Fairways: Why Your Miss Matters More Than Your Percentage
Hit or miss isn't enough
Most golfers track fairways with a simple check mark. Hit or miss. At the end of the round you get a number, like 7 out of 14, and that's it.
But that number doesn't tell you what to work on. Your miss does!
How to fill it out
On the Round Report Card, the Fairway Hit/Direction box has a slash through it.
- Hit the fairway? Check mark.
- Missed it? Write L for left or R for right.
- Par 3s? Leave them blank.
Then total up your fairways for the front 9, back 9 and full round.
What my Anthem rounds showed me
In my two rounds at Anthem Country Club, I hit 9 fairways and then 10. Pretty solid! That's right around the 50% target for a 1 to 9 handicap.
But look at the misses. Across both days I missed 9 fairways, and 6 of them went right. On the back nine, every single miss went right. Every one!
That's not bad luck. That's a pattern. And a pattern is something you can actually fix.
What your miss pattern is telling you
Most misses go one way. That usually points to setup. Check your alignment, ball position and grip before you start rebuilding your swing.
Misses go both ways. This is more about tempo and commitment. It can also mean driver isn't the right club on every hole.
Misses show up late in the round. Could be fatigue or focus. My back-nine rights were a big clue that I was losing something as the round went on!
Play to your miss on the course
Once you know your miss, you can plan for it. If your miss is right, favor the left side of the fairway and give yourself room.
Don't try to fix your swing mid-round. Play the miss you have today, and fix it at the range tomorrow.
How many fairways should you hit?
Here's the benchmark from the back of the card:
On a course with 14 driving holes, 40% is only 5 or 6 fairways. You don't need to be perfect off the tee to score!
Next up
Part 3 moves to your approach game. We'll look at yards in, club used and greens in regulation, and how to find your true scoring zone.
Grab your free Round Report Card!
Start tracking your misses this week. Download your free printable Round Report Card, toss a few in your bag, and find your pattern!
