We received this email a few days back and thought it provided a good opportunity to discuss just what percentage of a typical score putting amounts to:
Does putting really account for 42% of your score?
If you look at a broad overview of the numbers it stands to reason that the 40+% range is fairly accurate. Consider an 80s shooter who averages 36 putts and you end up right about at the 42-43% number. Makes sense… right? Well, maybe not.
Let’s look at the numbers again — this time keeping Separation Value in mind. Of the 36 putts the 80s shooter takes approximately nine of them are tap-ins (putts with absolutely no Separation Value). This leaves only 27 other putts. Subtract, further, the four putts (an average) that are within the 15-25 foot range (very little Separation Value) and only 23 putts remain. All of these remaining putts have reasonable Separation Value so they are worth counting in this breakdown. Take those 23 putts and weigh them against, say, 73 total shots (86 minus the nine tap-ins and four 15-25 footers) and it’s easy to see that putting actually accounts for only about 30% of the total strokes taken in a normal round… not the generally accepted 40+%.
We aren’t by any means suggesting you stop practicing putting but we are suggesting that you look hard at Separation Value and the statistics that govern your PracticePlan and GamePlan. Practice with a proper breakdown of skills and shoot lower scores.