AgentBrown123:
More than any year in the past I've noticed an increased amount of players who started in 2016/2017 and are shooting to me unrealistic scores while achieving certain stats that takes years of experience and knowledge.
Their stats resembling players who've been at this game for several years.
You could argue to their side:
1. The game is much easier than when we started. (2010 equipment irons, nikes)
2. All the guides out there that give spot on numbers
3. Closing down old accounts legitimately and opening new accounts (I heard this is possible)
When looking through stats and one thing that really stands out like a sore thumb is the putting. When you see less than or around a 1.3 putts per hole average and also the 5-10ft and 10-25ft% at 20% and 9% + mark. It seems highly unlikely you bring that down to this in 1 year.
I've seen some of these high credit RG winners. Legends that play one ranked round per week and it just happens that they take down the 1000c RG. Makes me want to stop playing those tourneys. It's just throwing credits away. But I just can't help myself. I fire at 'em anyway.
My stats are a very close fit to the categories you mention above. 20 Months or so into the game. 1.33 putts per hole. My longer putt percentage could use some work. But the shorter ones are solid and improving. So, I'll chime in with some perspective from a fairly new guy with good stats.
For me, #2 fits. Everything is out there.
When I started playing WGT, it was a long Fourth of July weekend that rained the whole time. So I played ALOT of WGT golf. I was hooked. But I sucked just like we all do at first.
I read the forums for all the tips. From equipment, to wind adjustments, to elevation adjustments, to putting techniques, etc. I have an analytical mind and am an estimator by trade. So it was all pretty fun for me to try to reverse engineer all that info. And it is a lot of info... but it's all there for ya if you dig around.
Equipment:
I used this equipment chart to map out which equipment to purchase and at what level to do it. Equipment Chart
Wind/Elevation Adjustment:
I used this general wind/adjustment aid to calculate the approach shots. Bilko's Wind Calculator
I now use my own spreadsheet after reverse engineering the numbers from that program. It makes entering the numbers faster for me and I can adjust the factors to fit my equipment and my research on launch angles/landing angles/spin affect etc. LOL... call me a geek but I actually did that.
Putting Distances:
The forum is full of formulas for this and they are all very close to the same. However, almost all of them are best used for putts between 6 and 15 ft in length. For longer putts, those formulas make you hit it too far. For shorter puts, the formulas make you leave them short.
In other words, it is not linear. It's sort of parabolic. The best calculator I've seen for putting distances is Young46's calculator. Just search on his YouTube channel or send him a message if you can't find it.
While you're there, watch his putting tip videos. This leads me to:
Putting Break:
Young46 also has the best videos for reading the break. I watched everything I could find on how to read the break. He goes over some techniques like the JC Snead method and Tekoma's aim points etc.
I derived my putting method from those. It is my own calculation but I wouldn't have come up with it for a while without watching his videos. I posted the formula on here before but here it is again:
((green speed / dot speed in seconds) * (distance in feet - elevation in inches))/1.25
That is the basic formula for calculating the break IF you hit it the proper speed. It works for me, but I also tend hit it the putt slightly firmer, so I adjust the break accordingly. Anyway, that formula will get you looking at the right area to aim. Then make adjustment based on your own experience.
There's 2 other formulas that I use but that one will serve you right for 90% of all putts. The other 2 formulas calculate the break if I am going to ram the putt or if the putt is severely downhill and I'm going to hit it the put less than half of what the total length is. The ol' slippery slope situation.
Punch Distances:
I don't have the link offhand. But WaLk0fLiFe posted somewhere the definitive punch chart for the Cleveland 64* Wedge. You might check his profile or Youtube Channel.
Anyway, I didn't learn all this in a matter of months. But my progress was definitely boosted by all the information that is out there already. Especially Young46's YouTube videos. It would have taken much much longer to figure this out without the pioneers on this forum that posted their info for all posterity.
As a matter of fact, as I was coming up through Legend Tier, you were nice enough to post something about giving away your mapped distances with certain iron/ball combos. I ran across that post a little late in the thread. You were going to retire but, I sent you a friend request anyway and asked for the chart. Never got that chart, but I chalked it up to the retirement. Probably worked out better for me in the long run to just run through a few sleeves and map the higher level equipment myself. But I appreciate that you were on the forums trying to help.
TLDR ;)