In examining my golf game and trying to figure out where I can shave some strokes, I’ve concluded pitching and chipping are where I need the most work. My recent putting experiment more than validates the importance of getting the ball to within about 4 feet when I’m trying to get up and down.
The experiment was very simple. See how many putts in a row I can make from 4 feet and from 8 feet. The results are stunning.
8 foot putts
After making about 10 attempts, the highest number of 8 foot putts I made in a row was 6. I could try it by making 100 attempts regardless of how many in a row I made as well. Then I’d have an exact percentage of putts made. Perhaps next time I’ll do that.
4 foot putts
It didn’t even take me 10 attempts from 4 feet to make 29 in a row. And the 30th putt I missed because I was getting tired of bending over to putt.
Conclusion
The conclusion is that if I can get my chips to 4 feet I have 96% chance of getting up and down. If the chip is 8 feet out that percentage is reduced immensely.