Single digits...how to get there

[MS256]

Same for me.  If a player hit all the greens in regulation and had 36 putts, he would make par for the round.  But if the same player hit half the GIR and had 30 putts, his score would be higher.

I can really lower that putt total if I'm chipping for bogeys most of the day.

[iacas]

I was a bit unnerved and rude and I apologise- but I find it completely absurd that a 13 handicapper averages 31 putts a round. I've been around awhile and I have never seen anyone but the best golfers average considerably less than 2 putts per hole.

I will stand by this.

This is one of those things that aren't really opinion. It's closer to fact, and on this fact, you're wrong. (There are of course exceptions - guys who really are horrible putters who would shave strokes by working on that. But they're just that - exceptions.)

For example, I've always averaged between 29-32 putts per round. I averaged this when I was shooting 85 and when I was shooting 71. I'm a better putter now when I'm shooting 71 than I was when I was shooting 85, but only marginally . I am a MUCH better ball striker now.

Heck, look at guys on the PGA Tour. They often have the same number of putts (or thereabouts) whether they shoot 66 or 76. There's another story in Broadie's book where Tiger had 26 putts in a round or something and putted TERRIBLY. Basically, he was stuffing it close all day and couldn't get anything to drop. He shot something like 69 and it could have been a 64 or something.

If you hit 0 greens in regulation, you will probably have about 32-34 putts. After all, even if you're a poor chipper, you should hit your chip shots to between 5 and 25 feet. You'll one-putt some of those. You'll two-putt most. You might three-putt a few, but if you three-putt regularly from 20 feet, you are an aberration if you've been playing for a year or more.

Heck, my 11-year-old daughter averages under two putts per hole… and we don't spend much time at all on her putting… because it doesn't matter as much as other things.

Buy the book on the left in my avatar. I think you'll find it well worth it. Maybe it'll help YOU get into the single digits…

As for the original premise of the thread, the poster wishes to get to single digits and wants to know how to get there with a reasonable amount of effort. I submit that decent golfers (low bogey players like myself) can be more effective shaving strokes practicing putting versus practicing on the range. If you've ever been to a tournament, watch the guys around the green and the incredible dilligence and amount of time they spend there. (remember the story of Rory practicing 55 straight putts from 10 feet?)

PGA Tour pros spend several multiples more time on the range than they do hitting putts.

[No Mulligans]

If you hit 0 greens in regulation, you will probably have about 32-34 putts. After all, even if you're a poor chipper, you should hit your chip shots to between 5 and 25 feet. You'll one-putt some of those. You'll two-putt most. You might three-putt a few, but if you three-putt regularly from 20 feet, you are an aberration if you've been playing for a year or more.

This ^ ^ ^

In addition, I find myself putting on the fringe or off the green near the fringe much more often than better ball strikers.  These "putts" don't count as putts on the stats. I'm consistently under 2 putts per hole average.

[Ernest Jones]

Count me as another supporter of what @iacas has said. I'm a pretty crappy golfer but I'm generally around 32 putts a round. I also have less putts per round when I'm having a shitty ballstriking day and more putts per round when I'm hitting the ball well. It's not a mystery, it's all about proximity to the hole and everyone (on average) can chip it closer than they can get it with a full approach shot regardless of which club they are using on the full swing.

[billchao]

I'm an awful putter (36 putts per round) and even I can tell you putting is not that important. My lowest round this year was an 88, with 39 putts. My best putting round this year was a 34 and I shot 97 or something like that. There just aren't that many strokes you can make up through putting. How many strokes do you lose with a missed putt? One (not really, it's more like 0.5). How many strokes can you lose with an errant drive or approach shot? Depends on where you end up, but it can be a lot more than one.

[mvmac]

If you've ever been to a tournament, watch the guys around the green and the incredible dilligence and amount of time they spend there. (remember the story of Rory practicing 55 straight putts from 10 feet?)

I attend several tour events a year and get to go inside the ropes. Erik is right with what he says below. I know it may feel like we're ganging up on you a bit but this is an important point to grasp.

Speaking of Rory

PGA Tour pros spend several multiples more time on the range than they do hitting putts.

[9424tm]

I have played 17 rounds this year. I was around an 11 HC at the beginning of the year and decided to listen to this advice. I bought a driver late last year but never used it (usually used a 3 wood or hybrid off the tee) and took a lesson. I have worked VERY hard on my driving and long irons/hybrids and dropped my HC by almost 4 strokes. I am more proud of those last 4 strokes than the previous 25. My putting is the same but my ball striking has improved dramatically. I have far more GIRs and when I miss, it's much, much closer. Take my word, forget the putter, practice the full swing. I really only practice putting for rhythm anymore. Also, I just ordered LSW. If the little bits and pieces I keep hearing have helped this much, I can't wait to see what the rest will do.

[Hammer 4]

I get the feeling, your gonna really like LSW...great book!

[DrvFrShow]

You're going to look at my handicap and think she doesn't know what she's talking about. I'll tell you where most of my strokes are lost, and they're not on the short game. I can chip on or pitch on and two putt no problem and some of the time one putt. I hit my driver pretty well most of the time. Most of my strokes are lost on shots between my drive and the green. That part of the game. If I could be more consistent with my fairway woods, my hybrids, and longer irons as far as making solid contact and keeping the ball on the fairway or hitting the green with the second shot on a par 4, that would take a ton of strokes off my game. If I could at least get my second shot on a par 4 around the fringe or within a very short chip of the green, that would allow me to get up and down for a par or at worst a bogey. I'd be looking at shooting low-80s instead of mid-90s.

