Is putting really more important than driving

[elmexdela]

If you look at most of the top touring pros, most have big arms. The ones at the top of the leaderboard in N-Tiers (when they're all competing against each other) are the ones making the large majority of their putts, and not just the ones inside the circle.

i watched till the end. how far is that? 50?

 

[JC17393]

Putting is the only thing that is universally the same on pretty much every course you'll play (assuming we're not talking object golf). On any given 18 hole course, you're probably going to have to putt out 18 times. I know someone will argue that you have to drive all 18 holes as well, but those 18 drives could all be different in terms of distance, style, power, angle, etc. It may take mastery of multiple discs and throwing styles to make good throws from every tee, but putting comes down to essentially the same skill with the same disc on all 18 holes. The ability to throw 450+ feet on command is negated as an advantage if there's never a hole over 300 feet on a course. Being unable to throw beyond 250 feet is going to be a disadvantage on holes in the 300-400 foot range. But the ability to hit a 15-20 footer on command is applicable to every hole on every course.

Also, IMO, being a better putter makes the approach game (be it "approaching" from the tee or the fairway) easier. The better putter you are, the bigger the area you can aim for on any given hole. If you can hit everything inside 10 feet, that's a 315 square foot area around the basket that you want to land in from afar. If you're solid inside 20 feet, that's roughly 1250 square feet of area around the basket to aim for and give yourself a more than reasonable chance of converting.

 

[tbird888]

I don't know. I'm not eMac!

It looks like he's at/outside the circle for sure. My point is that he's not throwing drives in a field prepping for the event, he's putting. Driving's important, don't get me wrong. It just doesn't win events. The last BG Ams I attended saw my noodle arm climbing the board every round over lots of big arms who would two and three putt despite being 150' further down the fairway than me.

 

[Peter 127]

I am now where close to a pro. A good term would be a happy go lucky rec player. Still there is a competitive underlying nature and a want to do well (or as well as I can).

A good putting skills is about saving strokes. This last weekend, I threw a 27 hole course. Mechanics were off and I struggled in general. Where I lost the most strokes though was putting. There were 11 putts in my normal comfortable range that I missed. Had I made those putts, I would have finished -2 under par at BRP.

I am an older guy and came late to the sport. I don't have and don't expect to have a big arm. I work on throwing well, however my expectations are realistic. As for putting, that playing field for all players is fairly even. I work more diligently on this aspect to offset the lack of an arm. IMO

 

[garublador]

The thing with approaching is it's pretty easy to get good at. If you at the level of the OP and aren't driving or putting, you're probably parking the hole. That's pretty much a given.

Each of these skills has some point where it will be a lot of work to gain a little more proficiency. Getting really good at putting from 20-25' out isn't super difficult. However, extending that out to 35' will be a ton of work, or something you're just good at. You get to the point where you have to wonder if your time isn't better spent getting better at not needing to putt from 35' out, and that's where I think the OP is.

In other times this thread has come up some of the pros have noticed that their best rounds came when their driving was spot on. Not needing an approach or amazing putt will net you more strokes at that level than being extra good at putting or approaching.

 

[Timeetyo]

It really depends on your skill relative to the course as well as driving / putting / approaching. Think of it this way what will be more likely to take a stroke off for the following holes:

- Currently able to put it within 30 consistently - but only able to putt consistently from 10
- Putting from 20 consistently, but par 4 wooded course and you can't keep it on the fairway.
- Putting from 20 consistently, driving consistently but coming up ~30 short of pin

There could be a multitude of other scenarios with different results (putting accuracy, driving accuracy, approach accuracy, driving distance). Long story short - work on all phases of the game and you will likely see the biggest decrease in score on shoring up your weakest aspect.

 

[joshmo65]

I consistantly end up within 50 to 60 ft of the pin off the drive, but i dont know anyone who consistantly knocks down 60 footers.

The thing is, if you are good at putting, say out to 30', then you can run at those 60 footers as long as you know you will end within the circle. Since you can run everything where you know you will land within 30', then you will eventually make some of those, but still save par when you miss and land within 30'. Putting is definitely the most important thing imo.

 

[Peter_LG]

For me (a lower-end-of-intermediate player), a good putting day is nice because it stops me from bleeding extra strokes when I'm in jail and scrambling, or my upshot is short or rolls away from the basket. I usually don't rack up birdies, so good putting keeps me around 4-8+ on a round.

But for pros, putting is a completely different thing. It's probably 95% mental because pros practice hundreds of putts a day for years (a lot like high pressure free-throws, I imagine). Putting for a tournament win is something I can't fathom. Having that muscle memory 100% honed is how those putts go in.

 

[Jesterian]

I could go into details about why driving is less important and blah blah blah but instead I will simply say: see Paul McBeth. Dude has amazing drives, for sure, but it's the fact that he outputs everyone that wins tournaments. Putting, after all, is putting the disc in the target. Closing out the hole.

