Cover story
'How Good Can You Get?'
Use the 4 stats that really matter to diagnose and treat your game
J.D. Cuban
Do you know why you shoot the scores you do? Thanks to the PGA Tour's ShotLink--which measures every shot hit week in and week out--tour players know. When they see where their shots are going, they know which parts of their games need improvement. Nobody is charting every ball you hit, but you can still use statistics to improve.
I believe you can take the true temperature of any player's game by looking at four stats: total driving, greens in regulation, scrambling and three-putt avoidance. I'll show you some average-golfer stats and compare them to the best pros (keep in mind, they play tougher courses). You'll see where you need to be to reach the next level, and how to do it.
'Play your natural shot shape away from trouble, even if that means hitting it in the rough. Long grass is always a better option than a penalty shot.'
*Percent fairways hit/average drive in yards
amateur stats provided by shotbyshot.com, except driving distance, which is provided by golfsmith international.
> DRIVING
Will you get better if you hit more fairways? Yes, but I'll qualify that. Accuracy without distance isn't going to help you. The 20-handicapper needs "usable accuracy." Instead of backing off using the driver, be more conscious about your target. Thinking positively -- hit the fairway -- is nice, but that's not how people play golf. A tour player will visualize where he wants his tee shot to go, but his next thought is about where he doesn't want it to go. Anthony Kim (above) is having a great season because when he makes mistakes with the driver he has plenty of distance, and they're in the right place. He might miss fairways, but he's missing them 300 yards out, on the side that has the easier approach -- not out-of-bounds. Compare driving stats at various levels below.
Do you know why you shoot the scores you do? Thanks to the PGA Tour's ShotLink--which measures every shot hit week in and week out--tour players know. When they see where their shots are going, they know which parts of their games need improvement. Nobody is charting every ball you hit, but you can still use statistics to improve.
'On par 3s, you have an exact yardage, and you're more likely to adjust for wind and elevation change. Get that information and make those adjustments on every iron shot.'
*Percent greens hit in two less than par
> IRON PLAY
This year, Tiger Woods (above) played mostly on the hardest courses on the PGA Tour schedule, and he hit 71 percent of his greens -- best on tour. Why? Because he sees the shape and trajectory of every shot and what the ball will do when it lands. He also hits the ball solidly almost every time. When you can control your trajectory, you can control distance. Power certainly helps--he's hitting more lofted clubs into the green than a player who is 20 yards shorter off the tee.
You might not be able to copy Tiger's length or ball-striking, but I'll bet you can give yourself a much better chance to hit greens. First, figure out how far you hit every club -- and not just under perfect range conditions. Wind, temperature, elevation and stress level all change your distances. Once you have those numbers throughout your set, pay closer attention to how far you have to your targets on the course. Even if you aren't totally consistent with how far you hit it, your misses will be better if you know your distance.
- Keywords:
- How Good Can You Get?,
- Hank Haney,
- driving,
- iron play,
- putting,
- chipping
