holes, I picked up a little distance off the tee, but the short game suffered - short shots hit and ran forever. I only had one up-and-down in three rounds. A couple of days later, I went back to my old ball (mid-spin), and had three up-and-downs on the front nine, and two more on the back. And, I had three or four most rounds the rest of the year.

Some people keep detailed notes on all shots, and run statistical patterns on drives, GIR, putts, etc. Other people focus on one or two areas - quality control for problems - rather than the full deal.

What does everyone use to track their stats?  Is it something that you use on course, or just recording the stats when you get home?

EVERYONE needs to download the NikeGolf360 app.  It's an amazing, free tool that helps you track your average score, fairways hit, GIRs, and putts per round.  You load your holes via your smartphone on the course during the round and check out your stats/progress on the website when you're done.

It's kinda like Facebook for golfers because you can connect with people you know and follow their rounds as well.  I've logged about 12 rounds onto the website and every course I've ever played is available to track.  I wish it also included a handicap calculator, but it doesn't.

The more you understand about your own golf game the lower you will score, and more consistently.  When you can look at a simple chart and see why/when you most often post big scores then you'll more easily know how to avoid those situations.  Most people think they know more about their game than they do.

I've noticed that the key to my game is putting together two quality shots, back to back.  For most people that is the key to making par, but just something small like that can really help people simplify the game in their own minds.

I use an extra scorecard.  List putts per hole, check mark for fairway hit, check mark for GIR, up and downs are noted by circle for failure and x for succes with a letter note as to whether it was a pitch, a chip, a lob, or a sand shot. I also keep track of penalty strokes. For years I've been using PlayerLink.com to track my stats but have recently started playing Golf Channel Am Tour and now use their webiste to track my stats. Data entry takes just a few minutes for each round and being able to look at different time frames shows whether or not what I'm working on is actually helping and identifies areas where I might be slipping.  Nice thing about PlayerLink, it's free and it will manage your handicap for you too.