- 3 minutes ago
We take a deep dive into the shot data supplied by Arccos and compare an 18 index handicapper with a scratch golfer. Using these statistics, you can learn how to tune your game with the goal of getting down to a scratch handicap.
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00:00It's every golfer's dream to play off scratch, right?
00:03But what are scratch golfers doing on the course right now
00:06to play off that index?
00:07And what are you not doing that you should be?
00:09Well, I've got all the data and all the stats.
00:12Explain more.
00:17So in our deep data dive to get you down to a scratch golfer,
00:21we're gonna be comparing a scratch golfer,
00:23a zero index handicapper to an 18 index
00:25to really see the differences between these two.
00:28Now, I'm not gonna say every 18 index watching now
00:31is suddenly gonna play off scratch,
00:33looking at these stats,
00:34but it's gonna give us a great idea of key areas
00:37that golfers, you know, between scratch and 18
00:40can work on to get down to that target, if that is your goal.
00:44So all the data we're referencing from this video
00:46comes courtesy of Arcos Golf.
00:48They have a vast bank of data, over 750 million shots
00:52from real golfers on real golf courses, just like you.
00:57So if you use Arcos right now,
00:59your data has been plugged into this
01:01and we're getting a real idea
01:02of what's going on out there, basically.
01:04And if you want to try Arcos for yourself,
01:05I've put some handy links down in the description
01:07that'll find you the best price in your location
01:10for a set of their smart sensors.
01:16Now, the first area we're gonna look at,
01:18and probably the most obvious difference
01:19between 18 indexes and scratch golfers
01:21in that journey to get down to scratch is scoring.
01:25And it's really obvious he's gonna be different,
01:26but let's just take a look at them anyway,
01:28because it's interesting,
01:29and we can see where the biggest differences lie, right?
01:31So scratch players average, 2.2 birdies per round,
01:3510.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys, and just 0.7 doubles or worse.
01:41I could only dream of such efficient golf.
01:44So for me, this less than a double bogey per round
01:47is the key stat, right?
01:49When we look at 18 index golfers,
01:51they're making 5.7 doubles or worse.
01:54So there's five whole double bogeys or worse
01:56between these two golfers.
01:58The rest of the 18 index golfers,
02:00they're making 0.4 birdies per round,
02:03four pars, and 8.9 bogeys
02:05with that 5.7 double bogeys on the end there.
02:09Listen, I'm not expecting golfers
02:11to suddenly have a birdie fest next time they go out,
02:13but the clear difference between that 18 index
02:15and scratch golfer,
02:17and on your journey down through that handicap index range,
02:20is just to chip a few doubles off here and there.
02:22Chip one, two, three off per round if you can.
02:25They'll convert to pars, bogeys,
02:27maybe a few birdies here and there,
02:28and that will help.
02:30Now, you've got to admire the quality of a scratch golfer
02:33to not have that many double bogeys,
02:34but in that scoring area,
02:36let's really focus on bringing those down.
02:41Now, I think around the green is somewhere
02:44where there's going to be a big golfing class here,
02:45and somewhere on that journey down to scratch,
02:48we can all look to tighten up our game a little bit, right?
02:51So let's look at a scratch golfer's
02:53up and down percentage, right?
02:54Up and downs from around the green.
02:55The start from zero to 25 yards,
02:57we'll place them somewhere in the rough near the green.
02:59They get up and down 57% of the time,
03:02and that's compared to an 18 index golfer
03:04who achieves that just 26% of the time.
03:07Again, sat back admiring you scratch golfers out there
03:09for getting up and down more than every other time.
03:12It's pretty impressive.
03:13If we move ourselves out a little bit,
03:1525 to 50 yards in the fairway or in the rough,
03:18it doesn't really matter here.
03:20Very similar results for the sort of efficiency
03:22of a scratch golfer basically.
03:24They're getting up and down from this range 35% of the time,
03:28whereas 18 indexes from 25 to 50 yards
03:31are doing that just 12% of the time.
03:33So another golf there really.
03:35And while that golfing class is really clear,
03:37and I know I'm not sort of breaking news with this.
03:40We all know 18 indexes are worse.
03:42I think that stat from 25 to 50 yards
03:46where scratch golfers are getting up and down a third of the time,
03:48it's something we can all hold on to, I think.
03:50It's not mad percentages, is it really?
03:53We can all sort of achieve that, I think,
03:55if we work on our short game and our pitching.
03:57So for you 18 index golfers or anyone who's on that journey down to scratch,
04:02I think it's proved that incremental gains
04:04and getting that up and down percentage up from 25 to 50 yards
04:08and from inside 25 yards, but especially that sort of mid-range,
04:11is a real easy thing to work on
04:13and to try and achieve out on the golf course to get down to scratch.
04:20So a reason for these lack of up and downs is probably down to putting, isn't it?
04:24So let's take a look at the putting stats between
04:25an 18 index golfer and a scratch golfer.
04:29Let's have a look on the green.
04:30So scratch golfers, some pretty good stats again.
04:32Again, not breaking news here, but interesting.
04:34They're averaging a whopping 5.2 one putts per round, 11.5 two putts,
04:41and just 1.3 three putts per round.
04:45Pretty impressive, right?
