Importance of Golf Statistics

How do the PGA golf tour professionals know which parts of their game need work and practice? When is a hiccup turning into a trend? How can they target their practice sessions to maximize the benefits?

How can young golfers at college maximize their training? How can students of the game visually see improvement when they follow careful fitness regimes. See our Purchase page for the special free-version for student golfers.

It is simple. The golf pros and students keep a record of each round they play. With just a few simple key statistics any problem areas can be discovered and corrected.

The great news is you too can record these key statistics as you play your round and then use Chart My Golf's powerful free online golf-charting software to do all the complicated calculations for you. The next time you want a lesson from your local pro or even if you want to practice by yourself, you will know you are maximizing your time and potential.

So what should you be recording? Well, it is really up to you. There is no wrong answer, but the more you record the more informative the results will be. The software will automatically calculate all the statistics for you. The maximum you need to record for each hole is your total score, the position of your tee shot compared to the fairway, your tee shot distance, the number of shots taken from a fairway bunker, the number of shots hit into the water, the number of penalty strokes you receive (this is in addition to the shots you have hit into the water or out of bounds), the position of your approach shot relative to the green or the length of putt left after your approach shot, the number of shots taken from a green side bunker, the number of shots taken from the grass around the green and lastly putts. All the other statistics can then be calculated by the software. Here are some of the key areas.

Golfing Terms and Golf Statistics

Strokes

This is the total number of shots, including penalties, you have taken for each hole.

Fairways Hit

This is a percentage value telling you how consistently you are hitting the fairway with your tee shot.

This is recorded as a yes when you hit the fairway or a direction the ball landed when you do not.

Note: on par 3 holes, where you are meant to hit the green with your tee shot, you do not record fairways hit. Instead recording no-score.

Fairways hit is then presented as a percentage of successes against failures. The nearer you are to 100% the better you are at this aspect of your game.

Golfers should be aiming for the following Fairways Hit percentages:

Greens In Regulation (GIR)

This is also a percentage value telling you how consistently you are reaching the green (the putting surface) within the expected number of shots.

Chart My Golf automatically calculates this for you using all the other data you submit. This statistic is recorded as a yes or a no for each hole. You have reached the Green in Regulation if your ball lands on the green surface within 2 shots below the par of the hole. So for example on a par 5 hole you would want to hit the green in 3 (5 - 2) shots or below. Then, similarly to fairways hit, greens in regulation is presented as a percentage of successes against failures.

Chart My Golf has invented two more statistics related to GIR, which is more useful to the bogey or double bogey golfers. GIR+1 asks if you have reached the green within 1 shot of par, ie one more than a scratch golfer would expect to reach the green. Similarly GIR+2 asks if you have reached the green exactly on par, ie two more than a scratch golfer would expect to reach the green. Bogey golfers will find their GIR+1 percentage will show improvement before there is noticeable improvement in their standard GIR percentage making GIR+1 more useful for golfers of their ability. Similarly double bogey golfers, those who would be aiming for about 36 strokes over par for a full round, will find the GIR+2 percentage a more useful guide for golfers of their ability.

Golfers should be aiming for the following GIR percentages:

Putts

This is the number of shots per hole you hit with the putter.

Sand Saves

This is another percentage value telling you how consistently you are holing-out within 2 shots when you land in a green side bunker. If this percentage is high the golfer knows hitting a green side bunker has only a limited effect on their overall score. Chart My Golf automatically calculates this statistic for you from the data you submit.

When you land in a bunker beside the green you would ideally still want to get into the hole within 2 shots. If you do it is considered a sand save and is recorded as a 'yes'. If you land in a green side bunker, but take 3 or more shots to get into the hole then a 'no' is recorded. If you do not land in a green side bunker you record a no-score. Sand saves are then presented as a percentage of successes against failures, just like fairways hit.

