How I Dropped My Handicap by Tracking These 3 Stats

Stat #1: Greens in Regulation
Hitting more greens is the fastest way to drop scores!

Here’s a breakdown of handicaps and the number of greens that they are expected to hit per round in order to shoot that score. Notice anything? Hitting more greens in regulation is arguably the single most impactful stat if you want to improve, and there is a very clear correlation - hit more greens, shoot lower scores.

Next time you’re out there, get the ball on the putting surface in as few shots as possible and watch your scores plummet.

Stat #2: Putts Per Round
Pay closer attention to that putter and watch your scores go down!

We’ve all heard the saying “drive for show putt for dough”, but just how important is the number of putts you have per round? Well, it’s very important. Keeping track of your putts can uncover a number of things, but the biggest one that we are focusing on here is 3-putt avoidance. In your last round, do you know how many times you 3-putted? Well if it was one or more, that’s too many times. 

In the graphic below, the average number of 3-putts per round is crossed with handicap levels and as you could have guessed, there’s a direct correlation.

If you want to go a level deeper, start tracking your 1st putt distance, as well (also known as approach shot proximity). If you have too many putts per round (perhaps 36+, on average), you might be leaving yourself too many long putts on the green. Or maybe you’ll find that 3-putts rear their ugly head as soon as you’re putting beyond 20 feet. This information can tell you if you need to work on your lag putting, or conversely, your wedge play. In the end, it’s all intertwined.

*Fun Fact: On the PGA Tour in 2023, the leader for the lowest 3-putt percentage was Maverick McNealy with just ten 3-putts over 1,026 holes, which equates to roughly one 3-putt every SEVEN ROUNDS… Impressive!

Stat #3: Scrambling Percentage
Get the ball up-and-down and see your scores also go DOWN!

“Not hitting it well all day and I gotta rely on 12 short game shots and getting 10 out of 12 up and down - thats what saves rounds or saves tournaments.”

- Tiger Woods

There’s a reason why Tiger Woods considers a good short game vital to shooting lower scores- it frees up the player to swing freely and make more aggressive swings to targets without worrying about misses.

Getting “up and down” refers to when you are off the green (generally inside 30 yards) and can get the ball in the hole in 2 shots or less. You might think a Tour Pro is automatic around the greens, but the average up and down percentage on the PGA Tour is ~58%. So check the chart below and set your expectations accordingly. And if you’re not satisfied with your own up and down percentage, spend less time on the range smashing bombs and more time on the chipping green.

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a BirdieBall 3’x12’ Indoor Putting Mat
(1 winner chosen on 2/28/25 across all February trivia entries, 1,000 correct respondents minimum)

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