The difference between some people’s “scratch game” and their “12-over-par game” is who all’s watching them play, if anybody…
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I think that rate is, “how many holes per round, did you have to chip it twice on that hole?” So >1, isn’t great.
I don’t think he’s at 16 GIR/round…
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It is all ball striking. I won club championship this year with 38 putts in the 2nd round. Course was set up difficult but I just hit the ball better than everyone else.
Stats can tell you almost any story they want. Below are what my SG are against tour pro. Pretty even overall. I do believe that having this info is the only way to truly improve. Too many people spend time on parts of their game that don’t correlate to them improving their score.
Driving -1.69
Approach -1.63
ARG -.63
Putt -1.53
I love the ARG one, just because of how my game is. Yes I double chip a lot, however I can’t tell you how many times I chunk a chip and then hole the next one. Working on reducing the extremes but ARG is a very make or break for me.
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Read that stat again…I chip twice on a hole 1.26 times a round.
I forget if you’ve told us already, how do you personally gather that data? Arccos, or the like?
Completely agree on utilizing data to practice and play more efficiently.
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These are from DECADE.
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Wow that is crazy that your arg stat is that solid with those double chips
You are really good except for when your brain skips 1.5 times per round!
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I guess I read that stat wrong. What is ARG .63 mean? I thought that figured in feet?
This is what I was told 30+ years ago to focus on. GIR…try to keep it at 9 or higher, Scrambling…try to keep that around 55%, Putts per round, try to keep that at 30 or less, GIR/PUTTS…try and get that stat to .2 or higher… That’s when I was playing to a -2.3. Notice even then…no one said anything regarding driving in the FW…LOL
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ARG= around the green. Short game. And yes GIR is gold.
Is there an update to this? Just wanted to compare my own journey =
32 Handicap - Dec 2020 (Start)
5 Handicap - Feb 2024
8 Handicap - (Today) April 2024
Only got down to 5 very briefly and have been hovering between 6-9 for what seems like an eternity. Got to 9 in July 2022.
Improving has become increasingly difficult, my swing still feels like it changes every time I play, and sometimes it seems like I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing or what shot to expect when I hit the ball. I’ve recently shot 1 over par, and then shoot a 90 in the same week.
I’ve only just learned some Aimpoint stuff from youtube for putting and it has vastly helped take some of the pressure off reading greens, which I’ve always been pretty bad at. Now I’m starting to trust the lines and only have to concentrate on speed, so it’s a game changer for me. I actually found the info for free and worked it out myself by studying whats out there, if you look hard enough it’s all there. Recently had my lowest ever putt count at 25, when usually I’m about 32. Amazing.
Lately I’ve also concentrated on getting better at approach shots. I see a post on X (Twitter) somewhere that showed this is where 5 handicap golfers achieved 0 by improving in this area the most (Arccos data). Hitting straighter approach shots is a thing.
Also been taking in info regarding the Decade system and picking better targets. Now I’ve got some confidence back with putting again, just getting it on the green and not leaving myself short sided is starting to pay off. If I can keep the ball in play off the tee this also makes a huge difference in scores.
Anyway this post is a bit of a humble brag because I’m happy with my progress even though it’s stalled lately and just felt like posting something on here. I should add that i’m retired early, 51 yrs old, and play about 3 or 4 times a week. I’ve met other guys who achieved scratch in a year or two along the way, but they always (without fail) have relatives who are also really good golfers, which isn’t the case for me.
So does anyone know if the OP achieved scratch yet…? I’m interested to know how he’s getting on.
If you are chunking chips have you tried keeping your left shoulder high with a hands forward action keeping the back of your left hand flat. Don’t let the club pass your hands and just brush the grass.
I’m jealous…mainly that you retired at 51 lol.
I actually retired 8 years and 5 days ago mate, at 43 haha. (Sorry 
)
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Congrats on your progress! When I started (and I know I’m probably repeating myself) I started as like a -25. Took lessons, took a job at the range where I could hit endless balls. Took me 8 months to get to a single digit cap. Took me another 6 years to get to my personal best -2.3. Then family and work and life got in the way. I spent 6 months as a PGA professional, but the hours were long and the pay was short. So I went back to the corporate world to raise the family. It takes a bit of talent, a lot of practice and an endless desire to get to legitimate scratch. The strokes come off quickly in the beginning…I thought it was rather easy to get to under 10, another couple years to get to 5…then the strokes took way longer and came off in tenths. My best was 2.3. I’m hanging about a 7/8 right now and I just have fun. I hit some really great shots and I hit some really bad ones and I don’t practice like I did 2 years ago. The game is fun, but my focus and passion now are my wife’s health and the grandkids.