What are your statistics?

[ZaPPPa]

My apologies if this has been posted before. I did a search, but nothing popped up.

Some good advice that is given a lot on this forum is to start keeping track of statistics to figure out where you stand and what you should be working on. However, I have noticed it may be hard to find out what your weaknesses are if various parts of the game are pretty close together. Also, I am simply curious how other people are doing and maybe someone with more experience can identify more clearly what I should be working on. So, I will list my stats for my last couple of rounds and update as I go along. I use Scorecard to keep track.

None

[billm408]

Personally, I think that there's far too much emphasis on stats. Probably the result of TV analysts needing to talk about something during a 4hour telecast. Yes I believe that identifying the parts of your game that could be improved is important, but there's a paralysis through analysis line that's easily crossed.

The idea of the game is to get the ball in the hole in the fewest amount of strokes. Period. So the only stat that counts is your score. I know guys that can't hit a drive farther than 240 yards and consistently shoot in the low 70's. I played Saturday with a friend (who does keep track of stuff) and he hit 4 fairways and 6 greens... shot a 74.

Aside from score, the only stat that I track on the course is my score w/in 100 yards of the hole. Everything in that distance is a par 2. The rest doesn't matter.

[saltman]

I think you can easily cut down on the putts, you are leaving a lot of scoring out there. You are over par on the greens you hit! Perhaps some nerves in that number?

If even-par putts is 36, you should legitimately try to be 6-under every round. Greater than 30 putts really really frustrates me.

[JetFan1983]

Haha, Zapppa, based on those stats we're pretty much the same exact player. My anti-handicap is probably the same as yours too. We'd have some good battles one on one.

[PiKapp23]

I only keep track of a few stats: Score, FIR, GIR, Total Putts. These are my stats in those areas for 2009 (it says 13 rounds, although I thought I'd played more than that):

Avg. Score: 80.36
FIR: 43.75%
GIR: 35.98%
Total Putts: 27.36 per round

In the past I have tried to keep track of other stats, but it just becomes too confusing to keep on the scorecard. My 2008 stats were similar, but show improvement in putting and GIR, with drop in FIR (51 rounds):

Avg. Score: 80.14
FIR: 47.5
GIR: 27.9
Putts: 30.45

I struggled early in 2008 and again in 2009 in driving. Last year during the middle of the season my FIR% was closer to 60%. My last 2 rounds this year (once I figured out what I was doing) has 17/28, but my GIR% and putting are the big improvements this year (especially considering my GIRs have increased, but I'm needing less putts). Last 3 rounds my GIR's have been 12, 11, and 8 so I'm hopeful for the season.

[ZaPPPa]

In the past I have tried to keep track of other stats, but it just becomes too confusing to keep on the scorecard.

The only reason why I can easily keep track is because I keep score in my blackberry using the Wireless18.com application. Then I just copy the data in Scorecard afterwards. Takes me maybe ten minutes tops.

As for paralysis by analysis, I don't think it applies here. I do not stand over the ball and think about what the relative accuracy is between 100y and 120y from the pin before choosing my layup club. I do, however, look at my stats and decide what to focus on during my next practice. And then there's the fact that I am an engineer/scientist... I love stats. @Jetfan I started playing in April 2008.. Seems we're progressing very similar too. :)

[Kcas77]

Keeping your stats is a good idea but it gets more thoughts into your head which leads to frustration. Most people already know what they need to fix with their game.

[mdvaldosta]

All the stats are great, aside from the pain in the butt from keeping/tracking them. I might, at some point, start keeping up with fairways, greens and putts once I get to <5 handicap, until then though I'm just practicing on what I feel is the weakest and playing to my strengths.

[mposter]

Like everything in life, there is a very important balance.

I never think about my stats during a round - but I do like to look at my over all stats as well as what the difference was between a good round and a bad round.

For the last 30 rounds my "important stats" are:

Fairways: 33.6
GIR: 32.6
Putts: 1.91

What really is interesting is my rounds where the score is <85 compared to rounds >90. I notice it is all related to the tee. I have rounds where I hit 0 Fairways and my misses are tops, pulls, slices .... My good rounds I hit fairways or just miss and hit rough. I hit more GIR and my putts are lower because of a shorter first putt. I know this is nothing new but it highlights what I need to work on.

[iacas]

Keeping your stats is a good idea but it gets more thoughts into your head which leads to frustration. Most people already know what they need to fix with their game.

In my experience (selling software that tracks stats), that's not accurate at all. One look at "how far do you average off the tee" threads in this forum tells you that golfers are as bad as fishermen at lying to themselves. Or worse - fishermen just lie to others.

Another point: I think about my stats when I need to practice and when I want to improve. They don't occupy a second of my mind when I'm on the golf course (except to jot them down on my card, but that's a mindless activity). There are no "more thoughts into [my] head" at all. And like this guy says:

I never think about my stats during a round - but I do like to look at my over all stats as well as what the difference was between a good round and a bad round.

