SANTA'S TIPS TO REDUCE YOUR HANDICAP (Part 1)

Santa believes, as I do, it all  starts on the green and here are the stats to prove it, this goes on a bit but read to the end. End of the day you can't hole every putt but this will bring realistic expectations to you all. 

DISTANCE ONE PUTT TWO PUTT THREE PUTTS-Plus EXPECTED PUTTS AVG. 1 foot 100% 0.0% 0.0% 1.001 2 feet 99% 0.6% 0.1% 1.009 3 feet 95% 5% 0.2% 1.053 4 feet 86% 14% 0.2% 1.147 5 feet 75% 25% 0.3% 1.256 6 feet 65% 35% 0.3% 1.357 7 feet 56% 44% 0.4% 1.443 7 feet, 10 inches 50% 49% 0.5% 1.50 8 feet 49% 51% 0.5% 1.515 9 feet 43% 56% 0.6% 1.575 10 feet 38% 61% 0.7% 1.626 11 feet 34% 65% 0.8% 1.669 12 feet 30% 69% 0.9% 1.705 13 feet 27% 72% 1% 1.737 14 feet 25% 74% 1% 1.765 15 feet 22% 77% !% 1.790 16 feet 20% 78% 1% 1.811 17 feet 19% 80% 2% 1.830 18 feet 17% 81% 2% 1.848 19 feet 16% 83% 2% 1.863 20 feet 14% 84% 2% 1.878 21 feet 13% 85% 2% 1.891 22 feet 12% 85% 3% 1.903 23 feet 11% 86% 3% 1.914 24 feet 11% 86% 3% 1.924 25 feet 10% 87% 3% 1.934 26 feet 9% 87% 4% 1.944 27 feet 9% 88% 4% 1.953 28 feet 8% 88% 4% 1.961 29 feet 8% 88% 5% 1.970 30 feet 7% 88% 5% 1.978 31 feet 7% 88% 5% 1.993 32 feet 6% 88% 6% 1.993 33 feet 6% 88% 6% 2.001 34 feet 6% 88% 7% 2.009 35 feet 5% 88% 7% 2.016 36 feet 5% 87% 8% 2.024 37 feet 5% 87% 8% 2.032 38 feet 5% 87% 9% 2.039 39 feet 4% 87% 9% 2.047 40 feet 4% 86% 10% 2.055 41 feet 4% 86% 10% 2.062 42 feet 4% 85% 11% 2.070 43 feet 4% 85% 12% 2.078 44 feet 4% 84% 12% 2.086 45 feet 3% 84% 13% 2.094 46 feet 3% 83% 14% 2.102 47 feet 3% 83% 14% 2.110 48 feet 3% 82% 15% 2.118 49 feet 3% 82% 16% 2.127 50 feet 3% 81% 16% 2.135 51 feet 3% 80% 17% 2.143 52 feet 3% 80% 18% 2.152 53 feet 3% 79% 19% 2.160 54 feet 2% 78% 19% 2.168 55 feet 2% 78% 20% 2.177 56 feet 2% 77% 21% 2.185 57 feet 2% 76% 22% 2.193 58 feet 2% 76% 22% 2.202 59 feet 2% 75% 23% 2.210 60 feet 2% 74% 24% 2.218 61 feet 2% 74% 25% 2.226 62 feet 2% 73% 25% 2.234 63 feet 2% 72% 26% 2.242 64 feet 2% 72% 27% 2.250 65 feet 2% 71% 27% 2.257 66 feet 2% 70% 28% 2.265 67 feet 2% 70% 29% 2.272 68 feet 2% 69% 30% 2.279 69 feet 2% 68% 30% 2.286 70 feet 2% 68% 31% 2.293 71 feet 1% 67% 31% 2.299 72 feet 1% 67% 32% 2.306 73 feet 1% 66% 33% 2.312 74 feet 1% 66% 33% 2.318 75 feet 1% 65% 34% 2.324 76 feet 1% 65% 34% 2.329 77 feet 1% 64% 35% 2.334 78 feet 1% 64% 35% 2.339 79 feet 1% 63% 36% 2.344 80 feet 1% 63% 36% 2.349 81 feet 1% 63% 36% 2.353 82 feet 1% 62% 37% 2.357 83 feet 1% 63% 37% 2.361 84 feet 1% 63% 37% 2.364 85 feet 1% 61% 38% 2.367 86 feet 1% 61% 38% 2.370 87 feet 1% 61% 38% 2.373 88 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.375 89 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.377 90 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.379 91 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.381 92 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.382 93 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.383 94 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.384 95 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.384 96 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.384 97 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.384 98 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.383 99 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.383 100 feet 1% 60% 39% 2.382

