Shot Scope Case Study: Percentage of Fairways Hit
Labs

Shot Scope Case Study: Percentage of Fairways Hit

Support our Mission. We independently test each product we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.

Shot Scope Case Study: Percentage of Fairways Hit

Fairways Hit and Proximity to Hole – Key Takeaways

  • Being farther back on a hole decreases your chance of hitting the green in regulation.
  • The greater your approach distance, the greater the resulting proximity to the hole.
  • The shorter the iron, the better the chance of hitting it closer to the pin.

Improved Performance Through Data

Big data is a powerful tool. Not only does it allow golfers to assess individual parts of the game but it provides an opportunity to examine performance from a variety of perspectives.

Golf stat tracking and performance management companies like Shot Scope help golfers better understand their on-course performance. However, by aggregating data from golfers around the world, we get a more complete picture of the realities of amateur performance.

So, as we dive into a relatively straightforward topic, think about where you find the most difficulty on the course. Does club choice make a difference in whether you hit the fairway?

Fairways Hit With Driver Versus 3-Wood

Percentage of fairways hit with driver and 3 wood

Observations

  • The average is 47 percent for both driver and 3-wood.
  • Using a 3-wood provides only a 1- to 2-percent increase in fairways hit across all handicaps.

While using a 3-wood results in a very minor increase in fairways hit, there is an average loss of roughly 30 yards in distance.  As obvious as it may sound, being closer to the green means landing closer to the hole.

Longer Off the Tee is Beneficial

Average proximity to hole by club

 

Observations

  • Accuracy drops off with distance from the green.
  • Hitting a 9-iron puts golfers, on average, 40-feet closer to the hole compared to a 4-iron.

Again, nothing surprising here. Being further away means less accuracy.

Greens in regulation by club

When you have a shorter iron, you hit more greens in regulation and have more chances to make putts.

Putting It All Together

Performance average distance by club and handicap (yards)

  • 30 yards equates to a difference of nearly four clubs (eg., 9-iron versus 6-iron) across all handicaps.

Based on these charts, hitting the ball 30 yards shorter off the tee can result in being as much as 20 to 30 feet farther from the hole on your approach and hitting 20 percent fewer greens in regulation. The distance sacrificed by hitting 3-wood is not worth it even if your fairways hit percentage increase. Just get your driver out and you should hit more greens and have fewer putts based on proximity to the hole.

How Do You Compare?

Do you score better or worse than the Shot Scope database averages?

What’s your biggest takeaway? Where is there room for improvement in your game?

Post a comment below!

For You

For You

News
Jun 29, 2026
One Driver Brand Is Three-For-Three In Majors. But It’s Not Dominating The Season
Chambers Bay Chambers Bay
News
Jun 29, 2026
Where Should The New Tour Championship Be Played?
Golf Pride Stars and Stripes Zero Taper putter grip Golf Pride Stars and Stripes Zero Taper putter grip
Golf Grips
Jun 29, 2026
These New Limited-Edition 4th of July Putter Grips Are A Little Bit Rock ‘N’ Roll, A Little Bit Country
MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

Our mission is #ConsumerFirst. We are here to help educate and empower golfers. We want you to get the most out of your money, time and performance. That means providing you with equipment reviews you can trust, as well as honest reporting on the latest issues affecting the game today. #PowerToThePlayer

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

Driver Ping G30 Hybrids PXG 0317
3/4 IRON PXG 0311XF 5-GW Srixon Z 565
SW PXG 0317 LW PXG 0311
Putter EVNROLL  
MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy

MyGolfSpy





    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

      Robert Barron

      6 years ago

      I agree with the conclusions from this data in terms of being closer to the green being more helpful. My friend and I joke about doing the “smart thing” and hitting 3-wood off the tee and having it backfire most of the time! Oddly, I hit my irons almost exactly the distance of a 14 handicap in the table, yet my actual USGA handicap is 25. Why? I keep detailed track of everything that I do on the golf course and my worst category by far is hitting greens in regulation. I am a very good putter and decent pitcher and chipper, but I miss a lot of greens. Part of that is just an inconsistent swing, but part of it is that I am often hitting long irons or fairway woods into greens on par 4’s because I just don’t hit my driver far enough in many cases.

