Keeping Stats…Your Choice

Written by dontrahan on February 25, 2010 — View Comments

- Audio version at the end of this post –

Keeping Stats is a personal matter in that you decide what data you want to know about every shot of every round. Cyrus asks the simple question of what stats we need to keep or record as he calls it. Bill asks for some hints as what and how to keep stats while on the course mentioning that keeping stats on his scorecard makes a mess of his card. Let’s see if I can give them some sound solutions to their questions.

Cyrus says:
You mention keeping Stats for all rounds, and that’s a great idea, but which stats in particular? I recently kept a record of the number of fairways I hit with the driver, and the number of Greens from the fairway, and I now know that I need to focus on keeping it straight. But hey, isn’t that what golf is all about? It’s difficult to keep stats unless you know WHAT you need to record. Any suggestions?

Bill says:
Don,
Thanks for the comments on practice. How about some hints, ideas for keeping track of the statistics while on the course. After counting putts, anything more I try to record makes a real, unreadable mess out of the scorecard. What else should I count and in how much detail?

The Surge says:
You can keep stats simple by just recording a few of the basic ones, like fairways and greens hit in regulation (GIR), number of putts and successful up and downs. You can get more detailed by adding extra info about every shot. This can include on missed fairways and greens where you missed it left or right. You can add more detail defining the impact as solid, in the heel or on the toe and go more in depth, adding the ball flight as say straight, pulled, blocked, hooked or sliced. The key is you decide how much you want to know and are willing to and able to collect for analysis.

As for Bill’s point of his stats messing up his scorecard, that is a problem, especially if you have to turn in that card for handicap purposes or are playing in a tournament. The answer is to keep a separate stats card. I always do this using the first player’s line for fairways hit, next for GIR, next for number of putts and length of putts an then for up and downs.

The next thing to do that makes stats keeping easier is to develop a code. For me, a check mark means hitting the fairway or green, and an X is missing them. For more detail, missed fairways are L for left and R for right. LR is for left rough and LW is for left woods and LFB is left fairway bunker. All you need to do is develop your own code for whatever you want to keep track of. Lastly, I recommend keeping your results in a binder or computer for long term analysis from month to month and even year to year.

Since we are talking creating your own system and code, I decided to also include Bill Mc Cabe’s answer to Cyrus regarding what stats to keep. Bill keeps just 4 stats but goes into some detail on each. He also uses codes and his system is simple and worth looking at.

BILL MCCABE says:
To CYRUS:
I keep “four” stats on each of my rounds:
Fairways hit (I note Left or Right if I miss?)
GIR (greens in regulation) and what club I hit….
Distance from the hole for my FIRST putt….
And, Total putts. (I also note, in the event that I hit my FIRST putt well away from the hole, how I did on my SECOND putt?)

A typical scorecard looks like this:
F+ (or 0 or ( – ) if I didn’t hit it particularly well…
R 9 (where the number is the club I hit. I also track in what direction I miss the green)
30 – 2 (where 30 is the distance from the hole, and 2 is the number of putts)
This information takes 10 seconds to record after the hole is completed and the variety of stats you can cull from them is astounding.
Hope this helps.
Bill

Keeping stats is like keeping your check book register to know your balance. The register tells you the state of you finances as stats tell you the state of your golf game. Your stats are your report card of your on course performance. You grade the results and quality of all aspects of your game you want to track. Your stats tell you what is good, decent and bad with your game. Your stats then become your road map to what you need to work on to keep the good…good, but more importantly, what the mediocre to bad is that you must improve.

The Surge!

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Posted in Golf Instruction

Jesus D. Macachor, M.D.

Don't follow Tiger Woods ball distancing stated in his book ":How I play golf" page 100. If you read my book, ball distancing is very simple and scientific. Go to my website --golflessonsnotformonkeys.com Professionals have a lot to learn from my book. I'd like to invite any discussion about the VALIDITY OF MY PRINCIPLES.
Amos Terrell

to Rick Palmer :

NOT SO!! as in indicator of short game, a perfect round of 18 holes would yield 18 feet of "made putts" in your system.

80 to 100 feet of made putts would indicate great putting though --- but would require making putts of an average distance of 4.4 to 5.5 feet. Still a good short game though!

