Putting: The Stat Most Golfers Never Track
Fewer putts doesn't always mean better putting
Total putts is the stat everyone knows. But it can fool you.
If you miss a lot of greens and chip it close, you'll have fewer putts. If you hit a lot of greens from far away, you'll have more. Neither one tells you how well you actually rolled it.
That's why the Round Report Card tracks putting three ways.
How to fill it out
1st Putt Distance/Total Putts. Write the length of your first putt (in feet) on top and your total putts on the bottom.
Putt Distance Made. Write the length of the putt you holed on each hole, in feet. Then total it up at the end. That's your feet of putts made.
What my Anthem rounds showed me
Day one: 35 putts and 44 feet made.
Day two: 31 putts and 49 feet made.
On day one I hit 14 greens, so I had more long first putts. And I three-putted twice, from 50 feet and 30 feet.
Day two I hit fewer greens but made more putts, including a 15 footer. Still, I had two more three-putts, both from 40 feet.
See the pattern? My short putting was fine. My lag putting was costing me shots!
Why feet made matters
Feet of putts made is the best way to measure how well you're actually putting.
Think about it. Two golfers can both have 32 putts. One makes 30 feet of putts. The other makes 65. That second golfer is holing putts and building confidence, even if the total looks the same.
What your first putt distance tells you
If most of your first putts are 30 feet or longer, your approach game is putting a lot of pressure on your putter.
If your first putts are close but you still two-putt a lot, it's time to work on making more from 5 to 15 feet.
Putting benchmarks
Next up
Part 5 covers my favorite stat on the card: throwaways. These are the shots you're giving away, and they're the easiest ones to get back!
Grab your free Round Report Card!
Find out how many feet of putts you're really making. Download your free printable Round Report Card and start tracking this week!
