Percentage Of Shots During A Round

*Putting…............35-40% Of Your Total Score
*Driving…............15-20% Of Your Total Score
*Irons, Fairways, Metals, Sand, Pitching & Chipping…40-50% Of Your Total Score

The one club in your bag that contributes to your score more than any other club is the putter. Most amateur golfers do not take putting practice (and chipping) as serious as their driving and iron play. The reason for this, I believe, is that anyone at any ability can successfully hit a putt with reasonable distance and directional control. They will not miss the ball or hit some hideous and embarrassing banana slice or shank into the boondocks. While it is true that all clubs require practice, the putter should get a little more of its share of the available practice time. Remember, it is easy to be successful at putting, but it is very difficult to be really good at putting. A goal every golfer should have it to eliminate 3 putts and make as many “percentage” putts as possible. Never take more than 36 putts and constantly stride to be somewhere in the 20’s.

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  • 2:55AM - Jan 31, 2012RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    Ralph I’m not so sure the putting 40% is helpful 16%is probably tap ins which add to the score but don’t have the scoring weight of every other shot

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  • 2:41AM - Jan 31, 2012RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    Michael Ralph is right! You have dead legs. Get those hips turning from the top and you’ll rip it!

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  • 11:44AM - Dec 8, 2011RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    LBlack14, there is no list on legal or illegal putters from the USGA that I am aware of. Yes, a putter can be sent in to them on their “Submission Form” and they will reply as to its legality in their opinion. When I finished the early prototype of the stand-up putter I sent them one to look over unofficially and they responded that it would be best if I put a groove at each end (the heel and toe portion) to eliminate any confusion as to multiple hitting surfaces which a putter cannot have. I then added the two grooves to be safe. For the most part, the USGA rules are quite clear for most putter designs and usually only when one pushes the envelope in a design is it neccessary to submit to the USGA. All the putters I have ever designed meet the USGA rules.

    As a sidenote here, there are many clubs played on all of the tours that the USGA has never seen. The only list of conforming and non-conforming clubs is for drivers. Golf balls also have their own list. Irons with the new grooves do not have a list. It is assumed that the manufacturer has complied in good faith with the rules and again when in doubt on some design they would send it to the USGA.

    I don’t recall seeing this post but I could have responded via his gmail account. Other than that, no reason.

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  • 8:45AM - Dec 5, 2011RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mickeymorey

    I am using the Maltby Moment stand up putter. I play a full schedule of tournaments, including many USGA and Oregon Golf Association sanctioned tournaments. I have checked with the USGA and they inform me that the Moment has never been submitted to USGA for compliance/approval. They informed me that other stand up putters have been approved and that the stand up feature alone is not against the rules. However, they made it clear that unless the Moment itself is submitted and approved, I am at risk of playing a non complying putter.

    Is it correct that the Moment has not been officially approved by the USGA?

    If that is correct, what can you provide me so that I am assured I am using a legal putter?

    I play in the US Senior Open qualifier on June 28 so as soon as you can respond it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Mickey Morey

    mickeym51@gmail.com

    I’m curious as to why no reply to mickeymorey’s question???

    -Landon

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  • 10:30AM - Jun 10, 2010RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    I am using the Maltby Moment stand up putter. I play a full schedule of tournaments, including many USGA and Oregon Golf Association sanctioned tournaments. I have checked with the USGA and they inform me that the Moment has never been submitted to USGA for compliance/approval. They informed me that other stand up putters have been approved and that the stand up feature alone is not against the rules. However, they made it clear that unless the Moment itself is submitted and approved, I am at risk of playing a non complying putter.

    Is it correct that the Moment has not been officially approved by the USGA?

    If that is correct, what can you provide me so that I am assured I am using a legal putter?

