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What do YOU learn from your Stats?

Posted by: user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR] | Wed 29th Jul 2009 22:39 | Last Reply

OK, we have had a few discussions about Statistics, and what we can learn from them.

There is no right or wrong answers here, but what do You learn from your Stats and do you add any extras of your own?

I sometimes add up the length of all the Putts I hole in a round and compare a good round (scorewise) against a bad one.

I work out a total length for Putts too, this shows how close I am hitting approach shots.

These Stats work for me, but may be of no use to others.

I could miss every fairway, but hit every Green in Regulation showing 0% FIR and 100% GIR. What do these Stats tell you about your game?

Nothing really, but add the fact you had 36 Putts totalling 360ft and holed 20ft of Putts says you had a solid day ON the Green but didn't knock it close.

Right, so I throw it open to you.

TheLyth

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user52922
Reply : Wed 29th Jul 2009 23:01

Nothing to be said, David, you have succinctly explained how the stats can be so misleading.

Myself I consider I have driven the ball OK if it is in play and a reasonable distance down the hole. I do not hit many greens in regulation figures as I play the game differently now.

I feel that I am a good putter, but my average of 34 putts tells me that I am not holing enough of the ones that I should. I very rarely three putt and if I do it is usually on the first green.

To improve my scoring I need to drive a lot better than I currently do.

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user33026 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Wed 29th Jul 2009 23:01

I tend to look at them more when I have a good round than when I have a bad one as I think looking at what you did well on a good round is more helpful as it shows what can genuinely improve your card if you do it well. 

I have noticed a trend that I hit more fairways on my better rounds, but not more greens, and have less putts.  I think this shows that on my good rounds I hit it straight, meaning I don't have to get myself out of trouble, and chip well, meaning my putts are easier to hole. 


Last edit : Wed 29th Jul 2009 23:03
re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 01:15

Here are some Stats for you.

2009  FIR 79.3%, GIR 78.5%, Putts per round 27.4, Driving distance 315.6yds.

1999  FIR 75.5%, GIR 78.2%, Putts per round 28.0, Driving distance 295.8yds.

So in ten years the European Tour guys with all the new Technology now hit the ball 20yds further and 4% more acurate with the Driver (?) but show no difference in hitting GIR and Putting.

TheLyth

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 01:41

I've now pulled my Stats for the period from 01

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user26342
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 12:18

I think stats are OK if your playing the same or similar set up of course week in, week out.

For example your home course could have wide fairways & large greens so your FIR & GIR would be OK. If you then went to play a course with narrow fairways & small greens it wouldn't read as good but does that mean your driving or iron play has got a lot worse??

Me personally I know which areas I'm good at & which areas I need working on & the only stats that tells me if I'm improving is my handicap.

John.

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user33026 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 17:13

In the central reservation probably Stu.....

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user25349
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 19:17

I record FIR, GIR & putts.

FIR & GIR - For some reason, I can play an approach to the green better out of the rough than I can when I've hit the fairway.  I seem to place too much pressure on myself if I've hit the fairway.  I tend to compleatly balls up my approach from position A1.  Of course, thinking about it during a round does no good (for me anyway!), so I tend not to think about if I've hit the fairway or green until I've finished the hole.  If on the odd occasion I do tee off and hit the fairway, then play an approach and hit the green it can be a great confidence boost, so I record these purely to see if I can get over my all too often cocking up from a good position.

Putts - I loose too many shots putting.  If I could better one part of my game over night it would be my putting.  I record my putts just to see (and frustrate myself!) when I could've saved shots or if it was just my putting that let my round down.

Sometimes you feel you've played a really solid round and feel you've played solidly enough to of stuck to your handicap, but have a suprise when you tot up the numbers and realise you're 5 shots over your handicap!!  I like to know where my shots have gone.

I already know from my stats that I can save a few shots if I practiced my putting more.

