Single digits...how to get there

[Lihu]

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

Guessing even. Give or take a few. Probably less?

[Golfingdad]

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

68

[LeftRightLeft]

I'm with the full-swing practice crowd.  My Hit Fairways lead to Greens-in-Regulation.  As a mid-handicap once-a-month golfer, even with my rusty short game, 6-7 GIRs almost always means low 80's for me.  If I hit 10 of 14 fairways, I have a good number of chances for GIRs.  When I hit only four fairways (which happens all too often), it will be a struggle and high 90s are in play.  Hmm.  Note to self: Need to spend more range time.

[Lihu]

I'm with the full-swing practice crowd.  My Hit Fairways lead to Greens-in-Regulation.  As a mid-handicap once-a-month golfer, even with my rusty short game, 6-7 GIRs almost always means low 80's for me.  If I hit 10 of 14 fairways, I have a good number of chances for GIRs.  When I hit only four fairways (which happens all too often), it will be a struggle and high 90s are in play.  Hmm.  Note to self: Need to spend more range time. ;-)

I played a whole bunch of practice rounds without putting. I would hit one tee shot followed by 2 approach attempts maybe more. Sometimes, I hit two tee shots. This is much better than just hitting at a range for me, because I get to shoot at a specific target like the flag or the center of the green, etc. 6-7 GIR is the same number I have when I shoot in the low 80s as well. Cool for me to get some confirmation. BTW, You're really good for a one round a month golfer.

[MS256]

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

I don't know but your question made me curious enough to see what I could make, or not make, out of my round yesterday.

My ball striking was below average (even for me).

My chipping was a little below average (and I'm usually pretty good at it).

My putting was better than average even though I did have to make a few longer second putts than I would normally have but I made them.

GIR: 6......Total putts on those holes: 10......1.67 putts per hole.....Extrapolated to if I had hit all 18 greens: 30.6 putts.

No GIR: 12......Total putts on those holes: 17......1.42 putts per hole..... Extrapolated to if I had missed all 18 greens: 25.6 putts

Shot 4 over par on a course I rate at 65, which is between 2 and 3 strokes higher than my better ball striking rounds.

[No Mulligans]

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

Say plus 6 for missed greens and minus 6 for putting, minus 2 for reaching a couple par 5 holes in 2

70

[iacas]

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

I'm not a particularly big fan of games. What's the answer? Of course it's also just one round. The stats on which I'm basing things are thousands, even millions of rounds. People responded to you earlier, but this is all you've had to add. That's disappointing. Let's discuss. Not play games.

[Lihu]

68

This sounds possible. 12 approaches for the GIR, but they could also be tee shots. 8 to 12 tee shots depending upon par of the hole that made GIR 26 putts 16 to 22 approach shots on the other 6 holes give or take 2 depending using the par rating of the holes. Also, assuming 4 par 3, 4 par 5 and 10 par 4? 68 definitely falls right inside, by a really qualitative estimate. I just finished Khan Academy with my daughter, and they have a space for not enough information. In this case, a best guesstimate?

[Lastpick]

Never been to single digits but here is the plan.  One has to put the tee ball in play.  If you aren't hitting the driver well, go to the three wood off the tee.  Hybrids are your friend.  Try to leave approach shots to the green that favor your strengths.  You should carry at the least, three wedges and know how far you hit them.  To shoot a good score you need to be par or better on the par fives and close to par on the par threes.  Make sure your clubs fit your size and swing.  When getting fitted, don't forget to get a putter that fits your size and stroke.  Very few people ever get fitted for a putter.   Stay in the moment and keep your emotions in check.  And last but not least, an eraser is critical.

[ilikefishes]

I think all the responses are very relevant. My score was 73 on a 73.3 rated course. I played 1 hole poorly. My point is that if I could have got the ball up and down on the other holes I would have shot in the 60's.

[Lihu]

Never been to single digits but here is the plan.  One has to put the tee ball in play.  If you aren't hitting the driver well, go to the three wood off the tee.  Hybrids are your friend.  Try to leave approach shots to the green that favor your strengths.  You should carry at the least, three wedges and know how far you hit them.  To shoot a good score you need to be par or better on the par fives and close to par on the par threes.  Make sure your clubs fit your size and swing.  When getting fitted, don't forget to get a putter that fits your size and stroke.  Very few people ever get fitted for a putter.   Stay in the moment and keep your emotions in check.  And last but not least, an eraser is critical.

Pretty good correlation to what I'm surmising is our next step.

Except the eraser.

I think all the responses are very relevant. My score was 73 on a 73.3 rated course. I played 1 hole poorly. My point is that if I could have got the ball up and down on the other holes I would have shot in the 60's.

Sent from my VK810 4G using Tapatalk

Interesting. So, it was about 1 stroke above the middle of my original estimate. Par 72?

