Do you want to shoot a lower score?
I recently read a very interesting article about capturing golf stats, in particular Fairways Hit in Regulation (FIR). For those who capture playing stats regularly, will appreciate the importance of collating this data to help drive improvements in performance. For those who don't, how do you know where you're losing your shots? Hopefully this blog will convince those not capturing the information to do so and for those already undertaking the exercise, to tweak the data to help drive further improvement into their game.
Each time we tee up the ball on a Par 4 or Par 5, our aim is to drive the ball as far as possible, preferably down the fairway keeping it in play. Capturing Fairways Hit in Regulation (FIR) is one of the key statistics captured, to inform the player on accuracy of tee shots. The idea being if we play the ball down the fairway we are in a good position to hit the next shot. The closer we can hit the ball towards the green the greater our chance of parring the hole or better. However, this statistic can be misleading, in that at times being off the fairway is not always detrimental to your game. You may well have missed the fairway, however you may find yourself with a clear path to the green off a manageable lie in the first cut for example.
Landing in the trees however will invariably cost the average player a shot and landing in a fairway bunker can be even more punishing taking between 1-2 additional shots on the hole. Naturally landing on the fairway will give you the best chance to the hit the green in regulation (GIR), but all is not lost if you can keep your ball in the short rough. Understanding your dispersion rate for clubs played off the tee will give you a greater insight into your performance and where to focus your attention
Start categorising your tee shots into 3 areas - Fairway, Rough and Penalty
Fairway – perfect lie, and a clear path to the green.Rough – manageable lie, and a clear path to the green.Penalty – This is a forced recovery shot that makes it impossible to hit the green, includes the trees, fairway bunker, tough lie, deep rough, hazard and out of bounds.
If you can start eliminating the penalty shots, you will have a greater chance of eliminating double bogeys in your round, giving yourself the opportunity to shoot lower scores. Unlock your true potential and become a better golfer.
If you would like to learn more about the mental side of the game please get in touch or check out our other blogs, there's something in here for everyone.