      Reply

      Joseph Greenberg

      6 years ago

      I am right on the 8 handicap numbers, working hard at maintaining distances at 70 years old. The problem with going all Bryson on the 2 clubs i belong is that they both feature penalties on both sides on 12 of 14 potential driver holes. Shots gained via distance easily offset by a penalty or more a round. It is more a question for me of driver vs driving iron to avoid penalties, resulting in 50 yard gaps. Certainly, data reinforces my challenges with mid-long irons.

      Reply

      Mike M

      6 years ago

      I have always kept track of greens in regulation as a yardstick for my score. I generally 2 putt every green. My total # of putts is below 36, 99 percent of the time.
      Here is my formula : (GIRx2) – 95 = final score(+ or – 1 stroke)

      So if I can hit 8 GIR’s I will break 80. Hit 10-GIR’s and I am sitting on 75.
      It is almost always within a stroke of my score and it has been for years.

      There are 4 par 3’s and 4 par 5’s. That’s 45 % of the holes. Hit 3 of each and you have 6. that leaves 2-4 more of the remaining 10 holes (55%) to hit your 8-10 GIR’s. Simple right? Simpler said than done but a good starting goal for me.

      Reply

      GABE

      6 years ago

      I’ve always gone back and forth between the driver and 3W. While I do agree that I don’t hit many more fairways using the 3 wood, the difference comes with the bad shots. A bad driver shot for me likely is OB and costing me a penalty (stroke/distance). A miss with a 3 wood is still in play and that is why I tend to go the mini driver/ strong 3w route.

      Reply

      Jim

      6 years ago

      Trivial – the closer to the green (ie: the longer the drive) the shorter club you will be hitting. Shorter club = closer to the hole.

      Also not stistcically accurate because I don’t think actual numbers of samples such as how many drives were hit by 2 handicap vs 8 handicap? You cannot take the average of averages and say that is the overall average.

      Reply

      George

      6 years ago

      The data as I understand from the article is gathered from the ShotScope database which has presumably thousands of tee shots over all handicaps. So big numbers = valid statistics.

      Reply

      Jim

      6 years ago

      I am wondering if all the distances calculated are in a controlled environment, I totally agree with the results, much better accuracy with shorter iron approaches. All the stats seem accurate. Age will make a difference on average distances as well.

      Reply

      Rick

      6 years ago

      Have to agree so now I only use my 3wood If it gets me to my ideal distance for the shot to the green. Driver does get me closer so always preferred otherwise. It’s great to see it’s supported. But then again sometimes being in the short grass is better than in the trees ?

      Reply

      Ant

      6 years ago

      My driver is standard length but my 3 wood is 1/2 inch shorter…both fitted. Love the stats and tracking mine on Foresights Fore app as I don’t wear a watch.

      Reply

      WBN

      6 years ago

      Thanks for another interesting article. The charts with the averages was most informative. I keep notes as to where I need to improve and the second shot seems to be the area most needed. Long irons and hybrids don’t allow for much error. Driver off the tee unless it would put you thru a fairway and in trouble.

      Reply

      Rich

      6 years ago

      Would love to get hold of Shot Scope, however, the watch I want won’t be available until March 2021! Can’t believe that they’re so short on supply!

      Reply

      Mat

      6 years ago

      Two things:

      1. Every Shot Counts by Broadie

      2. I strongly believe that three-wood gets pulled most often because the reality is 46” drivers are shafted too long for your average 15+ capper.

      Imagine this: everyone’s driver and 3w are all 43” long. Your 20 caps would never select 3w unless avoiding a haz/pen.

      Reply

      Rusty

      6 years ago

      Call me old fashioned or stupid or whatever but some stats/data can be misleading or misinterpreted.
      I’m not saying MGS data is.
      I’m saying it’s all drive for show and putt for dough for me!

      Reply

      Eric

      5 years ago

      How to you putt well ? You start with the ball on the green closer to the hole. Brodies book demonstrates this nicely. Also Pelz found this out, and shifted a lot of his focus to better wedge play to lower your scores, more so than putting.

