Very quick, easy question.

[Kellfire]

I'm going to start recording all my fairways, GIR, putts etc and was wondering does the second shot on a par five count in the fairways hit stat?

[play4him]

No, just your drives on Par 4's & Par 5's. It's a good idea to do what your doing. It will show you where you need to work on your game. You might also want to keep track of where you miss fairways and greens, as far as right or left, short or long.

[Kellfire]

Yep, I think I will. I download one basic score card to record these stats but it is maybe too basic.

Does anyone have a blank score template I could use?

[Kellfire]

Just made my own in Word. I'm more skilled than I thought. :)

[play4him]

It will definitely help you identify your weaknesses whether it be a pull or hook to the left or a push, slice to the right( If you're a righty ) :)

[pennywise]

I've been doing this for a while now. It's very useful.

I do have a quick question in the same area though. There's a short ( about 255 yards ) par 4 at my home course. When I drive the green does that count as a fairway hit and a GIR or just a GIR?

[cubfanbob]

It counts as both.

[Sowbug2000]

Yep, I think I will. I download one basic score card to record these stats but it is maybe too basic.

http://www.ping.com/pdfs/performancescoresheet.pdf Here is one from Ping....it is a good idea, but maybe a little too time consuming. I haven't made it through a round using this.

[WhiteSoxFan]

I just use a single scorecard for myself.
In Fairways, I put a check if I hit the fairway or a L or R if I miss Left or Right.
In GIR, I put a check for a hit or an X for a miss.
Putts are putts.
I aso track Up and down opportunities (checks or x's - u/ or u/x), sand save opportunities (s/ or s/x), and penalty strokes taken.

[Kperkins]

I've said this before in another thread. Counting putts alone isn't valuable; You need to count putts and chips combined. You goal should be 36 putts and chips combined (or less) on a par 72 course.

For example, recording 31 putts in a round doesn't tell you much. Especially if you have 31 putts but 14 chips. A total of 45 strokes, or 9 over par just on the greens.

Therefore, I think tracking Fairways, Greens, Chips and Putts is the way to go.

FYI, I consider a chip anything around the green (say 15-30 yards)

[Harold]

I use the scorecard to keep track of stats. Top row is score for the hole. Bottom row is number of putts on the hole. In the middle rows I keep Fairways (F), Greens in Regulation (G), Up and Down (UD), penalty shots (PS) with a 1 if it something like a water hazard where I can move up to the location of the penalty or 2 if it something like an OB ball since that is a stroke and distance penalty. Than after the round the numbers go into various spreadsheets I have made where I keep track of the averages per round, GIR putts, non GIR putts, handicap, etc. Other things I also average are the yardages, course/slope ratings of the courses.

[Diggitydog]

That Ping scoresheet looks like a bit of work. I am also looking for an easy way to track stats. Great point on the Putts / Chips Kperkins.

Also I have to estimate my Handicap because I don't belong to a club. Is there any free / easy software that I can upload my scores to create my own handicap more accurately?

[Sowbug2000]

I use Yahoo....search for Golf.

I tried to find a link...but it has all of my info on it.

Search on Yahoo for Golf Handicap.

Hope this helps.

[play4him]

I use to use a scorecard as well. I agree with kperkins about the chipping & putting. You're going to save more strokes around the green then anywhere. When I started shooting in the 70's, I didn't all of a sudden start hitting 16 greens in regulation. I became an excellent chipper & putter. I worked really hard at my touch.

[Kperkins]

After talking about counting putts and chips, I thought I'd analyze my own game of golf.

I played at an average course yesterday, 6000 yards, par 72.

I shot an 89, my second best round ever. I had 52 putts and chips combined.

Do the math: I was 1 stroke over par on balls off the tee and in the fairway. I was 16 strokes over par around the greens. That's where I need to practice. If I just counted the putts, it wouldn't give me enough information to accuratley tell where I need to practice. In fact, I only had 1 three putt the whole day.

Just goes to show that putts alone doesn't help you identify what's going on.

[azgreg]

After talking about counting putts and chips, I thought I'd analyze my own game of golf.

Sounds like a typical bogey round of golf: around the green in regulation, 1 chip, and 2 puts.

[Kellfire]

I hit 6 out of 14 today, if anyone cares. Oh dear. :)

[Kperkins]

Sounds like a typical bogey round of golf: around the green in regulation, 1 chip, and 2 puts.

So then, how do you get from a bogey golfer to one who cracks 80 occaisonally? Is it by getting on the green in reg more often? or by getting up and down more? Where should I practice?