Fairways in reg

[gregkp5]

So as of today I'm a 15.8 handicap...the only above-average part of my golf game is distance off the tee (not so much accuracy).

 

I was thinking the other day about how few fairways in regulation i hit. For example, out of my last two rounds i hit 4/14 and 3/13 fairways. BUT i started looking at a different stat - full swing approach shot opportunities available after my tee shot (where i can still get on in regulation). When viewed from this stat I was 8/14 and 7/13. In other words, second shot full swings from the rough where i am not punching out from under trees, just fighting to get the ball back on the fairway, or losing strokes from penalty shots (i tend to play courses with a lot of trees).

 

I've narrowed down my misses this year so that i am usually off the fairway, but still usually 5-10 yds left or right of it. Is this a stat that i can judge my tee shots from? In other words, is my driving accuracy as terrible as it may seem from a FIR standpoint? This could already be a stat that i am not aware of, i apologize for my ignorance in advance! Thanks

[MelloYello]

I'm not sure how predictive it is to know just how many fairways you hit. For example, GiR is highly correlated with actual score and so GIR very useful to track. It sums up your "ball-striking" very well.

 

If a given metric wasn't predictive it wouldn't be that useful.

 

So like all statistics you need to get a large enough sample (maybe 40-50 rounds) and see if fairways or "almost fairways" correlates with score to a degree that's useful.

 

 

EDIT: I'm sure someone somewhere has already done this. But that should be your first question--do I care at all about this particular metric?

[gregkp5]

I'm not sure how predictive it is to know just how many fairways you hit. For example, GiR is highly correlated with actual score and so GIR very useful to track. It sums up your "ball-striking" very well.

 

If a given metric wasn't predictive it wouldn't be that useful.

 

So like all statistics you need to get a large enough sample (maybe 40-50 rounds) and see if fairways or "almost fairways" correlates with score to a degree that's useful.

 

 

EDIT: I'm sure someone somewhere has already done this. But that should be your first question--do I care at all about this particular metric?

The only reason id care about any particular metric is to help realize which area im struggling most at compared to other aspects

 

I guess if i had to put this in a formal question, id ask all 10-12 handicappers how many approach shots per round they truly have a clear shot at the green and to see if its more comparable to theirs, or to 20cappers

[Twism86]

I hit the ball out of light rough better than fairways anyway. If your GIR % is still high it doesn't matter if you hit the fairway.

[larrybud]

FW % alone certainly doesn't give you a full perspective of how far off you are, and you've added another layer to help track your progress. You could do the same with GIR % and include Fringe in Regulation as well. I hit one yesterday on a par 3 which was technically not a GIR, but I was 3" on the fringe and only 10' from the hole.

 

That's the whole concept of "Strokes gained", to put a better value on each shot you hit. You're just doing it on a much more macro level.

[Singapore Joe]

I'm not sure how predictive it is to know just how many fairways you hit. For example, GiR is highly correlated with actual score and so GIR very useful to track. It sums up your "ball-striking" very well.

 

If a given metric wasn't predictive it wouldn't be that useful.

 

So like all statistics you need to get a large enough sample (maybe 40-50 rounds) and see if fairways or "almost fairways" correlates with score to a degree that's useful.

 

 

EDIT: I'm sure someone somewhere has already done this. But that should be your first question--do I care at all about this particular metric?

The only reason id care about any particular metric is to help realize which area im struggling most at compared to other aspects

 

I guess if i had to put this in a formal question, id ask all 10-12 handicappers how many approach shots per round they truly have a clear shot at the green and to see if its more comparable to theirs, or to 20cappers

I would hazard a guess that depending on the individual, different metrics are of different importance. To some extent also on the courses one plays. For those with lots of trouble around greens GIR is of higher importance than for those courses where missing the green does not automagically result in a difficult chip.

 

I play regularly two courses: one is fairly easy off the tee but the second shots are difficult. The other one is more difficult off the tee but once on the fairway the second shots are easier and there's more space to miss the approach. On both courses, one needs to be on the FW but for different reasons. Therefore, FIR tends to predict the GIR which tends to predict the total score. Ergo, I focus on FIR and GIR comes as a side product. My best score of the season came when I hit each fairway. Don't recall how many GIR I hit then.

[finleysg]

It's not a bad metric, but you have to keep in my that you are going to get more bad breaks in the rough than you are in the fairway, so to tighten up your dispersion is still a good goal. Some days I'm a little off with the driver and I pay a huge penalty, and some days not so much. Golf is fickled.

[larrybud]

Exactly. This summer in MI the rough has been absolutely brutal almost everywhere I go! Even with shorter rough, it's a premium to hit FWs

[PorscheFan]

This stat doesn't work for me. I shot my worst score of the year with 83% fairway accuracy.

 

The week before I shot 6 strokes better with 57% fairway accuracy. And I'm awful at hitting out of rough.

 

One stat I'm starting to play with is the distance from the hole for my 3rd last shot. Essentially, 'how far on average do I close out a hole from'. Not enough numbers gathered to know if this works for me.

[Santiago Golf]

How I have mid to high handicapper track their stats. FIR, GIR, putts are not really great stats because it doesn't show where you need to work on your game

 

Tee Shot

FIR +1

Rough 0

Fairway Bunker -1

Punch Out -1

Hazard -1

Lost Ball/OB -2

 

Approach

GIR +1

Around the Green 0

Bunker/Short Sided -1

more than 30 yards away from green -2

 

Around the Green

Holed +3

inside 5 feet +2

inside 15 feet +1

on the green 0

miss green -1

worse spot than before -2

 

Putting

1 putt +1

2 putt 0

3 putt -1

2 putt from outside 30 +1

1 putt from outside 15 +2

 

Scoring

Eagle +3

Birdie +2

Par +1

Bogey 0

DB -1

TB -3

 

then you can see what you need to work on based where you are gaining shots versus losing shots

[gregkp5]

How I have mid to high handicapper track their stats. FIR, GIR, putts are not really great stats because it doesn't show where you need to work on your game

 

Tee Shot

FIR +1

Rough 0

Fairway Bunker -1

Punch Out -1

Hazard -1

Lost Ball/OB -2

 

Approach

GIR +1

Around the Green 0

Bunker/Short Sided -1

more than 30 yards away from green -2

 

Around the Green

Holed +3

inside 5 feet +2

inside 15 feet +1

on the green 0

miss green -1

worse spot than before -2

 

Putting

1 putt +1

2 putt 0

3 putt -1

2 putt from outside 30 +1

1 putt from outside 15 +2

 

Scoring

Eagle +3

Birdie +2

Par +1

Bogey 0

DB -1

TB -3

 

then you can see what you need to work on based where you are gaining shots versus losing shots

this is awesome, ty!