Why Putting is more than just those couple of strokes…

First, I thank God (!!!) that among my current problems is that I cannot reliably hit a short disc golf putt.  It's not "will I eat today" but "when will I, for Heaven's sake, be able to make these putts!?!"  Thank you, God, for that.

Caveat: I wrote a nice tome about how I can now putt.  I have since regressed big time.  I'm not for sure from even 12 feet away.

I had this epiphany recently.  My Dad and I were playing at B.B. Owen park in Dallas.  There was this super-easy 230 foot hole.  Bring it in from the left and you will park an easy duece.  We played it twice and both times I put my drive 220 feet, on the right, behind a bunch of trees curtaining off that side.  There was a super-tempting five foot wide hole in the curtain, a direct run at the basket.  Or, I could go further right, where the trees ended, and leave myself a 20-25 foot putt, which, believe me, are not gimmes.

An easy 230 foot hole, especially since I'm forehand-dominant and can hit that shot. The reason I didn't just drop that drive in the open on the left was because I was trying to curl it in for micro-putt. If I were a better putter, I would have concentrated simply on being within 25 feet out there where it's open and easy (to the left of the trees). As it is, I am not a good putter so I try to sneak it super close so I have an easy micro-putt, one that not even I can blow. I curled it just fine, but didn't get the distance right and ended up curling it a little short and right.

I made a bad drive but if I take the easy route and can hit a difficult (for me) putt, I save par. If I go for the small opening, hoping to set myself up for the sure-thing 5 foot putt, I might hit a tree and end up with canopy, trees still in play and maybe even a 25 foot putt.

The landing zone to the right was a sure thing.  I felt 100% confident that I would hit that with a little hyzer and be 15-25 feet away.  The landing zone through the hole in the tree curtain was a much tougher shot.  I needed to get about 40 feet, go through a maybe-5-foot gap and not keep flying too far or skid too low and hit a tree root.  With my putting, though, the prospects of being right under the basket, instead of 25 feet away from it, as a best case scenario, was appealing.  I almost went for it both times.  I'm thankful I didn't, though, as I made both 20-foot-ish putts.

But this is where being a good putter is so key, and why I'm still shooting about +4 to +8 on your typical disc golf course (I shot +4 at BB Owen).  If I could hit a 20 footer reliably, and was decent from 25-35 (say, 40-70 pct depending on wind, luck, etc), then I could aim for bigger, easier landing zones.  "Parking it" for a top disc golfer means getting within 30 feet.  Parking it for me means leaning against the pole.  If I'm not literally UNDER the basket, it is not fo' sho' going in.

Trouble is, the landing zone directly under the basket is often a lot harder than one 30 feet left, right, front or back of it.  Trouble is, a 30 foot radius -- 60 feet in diameter! -- is a HUGE friggin' target.  There is always some sort of route to the basket (they aren't encased in concrete...); being able to hit a landing zone on that open route instead of having to take the entire route and park it within inches = 10-20pct drop in score.  20 pct of a 58 (what I shot at BB Owen) would be almost 12 strokes, folks.

Put it another way: making longer putts less risky (because you can make them) means you don't have to make as many risky drives.   Good Drive + Good Putt is the same score as a Great Drive + Easy Putt.  Difference is, how much more likely is Good Drive vs Great Drive? I mean, for people like you and me.

Good putting changes everything and it's not just about the putting.   Each round I typically miss one to five putts I think I coulda, shoulda, woulda made if I was any good.  But it's not just those 1-5 strokes; it's all the strokes I take hitting tree branches or shanking into deep shule because it's necessary for me to take chances trying to hit a 4 foot target area to be able to get a birdie or par.  When I've earned me, via hours of practice, a reliable 20 footer and decent 25-35 and the confidence I will hit it, those drives are so much easier and how likely I go OB or into the rough because I'm taking a chancy drive is mitigated.  Now I'm making those 1-5 makeble-but-missed putts AND eliminating OB and rough play and now my score drops not just 1-5 strokes, but 6-10 strokes.  6-10 strokes at a place like BB Owen means I'm maybe -3 or -5 and back at home I'm cashing at my minis.   Brings actual meaning to "putting for dough."