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Difference Between Scratch And Handicap Golf
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Apr 1, 2025
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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0:00
It's every golfer's dream to play off scratch, right
0:03
But what are scratch golfers doing on the course right now to play off that index
0:07
And what are you not doing that you should be? Well, I've got all the data and all the stats
0:12
Explain more. So in our deep data dive to get you down to a scratch golfer
0:21
we're going to be comparing a scratch golfer, a zero index handicapper, to an 18 index to really see the differences between these two
0:28
Now, I'm not going to say every 18 index watching now is suddenly going to play off scratch
0:33
I'm looking at these stats, but it's going to give us a great idea of key areas that golfers
0:38
you know, between scratch and 18 can work on to get down to that target, if that is your goal
0:44
So all the data we're referencing from this video comes courtesy of Arcos Golf. They have a vast bank of data, over 750 million shots from real golfers on real golf courses
0:56
just like you. So if you use Arcos right now, your data has been plugged into this and we get a real idea of what's going on out there, basically
1:04
And if you want to try Arcos for yourself, I'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
1:16
Now, 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 scoring
1:25
It's really obvious he's going to be different, but let's just take a look at them anyway, because it's interesting, and we can see where the biggest differences lie, right
1:31
So scratch players, average, 2.2 birdies per round, 10.5 pars, 4.6 bogeys, and just 0.7 doubles or worse
1:41
I could only dream of such efficient golf. So for me, this less than a double bogey per round is the key stat, right
1:49
When we look at 18 index golfers, they're making 5.7 doubles or worse
1:54
So there's five hole double bogeys or worse between these two golfers
1:58
The rest of the 18x golfer, they're making 0.4 birdies per round
2:03
four pars and 8.9 bogeys with that 5.7 double bogeys on the end there
2:09
Listen, I'm not expecting golfers to suddenly have a birdie fest next time they go out
2:13
but the clear difference between that 18 indexer and scratch golfer and on your journey down through that handicap index range
2:20
it's just to chip a few doubles off here and there. chip one, two, three off per round if you can
2:25
they'll convert to pars, bogeys maybe a few birdies here and there and that will help now you got to admire the quality of a scratch goal for golfer to not have that many double bogeys but in that scoring area let really focus on bringing those down Now I think around the green is somewhere where there going to be a big golfing
2:45
class here and somewhere on that journey down to scratch, we can all look to tighten up our game a
2:49
little bit, right? So let's look at a scratch golfer's up and down percentage, right? Up and
2:54
downs from around the green. The start from 0 to 25 yards will place them somewhere in the rough
2:58
near the green. They get up and down 57% of the time. That's compared to an 18-index golfer who
3:04
achieves that just 26% of the time. Again, sat back admiring you scratch golfers out there for
3:09
getting up and down more than every other time. It's pretty impressive. If we move ourselves out
3:14
a little bit, 25 to 50 yards in the fairway or in the rough, it doesn't really matter here
3:20
Very similar results for the sort of efficiency of a scratch golfer, basically
3:24
They're getting up and down from this range 35% of the time, whereas 18 indexes from 25 to 50 yards are doing that just 12% of the time
3:33
So another gulf there, really. And while that golfing class is really clear
3:37
and I know I'm not sort of breaking news with this. We all know 18 indexes are worse
3:43
I think that stat from 25 to 50 yards, where scratch golfers are getting up and down a third of the time
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is something we can all hold on to, I think. It's not mad percentages, is it, really
3:52
we can all sort of achieve that, I think, if we work on our short game and our pitching
3:57
So for you 18-index golfers or anyone who's on that journey down to scratch
4:02
I think it's proved that incremental gains and getting that up and down percentage up from 25 to 50 yards
4:08
and from inside 25 yards, but especially that sort of mid-range, is a real easy thing to work on
4:13
and to try and achieve out on the golf course to get down to scratch. So a reason for these lack of up and downs
4:22
is probably down to putting, isn't it? So let's take a look at the putting stats between an 18 index golfer and a scratch golfer
4:29
Let's have a look on the green. So scratch golfers, some pretty good stats again. Again, not breaking news here, but interesting
4:35
They're averaging a whopping 5.21 putts per round, 11.5 two putts, and just 1.33 putts per round
4:45
Pretty impressive, right? Again, let's compare to that 18 index golfer who is one putting, just 3.1 times per round
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2 putting 11.1 times, and another big gap here, 3 putting 3.7 times
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So for me this compares to those scoring stats in that there a lot more 3 putts for 18 index golfers a lot more double bogeys when we looked at that scoring stats earlier I think this is the biggest difference between putting between scratch and higher index golfers So on your journey down to scratch
5:15
let's try and chop out some of those three putts and work on our putting. Now I don't have any stats
5:20
for this, but I imagine scratch golfers work on their putting a little bit more than higher indexes
5:25
and they don't just go to the range and start blasting drivers, but they really dial in that short game. Let's avoid a few three-putts and we can get up and down a bit more and we can get to
5:33