 

[Stankyjahnke]

Everything is important. I would almost say the mental aspect of the game is the most important.

 

[Kodachrome]

Ryan p just summed up pretty much everything I was going to say. It's math, homie. No matter what, you gotta putt. /Thread.

 

[banknwank]

That would be more true if we had more true par 4 and 5 holes. The vast majority of courses I've played don't require upshots unless you shank your drive, it's just drive and putt. When you get on a course that has multi-shot holes those fairway shots really do make a huge difference in scores it seems.

the thing about the approach ,or upshot ,being important to 300 ft throwers is that there is more of them. even if they are only 50 footers. critical to making par. i dont think i will ever make a high percentage of 50 footers, but i better have a tap in par! If you are throwing around 300 ft, solid putting will make up more shots than another 50 ft of drive will. at 300 ft of power, i am starting to reach 450 holes if there is some elevation to my adantage, but still missing the occasional bird opps on such holes due to poor putting.
one other important shot saver that i dont think has been mentioned....... no ob/penalty shots. more a course management thing......but, dont take low percentage risks that you prob wont make anyway, then take a penalty shot on top of it. i dont make 30 footers very often. so why run at it if there is water 10 feet behind the bucket?

 

[jedeye]

Every stroke is equally important, whether driving, approaching, or putting. IMHO what is SO important about putting is the psychology of being able to nail those shots that are makeable but that are usually missed by the majority of players. You can both level up in your mind and intimidate your opponents.

 

[zgmc]

I use swat golf.

Next time someone is talking about golfing, im going to say, you mean swat golf, right?


I Missed at least 10 easy putts yesterday during a league round. After the round i threw some putts and of course, I got the feeling back right away and couldnt miss.

 

[Nemmers]

Is putting truly more important than driving? I hear this often and i think to an extent i disagree. When first staring i think its true, but once you can park 80% of the hole on a course isnt driving accuracy more important.

Driving and approach is an important part of the game, but it's no more or less important than putting. If you drive 450' and miss the 10' birdie putt, that's no different than driving 300', laying up, and dropping in your par.

Ive gotten to the point where i can consistantly throw past 400 ft, and fairly accuratley. I consistantly end up within 50 to 60 ft of the pin off the drive, but i dont know anyone who consistantly knocks down 60 footers. So for me its an easy par but rarely a birdie.

I don't know where you're at in your game, but personally, I play for par on every hole. Nate Doss plays for birdie off the tee, I play for par off the tee. If you play for par, the birdies will come.

The point is that you answered your own question in the above quote. Putting is important if you want birdies.

If im inside 25 ft ill make the putt, but its gotten to the point where driving accuracy is more important. If i increased my putting percentage i would maybe drop 1 or 2 strokes, but if i could could cut the distance to the pin in half, i would probably drop 5 or more strokes.

True, but if you can consistently sink 40-footers those five strokes you'll drop will likely double.

Has anyone else seen this happen and how do you get to where you drive within the circle more often. I assume once i start driving consistantly withing 35 ft then putting will once more be more important.

Play your game, brother. Practice what keeps the game fun for you. If it's driving and the sight of that disc sailing through the air to S-curve straight towards the basket, focus on that. If it's sinking that 50-footer for the crazy eagle on the toughest hole on your home course, focus on that.

In the final analysis, nobody's gonna get rich or famous from disc golf at this point, so just enjoy improving on your terms playing your game.

"Most fun....wins!"

Best of luck, brother.

 

[Puckstopper]

I prefer the term "ball golf" or "regular golf" to "real golf"

That's nice. I prefer to call it what it is... real golf.

 

[Rockwell]

I have to disagree with those who say we putt more during a round than we drive. I've played rounds where I didn't putt but a few times. This was due to either not driving well and making short approaches to under the basket, or because I was driving well and parking holes.

We throw one or more drives on every hole, and if those go well, we reach out and drop the disc in the basket. So I agree with op.

 

[cblanch4]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I guess if i dial in my accuracy a bit and increase my putting distance and accuracy the scores will drop.

 

[Rockwell]

Ken Climo has said that he gives driving more credit to his success than putting. On kenclimo.com, under how to, he starts the putting section by saying he attributes 25% of his game to putting.

 

[cblanch4]

Ken Climo has said that he gives driving more credit to his success than putting. On kenclimo.com, under how to, he starts the putting section by saying he attributes 25% of his game to putting.

Good to know! Thats probably because he's rock solid inside 35 ft and puts every drive inside 35. Thats the answer i was looking for. Especially because mcbeth is the top player right now, but he isnt the best putter! I consistantly hear rico is the best putter, im sure mcbeth is top 3 though, his drives are just better so he doesnt have to be as good of a putter