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
00:26to really see the differences between these two.
00:29Now, I'm not gonna say every 18 index watching now
00:31is suddenly gonna play off scratch,
00:33looking at these stats,
00:35but 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,
00:42if that is your goal.
00:45So all the data we're referencing from this video
00:46comes courtesy of Arcos Golf.
00:48They have a vast bank of data,
00:50over 750 million shots from real golfers
00:54on 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
01:08that'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 indexers and scratch golfers
01:21in that journey to get down to scratch is scoring.
01:25It'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?
01:32So scratch players, average, 2.2 birdies per round,
01:3510.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys,
01:38and 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 hole double bogeys or worse
01:57between these two golfers.
01:59The rest of the 18 index golfer,
02:00they're making 0.4 birdies per round,
02:03four pars, and 8.9 bogeys,
02:06with 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 indexer
02:15and scratch golfer,
02:17and on your journey down
02:18through 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.
02:38Now, 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.
02:55To start from 0.25 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
03:09out there for getting up and down
03:10more 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.
03:43I think that stat from 25 to 50 yards
03:46where scratch golfers are getting up and down
03:47a third of the time,
03:49it's something we can all hold onto, 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
03:59or 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
04:06from 25 to 50 yards and from inside 25 yards,
04:09but especially that sort of mid-range,
04:11is a real easy thing to work on
04:14and to try and achieve out on the golf course
04:16to get down to scratch.
04:20So a reason for these lack of up and downs
04:22is probably down to putting, isn't it?
04:24So let's take a look at the putting stats
04:25between an 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.
04:35They're averaging a whopping 5.2 one putts per round,
04:3911.5 two putts, and just 1.3 three putts per round.
04:45Pretty impressive, right?
04:46Again, let's compare it to that 18 index golfer
04:49who is one putting just 3.1 times per round,
04:52two putting 11.1 times, and another big gap here,
04:56three putting 3.7 times.
04:59So for me, this compares to those scoring stats
05:01in that there's a lot more three putts
05:04for 18 index golfers and a lot more double bogeys
05:07when we looked at that scoring stats earlier.
05:09Now, I think this is the biggest difference
05:10between putting, between 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
05:18and work on our putting.
05:19Now, I don't have any stats for this,
05:20but I imagine scratch golfers work on their putting
05:23a little bit more than higher indexers.
05:26And they don't just go to the range
05:27and start blasting drivers,
05:28but they really dial in that short game.
05:29Let's avoid a few three putts
05:31and 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.
05:40Compare this scratch golfer and 18 indexer.
05:43On that journey down to scratch,
05:45how 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.
05:54And that translates into 10 out of 18 greens
05:57over the course of a round.
05:58Again, impressive work.
06:00You know, that might not sound like a lot.
06:02I think it does, but it might not sound like a lot,
06:04but compare that to the 23% of greens in regulation
06:08that an 18 index golfer hits.
06:09And we can see the big difference.
06:10Now, not breaking news there,
06:12but something really interesting I found
06:15when working our way through this data
06:17is that when an 18 index handicapper does hit the green
06:20in regulation, their proximity to the hole
06:23isn't that much different to that of a scratch golfer.
06:26Let me explain that.
06:27So when a scratch golfer hits the green,
06:29their average proximity to the hole is 26 foot,
06:32which again, I'm not just very close.
06:34It's very good golf.
06:35But when an 18 index handicapper does do it,
06:38only 23% of the time, but when they do do it,
06:41that proximity to the hole is 35 foot.
06:45There's only nine foot difference there.
06:48And when you, so what it's saying is anyone
06:49between scratch and 18 watching this now,
06:52when you do hit that green in reg
06:54and that percentage obviously differs a lot,
06:56you're very close to the hole
06:57as a scratch golfer would be.
06:59It's not that much different.
07:00And then if we even look at an eight index golfer,
07:02so something sort of in the middle of these two,
07:04when they hit a green in regulation,
07:07they're 30 foot away from the pin, from the hole.
07:09So, you know, it shows the value of hitting
07:11that green in regulation.
07:13And I think on your journey down to scratch,
07:15if you really value a high green in regulation percentage,
07:19you should be able to start chipping off
07:21shots on your handicap.
07:21Now I can't tell you how to do that,
07:23but maybe identify a few areas
07:25as to why your green in regulation percentage
07:28isn't that high.
07:29Are your drives putting you out of position?
07:31Are your iron shots poor?
07:34You know, work out which one of those it is,
07:36go and work on that,
07:37and hopefully you see that green in regulation percentage
07:39skyrocket.
07:43Finally then, back to the tee box.
07:45Now, it's not going to be any great surprise
07:47that scratch golfers hit the ball a lot further
07:49than 18 handicap golfers.
07:51So a scratch golfer averages 251 yards off the tee,
07:54compared to an 18 indexers, 217 yards.
07:58Now, to some, and I know a lot of mid to high handicappers
08:01who might hit it a bit further than 251,
08:03that might not feel like a long way away,
08:06but that accuracy is where we need to look at.
08:09So scratch golfers hit the fairway 51% of the time,
08:11so more than half, which I think is a very good effort,
08:14compared to 18 index golfers who hit the fairway
08:18at 42% of the time.
08:20Now that's actually quite a close number again, isn't it?
08:22We looked at proximity to the hole in greens and regulations
08:25a minute ago.
08:26They weren't that far off, nine feet, 11 feet.
08:30This is only 9% difference in fairways.
08:32Obviously that chunk of distance is important,
08:36but I think it shows on your journey down to scratch,
08:38or a lower handicap, accuracy isn't that important
08:41in the grand scheme.
08:42I'm going to leave you that little line there.
08:43Accuracy isn't that important.
08:45May work on a bit of distance.
08:46I think distance does work,
08:48because 217 yards, 251 is a big golf.
08:50But listen, wherever you are in the handicap index,
08:53even scratch golfers are missing
08:54every other fairway pretty much.
08:56So you don't need to value accuracy,
08:57but maybe let's value a bit more distance.
09:00So there you have it.
09:01The stats and the data that should give you a path
09:04or some sort of guiding light
09:05to becoming a scratch golfer.
09:07Now, which ones do I think are most important there?
09:09I want you to go away with accuracy,
09:12and that you don't need to be that accurate
09:13to be a scratch golfer, it helps, but not that accurate.
09:17And proximity to the hole on greens in regulation hits.
09:21Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
09:22But if you remember that one somehow,
09:24you'll think how valuable greens in regulation are,
09:28because the proximity isn't that different
09:29from a scratch golfer.
09:31Now, I know you watching at home
09:32will be on different parts of the handicap spectrum,
09:34but I hope that comparison from an 18 index
09:37to a scratch golfer gives you some idea
09:40of what parts of the game you can go away and work on.
09:43Start your journey down to scratch.
09:46If there's any more videos you want to see just like this
09:47of deep data dives,
09:49we've got all this archivist information to go off.
09:51Let me know down in the description.
09:52I'd love to hear from you and put this data to good use.
09:55I want to hear what you guys want to see.
09:58But for now, thank you so much for joining me.
10:00I'll see you next time.