Characteristics of someone who shoots 70s/80s/90s

[wilwin]

I've been playing for a couple of years and usually shoot in the 90s. I wanted to know what separates these golfers in their round in the following categories:

 

1. Fairways hit

2. Greens in regulation

3. Putts (also how often do they 1 putt and 3 putt)

4. Number of double bogeys

5. Number of birdies

7. Also any other factors that separates them, especially in the mental aspect of the game.

 

Also the amount of time spent on practice between hitting balls/short game/putting

 

 

Just want an idea of what to look for as I improve. It also doesn't help breaking 90 that I usually have 1 or 2 holes where I seem to lose focus and triple bogey or worse on a hole.

[oregongolf]

70s:

 

Hits greens

Few 3 putts

[JakeBarnes]

Characteristics of someone who shoots in the 70s:

 

- Essentials are usually set in stone, so a lot more focus on shotmaking in the short game.

- More concerned with putting

- Distance control on shots

- ability to make each shot its own separate thing (letting what happened in the previous shot go)

- Altruistic

- Charming and dashingly good looking

- Wonders what it is to be human when lying in bed awake at night.

[oregongolf]

Characteristics of someone who shoots in the 70s:

 

- Essentials are usually set in stone, so a lot more focus on shotmaking in the short game.

- More concerned with putting

- Distance control on shots

- ability to make each shot its own separate thing (letting what happened in the previous shot go)

- Altruistic

- Charming and dashingly good looking

- Wonders what it is to be human when lying in bed awake at night.

:cheesy:

 

Very nice.

[macglock]

Characteristics of someone who shoots in the 70s:

 

- Essentials are usually set in stone, so a lot more focus on shotmaking in the short game.

- More concerned with putting

- Distance control on shots

- ability to make each shot its own separate thing (letting what happened in the previous shot go)

- Altruistic

- Charming and dashingly good looking

- Wonders what it is to be human when lying in bed awake at night.

 

Describes me perfectly!

 

one of the best posts I've seen in a while haha

 

agree with the same shot routine and better distance control, especially on pitches and long putts, as well as the even temperment (generally) to let bad shots go

[Juan73]

There was an article in some Golf mag a while ago about this ..here is some data that might help to answer your question. I copied this from a thread on 4GEA.com...there was a long thread about improvements and data like this...and what it meant.

 

 

HCP GiR FW UD% SS% Putts Pars

 

36 0 0 0 0 41 0

 

18 3 5 17 0 35 5

 

9 8 8 46 7 32 10

 

4.5 10 10 60 31 30 12

 

scr 12 11 77 51 29 15

 

TW 14 10 85 57 28.8 17

[Kumabjorn]

Shoot in the ´80s

 

Decent long play, hit 7 or 8 fairways, and 9 or 10 greens.

Also hit two atrocious shots a round, one is either OB or lost, the other is close to a tree or a wall or in the water, so a loss of three shots right there. Short game is good - just not good enough. I get out of bunkers, but to 10 or 13 feet instead of 4 - 6, so maybe 1 up & down in two rounds.

 

I can play along very nicely for something like 12 holes, maybe one, two or three over (once in a red moon even under) and then something happens and it will completely unravel me. I'll go double, double, triple before getting my act together. So for an ´80s shooter it is all between the ears. I believe God gave us a brain to think with, but in my case He just wanted my ears to be properly separated.

[scotchblade]

Also hit two atrocious shots a round, one is either OB or lost, the other is close to a tree or a wall or in the water, so a loss of three shots right there. Short game is good - just not good enough. I get out of bunkers, but to 10 or 13 feet instead of 4 - 6, so maybe 1 up & down in two rounds.

 

I can play along very nicely for something like 12 holes, maybe one, two or three over (once in a red moon even under) and then something happens and it will completely unravel me.

This sounds just like me. Typical round...

 

1 birdie

9 pars

5 bogies

2 doubles

1 triple

 

That's an 83 on a par 72. The oops holes are usually a wild tee shot resulting in a lost ball / OB or something stupid inside 100 yards. I don't three putt much because I only hit 6 or 7 greens, drive it about 245.

 

Turning those 2 doubles and a triple into bogies drops me to a 79. Turning them into pars, a 76. Just three holes but they really impact your score.

 

I hit many quality shots in each round, but can't seem to avoid these miscues. They are usually scattered about the card, not in succession. I wonder when the next is coming and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Bad thinking, I know. But when it happens again and again, it's always in the back of your mind.

 

Play well!

