Everyone wants to know how to get down to scratch. How many fairways do you need to find and how many birdies do you need to make? This videos answers all these questions and a whole lot more by uncovering the performance data behind a scratch golfer, courtesy of Arccos. The company's cutting edge shot tracking technology has logged millions of shots hit by real golfers to help everyone understand how to benchmark their play and dial in on areas to improve. So sit back, note pad in hand, and learn exactly what you need to do to get down to a scratch handicap index.
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00:00It's every golfer's dream to play off scratch, right?
00:02But what a scratch golfer is doing on the course right now to play off that index?
00:06And what are you not doing that you should be? Well, I've got all the data and all the stats to explain more.
00:17So in our deep data dive to get you down to a scratch golfer,
00:21we're going to be comparing a scratch golfer, a zero index handicapper, to an 18 index to really see the
00:27differences between these two. Now, I'm not going to say every 18 index watching now is suddenly going to play off scratch.
00:32I'm looking at these stats, but it's going to give us a great idea of key areas that golfers,
00:38you know, between scratch and 18 can work on to get down to that target, if that is your goal.
00:44So all the data we're referencing from this video comes courtesy of Arcos Golf.
00:48They have a vast bank of data, over 750 million shots from real golfers on real golf courses,
00:56just like you. So if you use Arcos right now, your data has been plugged into this,
01:00and we're getting a real idea of what's going on out there, basically. And if you want to try Arcos for yourself,
01:05I've put some handy links down in the description that will find you the best price in your location for a set of their smart sensors.
01:16Now, the first area we're going to look at, and probably most obvious difference between 18 indexes and scratch golfers in that journey to get down to scratch, is
01:24scoring. It's really obvious he's going to be different, but let's just take a look at them anyway, because it's interesting,
01:29and we can see where the biggest differences lie, right? So scratch players average 2.2 birdies per round,
01:3510.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys, and just 0.7 doubles or worse. I can only dream of such efficient golf.
01:43So for me, this less than a double bogey per round is the key stat, right?
01:49When we look at 18 index golfers, they're making 5.7 doubles or worse. So there's five whole double bogeys or worse between these two golfers.
01:59The rest of the 18 index golfer, they're making 0.4 birdies per round, 4 pars, and 8.9 bogeys with that 5.7 double bogeys on the end there.
02:09Listen, I'm not expecting golfers to suddenly have a birdie fest next time they go out, but the clear difference between that 18 indexer and scratch golfer,
02:17and on your journey down through that handicap index range, is just to chip a few doubles off here and there.
02:22Chip one, two, three off per round if you can. They'll convert to pars, bogeys, maybe a few birdies here and there, and that will help.
02:30Now, you've got to admire the quality of a scratch golfer to not have that many double bogeys, but in that scoring area, let's really focus on bringing those down.
02:38Now, I think around the green is somewhere where there's going to be a big golfing class here, and somewhere on that journey down to scratch, we can all look to tighten up our game a little bit, right?
02:50So let's look at a scratch golfer's up and down percentage, right? Up and downs from around the green.
02:55To start from 0-25 yards, we'll place them somewhere in the rough near the green. They get up and down 57% of the time, and that's compared to an 18 index golfer who achieves that just 26% of the time.
03:07Again, sat back admiring you scratch golfers out there for getting up and down more than every other time. It's pretty impressive.
03:13If we move ourselves out a little bit, 25-50 yards, in the fairway or in the rough, it doesn't really matter here, very similar results for the sort of efficiency of a scratch golfer, basically.
03:24They're getting up and down from this range 35% of the time, whereas 18 indexes from 25-50 yards are doing that just 12% of the time.
03:33So another golf there, really.
03:35And while that golfing class is really clear, and I know I'm not sort of breaking news with this, we all know 18 indexes are worse, I think that stat from 25-50 yards where scratch golfers are getting up and down a third of the time is something we can all hold on to, I think.
03:50It's not mad percentages, is it, really? We can all sort of achieve that, I think, if we work on our short game and our pitching.
03:57So for you 18 index golfers or anyone who's on that journey down to scratch, I think it's proved that incremental gains and getting that up and down percentage up from 25-50 yards and from inside 25 yards,
04:09but especially that sort of mid-range, is a real easy thing to work on and to try and achieve out on the golf course to get down to scratch.
04:20So a reason for these lack of up and downs is probably down to putting, isn't it?
04:24So let's take a look at the putting stats between an 18 index golfer and a scratch golfer.
