Think you're a good ball striker?

[sean_miller]

Sucker pin was the relevant part. Green light situation, I'm aimed at the pin. Yellow light, with wedge or short iron, I'm going for it. It's the sucker pins I'm not even contemplating.

So don't use this stat to determine whether or not you're a good ball striker. Either uses the target you were aiming, which is easy if it's the pin, or exclude the point entirely.

[PiustheDrGolf]

Doesn't this stat represent 'Good short irons' rather than 'Good ball striking'.

Here is definition of 'Ball Striking' from About.Com

"Ball striking is also a statistical category tracked by professional golf tours that is a measure of a golfer's combined abilities in driving and hitting green s. To produce its Ball Striking rankings, the PGA Tour combines a player's ranking in Total Driving and Greens in Regulation. For example, Player A ranks 17th in Total Driving and first in GIR. Add those two numbers together for a value of 18. If that's the lowest such value, then Player A is No. 1 in Ball Striking."

[sean_miller]

Doesn't this stat represent 'Good short irons' rather than 'Good ball striking'.

Are we on the PGA Tour?

[PiustheDrGolf]

Are we on the PGA Tour?

Obviously not, since we are typing while Barclays tourney is going on. :)

My point is not considering Driving is not representing 'Ball Striking'. Also agree with you on measurement should be from target point, not the pin.

[sean_miller]

Obviously not, since we are typing while Barclays tourney is going on. :)

I can't say I'll ever do this 100-150 yard proximity test as my ballstriking yardstick, but since I can't determine where I rank in Driving Accuracy and GIR relative to the other people on the golf course on any given day, I know for sure I won't use that stat.

[Wildcat]

Interesting. I did this for my round yesterday and came up with a number lower than my handicap would suggest. Kind of confirms my thoughts over the last few weeks that the main thing holding me back from shooting in the low 80s right now is my lack of distance off the tee (not even trying to use the driver right now). Add in making a couple of ~15 foot birdie putts per round and I'd be right there (usually 30-32 putts per round).

Gotta get the driver figured out. Need to be able to hit 8 or 9 iron in instead of 3H.

[CalBoomer]

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that I'm a major-league cynic, but here goes. We've all heard the saying, "Close only counts in horseshoes." Clearly, the first guy who said that wasn't a golfer. The closer you are to the pin--after any shot on the golf course, from drive to putt--the better the shot. More better shots = better golfer. Did we really need a mathematician/statistician to tell us this? I will not be keeping this data on my next round. I will be concentrating on hitting the best possible shot each time I address the ball.