[nocam1334]

Here's a general comparison:

 

70s shooter: Adequate distance off the tee (>240 yds), rarely loses a ball OB or in the water. Hits at least 50% GIR, has a good to great short game, rarely 3 putts, makes a few birdies a round, almost never has a blow up hole (double bogey or worse), figures a way to save himself on his bad holes, has a decent and consistent enough swing to keep the ball in play even when his swing is not clicking.

 

80s shooter: Medium distance off the tee (210-240 yds), loses a few shots OB or in the water a round. Misses at least 50% GIR, has an adequate short game, a few 3 putts, makes an occasional birdie, usually has at least 1 or 2 blow up holes (double bogey or worse), has a decent but somewhat inconsistent swing.

 

90s shooter: Doesn't have much distance off the tee (<210 yds) or if he does have adequate distance is very wild. Loses several shots OB or in the water a round. Misses most GIR, has a poor to average short game, a few to several 3 putts, rarely makes a birdie, usually has several blow up holes (double bogey or worse), usually fights an inconsistent swing and ball flight.

 

I've always been long of the tee (used to drive it 290+, now more like 280-290) and had a good short game, so I got down to the 80s pretty quick just based on that. I'm a 70s shooter now usually, and how I got there was improving my accuracy (not losing balls OB or in the water as much as I did when I shot in the 80s and 90s) by giving up some distance and improving my short game (I miss more greens than I hit usually but get up and down more often than anyone I've ever played with). I've also gained confidence in my putting and started making more putts.

 

You have to figure out where your greatest weakness is. I have noticed with most guys I play with who hover in the 80s and 90s that their short games are much worse than mine. Many times they are actually better ball strikers but few can get up and down as often as I do.

[finalist]

70s shooter: spends the VAST majority of their practice time chipping, putting and slow motion muscle memory.

80s shooter: spends the majority of their practice time hitting full swing irons and woods with some putting.

90s shooter: spends the vast majority of their practice time hitting drivers and swinging to no real target.

[3put]

- 70's Shooter: Me on Friday

- 80's Shooter: Me on Saturday

- 90's Shooter: Me on Sunday

 

Same course + same conditions = Weekend Amature player.

 

NOT a wannabe pro with no one to confirm all my supposed success stories on line.

[atlanta golfer]

There was an article in some Golf mag a while ago about this ..here is some data that might help to answer your question. I copied this from a thread on 4GEA.com...there was a long thread about improvements and data like this...and what it meant.

 

 

HCP GiR FW UD% SS% Putts Pars

 

36 0 0 0 0 41 0

 

18 3 5 17 0 35 5

 

9 8 8 46 7 32 10

 

4.5 10 10 60 31 30 12

 

scr 12 11 77 51 29 15

 

TW 14 10 85 57 28.8 17

 

I saw this article also and it mirrors my experience. Over the past two years I've been working my way down steadily from 18 handicap index and now am very close to getting to high single digits. As I get to the point of hitting slightly over half the fairways, and almost half the greens, it becomes all about up and downs and putts, plus not having disaster holes.

[One_Putt_Blunder]

Well with my current index of 6.2 I spend half my time in the low to mid 80's and the other half in the mid to high 70's. So here is what I notice as the differences in rounds.

 

When I shoot in the 70's I usually have 31 putts or less with 10-13+ GIR. I would generally have one or more birdies and get up and down for par around 60% of the time or better. I usually would have zero or maybe 1 3 putt, one or two errant tee shots that I could recover from. I keep the big numbers off the card maybe one double or a few more birdies to make up for a second double or worse.

 

When I shoot in the 80's something is not working like it should (usually the driver) or my ball striking will be way off causing me to put too much pressure on my short game by hitting 6-8 GIR. Every now and then the putter will go caput and Ill end up with 36-37 putts and an 83 on the card. I would also tend to have a complete brainfart of a hole and try and do something really stupid leading to a big number that I cannot recover from mentaly and on the card. My round look like this 9 pars 7-8 bogeys and one or two doubles.

 

Edit: I think it is fair to say that the biggest difference between the 70-80 shooters and 90's shooters is short game, I cant tell you how many time I have been paired up with 90's players that just struggle around the greens with their wedges and putter, easily losing 5-6 strokes or more because of it.

[TheWoat]

I average around 240 off the tee, hit about 6 fairways, 6 fringes, 2 OBs

I average around 5 to 6 GIRs a round

I average around 5 pars a round.

My up and down percentage is near Zero

I average around 40 putts

 

add this up, you get a 99.

[SoCalTitleist]

90s players have mishits that can go OB, water or just topped costing strokes. 80s at least puts a decent stroke on it to get the ball close to the general area. 70s better short game.

