What Is A Birdie In Golf? Is Birdie A Good Thing In Golf?
What is a birdie in golf? As a beginner, you may have heard the term birdie and wondered what it meant.
When you are playing golf, it becomes important to know about the commonly used terms of the game to improve your performance?
Don’t worry if you are unaware of this term because this post will help you understand everything about birdies in the golf game.
What Is A Birdie in Golf?
A birdie in the golf game is a score of 1 under par on the given hole. Golfers can score a birdie by making 1 less stroke than the par value of the golf hole.
That means if the golf hole par is 3, golfers should make 2 strokes. If the par hole value is 4, golfers must make 3 strokes and similar. But par 6 holes are rare.
Origin Of Birdie: Atlantic City Country Club
In 1903, a golf game took place between two brothers in the Atlantic City Country Club. This incident is claimed to use the word birdie for the first time. It is also mentioned on the USGA website.
How To Score A Birdie Putt In Golf?
You need at least one good stroke if you want to make a birdie putt with a very good score. Since many shots hit par 4, you must check each shot.
First Shot
You must carefully plan your first golf shot. The driver usually makes the first shot as it produces the longest distance. Try to use good-quality drivers so you can hit the ball farther.
Along with strategic planning, you must also choose a target excluding your golf swing. You must aim right to respond better.
It will push your shots longer and straighter. You can boost your confidence by starting from the tee box or a shorter hole.
See also Driver Swing Plane Vs. Iron Swing Plane.
Second Shot
The par 4-second shot is usually hit using an iron or a wedge. You must factor in the flag’s location on the green when you hit a second shot from the short grass. It will make you understand where your shot will land.
But after the first shot, if the ball lands in front of the green, you must play aggressively to take out the ball from surrounding hazards. Try to hit conservatively if the flag is located at the back.
Third Shot
It’s the final shot where you need to put the ball in the hole to score a perfect birdie on par 4. You must stick to the putting line irrespective of the ball’s distance to the hole. You can use a long putt if the ball is far from the hole.
You need to judge the putt’s aim and the green’s speed. You can use a pitching wedge iron if the golf ball lands on the fringe after the second shot.
Other Golf Scoring Terms Explained
How To Make More Birdies?
If you are a beginner, you cannot make more birdies. But guess what? There are a few ways to increase your chances of making better birdies.
Golf is a tricky game, but the tips that we have mentioned below will help you make more birdies, which can boost the score of the golf round. Scroll down to check the tips.
Use Par 5s
After constant practice, if you can hit the golf ball far enough out of the tee, maybe you can hit a birdie. You can also lay back to comfortable yardage. This trick will make sure that you hit a birdie at least 50% of the time.
Play On Smaller Golf Courses
Whether a beginner or a professional player, you can make more birdies on smaller golf courses. It happens because you are closer to the hole on a smaller golf course.
In addition, if you hit the ball downwind, you can make the golf ball carry more distances because you get extra yards per shot.
Get Good Inside 100 Yards
You can increase your chances of scoring more birdies by practicing inside 100 yards of golf ground. It’s seen that around 60% of the birdie shots happen on a golf course that is less than 100 yards.
Play On An Elevated Ground
Many golfers like to play on the elevated ground as it helps them hit better distances. When players hit longer distances, the ball can easily cover more yards on the golf course, which helps in scoring more birdies.
Flight Your Wedges
Do not hit the ball too high, as it will not help you to make a birdie. Instead, you must shorten your swings so the extra MPHs can launch the ball high.
Are Birdies Difficult To Score?
While birdie in golf is a commonly used term, it often does not occur. Compared to mid handicappers, even fewer high handicappers can achieve birdies. That means low handicappers (a PGA tour player) usually score the most birdies.
A report by PGA Tour Statistics revealed that top professionals make only five birdies in each round.
Is Birdie In Golf Good?
Scoring a birdie in golf is a cause of celebration because it is rare. That means birdie in golf is a big deal as it combines luck and skills. A birdie in golf is one stroke.
What’s Better: An Eagle Or A Birdie?
Honestly, both are not so common as a birdie in golf is 1 under par, and an eagle is 2 under par. With practice and dedication, most golfers can also score a double eagle.
Conclusion
We hope that you might have understood what birdie is and how you can score it. There is no denying that scoring a birdie is difficult even for a PGA Tour player.
But if you are dedicated, scoring birdies can become easy. In fact, you can score a double eagle. Just like a birdie, a double eagle is also rare.
