Approach Shots: Find Your Scoring Zone
Where your scores are really made
You can hit every fairway and still shoot a big number if your approach shots don't find the green.
That's why the Round Report Card tracks two things on every approach: where you hit it from, and where it ended up.
How to fill it out
Yards In/Club Used. Write the yardage in the top half of the box and the club you hit in the bottom half. Something like 135 over 9i.
GIR/Direction. Hit the green in regulation? Check mark. Missed it? Mark which way:
- L for left
- R for right
- S for short
- D for deep
Quick refresher: a green in regulation means you're on the putting surface in two shots fewer than par. So in one shot on a par 3, two on a par 4 and three on a par 5.
What my Anthem rounds showed me
Day one at Anthem, I hit 14 greens. Day two, only 9. Huge difference!
When I looked at the day two misses, most of them came up short. That's a club selection problem, not a swing problem.
Here's the thing. Most golfers pick the club for their best shot, not their average shot. So anything a little thin comes up short. If your card is full of S's, take one more club!
What your misses are telling you
Lots of shorts. Club up. Your real distances are probably shorter than you think.
Lots of deeps. You might be flying it farther than you know, especially with wedges. Or you're firing at back pins.
Lots of lefts or rights. Look back at your fairway misses. The pattern often matches!
Find your scoring zone
After a few rounds, look at your Yards In boxes. Where do most of your approaches come from?
For me, most were between 100 and 150 yards with a wedge or short iron. So that's where my practice time goes. Not hitting driver on the range for an hour!
Your scoring zone might be totally different. The card tells you exactly where it is.
How many greens should you hit?
Next up
Part 4 is all about putting. We'll dig into first putt distance, total putts and the stat most golfers never track: feet of putts made.
Grab your free Round Report Card!
Want to know your real scoring zone? Download your free printable Round Report Card and start tracking your approach shots this week!