      Reply

      Bob

      6 years ago

      Would love to see statistics like this for an age breakdown

      Reply

      Nbar

      6 years ago

      Amen that has more of an impact on distance than handicap.

      Reply

      Dan

      6 years ago

      Yes, by age group would be most beneficial. My senior status: handicap is 20, my 7 iron is clocked in at 125 yds.. Your chart for avg. 7 iron would have me swinging for the fences with poor results just to try for average. 150ish.

      Reply

      Ken

      6 years ago

      I am 72 yrs old. A 6 handicap. I hit 72% of fairways, 54% greens. Driver 230, 4 wood 205, 3 hybrid 185, 4 hybrid 175, 5 iron 160, 6 iron 150, 7 iron 145, 8 iron 125, 9 iron 110, percent 97, 50 gap 85, 54 w 75, 58 w 65. Other than driver all yds are carry distance. 33 putts. Avg proximity for GIR 24.5’. Avg 2 – 3 putts per round. Play 6,000 yds. Sea level.

      Reply

      Bryan

      6 years ago

      I have to agree with those stats between the driver and 3 wood. I have now started hitting my driver more often just for that reason of being closer to the green for my second shot whether in the fairway or rough. Still closer with the driver either way.
      I am just under a 2 handicap. As far as the yardage chart for distances with each club I am 2 clubs less for each category..

      Reply

      John

      6 years ago

      I often see the 3 wood grabbed but most are just as inaccurate with it as the driver. Distance is king for approach shots, but so is actually having a shot. Playing out sideways or losing balls, is about equal with any wood for me off the tee, but there are plenty of short par 4s that an iron off the tee is a better choice; then take a wood from the fairway or a long iron in. For many recreational golfers, it’s an option often overlooked completely..

      Reply

      Jason

      6 years ago

      The golf equipment companies need to take some responsibility for why handicap players use 3 woods at all. They keep lengthening the shaft so they can claim their driver goes further than last years model and the general public simply use their stock shaft and length instead of getting fitted. If the average PGA tour shaft is 44.75, its no surprise an Amateur has trouble hitting a 45.5 standard driver and pulls out their 43 3 wood instead.

      Reply

      Nick

      6 years ago

      Ha! This data is great! I have never been able to play 3 wood well. I have it in my bag but it’s the last club I can rely on. I am much more consistent with a hybrid and that’s what I have been using as a fairway finder.

      I agree that the larger head drivers are the best thing in golf right now. Even if there is water, I just bunt the driver off the tee. I have that much more control over the ball with the driver off the tee.

      But I know a couple of golfers who swear by their 3 woods so I guess it comes down to the club used and the player.

      .

      Reply

      Alan Holt

      6 years ago

      I think that the main reason most people have trouble with the driver regards accuracy is that they are probably playing an off the rack driver that is too long for them . After reading a book by Tom Wishon I took 1″ off my driver and added weight to restore swing weight . The results were mind blowing in terms of fairways hit and I never use a 3 wood off the tee anymore unless it’s a very long par 3

      Reply

      Roger Craig

      6 years ago

      I did the same, 1 inch off the length, the pro added the weight. Generally I am accused of being boring and they only comment when I do hit one wide. Apparently you loose 2 to 3 yards but gain in accuracy.

      Reply

      JAS

      6 years ago

      These averages are fascinating and if anything to gain from it (for game improvement), we should track our data as a baseline and then build an attainable goal each year. Of course, nothing changes unless you work to improve your swing.
      Reading through the comments, it seems some folks misinterpret the article. These are averages taken from many golfers. The one thing that I did not see from this article is the percentage of error in the data.

      Reply

      Bogeybubba

      6 years ago

      Very interesting. I use a 2 wood 14 degree wood off the tee and a 16 degree 3 wood from the fairway. My driver is 9 degrees and only works on the range. I do choke down when I use it. I find more fairways with the 2 wood. I get more carry with the driver if I hit the fairway, but not much roll. The 2 wood gives me less carry but more roll. Bottom line, I am hitting 2nd shots from the fairways teeing with the 2w. The difference in total yards between the 2 clubs is less than 10 yards. I will dance with the one the takes me to the shortest grass

      Reply

      James T

      6 years ago

      I saw a similar study to this some years ago. But it focused only on Driver vs. 3 wood. Same results. So I always laugh when a a golfer buddy announces, “Gonna hit a 3 wood here to keep it in the fairway.” Though I do feel there is value in hitting something less than driver if the fairway ahead of you runs out, either via water feature or a dogleg you don’t want to negotiate.