[Ronzo]

My current index is 21.4 as I write this, which makes me a 90's shooter. According to the chart posted earlier, an 18 handicapper has these characteristics:

GIR: 3 (16.67%)

Fairways: 5 (27.78%)

Up/Down percentage: 17%

Sand Save percentage: 0%

Putts: 35 (1.944 per hole)

Pars: 5 (27.78%)

 

However, according to oobgolf's calculations over the last 13 months (56.5 18 hole rounds), my numbers for these categories are as follows:

GIR: 2.66 (14.8%)

Fairways: 10.66 (59.2%) [EDIT: 205 - 210 yards carry, 225 - 235 with roll, GPS measured.]

Up/Down percentage: Not Measured

Sand Save percentage: 0%

Putts: 33.84 (1.88 per hole)

Pars: 2.97 (16.52%)

 

From those numbers, my problem is obvious: my approach game sucks. Anything outside 125 yards is a crapshoot for me. My bunker play is average; it costs me a stroke, typically, to be in there. But missing the green in thick Bermuda rough costs me even more strokes, usually. If I miss the green I pray to be in the bunker, just as a pro does, but for all the wrong reasons.

 

My practice should be concentrated, I think, in getting a more consistent approach game happening and in chipping. Since I found the right putter for me, my putting has turned into one of the better parts of my game. But hitting 10 or 11 fairways per round and only 2 or 3 greens is a source of great frustration. When that breakthrough comes for me -- and it will, because I see flashes of it the more I work at it -- my game should allow me to break 85 regularly, even with no real improvement in greenside chipping.

[deakanutz]

90's shooter- Me on Saturday

70's shooter me on Sunday cause I know I am out of the tourney and I free wheel it. And maybe had a few at the turn.

[MrJones]

I shoot in the 70's and know it's all about my short game. I can hit a bad one off the tee and feel like if I can get the ball to a generally safe area around the green I'm gonna get up and down. I also almost never three putt. Being confident in my short game and putting allows me to feel like I shouldn't do worse than a few bogies a round.

 

I have rounds where I have 3 or more birdies that don't turn out as well as the rounds where I'm just shooting par on every hole.

[scs1070]

According to the USGA I am a 0 handicap....but I am as likely to shoot 68 as I am 88 on a given day. The two biggest things I see in my game when I play good vs. when I shoot in the 80's is my shortgame and my driving.

 

1. If you can hit the fairway, things get a lot easier.

2. The name of the game is to score, so it you can turn a 6 into a 5, and a 5 into 4, ect...it goes a long way. Especially for the mind.

3. Make birdie when you have a chance, or supoosed to, especally on par 5's. The last time I played over Xmas, I made 5 birdies, 8 bogey and 5 pars for a 75. 3 of the birdies came on par 5s.

[tburchell]

My scores are slowly creeping down from the low 90s to the mid to low 80s.

What I noticed when I shoot low is that my GIRs are higher, and less putting.

But the putting is the biggest difference. Even when GIRs are lower, being able to get up and down for par is a good confidence booster. I've had a few rounds where I sprayed the ball all over but kept the score low with multiple 1 putts.

 

The difference I think between 90s and 80s is penalty strokes, and putting. Keep the ball in play, with no 3 putts, and 80s is attainable.

Going from 80s to 70s requires more GIRs, and/or a stellar short game.

[avrag]

Also hit two atrocious shots a round, one is either OB or lost, the other is close to a tree or a wall or in the water, so a loss of three shots right there. Short game is good - just not good enough. I get out of bunkers, but to 10 or 13 feet instead of 4 - 6, so maybe 1 up & down in two rounds.

 

I can play along very nicely for something like 12 holes, maybe one, two or three over (once in a red moon even under) and then something happens and it will completely unravel me.

This sounds just like me. Typical round...

 

1 birdie

9 pars

5 bogies

2 doubles

1 triple

 

That's an 83 on a par 72. The oops holes are usually a wild tee shot resulting in a lost ball / OB or something stupid inside 100 yards. I don't three putt much because I only hit 6 or 7 greens, drive it about 245.

 

Turning those 2 doubles and a triple into bogies drops me to a 79. Turning them into pars, a 76. Just three holes but they really impact your score.

 

I hit many quality shots in each round, but can't seem to avoid these miscues. They are usually scattered about the card, not in succession. I wonder when the next is coming and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Bad thinking, I know. But when it happens again and again, it's always in the back of your mind.

 

Play well!

 

It is quite similar for me, although my usual standard at hcp 18 (European system) is a little worse. My typical rounds will range from 88 to 92. Last year was the first in which I had more spikes towards low 80s than towards high 90s. If I get to 82 or 83, it is ususally because my short game is better than ususal in that round. I will still have two blow-up holes (triples), even if I play a low 80s round (like 10 pars, two birdies, two bogeys, two doubles, two triples). Those catastrophies are always caused by tee shots OB/water/unplayable (not necessarily driver, can happen with 3wood or hybrid as well). Last season, my mental game got a little better and as a result, I learned to "save" bogey on a few occasions, despite a tee shot that cost me a penalty stroke, "birdie" with the second ball so to speak, especially on par 5s.

