Shot Saver.
Every golfer blames the driver. Five numbers from your scorecard will tell you who’s really guilty.
Add a round in 30 seconds. We compare it with a golfer at the score you’re chasing, show where the shots leak, and give you the free fix first.
9.0 shots to save a round
Good news: the driver’s innocent. Bad news: the putter’s running up a tab.
The 3-foot circle. Eight balls round the hole at three feet. Hole all eight before you leave. Miss one, start again. Ten minutes before each round.
The ladder. Putts from 20, 30 and 40 feet, each one to stop inside a putter length. This is where three-putts go to die.
How we work it out
Your rounds are compared with the average golfer at the level you’re chasing. The averages come from Shot Scope’s shot-tracking data, published by Golf Monthly. Scores are on a par 72, and we adjust for your course’s par.
- Putting: your putts minus theirs.
- Penalties: every penalty shot counts in full. There’s no reliable published average by handicap, so we don’t guess one.
- Approach shots: each green you miss beyond theirs costs a shot unless you get up and down, at the rate they do.
- Short game and the rest: whatever’s left of the gap in score. Chips, bunkers, the odd duff, and any number you skipped.
| Chasing | Handicap | Average score | Fairways | Greens | Putts | Up and down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Break 100 | 20 | 95 | 45% | 14% | 33.4 | 31% |
| Break 90 | 10 | 85 | 48% | 32% | 31.2 | 39% |
| Break 80 | 5 | 79 | 49% | 41% | 30.6 | 46% |
| Scratch | 0 | 74 | 50% | 59% | 29.9 | 54% |
Break 80: the score and greens are published for 5-handicappers; fairways, putts and up-and-downs sit between the published scratch and 10-handicap figures. A rule of thumb, not a lesson: if a PGA professional tells you otherwise, listen to them.
- Scratch vs 10 vs 20 handicap: how the stats compare, Golf Monthly with Shot Scope data: fairways, putts and up-and-downs.
- How many greens in regulation do 5, 10 and 15-handicap golfers hit?, Golf Monthly with Shot Scope data: greens in regulation.
- What qualifies as a good round of golf for your handicap?, Golf Monthly with Shot Scope data: average scores.
Shot Saver: questions
Where do most amateur golfers lose shots?
For most club golfers it isn't the driver. Shot Scope's data shows a 20-handicapper hits almost as many fairways as a scratch golfer (45% against 50%), but far fewer greens (14% against 59%) and takes three or four more putts. Penalties, approach shots and putting are where most shots go.
How does Shot Saver work out where my shots go?
You add five numbers from your scorecard. We compare them with the published Shot Scope averages for the level you're chasing. Putts and penalty shots count one for one. Greens you miss beyond theirs cost a shot unless you get up and down, at the rate they do. Whatever's left of the gap in score goes to short game and the rest. We average your last five rounds.
Do I need a shot tracker or an app?
No. Everything comes off a normal scorecard, as long as you jot down fairways, greens, putts and penalties as you go. Skip any number you didn't keep.
Is my data saved anywhere?
Your rounds are kept in this browser and shown in your My Clubhouse. Nothing personal is sent to us: we only count, anonymously, how many rounds get added.
Why do penalty shots count in full?
We couldn't find a reliable published average for penalty shots by handicap, so rather than guess one, every penalty shot counts. Good golfers have fewer, but none of them are compulsory.