      Reply

      Alex

      6 years ago

      I generally hit driver unless there is a hazard that is in range. — the only exception is when the hole is short and a 3 wood gives me 100 yards vs. a driver gives me a 75-80 yard shot. IIRC, MGS suggests still hitting driver, but a 3/4 wedge is not a shot I feel that comfortable with.

      Reply

      Paulo

      6 years ago

      Wedge out of the standard non us open rough or a 7 iron from the fairway I know which I would pick every time

      Reply

      Wyatt Scott

      6 years ago

      Utter malarky. I smoked my 3 wood straight down the pipe yesterday on almost every par 4 and 5 at least 200 yards. Used it the entire round and driver only once. Shot 87. if i had used driver i would have shot more like 100. Driver is the hardest club for most of us so calm it down and play it safe and stay inbounds for lower scores. If you can use it, hell yeah, let the big dog rip. But, for most of us, yeah to the no. It’s the last club I need to figure out and I’m getting there slowly but don’t call me Shirley.

      Reply

      James T

      6 years ago

      You must be the outlier, the exception to the rule… the guy to the outside of the bell curve.

      Reply

      Adam Rodriguez

      6 years ago

      I believe there are many people that would be outside the curve. I myself feel more comfortable that I can get my 3 wood in the fairway but I have hit many times on monitors and know that I have the same likeliness to find fairway w 3 wood and driver however there is only a 10 yard difference in length. I play w people mostly my skill set (not great) and almost everyone has different outcome w the 3w vs driver topic.

      Anyways just because I feel more confident w the 3w when I really want to hit a fairway I go with the 3w vs the driver even knowing statistically I’m just as likely to miss the fairway. Golf is weird.

      Jim S

      6 years ago

      I don’t think so. I’ve been fitted for driver and it’s still one of the hardest clubs to hit on line in the bag. The premise of this article about distance helping is only valid if your ball is in play. That’s why so many use 3 wood of the tee.

      Barry R

      6 years ago

      I agree with the overall message of this article, “closer is better” whether that be to the hole with the tee shot or on the green with a shorter iron. The comment has also been made above about “how far you miss” with a 3 wood vs a driver and I’d say that’s my biggest complaint here. A really bad miss with my driver and I’m reaching for a new ball or punching out and that rarely happens with a 3 wood. If I’m losing a shot with a new ball or a bunch out, is that really helping? All that being said, I play a course that has tight shortish Par 4s and my last few times out I’ve decided to just pound the driver and see what happens. A good drive with a short pitch is better than a full shot for my confidence.

      Reply

      Mat

      6 years ago

      Barry, you are exactly right. If you read Mark Broadie’s book, you’ll find he says the same. All else being equal, hit driver. But often it isn’t all equal. If a shot gives you even a 1:10 chance of going OB, but the shorter club is 0%, you take the shorter club. Penalties are the part of this equation left out. If you read only one golf book, even for half of it, make it Every Shot Counts.

      Reply

      Bill

      6 years ago

      I know what the numbers say, but…I’m 66 years old and don’t swing the driver like I did even 5 years ago. I hit my 3 wood just as far as I can hit driver. Last couple times I played using 3w off the tee I found myself in the fairway and in better positions than I did with driver. Admitting that I play from the forward tees so my approaches aren’t as long as they are from the whites, but my last round was a 78, the best I’ve scored in over ten years. I’ll stay with my 3w, thank you!

