total putting strokes

i am working hard on my putting, which up to now has always been the weak point of my game.so after every round i count up the number of times i used my putter, but should i count the strokes made off the green . ie from the fringe.
i was averaging 42 before , now its more like 35, with maybe another 2 from the fringe.

Good question. I await replies as I want to know myself.
Brian

Generally speaking only putts on the green count for your putts per round count; however I think that if you putt from the green to the fringe then the next "fringe putt" does count under PGA criteria.

The ball has to be on the green to be counted as a putt. The fringe, frog hair, first cut is not part of the green. Even using your putter off the green is not a putt but a chip. If you have 36 putts a round that is not bad. That would mean your on the green perhaps in regulation (on a par 4 in two shots with two putts). I have seen people chipping on the green at times which is not illegal. There are some greens with a pot bunker in the middle....something you can't use your putter to get around. So you have to pitch or chip to get over it. No an easy thing to do without some damage to the green.

Myself, I count putts that are only on the green. I usually average about 28 putts a round. My pitching and chipping will have to be really good and very close to the hole to keep a low putt per round number.

If you chip on the green, is that counted as a chip or putt?
Brian

How the PGA Tour tracks the # of Putts stat:

The first stroke made on the green, and every stroke thereafter until the ball is holed.

So, putter used for ball on fringe to 3 feet. Make the 3 footer. Total putts: 1
Putter used from the fairway, ball runs up the fairway, over the fringe, and into the cup. Total putts: 0
Putter used on the green. Ball runs off the green. Chip back to 2 feet with wedge (or any other club). Sink the 2 footer. Total putts: 3
Ball on the green, green is kidney shaped and flat. Sandwedge used to chip over the open part of the green. Two strokes with the putter follow. Total putts: 3

edit: This is how the PGA tracks it.

A lot of folks I know count anytime they use the putter is a putt. (I like to argue that if they used nothing but the putter from tee to green, if it took 6 strokes, they'd say they 6 putted?)

I prefer the PGA method.

A little OT, but I also differentiate between getting up and down and scrambling. Scrambling by definition is getting up and down to save par or better (ie rather than getting up and down, you hole out with your chip or pitch). Whereas simply getting up and down is missing the GIR, and one putting once you're on the dancefloor.

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If I'm truly trying to improve my putting, I would go against the pga method and count the putts from the fringe. If your putting from the fringe and then have 2 more putts after that, it definitely indicates that you need to work on your lag putting.

But if I was just keeping track just to have the stats, go with the pga method.

thanks lowpost, i think i will adopt the pga method,do you think 36 putts over a round is ok or a bit high?

thanks for your input golfseeker i think i must aim to get well below the 36 putts i am taking at present, 28 is good putting in my book!

I know the top pro's are around 28ppr.

36 is 'par' (considering you're given 2 putts per hole in a par round).

So, I consider 36ppr 'OK'. My PB is 29. Obviously if you miss every green, but get up and down every time, you can end up with 18 putts.

I don't consider ppr to be a really useful stat by itself. Combined with GIR and U&D%, now it tells me something.