Taking proper notes showed up the weaknesses in my round

[SpannersReady]

I made a point of taking proper notes today so I could have a better look at where I'm going wrong. Just thought I'd share to see if this rings bells for anyone else I started playing in July and my target is to break 100 still. (I play a 6200yard inland links par 71). I score between 100 (once) and 110. Today I scored 109 but felt like I'd played better. Stats showed: Putts: 42. 8x 3putts. That was poor but I also tracked 'shots within 5 yards of the green'. That weighed in at a massive 54 shots. I'm thinking that if I'm within 5 yards of the green then I should be getting close to the hole but my chips often left me in 2putt range (some became 3putts). :~( obviously this means I'm missing approach shots by a bit. So HALF my shots are within 5 yards of the green. That really surprised me. In a way I'm pretty happy because I'm getting into the green area pretty well but it means I've been pretty stupid not practicing chipping and putting much. I'm really glad I took the notes so that I can adjust my practice. Question: what should my 'within 5' yard goals be? Is it realistic to aim to 2 shot most things from this range in time or does no one really manage that? That would have put my round at 91! That would be nice :-) Cheers Richie.

[Precis1on]

My goal when it comes to approach is to chip my ball within 3 ft of the hole (a la Phil). And of course single putt my way out. This should be an expectation of someone wanting to improve their game. You have to be confident in your short game to get you up an down the greens.

I spend a large part of my time at the range practicing my short game, and putt a lot in my house (and the range). Focus on a consistent stroke and plant your chips in a three feet circle around the hole (start with 6 for a wider range). Then work your putting from 15ft - 12ft - 9ft - 6ft - 3 ft. This gives you a good idea of your speeds around the green and how to control your putts under pressure.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by SpannersReady

So HALF my shots are within 5 yards of the green. That really surprised me. In a way I'm pretty happy because I'm getting into the green area pretty well but it means I've been pretty stupid not practicing chipping and putting much. I'm really glad I took the notes so that I can adjust my practice.

Half the shots of a guy shooting 72 are within five yards of the green, too. So really it sounds like you need to improve both phases of your game. Over the long haul, the full swing is where you'll make the biggest improvements to your swing. In the short term, because the short game is relatively simple, you'll make bigger gains practicing your short game and putting.