"Putting is a huge part of the game."

[rehmwa]

52 minutes ago, iacas said:

It's a huge part of your score,

 

I been waiting to see who would be the first to just explicitly say that.  Acknowledge it's a huge part of the score....explain it's not a huge opportunity for improvement.  winner winner

Edited April 3, 2018 by rehmwa

[klineka]

16 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

I been waiting to see who would be the first to just explicitly say that.  Acknowledge it's a huge part of the score....explain it's not a huge opportunity for improvement.  winner winner

Maybe the reason it took 12 pages for it to be explicitly stated is because its a pretty obvious fact/common knowledge that putting is a huge part of the score? 

[Patch]

2 minutes ago, klineka said:

Maybe the reason it took 12 pages for it to be explicitly stated is because its a pretty obvious fact/common knowledge that putting is a huge part of the score? 

And since putting is a huge part of a golfer's score, that is probably why some golfer's feel it's a huge part of their game. Their score represents their over all game. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Patch said:

And since putting is a huge part of a golfer's score, that is probably why some golfer's feel it's a huge part of their game. Their score represents their over all game. 

Yeah, that's not how the OP was saying it, though.

So… I agree, nobody would deny it's not a huge part of your score. It's not a huge part of what determines your score.

[krupa]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Yeah, that's not how the OP was saying it, though.

So… I agree, nobody would deny it's not a huge part of your score. It's not a huge part of what determines your score.

I feel kind of stupid asking this question but I will anyway... when using a putter on the fringe, is that considered a putt for stats like SG Putting or just saying I shot 95 with X putts?

[b101]

5 minutes ago, krupa said:

I feel kind of stupid asking this question but I will anyway... when using a putter on the fringe, is that considered a putt for stats like SG Putting or just saying I shot 95 with X putts?

Not a stupid question. I count it as a green if it's the fringe. If I'm clearly off the green and putting from the rough or clearly off the green, that's a short game shot. Not sure whether that fits what @iacas's description would be though, but it makes sense to me!

[klineka]

13 minutes ago, krupa said:

I feel kind of stupid asking this question but I will anyway... when using a putter on the fringe, is that considered a putt for stats like SG Putting or just saying I shot 95 with X putts?

I dont think so . At least not for GameGolf. For GameGolf when using the putter you can specify if you were on the green or off the green. 

 

Edit, yep heres a perfect example from the last round I played. I putted from the fringe, and after the round I marked that my 3rd shot was off the green but used my putter, and it gave me 2 putts even though I used my putter for 3 strokes on that hole. Just ignore the fact that I left the eagle putt 16 feet short, the greens hadnt been mowed in a few months and were probably like a 5 (at the most) on the stimp and it was an uphill putt and first hole of the day 

Edited April 3, 2018 by klineka

[NM Golf]

50 minutes ago, krupa said:

I feel kind of stupid asking this question but I will anyway... when using a putter on the fringe, is that considered a putt for stats like SG Putting or just saying I shot 95 with X putts?

No, the ball must be on the green to count as a putt regardless of what club you use. Putting from the fringe counts towards your scrambling stats.

Edited April 3, 2018 by NM Golf

[klineka]

Just now, NM Golf said:

No, the ball must be on the green to count as a putt regardless of what club you use.

Somewhat related question, if you chip the ball or use a club other than putter when you are on the green, does that still count as a putt? 

[NM Golf]

5 minutes ago, klineka said:

Somewhat related question, if you chip the ball or use a club other than putter when you are on the green, does that still count as a putt? 

Yes, just like when Luke List had to putt with his wedge in the Match Play. Also, after your first stroke on the green every subsequent stroke is also counted as a putt, even if its from off the green. For example if you putted off the green and had to pitch back on that pitch shot would be counted as a putt.

NOTE: Traditionally this is the way it is, the committee can change it as how to keep stats is not covered in the Rules of Golf.

Edited April 3, 2018 by NM Golf

[Shorty]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

So… I agree, nobody would deny it's not a huge part of your score. It's not a huge part of what determines your score.

Exactly. If I have a round with 23 or 24 putts it's rarely an indicator of good putting. It means ordinary to poor iron play and reasonable to excellent chipping. Some days you have 34 or 36 putts but because of decent iron play and many GIRs and you have 20 footers all day. Some of the best putting days I've had are when I seem to have avoided several 3 putts holes on difficult greens with long putts.

Anyone who looks at their numbers of putts and think that it's an indicator of how well they have REALLY putted is making a mistake.

In a round of 72 with 18 GIRs that's 36 putts. Half your strokes. That 50% would not occupy a minute of my time if I was analysing my score after a round like that. And that does NOT indicate that I am ignoring half my shots. The putts have an extremely low rating of importance.

[JonMA1]

1 hour ago, NM Golf said:

No, the ball must be on the green to count as a putt regardless of what club you use. Putting from the fringe counts towards your scrambling stats.

^^^^This is what I've been going by.

Putting from off the green can really skew the statistics if they're not recorded correctly (from GameGolf anyway). I putt from off the green as often as I feel I can get away with it. If I counted those as putts, my putting stats would be even worse than they currently are and my GIR stats would be disproportionately higher than my skill level.