04:28Let'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 5.21 putts per round, 11.5 two putts, and just 1.33 putts per round.
04:45Pretty impressive, right?
04:46Again, let's compare to that 18 index golfer who is one putting, just 3.1 times per round, two putting, 11.1 times, and another big gap here, three putting, 3.7 times.
04:59So for me, this compares to those scoring stats in that there's a lot more three putts for 18 index golfers and a lot more double bogeys when we looked at that scoring stats earlier.
05:09I think this is the biggest difference in putting between scratch and higher index golfers.
05:13So on your journey down to scratch, let's try and chop out some of those three putts and work on our putting.
05:19Now, I don't have any stats for this, but I imagine scratch golfers work on their putting a little bit more than higher indexes.
05:26And they don't just go to the range and start blasting drivers, but they're really dialing that short game.
05:29Let's avoid a few three putts, and we can get up and down a bit more, and we can get to scratch.
05:37Okay, let's move further back down the hole, then look at approach shots.
05:40Compare this scratch golfer and 18 indexer on that journey down to scratch. How do you have to get better?
05:46Now, there's quite a big difference here, and we're going to look at green in regulation percentage.
05:50So a scratch golfer hits a green regulation 56% of the time, and that translates into 10 out of 18 greens over 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 that an 18 index golfer hits,
06:09and we can see the big difference.
06:10Now, not breaking news there, but something really interesting I found when working our way through this data
06:17is that when an 18 index handicapper does hit the green in regulation,
06:21their proximity to the hole isn't that much different to that of a scratch golfer.
06:26Let me explain that.
06:27So when a scratch golfer hits the green, their average proximity to the hole is 26 foot,
06:32which again, I'm not saying it's very close.
06:34It's very good golf.
06:35But when an 18 index handicapper does do it, only 23% of the time.
06:39But when they do do it, that proximity to the hole is 35 foot.
06:45There's only 9 foot difference there.
06:48So what I'm saying is anyone between scratch and 18 watching this now,
06:52when you do hit that green in reg, and that percentage obviously differs a lot,
06:56you're very close to the hole as a scratch golfer would be.
06:59It's not that much different.
07:00And then if we even look at an 8 index golfer, so something sort of in the middle of these two,
07:04when they hit a green in regulation, they're 30 foot away from the hole.
07:09So it shows the value of hitting that green in regulation.
07:12And I think on your journey down to scratch,
07:15if you really value a high green in regulation percentage,
07:18you should be able to start chipping off shots on your handicap.
07:21Now, I can't tell you how to do that,
07:23but maybe identify a few areas as to why your percentage,
07:27green in regulation percentage isn'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.
07:35Go and work on that,
07:37and hopefully you see that green in regulation percentage skyrocket.
07:43Finally then, back to the tee box.
07:45Now, it's not going to be any great surprise that scratch golfers hit the ball
07:48a lot further than 18 handicap golfers.
07:51So a scratch golfer averages 251 yards off the tee,
07:54compared to an 18 indexes, 217 yards.
07:57Now, to some, and I know a lot of mid to high handicappers,
08:01you might hit it a bit further than 251.
08:03That might not feel like a long way away,
08:05but that accuracy is where we need to look at.
08:08So 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 at 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 a minute ago.
08:26They weren't that far off, 9 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 or a lower handicap,
08:39accuracy isn't that important in the grand scheme of things.
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 because 217 yards, 251 is a big golf.
08:50But listen, wherever you are in the handicap index,
08:53even scratch golfers are missing every other fairway pretty much.
08:56You don't need to value accuracy.
08:57Maybe let's value a bit more distance.
09:00There you have it, the stats and the data that should give you a path
09:04or some sort of guiding light to becoming a scratch golfer.
09:07Now, which ones do I think are most important?
09:09Now, I want you to go away with the accuracy.
09:12You don't need to be that accurate to be a scratch golfer.
09:15It helps, but not that accurate.
09:18Proximity to the hole on greens in regulation hits.
09:21Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?
09:22If you remember that one somehow,
09:24you'll think how valuable greens in regulation are
09:28because the proximity isn't that different from a scratch golfer.
09:31Now, I know you watching at home will be on different parts of the handicap spectrum,
09:34but I hope that comparison from an 18 index to a scratch golfer
09:38gives you some idea of what parts of the game you can go away and work on.
09:43Start your journey down to scratch.
09:45If there's any more videos you want to see just like this of deep data dives,
09:49we've got all this R-Class 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.