    I play in the US Senior Open qualifier on June 28 so as soon as you can respond it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Mickey Morey

    mickeym51@gmail.com

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  • 2:38PM - Aug 15, 2007RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    Kevin, this is the putter that I personally use. Yes, it is perfectly U.S.G.A. legal and yes you can stand it up and walk all around it when lining up your putt. One thing is for sure; you will be noticed when you putt with it. I like to stand it up on the practice putting green and walk away from it and watch everybody stare at it. Kevin, this putter still holds the record for the highest moment of inertia putter ever made and marketed. Here is some more fun to prove MOI to your friends and yourself; line up your putt with the ball way out on the toe of the putter and stroke it. You will be amazed at how solid it feels and the ball rolls just like normal and with almost no distance loss like most other putters (high MOI does this). Final trick; put down two balls to be putted with one stroke. Leave 3/4” to 1” between them and line them up with the hole so that you will impact both of them at the same time (one on the toe and one on the heel). If you are lined up properly, both balls will head toward the hole in a lead/follow arrangement and both will go in the hole. Use about a 10 to 15 foot putt distance. I have also made three balls doing this but it takes a number of tries. I usually make the two balls every 4th or 5th try if it’s my lucky day. Thanks for trying Maltby designed products.

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  • 12:09AM - Aug 15, 2007RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    • kevin

    • kevin
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    Ralph, I just purchased max moment putter. It is awesome. Is this club legal? Also, is it legal to stand the club behind the ball, walk away and look at your line?

    thank you, Kevin P.S. I also bought a set of ke4 irons and 2 sand wedges.

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  • 5:20PM - Aug 3, 2007RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    Tom, like any specialty golf product, the Heavy Putter is not for everyone, but it can be a tremendous help to some golfers. Basically, the Heavy Putter slows down any of the movements the golfer makes when putting. If a golfer has a jerky stroke, lurch or lunge when putting which is usually referred to as the yips, the Heavy Putter can mostly eliminate this. Also, there are those golfers who do not have the yips that simply putt better and possibly remain more controlled and calm in their stroke with a heavier putter head, added grip end weight and finally a much heavier overall total weight. I have mentioned a number of times in my answers here that much of golf club fitting is some form of a trade-off. Of course we want all the trade-offs we make to end up positive and actually improve our games. With this said, one of the trade-offs that I have found in using heavy putters in fitting over the last 20 years (long before the Heavy Putter came out) is that it is sometimes much more difficult to control the length of longer putts with any consistency. This is something you need to find out for yourself by actually using the Heavy Putter. Also, what I have found is that it is hard for a so-called normal weighted putter to match the accuracy of a heavy weighted putter on putt lengths under 11 feet. The record number of consecutive putts (exactly 11 feet) made here in the golf club design studio was done by me with the Heavy Putter (23 putts in a row). Apparently, it is working very well for you and I would definitely stick with it. You mentioned that you were always a very poor putter and I feel that this type putter has eliminated some tendency you had that probably had something to do with the words “I now have a smoother putting stroke”. So, finally Tom, the only important comment that I can leave you or any golfer with is this; “if you can satisfactorily control the distance on longer putts, you are definitely making more of the shorter putts and you have reduced your three putts, then the Heavy Putter is the way to go.

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  • 12:35PM - Aug 3, 2007RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    • Tom

    • Tom
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    I really enjoy your website. This is the best place to get true golf information. What is your opinion on the Heavy Putter? I was always a very poor putter (using a Ping Anser). I tried the Heavy Putter and immediately eliminated 8-9 putts per round. Is something like this common in your experience?

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  • 8:43AM - Aug 1, 2007RE: Percentage Of Shots During A Round

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    • Jim P

    • Jim P
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    I enjoy reading your comments and suggestions on different issues concerning club making and fitting. I have an old (cir’96) “Practical Club Fitting” book written by Tom Wishon. But, this thing is dated because of the changes in technology i.e. drivers are now 460 cc’s and when this book was written they were about 250 cc’s. Anyway, my question to you is which book would you recommend to replace this one. I am looking for all the geometry and relationships of club/shaft etc. An example of the information I am trying to get is a table that gives me general guide lines to driver head weight and shaft weight/length to determine approx. swing weight.

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