      Reply

      HAC

      6 years ago

      I wonder whether these statistics compare apples with apples. I hit a driver on about 10 of 14 par fours or fives on my course, but hit a five wood (don’t carry a three wood) on the others. The holes are not comparable. First, the 3 par fours where I use the five wood are shorter so that I am using a short iron in any case. Second, they are narrower. I would think that most of use the driver on wider holes and fairway woods on narrower holes making me call into question statistics showing the same percentage of fairways hit with each club. Sure, the percentage may be the same, but are the fairways the same? And for me, there are reasons to hit a five wood on the holes I do. On one hole, the fairway is wide where my five wood would land and much narrower when my driver would land. Two other times there are traps in the fairway (one of which goes three quarters of the way across) that I avoid by using a five wood (on one of these I sometimes use a hybrid depending on how the wind is blowing to avoid the traps). On the fourth hole, a par five, there is water on the left. I am left handing and my misses tend to be right, but while I am rarely left with my five wood, I can be left with my driver. I cannot hit the green in two no matter how far I drive the ball on this hole. So, again, I think this data could be misleading and certainly is too simplistic. [Most people I know who use a three or five wood on most holes are not 30 years longer with their drivers (or are only a few holes a round). Often, they mishit their drivers and are at least 50 yards shorter with their drivers.

      Reply

      paul smith

      6 years ago

      Exactly. The holes where I use a 3 wood have some problem that makes me want to use a shorter club and I would guess a lot of others do the same unless they can throttle back their driver Proximity to target would be a fairer comparison.

      Reply

      ED

      6 years ago

      I don’t find any advantage of using a three wood anywhere on the course at all.
      A driver can be choked up on and swing easy to take yards off and keep it in play and is the most forgiving club in the bag.

      Reply

      Mike

      6 years ago

      No offense but I didn’t need shotscope to tell me the closer I am to the green, the better my chances of hitting it, and the closer I am to the green, the closer proximity I’ll have to the hole. Seriously, I figured that out about two weeks after I started playing golf.

      Golf is such an individual game; individual players, individual holes, etc. If you play the same course frequently, you’ll figure out what club works best off the tee. I don’t hit my driver far (certainly not 30 yards ahead of my 3W) so I tend to use it unless a specific hole dictates otherwise. But I can’t tell you, nothing makes me feel more stupid than hitting a layup club off the tee and putting it in the rough.

      Reply

      Hector

      6 years ago

      I bought a Shot Scope V3 on the introductory special, so I have been using it for about 3 months now. and have about 25 rounds recorded The data has proven valuable. It is more about validating what I perceived than changing my perceptions. I have dropped my handicap from about `17 to 12.8. My distances are pretty much average for my handicap range.
      The biggest help for my game is validating my gapping and adjusting the makeup of my bag. After about 10 rounds the Rocketbalz 1.3 degree 3 wood came out of the bag. and was replaced by an old Adams Tie Lies 16 degree that I use tactically only, not off the tee. We have a lot of trees to deal with. I am reasonably long off the tee for an older guy (230+/- P Average) and I hit my drives left or right often enough that I face shots over those tall trees to get to the green or even just back into the fairway. .I can do that with the high-flying Adams 3 wood from 190 or so when I don’t have an open shot with my TS3 hybrid., which I hit about 194 yards (P Ave). I do have a 40 yard gap between the driver and that hybrid now (and the Adams 3 wood as well). that I am trying to solve, but it isn’t critical. I just hit driver off every tee now other that on the par 3s.
      The Shot Scope learning curve has been challenging, especially how to properly edit for lost balls, drops, positional shots, and when I hit trees that substantially alter shot distances. (I seem to hit a lot of trees., and the ball never goes forward). Also, the putting data isn’t very reliable. I play a nine-hole course with very different front nine / back nine tee boxes. (rated 69.7, slope 123, par 72) I expected the Shot Scope to accurately record the pin placement on the front nine and use it for the back nine. It doesn’t seem to do that. And the pin location is never really very accurate. I have to edit the pin locations and a lot of other shot locations by computer review on every green and for every round, sometimes by quite a lot. I have begun to track each shot manually (pen and paper) so I can edit Shot Scope more accurately. If nothing else, editing each round on the Shot Scope system has taken up a lot of my free time, which I have plenty of due to the life limitations Covid-19 has posed. At least it’s better than watching CNN.

      Reply

      HAC

      6 years ago

      I am thinking about getting a new golf watch and giving my Bushnell Phantom to my wife (I also have a laser) and your post interests me. A 4 shot drop in handicap seems huge coming from this product and has to be due to more than just changing your three wood. Where do you see the improvement coming from. I cannot imagine getting this much improvement unless the device reads my puts for me. Thanks.