Up and Downs

This is a measure of the consistency with which you hole out within 2 shots when you land on the grass just off the green with your approach shot. When you miss the green with your approach shot, but do not land in a green side bunker, you will still be aiming to get into the hole within 2 shots using an iron/putter and then your putter. If you can get into the hole from this green side location within 2 shots you record a 'yes' on this hole for Up and Downs. If you take 3 shots or more you record a 'no'. If you hit the green with your approach shot you record a no-score. Chart My Golf automatically calculates this statistic for you from the data you submit.

Up and downs are then presented as a percentage of successes against failures, just like fairways hit.

Other Terms Found in Chart My Golf

• Par: The number of strokes a scratch golfer is expected to complete the hole.
• Stroke Index (SI): The holes are ordered 1-18 to determine the shots received per hole for players of different handicaps. The hole with SI 1 is the most difficult hole and most golfers will receive a stroke on this hole. The hole with SI 18 is the easiest hole and only golfers with a handicap of 18 or above on a standard difficulty (Slope ™ of 113) course will receive a stroke on this hole.
• Yards or Meters: The distance from the tee to mid-green.
• Dogleg: An indication if the hole is straight, or curving to the left or right.
• Slope: An indication whether the hole is flat, uphill or downhill.
• Score: The total number of strokes taken for the hole.
• Fairways Hit: If you hit the fairway with your tee shot on par 4 holes or above, you have achieved a fairway hit.
• Fairway Bunker: The number of times you hit a fairway bunker.
• Water: The number of times you hit the water.
• Penalties: The number of penalty strokes you have received.
• Approach: An indication of the landing position of your shot to the green, ie off green or measured by the length of the putt.
• Green Side Bunker: The number of times you hit a green side bunker.
• Off Green Chips: The number of off green grass shots you take with an iron or putter.
• Putts: The number of on green putts.
• Fairways Total: The total number of shots you take getting to the green. You should aim for 2 under par of the hole. This leaves you 2 shots to get into the hole when you are around the green.
• Greens in Regulation: If you reach the green within 2 less than par you have achieved a GIR.
• Greens in Regulation + 1: If you reach the green within 1 less than par you have achieved a GIR+1.
• Greens in Regulation + 2: If you reach the green within par you have achieved a GIR+2.
• Green Side Total: The total number of shots you have taken around the green. You should aim for 2 shots or less around the green.
• Up and Downs (Scramble): You achieve an Up and Down if your approach shot lands off the green, not in a bunker, and you still manage to complete the hole within another 2 shots.
• Sand Saves: You achieve a Sand Save if you land in a green side bunker and you still manage to complete the hole within another 2 shots.
• Greens In Regulation per Fairway Miss: The GIR when you fail to score a Fairway Hit.
• Greens In Regulation + 1 per Fairway Miss: The GIR+1 when you fail to score a Fairway Hit.
• Greens In Regulation + 2 per Fairway Miss: The GIR+2 when you fail to score a Fairway Hit.
• Green Side Save: This is achieved if you manage to pick up shots around the green when you lose shots reaching the green.
• Fairway Miss Save: This is where you miss the fairway with your tee shot, but still get to the green in the expected number of shots.
• Fairway Bunker Save: This is where you still get to the green in the expected number of shots after hitting a fairway bunker.
• Green Side per Off Green Approach: The green side score for off green approaches.
• Green Side per Long Putt Approach: The green side score for long putt approaches.
• Green Side per Mid Putt Approach: The green side score for mid putt approaches.
• Green Side per Short Putt Approach: The green side score for short putt approaches.

Summary

These are just some of the statistics you can easily record while you are playing your round. The web version of Chart My Golf works on mobiles, laptops and desktops, and the downloadable version will work on many devices. So all you need to do is enter a small number of values into Chart My Golf and the program will make all the calculations for you. The program will then present your golf stats in a multitude of colorful graphs and tables.

Now you can see trends in your golf stats rather than just individual data. Now you will be able to react to problem areas just like the pros and even predict potential areas of concern before they fully manifest. If you maximize your practice, improvement will surely follow.

A useful link is a golf stat glossary. Find the season statistics for leading golf pros by following this link.