[ilikefishes]

It was cold and windy for the first 5 or do holes. It definitely makes a difference here this late in the year. I played the last 13 in -2. I guess both theories have some relevance. If I hit the ball better the first few holes, or if I get up and down better. Either way you got to get the ball in the hole. Won money today though. So that is most important to me.

[Zesty]

I have never understood the putts per round stat because I make more putts when I hit greens in regulation than when I am scrambling up and down for par. I only keep track of how many three putts I have and even then if it was a really long first putt with multiple breaks I cut myself some slack. I simply try to review my read, bead and speed metrics after each hole (credit: Iacas). I try to do this right when anything odd happens so I can focus a touch more on the offending aspect of my putting during the next couple of holes. If after the round I was say, pulling them or leaving them short, then that's what I'll work on. I use this to judge myself rather than counting the total number of putts to somehow feel as though that total number is what made it a good or a bad day of putting.

[Shorty]

Never been to single digits but here is the plan.  One has to put the tee ball in play.  If you aren't hitting the driver well, go to the three wood off the tee.  Hybrids are your friend.  Try to leave approach shots to the green that favor your strengths.  You should carry at the least, three wedges and know how far you hit them.  To shoot a good score you need to be par or better on the par fives and close to par on the par threes.  Make sure your clubs fit your size and swing.  When getting fitted, don't forget to get a putter that fits your size and stroke.  Very few people ever get fitted for a putter.   Stay in the moment and keep your emotions in check.  And last but not least, an eraser is critical.

Only very good players hit their 3 wood more reliably off the tee than a driver. The 3 wood off the tee causes more problems than it solves for most players.

Not off the tee if you hope to have a shot at a GIR except on very short holes.

Why? Most players do but you don't have to.

?????? Why not close to par on most holes and no worse than maybe one or two doubles? Some courses have very difficult par 5s and long par 3s where a par is a bonus.

True, but there are lots of players who putt well anyway.

[joekelly]

Shorty, think of all the color blind folks who cannot read what you wrote.  Something wrong with black, and big?

[Lastpick]

Only very good players hit their 3 wood more reliably off the tee than a driver. The 3 wood off the tee causes more problems than it solves for most players.

Not off the tee if you hope to have a shot at a GIR except on very short holes.

Why? Most players do but you don't have to.

?????? Why not close to par on most holes and no worse than maybe one or two doubles? Some courses have very difficult par 5s and long par 3s where a par is a bonus.

True, but there are lots of players who putt well anyway.

I was just pondering on how to reach a single digit handicap.  You are not going to reach single digit handicap with one or two doubles.  If you are a single digit player, hitting a three wood off a tee is going to be more accurate than a drive imo.

[Lihu]

I was just pondering on how to reach a single digit handicap.  You are not going to reach single digit handicap with one or two doubles.  If you are a single digit player, hitting a three wood off a tee is going to be more accurate than a drive imo.

Distance is key.

It's not for accuracy that I am hitting the 3W (even as a 13-14 handicap), but to avoid things that could cost me an extra shot. For reference, a good average shot with my 3W is about 220 yards and my driver is about 240 yards.

When I hit a 3W off the tee, I expect to club up 2 full clubs on the approach. For me at least, I only use 3W when my typical approach is going to be only 150 yards, and if there is a dogleg right where my 3W distance meets the turn. A 350 yard par 4 that doglegs right at about 200+ yards is pretty optimal for my 3W. If I use driver, I could end up in a bunker on the far side of the fairway. If the hole is 380-400 yards, I use the driver no matter what because my approach is optimally 160 yards, which is a 6i (currently 160 yards) with a higher dispersion than my 7i (currently 150 yards). If the hole is more than 420 yards, I usually end up struggling with up to my 3i on the approach. This is why my upper limit is a 400 yard par 4, and I try to play the tees that keep me at only one or two par 4 in the 430 to 450 yard range with most of them less than 400 yards.

With some conditioning to allow me to get full weight shift without injury, I am hoping to see my average maximum tee/approach reach 430-440 yards. This is basically a 10-15 yard increase in my irons and 20-25 yards to my driver. That's what I am hoping for to get me to the next level.

[iacas]

I think all the responses are very relevant. My score was 73 on a 73.3 rated course. I played 1 hole poorly. My point is that if I could have got the ball up and down on the other holes I would have shot in the 60's.

It's right there, it's what I would call "smack you upside the head obvious."

You played a hole poorly and didn't get the ball up and down very often… and you shot beneath the course rating.

Why? Because you hit 12 GIR.

Ball striking matters WAY, WAY more than the short game and putting.

Hit 6 GIR and scramble better and you're not breaking 75 on your best days (unless of course the 12 missed GIRs are mostly fringes or something weird like that).