What is a GIR in golf?
Updated January 06, 2019. A "green in regulation," often abbreviated GIR, is a statistical category on the professional golf tours, as well as a popular method for amateurs and recreational players to rate their rounds. A golfer earns a GIR by getting his ball onto the putting green:
How do you get a GIR in golf?
A golfer earns a GIR by getting his ball onto the putting green : or in three (or fewer) strokes on a par-5. Par-6 holes are rare, but getting your ball on the green in four or fewer strokes on a par-6 also counts as a green-in-regulation.
What does fir mean on a golf course?
FIR - fairway in regulation So an FIR is if you hit the fairway off the tee GIR on par 3 is on the green in 1 shot GIR on par 4 is on the green in 1 or 2 shots
What is a green in regulation (GIR)?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. A "green in regulation," often abbreviated GIR, is a statistical category on the professional golf tours, as well as a popular method for amateurs and recreational players to rate their rounds.
What does GIR mean in golf?
To be clear, a GIR is a ball reaching the putting surface in two or more strokes less than par, regardless of how it gets there. A few examples of GIR's: A Par 5 green reached in two shots. A Par 5 missed in two but the short game shot hit on the green in three. A Par 4 green driven or reached in one or two shots.
What is GIR percentage in golf?
Also Known As: EGR Percent, GIR Percent, Tour GIR Percent. GIR Average is the percent of holes where a player achieved a Green In Regulation. A higher percentage indicates good performance with 100% being perfect.
How is GIR calculated in golf?
We calculate a Green in Regulation by subtracting the number of putts you recorded from your total score for a hole. For example: if you are playing a Par 5, and took a total score of 5, with 2 putts, then you have a Green in Regulation. However, if you scored a 6 with 2 putts, you did not get a GIR.
How many Gir do pros hit?
The simple fact remains that greens hit in regulation is a statistic that hasn't changed much in a long time, and in-fact 12 greens per round average has been the pro standard for at least 50 years and probably much longer.
What's a good GIR percentage?
What is a good percentage of greens in regulation? It depends on your handicap and skill level more than anything else. Some players might average a few greens in regulation. While others might have a green in regulation number between 6-9 and highly skilled players will be 10 or more.
How many GIR is a handicap?
Five handicaps average eight greens in regulation per round, while 10 handicaps average six GIR per round and 15 handicaps average four or five a round.
What is a good putts per GIR?
As a general rule a total of between 31 and 34 putts per round is good putting. 36 putts per round or 2 or more putts per hole is considered poor putting while 30 putts per round or less is excellent putting.
Who has the best gir in golf?
Top of the list was the American golfer, Jon Rahm, who had a GIR of 73.83 percent on the PGA tour in 2022.
How do you increase your GIR in golf?
Improve your driving: You'll never hit many greens if you're often in the rough, the trees or so far back in the fairway that you're hitting a hybrid or wood. More accurate driving will automatically improve your GIR numbers; longer tee shots help, too, by putting a shorter club in your hand for the approach.
How many Gir do you need to break 80?
According to my research, you need to hit three greens on average to break 90 and eight to break 80. Keeping these stats will show you what you have to do to raise your GIR percentage.
What is a GIR in golf?
In golf statistics, GIR (Greens hit in Regulation) is defined as: The percent of time a player is able to hit a green in regulation (greens hit/holes played). A green is considered ‘hit’ if the birdie stroke on the hole is taken from the green. Here are a few examples:
How does tee shot quality affect greens?
The tee shot quality affects your ability to measure greens hit. You can therefore be in a situation where you are hitting great approach shots, but bad tee shots, so your GIR value becomes really bad. If you just look at the stat. Recommendations.
Is a birdie shot a green hit?
A player plays a par-3 hole and hits the green on the first shot. Since the second shot (the birdie shot) is played from the green, this is a successful green hit in regulation. Pros:
Do golf stats tell a story?
As with many of the ‘traditional’ golf stats, they do tell a story, but only part of the story. They are really useful to use as supplementary variables and help narrow down what is actually happening, but only with help from other data points.
Is a green missed by 1 inch better than a green missed out of bounds?
A green missed by 1 inch is worth the same as a green missed out of bounds or in a penalty area, despite the fact that the green missed by 1 inch is exponentially better than hitting the ball out of bounds. If you hit a bad tee shot and need to punch out sideways, this ‘robs’ you of the ability to be able to hit a green in regulation.
What is GIR?
To count a green in regulation, your ball must finish on the green in two strokes fewer than the par of a hole. Greens in regulation are measured in this fashion for each hole:
What About the Fringe?
In order to count a green in regulation, you must hit the putting surface, the fringe does not count. Being on the putting green comes with its own set of rules that also don't apply when you're on the fringe.
Why is GIR Important?
Greens In Regulation is an important statistic because it measures how well you hit your approach shots to the green. It also indicates your ability to keep the ball in play off the tee, because if you hit an errant tee shot, your chances of hitting the green in regulation plummet. Hitting GIRs leads to more birdies and pars on your scorecard.
Track GIR
There are some great ways to track your green in regulation. Here are a few suggestions.
GIR By Handicap
Of course, greens in regulation statistics vary by skill level and handicap. Beginners don't hit as many greens as more accomplished players. Here’s a look at how many greens in regulation each handicap level should hit. If you hit fewer GIRs than your handicap range, you can really improve your scores by becoming more accurate with your irons.
Professional GIR
Cameron Percy led the PGA Tour in GIR in 2021 GIR hitting 72.58% of greens, which is about 13 greens per round. Jon Rahm was just behind him, hitting the green in regulation 71.93% of the time.
Ways to Improve GIR
The best way to improve your GIR number is to concentrate on your iron play. Improving your distance control and ball striking with your irons will help you whether your approach shot is from 50 yards out or 200 yards out.