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos
Peter

Rick Palmer

I would appreciate it if you could forward a copy of the spreadsheet. My email address is frostpr@optusnet.com.au

Also another statistic I keep is the length of putts made. My aim is to be averaging around 80 to 100 foot of putts made / round. A tap in is regarded as 1 foot. So if you make a 5 foot putt on the first and a tap in on the second your total is now 6 foot. This is a good indicator to the accuracy of your short game. The higher total of made putts are the better your short game is going to be.

Regards,

Peter
Brian Ruggieri

Rick, please email me a spread sheet at hb327@jetbroadband.com. Thank you, it's very kind of you to offer it to everyone, my best always, Brian
Ronnie McCurry

Rick, please email me a spreadsheet to termides@gmail.com. thanks
LARRY FINE

why don;t you 28 handicap nerds just pracrtice hitting the ball and and give up the spreadsheets and just
enjoy the game- most of your probably record how long your wife spends in the shower- and how long she takes to finish then dishes- how much water does she use...
charles n

surge .-. thank you for the great video tips i live in sydney australia and as a golfer of some 40yrs never heard or thought of keeping stats i would go with david jones reco the voice recorder then transfer them to rick palmers spreadsheet which i would like a copy email aarmco@bigpond.com also how can i measure the loft of my clubs and can they be changed to suit my game
albert

where do you post answers to the questions asked by golfers?
Brettj26

Rick Palmer:

Would like a copy of your excel spreadsheet. Please e-mail it to me at brettj26@hotmail.com

Thanks
Ken Mayer

Rick Palmer

I would like a copy of your spreadsheet if you would be so kind. My address is kenmayer10@hotmail.com

Mark
I was struggling with a slice, then I realized I was not going all the way back to the catchers mitt. This sets you up too far outside allowing for over out to in swing path and a resulting slice.
Tom in Michigan

Rick Palmer

I would like a copy of your spreadsheet. Please e-mail it to tgraetz@comcast.net

Thanks in advance

Tom in Michigan
John P. Garcia

I would like a copy of the Excel Worksheet that Rick Palmer was talking about. If he could send it to jgarcia@chevron.com it would be appreciated.

Thanks, and keep hitting it straight and long.
Ed

G Stats makes a handy "stat" book. You can find/order it here:

http://www.innovagolf.com/golfstatbook.html
Dalton

Don, You always talk about irons and drivers, but what about hybrids. I don't carry woods because hybrids are easier. However, How can I involve the PPGS with my hybrids to hit more solid?
Ed

Rick Palmer:
Would like a copy of your excel spreadsheet. Please e-mail it to me at coach1st@hotmail.com
Thanks
BILL MCCABE

Don,
Thanks for your support. It is gratifying that you have read my previous postings on this topic and found them worthy of reference. I've been keeping stats for years, and this method has boiled out as the best (so far).

With this info, I can determine such things as:

Accuracty/Proximity to the hole by club... (maybe I need another hybrid?)
Not only "up & down" ratio, but whether it is affected by poor chipping or poor putting?
Putting proficiency from varying distances: From what distance do I have to practice?

I pay particular attention to the "subjective" ratings that I give my Drives and approach shots. That tells me if I'm sriking the ball solidly or "underclubbing" as you suggest.

IN an effort to bring my "golf course swing" to the Range, I also have a practice recording regimen that I keep during practice. Now, I understand that's a bit "anal" for most, but you'll probably coerce me into expounding on that at another time...

Thanks for all you do for us out here that are trying to improve. Your daily email is a staple of my daily routine. Thanks for being there every morning.

Regards,

Bill McCabe
Ronnie McCurry

Rev, Al seems that I have heard you say that before. LOL
Alonzo Hart

I've been playing three years now and the golf pro that works with me recommended that I kept records with not only the round but the things that we worked on during my lessons.
When I finally got to play a round, I was inroduced to a golf score journal from Par-Formance.com.
It is this journal that I keep with me regardless if I'm playing a round or at the practice range. It allows me to see a range of things like, how many putts per hole, the number of strokes and what club I used, how many fairways I hit with my driver and greens that I hit in regulation.
I agree with you that we must learn to work on our weaknesses in order to change the way we play.

