You should start tracking THIS stat…

We all count up our scores as we go around the course. Usually, we know what’s gone right or wrong on a hole (hitting a wedge to inside a few feet or a three-putting from inside ten feet) but 18 holes is plenty of time to forget about that great pitch or silly putt.

Now, we know that good scores are made and lost from inside 100 yards, so we’d like to set a task for you: track how many shots you hit from inside 100 yards and how many of those are putts.

You might be surprised to learn that golfers with a handicap between 11-20 average 34-35 putts per round. That’s less than two per hole (just). So, while you’re worrying about that one unnecessary three-putt, you might find that when you total up your score you’ve got a few more one-putts than you realised.

Golfers with a handicap between 11-20 average 34-35 putts per round.

Why? One big helping hand comes from hitting good wedge shots inside 100 yards to set-up those short putts. They’re the scores you don’t notice as much. One three-jab and a couple of those and you’ll find yourself averaging less than two putts a hole.

So, do yourself a favour next time you’re on the course and take note of how many shots you have inside 100 yards; jotting down how many were putts. If yours are too skewed towards putts or chips, make that a coaching priority this winter.