Becoming our best golfer possible is typically a long journey. Decades, even.
By the time a golfer gets to their peak performance, particularly if they're approaching scratch, figuring out where to get better can be a challenge. The issues aren't usually glaring. They can be hard to find.
That's why having Shot Scope is such an asset for a high-skilled golfer -- maybe even more so than for a lesser-skilled player. Shot Scope helps golfers their games using GPS mapping and a powerful analytics package to record and display their shots, tendencies, strengths and deficiencies to help them get better at golf.
Jennifer is a really good player. She averaged 1.33 strokes over par per round in 2018, and she's improved upon that in 2019 to get her average to just 0.63 strokes over par per 18-hole round. At her level, improving three-fourths of a shot in a year is a big deal. So, how has she done it?
Looking at Jennifer's scoring averages on par 3s, par 4s and par 5s doesn't immediately tell the answer. The averages look about the same year over year. However, taking a closer peek at her par-4 scoring tells us the story.
In 2018, Jennifer was averaging 4.19 strokes per par 4. A year later, she's down to an average of 4.12.
That kind of improvement on par 4s is huge for a golfer, particularly of Jennifer's skill level. After all, there are more par 4s than par 3s and par 5s (typically combined) on pretty much any course on the planet. There are anywhere from 10-12 par 4s on a course, so that 0.07 shots per par 4 improvement translates directly to all of Jennifer's year-over-year improvement.
Looking at her GIR data per club, she has dramatically improved her GIR percentage with the scoring clubs this year, making her a better golfer. She is finding the green more than 70 percent of the time with her three scoring wedges, and she's hitting greens at a 65 percent clip with the 8- and 9-irons. That means she's able to more comfortably two-putt holes and make more birdies.
Jennifer isn't putting better year-over-year. In fact, she's taking two more putts per round, three-putting almost twice as often (albeit rarely) and averaging a foot shorter per putt made. In the end, though, her ability to hit the green more frequently is creating the need to putt more frequently. That's a good thing compared to needing to get up-and-down from off the green. Her data is yet further proof that simply hitting more greens in regulation will help a golfer improve their scores.
While Jennifer doesn't play in a tight range of overall scores, her improved proficiency with the scoring irons puts her in a position to go low more easily.
