Players Attitudes on the Utilization of Statistics in Training

Keeping track and making use of baseline statistics can help you with focus and direction in your training. However, often players don’t utilize statistics in detailed enough ways to benefit from them.

Basic on course performance stats include:

• Number of greens hit in regulation _ /18
• Number of fairways hit in _ /14
• Number of ups and downs
• Number of sand saves
• Total putts
• Number of sub par holes

Players often avoid utilizing statistics for a variety of reasons.

1. Utilizing statistics through regular skills tests is time consuming. 
2. Training regimes are often already structured and there is little leeway to adjust the schedule to allow for accurate review. 

Extra effort is required to incorporate skills tests so players often avoid it completely. In addition, the number of possible statistics to interpret/make use of is almost endless so it is often easier for players to ignore them altogether.

Often players will look to work on mechanical flaws in their swing, which will drive the majority of activities they do in their training. They gather feedback by judging the feel of the shot on impact and how close the ball ended up to the target. 

This is not the most effective feedback but far easier to do then re-coding and reviewing baseline statistics and then using these statistics for direction in training. 

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The truth is efficient use of your statistics can instill confidence in your playing ability. Take player Luke Donald for example. 

He enlisted the help of David Alred, who is famous for his work with star rugby player Jonny Wilkinson (1995 to 2006). 

Alred worked with Donald on mental preparation, skill acquisition and performance under pressure. He incorporated a performance diary to record stats from exercises designed to make Donald practice under pressure. 


In Alred’s key drill, Donald plays nine holes with three attempts per shot where each shot is graded. Repeated negative shots require extra work. 

Exercises such as this act to change your perception of your own ability. The record and review system puts some pressure on the player to perform and provides improved feedback rather than relying just on the feel of the stroke.

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