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user21308
Reply : Thu 30th Jul 2009 20:13
<p>Good posts.&nbsp;</p>  <p>Putting is where I&rsquo;ve used the stats most. It has always been the weakest part of my game, but with practice over the last two years I can see I have improved, particularly reducing the three putts. Two years ago this was at 18%, (that&rsquo;s nearly one every five greens three putted, very bad) so I knew I had to lower this to have any chance of shooting better scores.</p>  <p>My stats for last year and this year so far are approx 13%. I have managed to get this down with a combination of improved chipping around the green and more accurate pitches from 50 to 100 yards in. Both reduced the number of long three putt distances left when actually on the green.</p>  <p>I have also worked hard on developing a better more consistent putting stroke. I had a woeful tendency to miss hit long putts. I try and hit a few long putts if I can on the practice green before a round, to try and get the feel of the greens for distance putting. This sometimes works. It can make me feel more confident on the first few greens at least, which hopefully can then last a whole round. I am also much improved from within 3-5 feet, which is where many an extra putt was coming from.</p>  <p>In conclusion, the stats have definitely helped to pinpoint what was a weak side of my game and therefore know what needed improving most. It has also shown me that I have improved, so increasing my confidence when playing. I used to get really tight/nervous when putting knowing I wasn&rsquo;t very good so inducing worse putts. The Gary Player adage about more practice and more luck comes to mind.</p>  <p>Saying all that, three putting 13% of the time is still pretty poor so more improvement is still required!</p>

Last edit : Fri 31st Jul 2009 20:12
re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Fri 31st Jul 2009 15:47

I think that the higher Hcp's should only look at Putts to start with. Get under 40 per round.

Lower Hcp's should look at FIR and GIR together. A missed fairway that results in a GIR is no problem. As is a missed GIR from a hit fairway on a hole of 450yds plus.

TheLyth

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user20126 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Fri 31st Jul 2009 16:12

I record my stats and to be honest they only told me what I already knew!

My FIR is higher than it should be for my handicap, but I alreay know that I don't hit as many fairways as I should.

GIR is about right for my handicap, but it should be better if I hit more fairways from the tee.  I'm hitting the correct amount of GIR but half of these are from the semi-rough!

My thoughts are that if I hit the fairway more then I should be able to get the GIR stats up higher.  Also, if I hit more GIR then I should be able to get more pars and birdies.

Also from my stats I know that my putting is good (33 per round average), but just lately this has been letting me down, so a bit more work on that.

Russ

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user41897
Reply : Fri 31st Jul 2009 21:27

Agreed Martin et al. If high handicappers could only cut oout the dozen or so stupid shots in each round - the rushed shots, the bad club choices, attacking when a sfer shot is more sensible etc - they would have fair handicap.

This is what I have been working on and it is paying dividends, that and a few other things.  Is was a 28 handicapped only a few weeks ago.  Played tonight and took another 1.2 of the handicap so now down to 23.2 and am well happy.

Cut the cack and it'll cut the 'cap.

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user20126 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Fri 31st Jul 2009 22:16

One of the main things that are said about high handicap players is how many times they hit an approach shot to a green and end up short!

Try it out for your next three rounds and see how many times you are short on the par four and five holes.

Russ

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user99350
Reply : Fri 7th Aug 2009 13:46

 Is there a danger we might be playing to our stats?

 I only take note of putting thogh I do tend to re analyse like Lyth. If I've made 5 saves then I've had a good round with the putter. Yes you can argue that it was the quality of the previous shot but that's the way I see it.

 I can't see the point of FIR or GIR  as only practice will improve that, which is whst you should be doing anyway. 

re: What do YOU learn from your Stats?
user202037 [FORUM MODERATOR]
Reply : Fri 7th Aug 2009 14:11

It seems to me that a number of you keep Stats and look at each individually. "I hit 3 GIR so I played badly" or "I hit 3/14 FIR so I played badly". The "I had 37 Putts, so I need to improve that" does show that but if you were putting from 50 to 60ft on most greens, its not as bad as if you were putting from 10 to 20ft.

A simple Stat that helps only low Hcp's is - "How many missed GIR are linked to missed FIR?" So hit more FIR and your GIR should go up.

A simple Stat for higher Hcp's is - "How many 3putts when a missed GIR?" Too many means your Short-game needs work.

And a final Stat for beginners - "Keep any 4putts or more off your card and try and get out of a Bunker in 1 shot, in any direction".

TheLyth


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