ringworld
ringworldBROWSE REGISTRIES

Member Since:
   March 2004


Presently updating Scorecards......and How to use the Handicap Tracker to improve your game.
Tuesday March 31, 2009 1:47pm

Presently updating Scorecards......if you will notice slowly but surely we are compiling a database of all the scorecards to better improve the handicap tracker.  It will be the definitive source for those of you individuals out there that use the handicap tracker to focus on specific areas to improve. 

Allow me to illustrate.  If you notice the Handicap Tracker has a small graph located in the left corner of the Tracker screen.  It lists topics like Percentage of Fairways hit.  % of Greens Hit in Regulation, % of Sucessful Par Saves, Sand Saves, Puts per hole and the like.  You can see at a glance where your strengths or weaknesses lie.  The fact remains that if you're like me or the Regular Joe Golfer, you will always say, "I could have done better."  Well using the Handicap Tracker can provide you that information.  Try to think of the sport of Golf as a puzzle, and the trick to solving this puzzle is to break down where you need to improve and focus on those goals.  You make small steps towards fixing your game, and I guarantee you that you will see almost immediate results.  

For me, it's always been the short game.  Short game includes chipping, pitching and putting.  If you look at the scorecard it's literally half of your game.  Why do I say this?  Look at the scorecard yourself.  If you take a run-of-the-mill par 4, you have two shots to make it to the green.  You then have two shots to make it into the hole.  That's 50% of your game right there.  What if you don't hit green?  Well then that's two shots to make it close to the green.  One shot to get on the green, and two more shots to get the rock into the hole for a total of 5 strokes or a bogie on a par 4 hole.  That's 60% of your game right there (two puts and a chip onto the green out of 5 strokes total.)  Now look me straight in the eye and tell me short game isn't important.  To coin a golfing phrase, "It don't count until it goes in."

Put simply short game is perhaps the most important part of the game.  Now how do you go about improving that short game?  Practice.  It's a touch thing.  For me I focus on chipping and putting at the range.  Perhaps hit a few long balls but essentially it's all about club contact as it pertains to chipping for me and then I'm off to the putting green for some practice. 

Now how do you use the Handicap Tracker?  Easy.  When you play a round of golf get an extra score card at the Starter's window.  This one you mark yourself.  Let your buddy keep the score for the whole group. 

I write my name at the top line.  Just below it the letter F for Fairways.  Below that the letter G for greens, then a P for putts.  Everytime I hit a fairway I check the box below the corresponding hole.  Every Green hit in regulation (two shots for a par 4 and 3 shots for a par 5) I check the box below the corresponding hole and then I write down the number of putts I made on the green.  Chip ins count as Zero (0).  Putts off the green do not count as a putt.  When I return from my round I enter these figures into the Handicap Tracker, hole by hole.  I know it may sound tedious but after the first round you will see for yourself where you need to improve. 

Now there is a recent thread brought up "Golf Performance stats for Ametuer Golfers." (Click this link to see the thread.)  Member Bogey1Fogey brought a great link to a site that literally breaks down the Average Golfer's Performance.  You can compare your figures against a template of a golfer that plays scratch golf or a golfer that plays in the 80's.  You can use the template here to really determine where you can improve your game to get the best results quickly.  It's just that simple.  Because let's face it Golf is a difficult sport.  One day you're hitting like a pro and the next you're chopped liver.  Whichever way you turn you can use the information generated by the Handicap Tracker and this Template to determine where you need to be and what you need to focus on to get the desired score.  And believe me it's just that simple. 

This is taken from the Link above.  Probable Golf Instruction

 
AVERAGE SCORE
Relationship
CATEGORY
71
75
79
81
85
89
91
95
99
 
GIR
12
10
8
7
5
3
2
0
0
Strong
% Fairways
81
71
61
56
46
36
31
21
11
Weak
Iron Accuracy
80
68
53
47
33
20
13
0
0
Good
Putts per Round
29.0
30.3
31.7
32.3
33.7
35.0
35.7
37.0
38.3
Weak
Pitch/Chip/Sand
5.1
7.4
9.8
10.9
13.3
15.6
16.8
19.2
21.5
Strong
Birdies
3.2
2.4
1.8
1.5
0.8
0.1
0
0
0
Strong
Pars
11.8
10.3
8.8
8.1
6.6
5.1
4.3
2.8
1.3
Strong

The last column indicates the strength of the statistical relationship between score and the statistic. A "Strong" relationship is one that predicts quite well one statisitic given the other (i.e. the SCORE given the GIR). A "Weak" relationship does not predict as well.

Well now that you have been given this knowledge go out and play!!! Be sure to update your Handicap Tracker information and tell us about your experience at the golf course!