When we do our golf driver testing, we emphasize accuracy. But how important is it to hit your drive in the fairway? Does it really impact your scoring? We asked Shot Scope to help us gather data to determine if hitting the fairway is as important as everyone says.
Fairways hit versus average green-in-regulation percentage
On average, when a golfer hits the fairway, they are more likely to hit the green in regulation by about 15 percent. This data was collected from all handicap levels on par-4 and par-5 holes. If your goal is to get on the green, it’s easier to do it when approaching from the fairway.
| Fairway Hit | Average GIR % |
|---|---|
| Yes | 37 |
| No | 22 |
Fairways hit versus average score to par
Now we have to look at the numbers that really matter: average score to par. If you hit the fairway, your score will be about .37 shots better than if you missed the fairway. The .37 may not seem like a lot but if you do that on a few holes, it will help you score lower and decrease your handicap.
| Fairway Hit | Average Score to Par |
|---|---|
| Yes | +0.67 |
| No | +1.04 |
PGA Tour players and fairways hit percentage
The PGA Tour golfer who hit the most fairways in 2024 was Aaron Rai at 73.45 percent. You’ll see that some of the other top-ranked golfers for fairways-hit percentage are names you see on the leaderboard often.
Hitting the fairway makes scoring easier.
- Aaron Rai (73.45% – Ranked #1)
- Collin Morikawa (70.18% – Ranked #4)
- Sepp Straka (69.63% – Ranked #5)
- Daniel Berger (69.51% – Ranked #6)
- Lucas Glover (69.37% – Ranked #7)
- Tommy Fleetwood (69.31% – Ranked #8)
- Scottie Scheffler (66.51% – Ranked #19)
How to hit more fairways
Get fitted for the right driver. You may be playing with a club that gives you five extra yards but it’s not worth the spot in your bag if the ball isn’t in the fairway.
Check is your alignment. Next time you go to the driving range, put some alignment sticks on the ground to ensure you’re aiming where you think you are. Many players miss the fairway simply because their aim is off.
Finally, don’t overcompensate for issues like slices or fades by aiming too far left or right. Instead, focus on a target that allows you to keep the ball in the fairway whether you hit it perfectly or miss slightly. Try giving your good and bad drives a chance at a piece of the fairway.
The bottom line
Hitting the ball in the fairway matters. If you want to lower your scores in 2025, a great way to do it is to learn to hit your tee shot in the fairway.
WB
1 year ago
Is there anyone arguing that hitting fairways doesn’t make scoring easier? Assuming the distance is the same, there’s no debate that fairways are better. By presenting the data this way I think most golfers’ takeaway will unfortunately be: “In order to score better I need to hit more fairways.” But that’s not exactly true. The real question here is about the tradeoffs a golfer makes when pursuing better accuracy. Jon Sherman talks about this dilemma in his book. For instance, I’d wager that most golfers, and especially average ones, would lower their swing speed and sacrifice distance in order to tighten their dispersions. So when discussing the benefits and pitfalls of hitting fairways or not, the real dilemma is this: How much distance can you sacrifice to hit a fairway before the tradeoff hurts you? For instance, would you rather hit the ball 250 into the rough, or land in the fairway at 225 to 235? I believe strokes gained data makes it clear that the added distance is more valuable in these scenarios than hitting a fairway. Caveats apply, obviously, such as avoid OB, avoid fairway bunkers, etc. But sure, if distance is the same then of course you want to be in the fairway. But if you have to sacrifice distance, then the data is fairly clear that hitting fairways isn’t as important as you think.
John
1 year ago
I totally agree. I have lost distance working on hitting the fairway more often but hurts me on getting on in regulation. I have started to look at the holes that I can grip it and rip it and I find that if I’m in the rough at a shorter distance I have a better shot at getting it on.