That said, when I get close enough to putt for birdie - whether from the fringe or slightly off the green - I'm feeling pretty good about my tee to green game. Sadly, I'm more apt to bogey the hole than to make par in these instances.

1 hour ago, Shorty said:

In a round of 72 with 18 GIRs that's 36 putts. Half your strokes. That 50% would not occupy a minute of my time if I was analysing my score after a round like that. And that does NOT indicate that I am ignoring half my shots. The putts have an extremely low rating of importance.

Is it accurate to assume those of you who play in the low single digits or better are likely pretty decent putters to go along with better than average full swing skills? 

From MyGolfSpy:

Quote

It is important to understand that Putting is not an independent metric. Being below average might mean that a) you are a better putter of the ball or that b) you don’t hit many greens in regulations or that c) you hit it very close with your approach game.

 

[Shorty]

30 minutes ago, JonMA1 said:

 

Is it accurate to assume those of you who play in the low single digits or better are likely pretty decent putters to go along with better than average full swing skills? 

 

The definition of a good or decent putter is relative. And it depends on where you play. If your home course has relatively flat greens you may not be able to relate to the idea of a putt where you are essentially trying to avoid a 3 putt or how you can be irritated when a 15 foot putt doesn't go in. The really good putters are not the guys who roll in the occasional 30 footer - everyone does that -  it's the ones who consistently make the 3 and four  and five footers and do well on the sidehill 6 footers where a miss on the low side means a 5 footer coming back. Good lag putting on slowish greens is an easy art to master. Avoiding 3 putts from 20 to 30 feet on challenging greens is a different art altogether.

My point in all this is that you should look at the putts you make and miss in your analysis, not merely the total. 26 putts does not imply a great putting round.

When you miss those 3 footers are they missing the hole completely? If they are, is it speed or alignment or jumpy stroke or just a really bad read.

Did your putts go where you wanted them to go? If they did, and they missed, accept it and be content.

Was that 10 footer you thought you were hitting a cup outside the right (but still went in after it broke left to right) really a "good" putt.

You could tell me that you were a great putter and I could take you to a course where on some holes the challenge is to 3 putt from some positions and avoid a 4 putt. That is very rare and crazy, but it's true. I have seen guys who hit it pretty well from tee to green but are just as likely to 3 putt from 10 feet as to make the putt. Strangely, these are almost ALWAYS the guys who hit their most lofted club onto the green from anywhere inside 20 metres and skull and chunk them in equal measure. I think it exceptionally rare to see a really good ball striker who is  a lousy putter - unless they have the yips.

 

Edited April 3, 2018 by Shorty

[JonMA1]

Thanks @Shorty. That all makes perfect sense.

13 minutes ago, Shorty said:

Did your putts go where you wanted them to go? If they did, and they missed, accept it and be content.

This is good advice to those of us who struggle and has helped to keep my sanity at times.

[Shorty]

1 minute ago, JonMA1 said:

Thanks @Shorty. That all makes perfect sense.

This is good advice to those of us who struggle and has helped to keep my sanity at times.

One of the best things you can do from a mental standpoint in terms of putting is to accept that the ball just didn't go in but you hit the putt you wanted to hit.  You'll have just as many that you didn't hit perfectly that do go in.

Edited April 3, 2018 by Shorty

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, Shorty said:

One of the best things you can do from a mental standpoint in terms of putting is to accept that the ball just didn't go in but you hit the putt you wanted to hit.  You'll have just as many that you didn't hit perfectly that do go in.

From 20' we can roll balls down a Perfect Putter from the same height, same kind of ball, and make 1 out of 4 from 20' or so. Often less.

Putting is incredibly random. That's why you can't get too much better than 50% from 8', etc. The hole is small, as is the margin of error and random tiny imperceptible bumps, etc.

Even more so on slower, likely bumpier greens.

[JonMA1]

1 minute ago, Shorty said:

One of the best things you can do from a mental standpoint in terms of putting is to accept that the ball just didn't go in but you hit the putt you wanted to hit.  You'll have just as many that you didn't hit perfectly that do go in.

I don't know that I've ever thought of it this way. Certainly there are the very short putts that almost lip out. With those it's obvious I didn't hit it right. But on the 4-6' footers that I make, I don't normally consider whether I hit it the way I wanted to.

I'm sure you're right about this. Such as failing to see the break but unintentionally starting the ball on the correct line.

---

I apologize for taking this off-topic. I do think there's some helpful information here.

Now I have to bust out the putting strip... not because I think putting is more important, but more because there's a blizzard blowing through our area and I didn't get to practice my full swing.

[rehmwa]

9 hours ago, Patch said:

And since putting is a huge part of a golfer's score, that is probably why some golfer's feel it's a huge part of their game. Their score represents their over all game. 

you guys are funny.  the point of the obtuse comment is to give the OP something and then explain reality.  "I see why you might think that, here's how it really works"

general commentary how to not shut down posters from the start......though in the this specific case I doubt it would have helped....

3 hours ago, Shorty said:

One of the best things you can do from a mental standpoint in terms of putting is to accept that the ball just didn't go in but you hit the putt you wanted to hit.  You'll have just as many that you didn't hit perfectly that do go in.

I do that as much as I can.  Acknowledge a good read, or good stroke and a bad read....whatever, just look at what went right and store that feel for next time