So I'm working on my long and mid-game this off season. It's harder. I want my drives longer and more consistent. I want my irons more solid. I want my fairway wood and hybrid solid. A couple weeks chipping and pitching and a couple rounds on the Executive course in April will have the short game back. It only took me a couple weeks to pick it up. I'm a decent putter.

After that it's course management.

[Lihu]

You're going to look at my handicap and think she doesn't know what she's talking about. I'll tell you where most of my strokes are lost, and they're not on the short game. I can chip on or pitch on and two putt no problem and some of the time one putt. I hit my driver pretty well most of the time. Most of my strokes are lost on shots between my drive and the green. That part of the game. If I could be more consistent with my fairway woods, my hybrids, and longer irons as far as making solid contact and keeping the ball on the fairway or hitting the green with the second shot on a par 4, that would take a ton of strokes off my game. If I could at least get my second shot on a par 4 around the fringe or within a very short chip of the green, that would allow me to get up and down for a par or at worst a bogey. I'd be looking at shooting low-80s instead of mid-90s.

So I'm working on my long and mid-game this off season. It's harder. I want my drives longer and more consistent. I want my irons more solid. I want my fairway wood and hybrid solid. A couple weeks chipping and pitching and a couple rounds on the Executive course in April will have the short game back. It only took me a couple weeks to pick it up. I'm a decent putter.

After that it's course management.

You're not unique in this regard. Many more of us are afflicted by this problem.

A decent drive doesn't hurt either. . .

[DrvFrShow]

I'm an awful putter (36 putts per round) and even I can tell you putting is not that important. My lowest round this year was an 88, with 39 putts. My best putting round this year was a 34 and I shot 97 or something like that.

There just aren't that many strokes you can make up through putting.

How many strokes do you lose with a missed putt? One (not really, it's more like 0.5).

How many strokes can you lose with an errant drive or approach shot? Depends on where you end up, but it can be a lot more than one.

Long drive followed by an errant second shot that ricochets off a tree branch and goes out of bounds. How many strokes did that cost? Or the second shot that you hook and it ends up directly behind a tree and you have no other option other than these two: take an unplayable lie; or tap the ball laterally out onto the fairway. How many strokes did that cost? It could cost more than one depending upon how well you hit the next shot. Long game > putting . I shot a 100 with 43 putts this year. My 90 was with 33 putts, not with a fantastic day on the green. My best putting round this year was a 99 with 29 putts.

[Lihu]

Long drive followed by an errant second shot that ricochets off a tree branch and goes out of bounds. How many strokes did that cost? Or the second shot that you hook and it ends up directly behind a tree and you have no other option other than these two: take an unplayable lie; or tap the ball laterally out onto the fairway. How many strokes did that cost? It could cost more than one depending upon how well you hit the next shot. Long game > putting. I shot a 100 with 43 putts this year. My 90 was with 33 putts, not with a fantastic day on the green. My best putting round this year was a 99 with 29 putts.

I've been behind trees many times per round, where I would simply hit over them. A strong iron game allows you to get over some of the trees in this area. If you are on the tree root, you can either tap it out into a place it can be played or worst case take an unplayable. This is usually one extra stroke, if you have a strong approach game and can still make the green from where ever you end up.

You might think that the putting game is important based upon your one data point, but I am guessing that the 90 versus 100 score was a direct result of your being closer to the green which led to the less putts.

In general, having a good long game, is a good metric to how well you will score. GIR or near GIR is really the best way to lower your scores.

[Golfingdad]

I can see where you might think that the putting game is important based upon your one data point,

What about her posts lead you to believe that she thought this?  You gotta stop reading the Ebola thread and concentrate a little better, buddy.

I'll tell you where most of my strokes are lost, and they're not on the short game.

I can chip on or pitch on and two putt no problem and some of the time one putt.

Most of my strokes are lost on shots between my drive and the green. That part of the game.

So I'm working on my long and mid-game this off season. It's harder. I want my drives longer and more consistent. I want my irons more solid. I want my fairway wood and hybrid solid.

A couple weeks chipping and pitching and a couple rounds on the Executive course in April will have the short game back.

It only took me a couple weeks to pick it up. I'm a decent putter.

After that it's course management.

Long game > putting.

[billchao]

Long drive followed by an errant second shot that ricochets off a tree branch and goes out of bounds. How many strokes did that cost? Or the second shot that you hook and it ends up directly behind a tree and you have no other option other than these two: take an unplayable lie; or tap the ball laterally out onto the fairway. How many strokes did that cost? It could cost more than one depending upon how well you hit the next shot. Long game > putting .

Yup. Let's say I was great at putting, and averaged 29 putts per round. Given the state of the rest of my game, I'd average 21 over. If I was great at the long game and averaged 14 GIR, given the rest of my game stays the same, I'd probably average at worst 5 over. I know what it'll take to get to scratch, and it's not spending the majority of my time on putting.

[Lihu]

What about her posts lead you to believe that she thought this?  You gotta stop reading the Ebola thread and concentrate a little better, buddy.

Bad wording (still learning to write properly***). I meant in the general sense, and updated my wording in my post. In any case, it looks like we're all on the same page.

***I'm a design engineer not one of those paper pushers.

[Shorty]

This ^ ^ ^

In addition, I find myself putting on the fringe or off the green near the fringe much more often than better ball strikers.  These "putts" don't count as putts on the stats. I'm consistently under 2 putts per hole average.

Exactly.

Many is the time I've had 24 or 25 putts in a round according to correct "stats".

On those rounds, the last thing I'm going to be talking about is how well I putted, rather how crap I played.

[HawkNballs]

I agree on the ball striking.  It is also a big help to have a one way miss.  You can always take one side of the course out of the equation... even when you're not hitting it that great.

[ilikefishes]

So I had 26 putts today and hit 12 greens. What do you think I shot?