04:46Again, let's compare to that 18 index golfer who is one putting,
04:50just 3.1 times per round, two putting, 11.1 times,
04:54and another big gap here, three putting, 3.7 times.
04:59So for me, this compares those scoring stats in that
05:02there's a lot more three putts for 18 index golfers,
05:05and a lot more double bogeys when we looked at that scoring stats earlier.
05:09Now, I think this is the biggest difference between putting,
05:11between scratch and higher index golfers.
05:13So on your journey down to scratch,
05:15let's try and chop out some of those three putts and work on our putting.
05:19Now, I don't have any stats for this,
05:20but I imagine scratch golfers work on their putting a little bit more than higher indexes.
05:26And they don't just go to the range and start blasting drivers,
05:28but they really dial in that short game.
05:29Let's avoid a few three putts, and we can get up and down a bit more,
05:32and we can get to scratch.
05:37Okay, let's move further back down the hole then,
05:39look at approach shots, compare this scratch golfer and 18 indexer.
05:43On that journey down to scratch, how do you have to get better?
05:46Now, there's quite a big difference here,
05:48and we're going to look at green in regulation percentage.
05:50So a scratch golfer hits a green in regulation 56% of the time,
05:53and that translates into 10 out of 18 greens over the course of a round.
05:58Again, impressive work.
06:00You know, that might not sound like a lot, I think it does,
06:03but it might not sound like a lot, but compare that to the 23% of greens in regulation
06:07that an 18 index golfer hits, and we can see the big difference.
06:11Now, not breaking news there, but something really interesting I found when working our way
06:16through this data is that when an 18 index handicapper does hit the green in regulation,
06:20their proximity to the hole isn't that much different to that of a scratch golfer.
06:26Let me explain that.
06:27So when a scratch golfer hits the green, their average proximity to the hole is 26 foot,
06:32which again, I'm not saying it's very close, it's very good golf.
06:35But when an 18 index handicapper does do it, only 23% of the time, but when they do do
06:40it,
06:41that proximity to the hole is 35 foot. There's only nine foot difference there.
06:48So what it's saying is anyone between scratch and 18 watching this now,
06:52when you do hit that green in reg, and that percentage obviously differs a lot,
06:56you're very close to the hole as a scratch golfer would be. It's not that much different.
07:00And then if we even look at an 8 index golfer, so something sort of in the middle of these
07:03two,
07:04when they hit a green in regulation, they're 30 foot away from the pin, from the hole.
07:09So, you know, it shows the value of hitting that green in regulation. And I think on your journey down
07:14to scratch, if you really value a high green in regulation percentage, you should be able to start
07:19chipping off shots on your handicap. Now, I can't tell you how to do that, but maybe identify a few
07:24areas as to why your green in regulation percentage isn't that high. Are your drives putting you out
07:30of position? Are your iron shots poor? Work out which one of those it is, go and work on that,
07:36and hopefully you see that green in regulation percentage skyrocket.
07:43Finally then, back to the tee box. Now, it's not going to be any great surprise that scratch
07:47golfers hit the ball a lot further than 18 handicapped golfers. So a scratch golfer averages
07:52251 yards off the tee, compared to an 18 indexer's 217 yards. Now, to some, and I know a lot
07:59of mid to
08:00high handicappers who might hit it a bit further than 251, that might not feel like a long way away,
08:05but that accuracy is where we need to look at. So scratch golfers hit the fairway 51% of the
08:11time,
08:11so more than half, which I think is a very good effort, compared to 18 index golfers who hit the
08:17fairway at 42% of the time. Now, that's actually quite a close number again, isn't it? We looked at
08:23proximity to the hole in greens and regulations a minute ago. They weren't that far off, nine feet,
08:2811 feet. This is only 9% difference in fairways. Obviously, that chunk of distance is important,
08:35but I think it shows on your journey down to scratch or a lower handicap, accuracy isn't that important
08:41in the grand scheme. I'm going to leave you that little line there. Accuracy isn't that important,
08:45may work on a bit of distance. I think distance does work because 217 yards, 251 is a big golf.
08:50But
08:50listen, wherever you are on the handicap index, even scratch golfers are missing every other fairway,
08:55pretty much. So you don't need to value accuracy, but maybe let's value a bit more distance.
08:59So there you have it, the stats and the data that should give you a path or some sort of
09:04guiding
09:05light to becoming a scratch golfer. Now, which ones do I think are most important there? I want to
09:09I want you to go away with the accuracy and that you don't need to be that accurate to be
09:13a scratch
09:14golfer. It helps, but not that accurate. And proximity to the hole on greens in regulation hits.
09:21Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? But if you remember that one somehow,
09:24you'll think how valuable greens in regulation are because the proximity isn't that different
09:29from a scratch golfer. Now, I know you watching at home will be on different parts of the handicap
09:33spectrum, but I hope that comparison from an 18 index to a scratch golfer gives you some idea
09:39of what parts of the game you can go away and work on. Start your journey down to scratch.
09:45If there's any more videos you want to see just like this of deep data dives, we've got all this
09:49information to go off. Let me know down in the description. I'd love to hear from you
09:53and put this data to good use. I want to hear what you guys want to see. But for now,
09:58thank you so much for joining me. I'll see you next time.
10:09I'll see you next time.
10:10I'll see you next time.
10:10Bye-bye.
10:11.
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