      Reply

      paul King

      6 years ago

      I have seen an improvement also with the Shot Scot V3. The area of improvement is actual distance or gapping of my clubs allowing me better club selection for approaches to the greens. Per another user, I find it necessary to edit pin positions and putts after every round.

      paul King

      6 years ago

      Hector, here is how I am using the Shot Scope and editing pin location and putts after each round. I keep my score card with general information about pin location such as Front Right (FR), Center (C), and Back Left (BL). I also pace-off my first put for distance when reading the green and add that to my score card. This allows me to easily make the edits after the round. I find all the other data to be quite accurate but most pin locations and putts need some editing.

      Reply

      Devin

      6 years ago

      Making the assertion that being closer to the hole is always better requires that you compare proximity for a 6 iron from the rough to a 5 iron from the fairway, or a 7 iron from the rough vs. a 5/6 iron from the fairway. Because many times you’re in the rough you are behind a tree and totally screwed.

      It could also be the case, and would make sense, that 3 woods tend to be used on holes that have much narrower fairways and are thus harder to hit. It would be interesting to control for that somehow.

      Reply

      MBU

      6 years ago

      Those 3 woods are almost only being hit when it’s a tight hole. Hitting a 3 wood the whole round would show a different percentage.. If i use a 3 wood i am way more accurate. Most people would be.
      And for the average golfer, the distance gap is m8re oike 15 yards.

      Reply

      Joseph Bailey

      6 years ago

      This is amazing information. I always thought strategically I should be in the fairway if I can. That means taking an iron off some tees but this shows that my next driver fitting should be looking for the greatest distance possible with some accuracy and if Bryson has shown us anything it’s that distance prevails.

      Reply

      Jimmy

      6 years ago

      Unless you’re playing US Open rough, you should be more accurate with a 9-iron from the rough than a 6-iron from the fairway. All these 3-wood advocates sound like people who haven’t gotten a properly fitted driver so they spray it all over. 460cc drivers are the biggest favor you will ever get from golf. I can’t understand why anyone chooses to turn it down. 3-woods are for reaching par 5s in two. The only time I ever use one off the tee is if there’s a water that prevents me from hitting driver. It’s insane to me to watch fellow players throw away shots hitting 3-wood off the tee.

      Phil Mickelson has had it right for years (even though he’s not very accurate with it). Bryson has taken it to the next level by figuring out that not only should you hit driver as much as possible, you should be swinging it as hard as you can on any hole that allows for it.

      Reply

      Kevin

      6 years ago

      This is exactly why I dropped the 3 wood. I don’t hit it very well off the deck and when I used it as a tee club it was just as erratic as the driver but much shorter. Went to a 17 degree hybrid. Much better club off the deck, and has so much more control off the tee. Works really well as a layup club hitting 80% of fairways. Didn’t lose much distance either.

      Reply

      Kevin K.

      6 years ago

      Exactly the same for me. I recently picked up 17 degree hybrid which hits straighter and only about 5 yard short of my 3 wood. Ultimately, definitely a confidence booster for my game.

      Reply

      Adam

      6 years ago

      Yes, I think that 3 woods are definitely used off the tee too much. With the face being much smaller, it really doesn’t help too much with accuracy.

      For me though, I hit double the fairways when using a 4 iron or hybrid instead of a driver. I also don’t have the big (penalty) misses. I do give up 40 yards but my irons are the best part of my game so I don’t have much of a drop off with the longer irons. I hit 60% of greens from 100-125 and 55% from 150-175. Until my driver gets more accurate, there isn’t much of a benefit in me using it.

      Reply

      Forty

      6 years ago

      I use my 5 wood instead of driver off the tee on tight fairways. While the #’s might support using a driver, as a mid HC, on tight fairways if I mishit the D, I’m probably going to be in trouble. Resulting in either being OB or chipping sideways.