Now, on to other things...

All the stats are great, aside from the pain in the butt from keeping/tracking them. I might, at some point, start keeping up with fairways, greens and putts once I get to

It takes me about three seconds to write down the five stats I need in

Scorecard to generate 35+ stats. Score, putts, fairway direction (an arrow), G/UD/SS, and distance of first putt. Two seconds... Then when I'm home it takes me about 60 seconds to enter them all into the computer. So less than two minutes, total. The stats I get are well worth the two minutes, I can tell you that.

[lumpuckeroo]

I can't do stats on the course. It distracts me and takes me away from playing. I'm more of a feel player and that's the way I keep stats, I know if my driving or chipping or putting or whatever let me down that day. I leave score as the only stat.

[Leftygolfer]

I keep stats in my head then I post them. I can go hole by hole and I keep track of putts, fairways, greens, sand saves. I do not keep distance of first putt. I use the e golfer offered by ghin.

My stats are:
24% greens
37% fairways
1.87 PPH
2.15 PPGR

I am playing terribly right now. I haven't played this bad in a while. My ball striking is just bad and I am not hitting any greens. All my misses are right with the big pull hook. It is a killer and the rough around here is thick right now.

[jaragon126]

I was actually beginning to think the same way as billm408 ... I have been keeping track of stats for a couple of years now ... Fairways, GIR, putts ... all in a spreadsheet as well as the free egolfer online package from GHIN.

After each round I enter the data into the tracking application, and I can see that my stats are all pretty much the same ... around 40% of Fairways & 40% of GIR. I know that both of those stats aren't very good. When I practice, I normally practice short game 90% of the time because that's where I feel I lose most of my strokes. Am I wasting my time by keeping stats that I'll never really use? If I was getting up & down/1 putting every green & still shooting 90 then I would know my long game was weak. If I'm 3 putting all the time then the short game is weak. I don't hit fairways all the time, but I can usually get pretty close to the green on my 2nd shot. Is there something to be said from freeing your mind of keeping stats & just playing the game? Do the pros keep their stats & go back over them to adjust how they practice? My goal is to become a scratch golfer (9 handicap now) ... so if doing the stats thing is the best way to become better then I'll do it. Your thoughts?

Personally, I think that there's far too much emphasis on stats. Probably the result of TV analysts needing to talk about

[saltman]

So I have kept my stats the last few rounds and its VERY clear to me what my issues are. I had a good round 2 weeks ago and then had 2 dreadful rounds this weekend.

At any rate...

Fhit = 21.4% (OUCH!!)
GIR = 25.9% (OUCH x2!)
Score = 91.0 (x3!)
Par Breakers = 5.56%
Putts/Round = 32.3 (includes a round with 6 3-jacks)
Penalties = 3.67

I have really really been fighting with accuracy, primarily with the driver, but when my driver goes sour, I think I start tinkering and everything goes sour. I have not been putting well at all, but that will be the easiest thing to cure. Really really need to get the ball in play!

[bunkerputt]

Total Putts: 27.36 per round

That puts you #1 on tour. Stop posting in forums and go give Brad Faxon a lesson.

[anthonykim3]

That puts you #1 on tour. Stop posting in forums and go give Brad Faxon a lesson.

he said thats for 7 rounds so far so it will go up later!

[jaragon126]

Does anyone use the "egolfer" program on ghin.com or the "makemebetter" program on golfdigest.com?

Unfortunately I have gotten sucked into both of them ... as well as an Excel spreadsheet that I keep on my computer.

The golfdigest one is cool because they give you tips & drills right on the website that you can work on based on your stats. The only downside is that you can only post 18hole rounds (I play mostly 9 hole rounds after work during the week ... and only a few 18 hole rounds per month).

The egolfer one has alot of stats you can keep, and you can view several reports & even automatically route the scores to your ghin handicap. It lets you post both 18 & 9 hole rounds, but when you try to view an "average score" report the results are off because it doesn't take into account 18 hole vs 9 hole rounds ... it just gives you an average score of every round you've posted.

Then for my spreadsheet, I pretty much keep the same stats as the above 2 websites ... Fairways/GIR/putts. I then have averages & percentages. I don't think I need to be using all 3 because that's alot of duplicated work. (All methods are free by the way)

I think for me, getting a GIR is the best determination of score for the hole. If I can get GIR then my chances of getting par are best. Unfortunately my GIR is about 40%, (my Fairways are also around 40%).

[bunkerputt]

Stats for today at the par-3 course (90-130 yards):

Score: +2
GIR: 83%
Putts/hole: 1.94
Par saves: 33%
Flip-outs per three-putt: 50% (Good for me)