Have you ever heard of SIFY? No, not Lady Sif and the warriors three from the Thor movies, but Shots Inside Fifty Yards. This has been a metric I've been following closer and closer so I can determine what is really holding back my score.
Most people will average a little more than 36 putts per round and (especially weekend golfers) will probably miss 16/18 greens in regulation. If we're really being honest with ourselves we can probably say of those 16 greens we miss, we will also duff or skull a couple of those and wind up with multiple chips on one hole. My point being, if you track this and see a number around 60, don't be afraid, let's just dive deeper into the what caused it!
If you want even more detailed stats, look at how long your first putt is after a SIFY shot. That will tell you if your chipping or putting is in more urgent need of attention. At the beginning I would suggest just looking at whether or not you ended up inside or outside of 20 feet. If you can consistently land inside 20 feet from your chips, you are doing better than the average weekend golfer and should be more focused on your putting. Obviously, if that's not the case then you need to spend more time chipping.
If you want some help with either of these you can sign up for our 5 strokes in 5 days challenge, which will walk you through 5 different practice routines that will drastically help your SIFY metrics! Get this free challenge by clicking here: https://www.golfstrategyacademy.com/5in5
Friend of the show Chris Finn from Par 4 Success has put together a free assessment to see how your four main rotation centers measure up to other golfers. Visit par4success.com/griffin to get your free assessment!