Rev. Al Hart
Alonzo Hart

I've been playing three years now and the golf pro that works with me recommended that I kept records with not only the round but the things that we worked on during my lessons.
When I finally got to play a round, I was inroduced to a golf score journal from Par-Formance.com.
It is this journal that I keep with me regardless if I'm playing a round or at the practice range. It allows me to see a range of things like, how many putts per hole, the number of strokes and what club I used, how many fairways I hit with my driver and greens that I hit in regulation.
I agrre with you that we must learn to work on our weaknesses in order to change the way we play.

Rev. Al Hart
Colin

Skycaddie have upgraded their stats recording on their GPS unit. After a hole you can record the strokes taken, number of putts and whether you hit or missed the fairway left/right/short. The default is GiR and 2 putts; so get it right and it's as quick as a single press of a button. The strokes and putts taken can be reviewed at any time during your round; which I use as an incentive to rescue a failing round by (for instance) at least maintaining a decent putting stat.

Once back home, connect the unit to the internet and the data is uploaded (stats for 10 rounds can be held on the unit without uploading). There is then a very comprehensive set of analysis and trending tools.

It is all very simple, quick and there is no need to record anything on your card + all that is on top of the main function of knowing the precise distances on the course!!!

Surge - the PPGS works pretty well for me. Thanks. The best part is that through your thorough explanation and videos of the swing and your daily emails, which are always thought provoking, I understand my swing and exactly what I am trying to do. That helps so much in being able to correct problems during a round.

Regards
Colin
David Jones

Gentlemen ..... (and ladies),

Please forgive my simple(naive?)ness but how about a KISS solution?

Get out and buy youselves a hand held recording device ..... (not a mobile phone as I believe they should be banned from all golf courses!) ...... and then just make a comment on each off the green shot as you walk to your next effort.

You can also make comments on your putts after all have holed out if you are so inclined.

Then ... when you get home ... you can fill in your own "round report" in whatever manner you so desire - and evaluate it at your leisure without defacing any card or causing any unneccesary delay during the round.

Best regards

David J .
Rick Palmer

Surge: I love this topic and have found it not only important but have gone so far this winter to designing a separate sheet I can use on any course. Probably more detail than most want but it I can pick and choose which ones to keep on any given day. I have found my game has improved as do my practices as they are now much more relevant.

I will gladly share it with any one interested. It is an excel spreadsheet. You can then modify any way you want. And it keep the score card clean for turn in.
The Surge!

To Jon Licineus,

Thanks for the info on he I phone stats system. I know there are others out there just as we have an awesome one in the Inner Circle which will get about as detailed as anyone would want of you kept all the possible stats. One great feature about our Inner Circle stats system is that it will analyze your stats and give you a list of your issues and the sources to find the answers to help fix them.

As for the stats you keep, just watch your rounds an you will see things that you will know oyu want to track and thus add to your stats.

The Surge!
The Surge!

To Tom Stopski,

Thanks for the backup in re-affirming that keeping stats and using them to have better directed practice improves your game and helps to score lower. Also, you observations about players not practicing and struggling and not enjoying the game is sadly a reality. They need to pick up om your example and follow you to the range and to shooting lower scores.

Keep up the good effort and maybe drop some hints to see if they may see he light.

The Surge!
Lanny Larson

I have a very simple method of keeping score and recording statrs which keeps a clean card. First I only record the number of strokes over or under par: 0 for par, 1 for bogey, -1 for birdie etc. If I hit the fairway a dot goes in the upper left hand corner, GIR in the upper right. Lower left is dotted if there is a penalty stroke and lower right contains - for one putt, blank for two and + for three. With this you can look at all your bogeys and see what your problems were or your strengths on pars and birdies.
The Surge!

To Steve Anderson,

Why don't you e-mail my club fitter Lynn Griffin whom I am sure you have seen answering many club fitting questions on these daily articles.

Lynn's address is thegolfstop@att.net He can help you in that he can actually fit you by you by using his fitting questionnaire.

Give him a shout and see if ya;ll can work things out as I know he has done many e-mail fittings and built drivers to complete sets spot on for golfers.

The Surge!
The Surge!

To Sanin,

I have heard about seen that stats Par-Formance Journal and or one like it. It looked pretty good.

Thanks for telling us as I am sure it will help us keep better stats.

The Surge!
The Surge!

To Bob B,

I like your thought about keeping track of the length of the putt for all Greens hit. The distance of the first putt is an indicator of how good to poorly hit the shot is to the green based on the distance and club used.

