What Does Scrambling Mean in Golf?

Scrambling in golf is something that will separate the pro golfers from the beginner level players. While it is one of the significant factors in golf, most of us don’t even know what scrambling means in golf.

If you fall into that category, don’t worry anymore. I am here today to tell you everything about scrambling. So, stay with me throughout this entire article when I explain about scrambling.

What Does Scrambling Mean in Golf?

It is a statistic for identifying the capability of a golfer to recover the game when he misses the green. Let’s imagine a situation in the real game. You are playing a par 4, so you need to put the golf ball within 4 strokes to avoid a bogey.

Now, unfortunately, you hit your 2nd shot and missed the green. Now, there could be two situations. First one, you would try your level best and would try to get up and down to make the par in your next one or two shots. Another possibility is you would end up having a single or double bogey.

If you are a novice golfer, these statistics may still confuse you. If you follow this method, in most cases, your scrambling percentage will be close to zero. Let me clarify the topic from a different angle.

Suppose you are playing off twenty. In that case, chances are you’ll miss most of the greens. You may make only two or three par each round. So, if you measure scrambling in the same way as a professional golfer does, you may become quite frustrated.

That’s why there should be another measuring method for the amateurs. If you are an amateur and playing double figure handicaps, you should calculate the scrambling as your capability to make a hole or get up and down from a short distance, for example, around 50 yards from the hole.

Now, if you don’t know what is actually getting up and down in the golf, I am clarifying you. Suppose you are standing with your ball on around the green. So, getting up means making the ball on to the green.

On the other hand, getting down means put the ball into the hole. You should try to complete this process within a maximum of two shots from around the green.

The Origin of the Scrambling

You are already aware that scrambling is a statistic that measures the ability of a player to avoid bogey in a missed green shot. The PGA Tour first collected these stats in the 1992 session.

According to the golf history, Nick Price scored with a scrambling percentage of 68.26% by playing 99 rounds. He missed 482 greens and successfully get up and down 329 times. If you are still confused with the scrambling percentage, it’s the ratio of successful scrambling in total number missing greens.

So, if you divide the number of successful getting up and down by the total number of missed greens. So, it’s a great indicator to identify a gofer’s skill to play a short game. However, the scrambling statistics don’t consider the putting of a player.

Importance of Scrambling

If you have read this article carefully so far, you have already got the idea of how vital the scrambling is. But, in most of the cases, amateur golfers don’t consider this during the game. Knowing how to turn the lousy game into a good game is quite essential.

If you are good at scrambling, eventually, you will notice your improvement. No one can deny that hitting the ball with perfection is essential. But, if you miss the green, it is equally necessary for you to have the ability to make par from that lousy position.

If you ever wondered why your score was not satisfactory despite having all of the right shots, the answer is your scrambling percentage is not at an acceptable level. So, you have to practice your short game more carefully.

When you know how to get up and down the ball correctly from around the green, that will be a fantastic achievement for you. That simple ability can make a massive difference in the scoreboard. So, don’t feel upset when you miss the green. Instead of thinking about a bogey, focus on getting the ball into the hall within two or less than two shots.

Final Words

Scrambling percentage is a crucial factor in measuring your golfing capability to make par from a bad condition. It will measure your ability to avoid a bogey. That’s why it is essential. I hope now you know what does scrambling means in golf. So, try to improve your short game and focus on improving your scrambling percentage. It will help you to score higher in the game.