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| Middlefield GC, Oregon |
Some of us golfers that don't have
much natural talent have to become crafty and try all the angles we
can find to break 90, 80, and then shoot the elusive par round. This
golfing statistical system I've created for myself I want to share
with you in hopes it may help you shave some shots off the score
card. Knowing your weaknesses and strengths can help you zero in on
what you need to practice and lead to you playing better golf.
First of all it's always
best to play by the rules, no mulligans or kicking the ball out of
trouble. Play the ball as it lies or if winter rules take your 6
inches no closer to the hole. Know your rules and you might as well
stick to them cause it's the best way to measure your true ability as
a golfer. If you know your pure ability out there on the course then
you can work with this. So keeping an accurate score is necessary for
this stat system to work.
I have placed a video of
my statistical system here in the article for you to see the pictures
as I explain what the numbers mean. Most of the numbers you likely
are aware people keep stats of, cause you hear them when watching pro
golf. Yet, there are some unique stats I keep every round which are
likely new to you. These have helped me evaluate the round with more
depth.
The first one is the
check mark = chances gave self for par, the c=conversion of par, and B+ = clean up (one putts when first
putt is bogey or worse). These are put into percentages by some
relatively easy math you can figure out. For instance the number of
holes had at least one putt for par divided by 18 holes = the % of
holes check mark.
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| Middlefield GC, Oregon |
The second unique
section of stats I began to keep last year is the zone. Being in the
zone is playing to your goals. This is a sort of realistic look at
what your ability is as of yet. Of course we would like to shoot par,
but really shooting five over for 18 would feel nearly as good to
me, as I'm about a 15 handicap at best right now. So to compute the
zone stats go through the 18 holes and realistically place goals on
each hole that you think are possible for your ability. Don't be too
easy on yourself, your zone score should be a little better than your
best round.
So when you are shooting
in the zone, then you are shooting within the goals you have already
set for those holes. Maybe you get a bogey on a long par 4, if you
allowed that hole to be a bogey hole, then you are still in the zone.
So put the number of holes you shot within your goals and divide it
with 18 and you'll get your % of holes you played in the zone. I like
to put also how many holes I played in a row in the zone. Then there
is the power zone, this is where you shot par or better on one hole
or better. For the power zone I just put how many in a row I did. The
zone is a fun way to track your progress as a golfer. If you start
shooting 95% in the zone for instance, then you need to redo your
zone goals to a lower score.
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| Middlefield GC, Oregon |
The video and picture will
help you understand the rest. I failed to mention in the video that
the 203yards was the average drive distance. This doesn't mean I used
a driver on the hole, but it's the distance I shot off the tee on all
the par four and fives. Because the course I was playing had so many
shorter par 4's I use an iron a lot of times off the tee to avoid
trouble. This doesn't mean I stay out of trouble always, but it
helps when the driver has gone wild.
I wanted to share this
system to you to help you think of ways to become a better golfer
besides just pounding the range day and night. If you are breaking
100 consistently, then you are hitting the ball well enough, so it's
time to get mentally tough and know what your game is made of by the
numbers. By knowing your stats you can evaluate your play while you
are playing and the information helps you make adjustments and know
what to do. It just makes you focus that much more and know your
game, which will lead to you making the best out of your round.
What you want to do while
out on the course, is mark down the drive distance, circle the hole
if a green in regulation, mark down your putts, fringe putts, penalty
strokes,sand saves, par saves, fairways hit, and if you are in play after the drive. From
these markings on your actual scorecard, you can then gather all the
stats that I explained here and in the video. It will take some math
and some time to compute it all, and you may do it differently than
me, but taking the time to do this will give you time to reflect on
the round and know how to prepare for the next round.
I love to golf even if I
can't do it as well as I hope sometimes. Every round I hit a shot
that makes me feel like a professional. This keeps me dreaming, keeps
me loving the game. I haven't been for awhile, but I'll be back out
there again, scribbling in my scorecard, yep, God willing... Know The Rules:
This Is For Inspiration, Get The Video For Use Always, This Masters Was Awesome Golf!
Here are a couple more article about golf I've written:
- Golfer's Corner
- How To Golf Better And Break 90
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