Ian Poulter laments 'very poor season'

English golfer Ian Poulter said on Sunday he had pinpointed the areas in his game which need to improve if he is to climb the world golf rankings.

The 35-year-old, once recognised as the world's fifth best golfer, slipped to number 23 in the rankings this season and blames poor form around the greens and a lack of distance with the driver.

"It's no secret I'd like to become the best golfer I possibly can and 23rd for me is a disappointing season," he told AFP in an interview in Macau where he was playing in the Shui On Land China Golf Challenge.

"Although I have won (the Volvo World Matchplay Championship) it's been a very poor year so I am looking at the season and working on my game to push myself back up to where I think I should be.

Poulter said there were "a number of things" he wasn't happy with but had marked down his short game and driving as the key areas for improvement.

"Statistics are things we look to very closely and there are little areas of my game that haven't been as good as they have been recent years," he said.

"Scrambling is key. You must get up and down (from beside the green) and my scrambling stats haven't been as good.

"I'd also like to drive the ball a bit further. That's why I've been in the gym working hard to try to find some extra yards and hopefully that will help improve some of my par five statistics."

On the US PGA Tour this year Poulter was ranked 159th for driving distance, averaging just over 280 yards, and 121st in the scrambling stats.

Scrambling is when a player fails to make the green in regulation but manages to save a par or better. Hitting a par four in regulation would mean getting on the green in two shots.

Poulter, who reached number five in the world rankings in 2010, will defend his Hong Kong Open title in December.