scratch. Okay, let's move further back down the hole then. Look at approach shots. Compare this
5:41
scratch goal for an 18 indexer. On that journey down to scratch, how do you have to get better
5:46
Now, there's quite a big difference here and we're going to look at green in regulation percentage. So a scratch goal for hits a green regulation 56% of the time and that translates
5:54
into 10 out of 18 greens over the course of a round. Again, impressive work. That might not
6:01
sound like a lot. I think it does, but it might not sound like a lot. But compare that to the 23
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of greens in regulation that an 18 index golfer hits. And we can see the big difference. Now
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not breaking news there, but something really interesting I found when working our way
6:16
through this data is that when an 18 index handicapper does hit the green in regulation
6:20
their proximity to the hole isn't that much different to that of a scratch golfer let me
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explain that so when a scratch golfer hits the green their average proximity to the hole is 26
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foot which again i'm not so it's very close it's very good golf but when an 18 index handicapper
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does do it only 23 percent of the time but when they do do it um that proximity to the hole
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is 35 foot there's only nine foot difference there i mean so what's saying is anyone between
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scratching 18 watching this now when you do hit that green and red and that percentage obviously
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differs a lot you're very close to the hole as a scratch golfer would be it's not that much
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different and then if we even look at an eight index golfer so something sort of in the middle
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of these two when they hit a green regulation they're 30 foot away from the pin from the hole
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so you know it shows the value of hitting that green regulation and i think on your journey down
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to scratch if you really value a high green regulation percentage you should be able to
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start chipping off shots on your handicap. Now, I can't tell you how to do that, but
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maybe identify a few areas as to why your green regulation percentage isn't that high
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Are your drives putting you out of position Are your iron shots poor Work out which one of those it is go and work on that and hopefully you see that green regulation percentage skyrocket
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Finally then, back to the tee box. Now, it's not going to be any great surprise that scratch golfers
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hit the ball a lot further than 18 handicap golfers. So a scratch golfer averages 251 yards off the tee
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compared to an 18 indexers, 217 yards. Now, to some, and I know a lot of mid to high handicappers
8:01
who might hit it a bit further than 251, That might not feel like a long way away, but that accuracy is where we need to look at
8:08
So scratch golfers hit the fairway 51% of the time, so more than half, which I think is a very good effort
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compared to 18 index golfers who hit the fairway at 42% of the time
8:20
Now that's actually quite a close number again, isn't it? We looked at proximity to the hole in greens and regulations a minute ago
8:26
They weren't that far off, 9 feet, 11 feet. This is only 9% difference in fairways
8:32
Obviously, that chunk of distance is important. I think it shows on your journey down to scratch or a lower handicap, accuracy isn't that important in the grand scheme
8:42
I'm going to leave you that little line there. Accuracy isn't that important. May work on a bit of distance. I think distance does work because 217 yards, 251 is a big golf
8:50
But listen, wherever you are in the handicap index, even scratch golfers are missing every other fairway pretty much
8:56
So you don't need to value accuracy. Maybe let's value a bit more distance. So there you have it, the stats and the data that should give you a path
9:03
or some sort of guiding light to becoming a scratch golfer. Now, which ones do I think are most important
9:09
I want you to go away with the accuracy. You don't need to be that accurate to be a scratch golfer
9:14
It helps, but not that accurate. And proximity to the hole on greens in regulation hits
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Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? But if you remember that one somehow, you'll think how valuable greens in regulation are
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because the proximity isn't that different from a scratch golfer. Now, I know you watching at home will be on different parts of the handicap spectrum
9:34
but I hope that comparison from an 18 index to a scratch golfer gives you some idea
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of what parts of the game you can go away and work on to start your journey down to scratch
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If there's any more videos you want to see just like this of deep data dives, we've got all this archivist information to go off, let me know down in the description
9:52
I'd love to hear from you and put this data to good use. I want to hear what you guys want to see
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But for now, thank you so much for joining me. I'll see you next time
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