Tiger proves what many don't believe.

[Shorty]

Tiger had what he describes as his worst putting round ever in the first round of the Fry's tournament.

He had 27 putts. He could have putted slightly better and had 23 putts.

So.....next time you have 29 putts and think your putting is really coming along, remember that a low number of putts does not mean that you have putted well. Unless you have hit 18 greens (or close) in regulation.

[MiniBlueDragon]

The only way to know you've putted well is to use the putting stroke itself rather than the end result. If you go through your correct process for putting and the ball starts out on your intended line and at the correct pace, you've putted well irrespective of whether you've hit 18 putts or 54 putts.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Shorty

Tiger had what he describes as his worst putting round ever in the first round of the Fry's tournament.

He had 27 putts. He could have putted slightly better and had 23 putts.

So.....next time you have 29 putts and think your putting is really coming along, remember that a low number of putts does not mean that you have putted well. Unless you have hit 18 greens (or close) in regulation.

He had 27 putts but only hit 9 greens in regulation. Tiger's full of it a bit. He needs to place blame elsewhere. It's not only or even primarily his putting that's holding him back right now.

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

The only way to know you've putted well is to use the putting stroke itself rather than the end result. If you go through your correct process for putting and the ball starts out on your intended line and at the correct pace, you've putted well irrespective of whether you've hit 18 putts or 54 putts.

Yep.

[inthehole]

one thing I take as a positive is he appears to be trying to play smooth and in control ... not coming out of his shoes like the old Tiger - look at his driving distance ... http://www.pgatour.com/players/00/87/93/scorecards/2011/r464.html

[Joe Mcc 69]

Doesn't look like he will be of much help in the Presidents Cup!I have said it before and I'll say it again,if Tiger had any class at all he would have removed himself from consideration for the Presidents Cup.He doesn't have the game to deserve to be on the team.Hope he gets his game back,but he's not even close!!

[deasy55]

Lets see how he does today before completely discounting him and saying he has no class for playing in the Presidents Cup.

Originally Posted by Joe Mcc 69

Doesn't look like he will be of much help in the Presidents Cup!I have said it before and I'll say it again,if Tiger had any class at all he would have removed himself from consideration for the Presidents Cup.He doesn't have the game to deserve to be on the team.Hope he gets his game back,but he's not even close!!

[Zeph]

He missed some short ones he should have made, but that 73 did not happen on the green, it happened from tee to green. 50% fairways hit and 50% greens hit. That 7 on the 12th was the result of a poor drive and a bad second shot. He might not even make the cut.

[Kieran123]

Originally Posted by iacas

He had 27 putts but only hit 9 greens in regulation. Tiger's full of it a bit. He needs to place blame elsewhere. It's not only or even primarily his putting that's holding him back right now.

Yep.

THIS.

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by iacas

He had 27 putts but only hit 9 greens in regulation. Tiger's full of it a bit. He needs to place blame elsewhere. It's not only or even primarily his putting that's holding him back right now.

Yep.

You are right...but I honestly truly believe Tiger doesn't realize that.  Or does, and like you said, is full of it and saving face?

[uttexas]

You are right...but I honestly truly believe Tiger doesn't realize that.  Or does, and like you said, is full of it and saving face?

He's using mental defense mechanisms--psychological strategies to cope with reality and maintain self image. He knows that it's his instructor/swing deficits, but he's blaming it on putting. rationalization and projection.

[JayMc]

I wish I shot +2 every time I missed half of the greens.

[Joe Mcc 69]

Originally Posted by deasy55

Lets see how he does today before completely discounting him and saying he has no class for playing in the Presidents Cup.

I just checked,he's in a ditch with 7ft weeds looking for his ball.Look,I'm not a Tiger hater,but he can't stay home every week and get better,his tourney play,when he plays,is proving that.I just don't have much respect for someone who will take up a spot on the cup team playing the way he is.

[Made 2 Taylor]

Originally Posted by Joe Mcc 69

He's hit multiple birdies today, that was his worst shot of the day. He\s one under for the tournament now.

[newtogolf]

Tiger has a golf course in his back yard and belongs to a country club so it's not like he's sitting home watching television.  I understand practice rounds aren't the same as a tournment but guessing he's still spending a lot of time on the course.

Originally Posted by Joe Mcc 69

I just checked,he's in a ditch with 7ft weeds looking for his ball.Look,I'm not a Tiger hater,but he can't stay home every week and get better,his tourney play,when he plays,is proving that.I just don't have much respect for someone who will take up a spot on the cup team playing the way he is.

[walk18]

There WERE some putts that he should have made the first round, had he done so he'd be a lot closer to the lead. So I don't think he was delusional in lamenting his first round putting.

[jpalermo]

The only way to know you've putted well is to use the putting stroke itself rather than the end result. If you go through your correct process for putting and the ball starts out on your intended line and at the correct pace, you've putted well irrespective of whether you've hit 18 putts or 54 putts.

+1..... I would take a par round with 36 putts any day of the week. he shot a 68 today with 2 more putts than yesterday.... go figure.

[MEfree]

From By The Numbers

Tiger’s putting and ball striking is better this year than last year, but not as good as he was in previous years according to the “Strokes Gained Putting” and “Greens Hit in Regulation” statistics on the PGA Tours website .

Relative to his fellow competitors, Tiger ranks 60th this year gaining .2 shots per round putting compared to a slight loss last year with a ranking of 109. From 2004 (where the current Tour stats go back to in this category) through 2009 he ranked 2nd twice, 3rd twice, 9th and 22nd gaining as much as .88 strokes per round over the field.

The “Strokes Gained Putting” is the best putting stat out there in terms of measuring how well someone is putting- sure it can be distorted a bit by a guy leaving himself in good or bad spots on the green, but it is not distorted as much as putts per round or putts per greens hit.

Tiger’s greens hit in regulation are also better this year (67% ranking 34th) compared to last year (64% ranking 167th), but down compared to 2006-2008 where he was #1 each year. From 1999 through 2008, he hit 71 to 75% of the greens 7 times and only ranked below 6th in greens hit twice.

Going back to the OP, yes, you can have 29 putts and not putt well.  Unfortunately, most of us aren't able to compute the "Strokes Gained Putting" stat as it requires comparing the number of putts you take from each distance to how many your fellow competitors take.  i.e. Say you one putt from 8 feet on the first hole and your competitors averaged 1.5 putts from this same distance- you have gained half a shot.  Had you two putted, you would have lost half a shot.  Had your 3 putted, you would have lost 1.5 shots.  I suppose what someone could do it they really wanted is try to obtain the tour averages for various distances (not sure if this is published but it may be possible to guestimate based on the make% they give on TV) and then compare what you did.

Yes, MBD is correct that a good putting stroke is about getting the ball on your intended line at the right pace, but to be a good putter you also have to be good at reading the greens.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Originally Posted by MEfree

Yes, MBD is correct that a good putting stroke is about getting the ball on your intended line at the right pace, but to be a good putter you also have to be good at reading the greens.

The point I was making is that if you can't putt well, reading the greens is completely irrelevant as you'll always be inconsistent. Even if you have a talent of reading every green perfectly you'll still keep missing putts if the stroke itself is inconsistent as you'll never start the ball out on your perfect read; you'll push some putts, pull some putts, hit some putts too hard, some too soft, hit some out of the toe, some out of the heel, catch the turf with some shots etc.

Looking at it the other way around however if you always start the ball on the correct line and at the correct pace then your mind will learn how to read greens better the more you play and you have a great foundation to learn to green read as your mind will know that you always start the ball out on the line you intend.