      Reply

      Mark

      6 years ago

      I can tell you what, playing the correct tees for your length and skill would help a lot more than just telling people to bang driver all day. Lol what that doesn’t show you is how far into the trees the driver put someone compared to the 3 wood How about a hybrid or long iron? I coach high school golf and can tell you my kids best rounds are when they hit long irons off the tee into the fairway as opposed to banging driver OB and making double. The team with the least amount of double almost always wins.

      Reply

      Mike

      6 years ago

      I’m a 14 index who doesn’t really drive the ball that far, and I agree with your philosophy in that my goal is to absolutely not make worse than bogey. I won’t gamble a double or triple for potential birdie because the odds are usually not in my favor

      Reply

      Fairway Finder

      6 years ago

      This all makes sense, unless, your driver miss is severe enough to bring OB/Penalty strokes in play… I would rather be 200yds out hitting two, than 170 out hitting four since my first tee shot went OB…

      Reply

      BurkeLakePro

      6 years ago

      I agree with Mr. Finder. It’s not enough to know whether or not you hit a fairway, it’s how far you miss the fairway by that really counts. I’ll give up 30 yards of distance to be 3 feet off the fairway as opposed to searching for my ball amongst the brambles in the woods any day…

      Reply

      Brian

      6 years ago

      This assumes you hit your driver reasonably well. I played in a two-day tournament last weekend. Hit the driver terribly all day the first day. Hit 4 wood or hybrid off every par 4 or 5 tee the second day. Many of my tee shots were just as long (or longer) as they had been when hitting driver the previous day, and they were much straighter. Played the same ball for all 18 holes and shaved 9 strokes off my score. So you tell me whether driver is always better.

      JasonA

      6 years ago

      Amazing timing for this info. This Wednesday I was just discussing with my golf partners that the 3-wood off the tee for “safety” is not such a smart play. Driver is more forgiving and more familiar so picking up a rarely played 3 wood on a tight drive is an iffy play. Interesting that the stats hold across the handicap range.

      Where the hole demands it I have developed a “fair way finder” swing with driver (shortened swing but still fully committed through ball) that has better results (length and control) for me than full 3 wood off the tee.

      Reply

      Miles

      6 years ago

      Pull dog and rip it.
      Best game management ever!

      Reply

      Dustin M

      6 years ago

      I have the same distances (+/- 1 yd) as the avg 2 handicap golfer. However, i am a 20 handicap. Based on my Arccos stats, putting is not the issue. I give up way too many penalty strokes due to lack of accuracy with my driver. In this case, it would behoove me to find the fairway more, even if it means going to 3 wood, right?

      Regardless, great stuff as always!

      Reply

      John

      6 years ago

      I would recommend figuring out how to hit driver. Learn your misses. Think strategically. If there is OB nearby play away from it. I would rather hit driver from wrong fairway than give up yards. However, there is one hole on my course where 2 of my misses are OB, so I pull the trusty dusty 4 iron.

      Reply

      Rob

      6 years ago

      I’m in this boat too regarding iron distances (tracked via Arccos). My issues tend to be pulling or pushing my approach so I’m scrambling to get up and down. I can’t recall the last time I used a 3w off the tee, I just don’t see the advantage of leaving it 40 yards shorter.

      Reply

      Dave S

      6 years ago

      Always good to see these numbers being confirmed, but this is essentially a repackaging of the data presented in Every Shot Counts and as part of the associated Strokes Gained metrics pioneered by Mark Brody.

      Reply

      Kevin

      6 years ago

      I hit the ball as far as a 2 handicap but score like a 20. According to SG, the worst part of my game is within 100 yards.

      I play for fun s.o…… DRIVER EVERY HOLE!!!

      Reply

    Leave A Reply

    required
    required
    required (your email address will not be published)

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    News
    Jun 29, 2026
    One Driver Brand Is Three-For-Three In Majors. But It’s Not Dominating The Season
    Chambers Bay Chambers Bay
    News
    Jun 29, 2026
    Where Should The New Tour Championship Be Played?
    Golf Pride Stars and Stripes Zero Taper putter grip Golf Pride Stars and Stripes Zero Taper putter grip
    Golf Grips
    Jun 29, 2026
    These New Limited-Edition 4th of July Putter Grips Are A Little Bit Rock ‘N’ Roll, A Little Bit Country