How many times do you come off the course, sit down with a post-round drink, and replay where you leaked shots? I am great at saying, "I should have comfortably made a par on the 6th," or "There was no reason to double-bogey the 10th because... well, because!"
The truth is, I probably would have saved myself a headache if I had put a bit more thought into my yardages and course strategy before ever stepping foot on the 1st tee. When you play your home course regularly, you tend to hit from roughly the same spots on the fairway, making you feel like you've got every distance down to a fine art. But that's usually where the trouble starts.
Of course, most of us aren’t completely winging it, we use some form of distance measuring device for reassurance. Yet, we still tend to base our yardages on that one time we hit a 7-iron out of its skin, completely ignoring our actual averages.
"I know I sometimes come up short on approach shots simply because I'm expecting to hit my absolute best shot ever with whatever club I’ve selected. And that's usually right after I've second-guessed the yardage, even when it's staring right back at me on a screen!"
Of course, the alternative is just as classic. You either strike it pure and it comes up short, or you try to force it, hit it thin, and watch it skip straight across the back of the green. Does that sound familiar?
What the Data Says About Course Strategy
Under-clubbing is just one point covered by PGA Pro Katie Dawkins in this article after she looked into Shot Scope's female data. She breaks down exactly where we're going wrong and how a few simple changes can transform our game and improve our scores.
Another thing, how many of you actually know your carry distances? According to the data, a 25-handicapper will hit just as many fairways as a woman playing off scratch (57-58%) yet the carry distance is 167 yards for the higher handicap and 237 yards for the scratch golfer. As Katie points out, far too many of us wander onto the course with no real strategy beyond just wanting to get the shot over and done with as quickly as possible, especially off the 1st tee!
Building a Scoring Strategy for Your Round
Instead, the key is building a solid pre-shot routine that actually breeds confidence, paired with a setup that won't completely fall apart under pressure. The goal should be:
- ✓ Picking a safe landing area that comfortably sits within your actual carry distance.
- ✓ Keeping a close eye on any trouble you need to clear.
- ✓ Figuring out where you want to play your next shot from.
Without a plan, no matter what your handicap happens to be, is a fast track to a ruined scorecard.
So, next time you're sitting down with that post-round drink to dissect the round, let's try and make it a celebratory one!