I do not give too much thought to fairways hit and GIR, because the fairways at my links style home course are very narrow and the greens are very small.

But I feel that I have to work on all parts of my game to get me to the low 80s consistently, with maybe some (few) rounds in the high 70s.

Consistency with the full shots to put less pressure on my short game.

Better short game to put less pressure on my full shots.

Better putting to put less pressure on my short game.

I think, for everybody who does not shoot in the 70s on a regular basis, "consistency" is the magic word.

Ah, but how to acchieve it? That is the question. ;)

[epixep]

The ONLY thing that separates MOST 70's players from those who shoot in the 80's is short game.

 

You can be a hack and shoot a 79.

[Kumabjorn]

Consistency with the full shots to put less pressure on my short game.

Better short game to put less pressure on my full shots.

Better putting to put less pressure on my short game.

I think, for everybody who does not shoot in the 70s on a regular basis, "consistency" is the magic word.

Ah, but how to acchieve it? That is the question. ;)

 

The sad part is that we are consistent -- consistently bad. :russian_roulette:

[Ronzo]

The ONLY thing that separates MOST 70's players from those who shoot in the 80's is short game.

 

You can be a hack and shoot a 79.

 

That's one of the few problems with this website -- too many good players. ;)

 

I would LOVE to be a hack and shoot a 79! Unfortunately, I still suck too much to do even that. :(

[sksmall]

I know alot is being said about a big difference being the short game, and that is certainly true. But don't underestimate better golfer's ability to make more pure contact on long shots. "Short game" is such a broad area. I've played with some guys who, when they miss the green, are just dead because of how badly they missed it. Didn't matter whether he was a 2, 12, or 22 - not going to get up and down from THERE. I think one of the most overlooked things is that the better players MISSES on approach shots are much better than the higher handicappers, therefore leaving them with much easier up and down opportunities. So for the few that have mentioned that better players spend the majority of their time working the short game, I'm not sure that's true. They probably do spend MORE time there than the higher cappers, but don't underestimate how much time they work on hitting the ball solidly so that they have more opportunities to score.

[tarheel]

for me

 

70s - under 32 putts; +8 pars

80s - 32-38 putts; 4-8 pars

90s - 38 putts and above; plenty of double bogeys

[myndcraft]

I'm a 90s shooter (going to be an 80s this year ::fingers crossed::) and here are my stats from one of my rounds.

 

[golfortennis]

sksmall, I have to agree, one of the biggest things I would say a 70s and below shooter has going for them is the fact they are always on or around the green in regulation. Yes the short game is important, but it is tough to shoot 75 when your par stroke is to get on the green most holes.

 

You absolutely do not want to be consistently taking 3 shots from within 20 yards of the holes, but you need to be there in reg first for the score to stay down.

[arkstorm]

For me its all about getting off the tee. I have a decent enough short game. If I'm greenside I have an equal up and down percentage as I do of two putting from a similar distance. I most often shoot in the low to mid 80's because of the occasional stray tee ball or three putt. If my tee game is on I will often shoot in the mid to high 70's with an all time low round of one over par 73.

 

I also agree with the previous post. If I can get myself on or around the green in regulation that is all the difference.

 

My practice (in terms of time) breaks down like this:

 

35% putting

35% shots <100 yards

20% irons and fairways woods

10% driver

 

Its all about routine and making the most of my practice. E.g., never take a practice shot without having a defined target which is reachable with the shot I'm practicing. The practice routine transfers over into a preshot routine as well.

 

Despite losing a lot of distance since I started playing due to injuries, my scoring average has dropped almost every season I have played using the aforementioned principles.

[avrag]

The sad part is that we are consistent -- consistently bad. :russian_roulette:

 

Well, I don't think that's really true. I bet that you can hit it close with a medium iron from about 150m, but you do not do it often enough. At least that's the case for me. Most people I play with have hcps from 12 to 24. The 18s rarely make bogey on the majority of the holes. It is much more common for them to par about half the holes in every round, with the occasional birdie thrown in and then lose their shots on blow-up holes.

The only people I know, who play to hcps around 20, although they never hit greens (or even the vicinity of greens) in regulation, are retired women. They are the only group, who will play a 92-round by scoring bogey on every hole and double bogey on the two longest par 4s. But they can do that every time they set foot on a golf course.

Again, consistency........... :D