A shot from 150 yards to 30 feet is OK and would be good with a 4 iron from 200 yards. On the othe hand a shot to 39 feet from 50 yards with a SW and from 30 yards would not be good. And also keeping track of where the ball ended up as to right or left and long or short also will help show trends that need adjustment, like continually coming up short is either too many mis hits or under clubbing. It could also mean maybe needing to get your loft checked if coming up short was happening consistently with one club.

SO, the length of the first putt is a great indicator of the quality of the shot from the fairway or the need to fix poor trends.

The Surge!
Sanin Saracevic

Just get a Par-formance journal -- it is a scorecard booklet that has what you need to keep good stats for all your rounds.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1881880028/ref...
Steve Anderson

Surge, I live in a small town in Wyo. and for a state that has only about 500,000 people it is hard to find any speacialization as in club pros and club fitters , I am wanting to get fitted for a set of clubs but don't know where to go for a quality club fitter and can,t seem to get any returns of my e-mails,I live 170 miles north of Denver, Co. and can get there easily , however finding a competent fitter is another matter any suggestions would be welcome, Thanks Steve
Jack Simmons

Hi there,
in regard to keeping your "STATS" I've been keeping mine for a munber of years, and find it takes up very little time to record them on a seperate card once you have completed the holeand a little more than 5 minutes to assemble them after your round, you can then go over the round in your "mind's eye" and analyse your game.
I find it a great help especially for my short game.

Good Golfing and scoring. Jack
Tom Stopski

To Kent Seagert; Kent...I think you'll agree that the better one plays, the more enjoyable is the game? To play better, one must practice. Keeping stats helps you to know on WHATyou need to practice...where you can improve the most. I'm one of those who do practice...about an hour each Saturday and Sunday. I play with a group, many of who just play .....and never practice. I see there frustration. It's difficult for me to understand why they are not willing to pay the price to get better. Golf is great fun....it's even more fun the better you play. Good golfing. Tom
Sue B South Aussie

Thank you for some excellent tips and writing about your golf passion. As a newer golfer I focus on what shots were bad. I find my worst scores are proportionate to the number of bunker visits. The double whammy is the next short shot from the fairway bunker. However developing a whole of round perspective gives a more telling overview. I think golf is meant to be relaxing and recording should not diminish enjoyment or concentration. Keeping stats is an excellent idea, but may not be for everyone, with record keeping just increasing anxiety for some.

Cheers!
Jon Lucenius

As for stats on the course that I keep, I draw a line for the shape of the shot and use a number/letter combo for the club + distance. I like the other post about the "proximity" shot better than the Y/N GIR I record, and then I record number of putts.

An alternative is to use a GPS enabled phone with a golf stats package. The iPhone has one called GolfShot for $5.99 - "Available statistics and graphs in the app include; fairways hit, missed left & right, greens in regulation, recovery scrambling, sand saves, putts per hole and per GIR, scoring averages on par 3's, 4's and 5's, and scoring percentages" - See http://www.golfshot.com/ for more information.

Surge - is that enough? What else can possibly be recorded?

Thanks,
Jon
Amos Terrell

to Maurie Smith:

You probably will NOT receive a reply here on the blog.

You need to go to the section below SURGE's picture and use the 800 telephone number listed there or use the "click here" email link for Customer Suppoprt.

Keep hittiing them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos
mike suttle

Thanks for you emails - my wife and I are new to the game - last fall - and looking forward to good weather to go out and improve - you give us a lot of incentive, and we appreciate what you do!

Thanks!
Bob B

One of the most important stats that I think you should keep is what I'll call your "accuracy shot". This is a combination of distance to the pin on your approach shot and proximity to the hole after your approach shot. You can use it for a GIR or not, or if you are in the fairway or not. Just keeping track of GIRs only gives a rough indication about your accuracy on approach shots.

Let's say you have a 150 yd shot to the green. After the shot you are 33 ft from the pin. The accuracy is a percentage of how close you are to the pin. In this case it's 11/150, or 7.3 percent. That's pretty good. Most Tour pros average about 7-8%. The best ever I believe was Lee Trevino one year at 5%. Most amateurs are in the 12-16% range, or higher with higher handicaps. You can use the stat to determine your accuracy at various distances and with various clubs, and it will tell you what to improve on. After all, aren't we trying to get as close to the hole as possible?