Base Your Putting Expectations on reality. 

IN SHORT Be Realistic. You will mostly putt on surfaces unlike those on the professional tours. The greens will never run as true as those in tournament golf.

Number of Putts

One of the least satisfactory statistic for expressing your putting ability is the total number of putts per round. This is because the more greens you miss, the fewer putts you will most likely have.

The number of putts per green in regulation is a more meaningful statistic. By using greens in regulation you eliminate the effects of chipping close and one-putting.

However, for most golfers the number of putts per green in regulation is not always appropriate for a measurement of putting success. This is because handicap golfers don’t hit enough greens to get useful feedback.

Putting Statistics

PGA's Shot Tracker reveals that tour players on average make:

• 99% of putts from 3 feet and in
• 69% of 6-foot putts
• 54% of 8-foot putts
• 31% of putts between 10 and 15 feet

This information is meaningless for the average golfer as a foundation for their putting expectations. The pro game and the amateur game are too different. It is like comparing apples and oranges.

Don't expect to putt like the pros, if you don't practise like the pros.

Three-Putting

One way for you to measure if your putting performance matches your putting expectations is to record the number of your three-putts (or worse) per round.

Most three-putting is a result of a poor first putt. Keep the three-putts off your card as best you can by practising your distance control.

Ironically the quickest way for you to avoid three-putting is to miss more greens and improve your chipping.

Putting Expectations

How often do you three putt?

In general a better player should have fewer three-putts than a less accomplished player. Therefore, much will depend on your handicap, which is a reflection of your skill level.

There is no sliding scale that sets out the probable number of three-putts based on handicap. It is impossible to construct such a chart. For example, on courses where the greens are large with many tiers, you are more likely to three-putt.

You need to plot your own results with the goal of steadily reducing the number of three-putts per round. You have to be your own judge of your performance.

Measuring Success

There is a better way of expressing your putting expectations that has nothing to do with counting your score or the number of your putts.

Instead of judging success simply on whether you holed the putt or not, you measure your success on how well you executed the putt.

On every putt that you face, long or short, all you can do is:

1. Put a good stroke on the ball.
2. Set it off on the correct path to take the break.
3. Give it enough speed to reach the hole.

If the ball goes in the hole, that is a bonus. If you have performed each of the three steps to the best of your ability and the putt misses, you have still succeeded.

The advantage of using this process for measuring your success is that it helps to identify those parts of your putting where you will need to improve.

Zen Golf

Dr Joseph Parent From his book Zen Golf- Mastering the Mental Game:

"To most golfers, whether or not they make a putt is defined by whether or not it goes in the hole. This emphasizes the result of the putt more than it does the process of putting, and that interferes with the stroke.

Therefore, the best definition to use is this:

If you rolled the ball on the path you chose, at the pace you wanted, with what you felt was a good stroke, then you made the putt. You may not hole every putt, but you can make every putt."

Conclusion

By using Dr Parent’s idea as a way to express your putting expectations rather than a numerical count you will:

• Put less pressure on your putting.
• Reduce your performance anxiety as holing the putt
  is not the indicator for success.
• Create less mental scar tissue when a putt slides by.