Tournament Performance Evaluation

[mgranato]

Some food for thought and perspective...

Given the course yardage, I'm guessing there were a lot of approaches from 100-125 yards. The best player on Tour from that yardage averages hitting it to 16’, and the worst player from that range hits it to 26’. Not bad, right?

The best putter on Tour from 15’-20’ only makes 27% of his looks, and the worst makes 8%. The corresponding numbers from 20’-25’ (where your guy said most of his were from) are 22% and 2% respectively.

Now the kick in the plums… the guy who hits it to a Tour best 16’ is nowhere close to being the best putter from that distance, making just 13%. And the guy who is the Tour best putter from 15’-20’ doesn’t hit it inside 20’ from those distances.

Maybe the best way to define golf is calling it a game of wanting what you don't have.

As far as the leaving-too-many-short-itis goes, I suffered from that disease for a long time. Going the route of "just be more aggressive" never worked for me. Ultimately realizing that aggressiveness doesn't fix a speed issue like skinny jeans won't fit a gut issue. Putting at the wrong speed is putting at the wrong speed. Although better than leaving one short, aggressively sending one by and "shrinking" the hole just slightly improves the odds.

Try playing a few rounds with "pull back" rules. Any putt from 30' and in that doesn't get past the lip of the hole gets pulled back 1 additional putter length. Any put that goes past the hole and past whatever comfort level you subscribe to (6", 12", 17", etc.) gets pulled back away from the hole 1 additional putter length. A couple rounds of this (especially with a few nickels riding on the outcome) will reveal which tendencies you have and from what putts.

Putting with good speed is a perishable skill.

 

[drewyallop]

This guy is a much higher level player than me by a long shot, but some of Mangum's thoughts on putting could help your man. Per GM the brain keeps us from danger... can't punch yourself in the face unless you are a psychopath e.g. You don't bash your hand into the door when reaching for a doorknob. The brain knows how to "keep you safe", but in golf you have to define what is safe properly and with your imagination. It is possible to him that lagged up there short of the hole is safe... he needs to redefine or set the "danger", define the space from his ball to an imaginary wall behind the hole (10" or so). If you tell the brain that you must not go longer than the imaginary wall behind the hole, then you won't. He will get it to the hole and not go too far long w/ a miss. Once reprogrammed, he could just work on a constant delivery speed or entry speed for all of his putts. The "loss aversion" would no longer be a factor because the fear is no longer of a 3 putt (somewhere close to the hole either short or long), but fear of hitting it through the imaginary wall behind the hole 10" or so. You take birdie misses short of the hole out of play and the loss aversion actually keeps you from 3 jacking and helps to make betterefforts on birdie tries. Hope that makes sense.

I too like Magnum's take on this JD. It has helped me a lot. Your body does know what to do and looking and hitting it to a length inside the leather seems to work (usually). The video with Elkington is helpful. Just let the body respond to what you see. Trust.

 

[mjstrong]

Now the kick in the plums… the guy who hits it to a Tour best 16’ is nowhere close to being the best putter from that distance, making just 13%. And the guy who is the Tour best putter from 15’-20’ doesn’t hit it inside 20’ from those distances.

I think we can relate to this phenomenon, even within our own games from day to day.

No doubt that speed is hugely important, and that's where his putting practice (admittedly, not enough) focuses.

We'll use some of the concepts here to work on it. Our greens should be decent enough through the offseason to put some good work in.

Also, he's got a new flatstick that he's pumped about; male version of retail therapy, I suppose.

Additional info on his Proximity: he feels like even though he a number of approach shots decently close, he was often above the hole, and felt forced to putt a bit defensively.

Thanks guys.

 

[Dustin]

-50/54 GIR


WOW, that is seriously some good ballstriking...and it doesn't matter how short or how easy the setup is. 92.5% GIR! I guess thats a way to make a 67 feel pretty ho-hum. Good playing....just didn't drop enough putts. I swear, the higher the level of golf, the more putting seperates players by the slimmest of margins. Figure 1 putt / round dropped and you are in a playoff, not 3 strokes back. That is not much at all (but feels like a lot I'm sure).

 

[mgranato]

-50/54 GIR


WOW, that is seriously some good ballstriking...and it doesn't matter how short or how easy the setup is. 92.5% GIR! I guess thats a way to make a 67 feel pretty ho-hum. Good playing....just didn't drop enough putts. I swear, the higher the level of golf, the more putting seperates players by the slimmest of margins. Figure 1 putt / round dropped and you are in a playoff, not 3 strokes back. That is not much at all (but feels like a lot I'm sure).

Yah but he's from Canadia, so those numbers are in metric.

 

[mjstrong]

Thanks for the input, eh.