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Does “Aim Small, Miss Small” Really Work?

The popular mantra, “Aim Small, Miss Small,” has long been touted as a way to improve accuracy across sports, from archery to shooting. The idea is simple: aiming at a smaller target leads to smaller misses. But when it comes to golf, does aiming at a smaller target lead to better results? Research by Bob Christina and Eric Alpenfels looked at this, and the findings suggest that what works elsewhere might not always work the same for golf... especially when it comes to hitting your driver. Buckle up!

This was the first study to to see how "Aim Small, Miss Small" works in golf.

This study looked at tee shots, iron play, short game and putting. Today I am just going to review what they found with tee shots.

This might change how you look at your tee shot targets!

The Method

The study involved 32 adult male golfers with handicap indexes ranging from 1 to 30. Participants were asked to hit a series of drives using their own driver, aiming at two different types of targets. One was a small target (a visual target in the middle of the fairway about a foot wide), while the other was a large target (the entire width of the fairway, which was marked by ropes on either side). The fairway was about 33 yards wide. The goal was to determine if aiming at a smaller target led to smaller misses, or if aiming at a larger target was more effective.

Golfers were instructed to treat each drive as though they were competing in a stroke play event, trying to be as accurate and as long as possible. Each drive was measured for how long it was hit, how far it was from the center of the fairway, and whether or not it hit the fairway. A Flight Scope launch monitor was used to gather data on club-head speed, ball speed, and smash factor.

Results: Distance Offline and Fairways Hit

When it came to the distance offline, the results were clear. They were closer to the center of the fairway when aiming at the large target. Specifically, the average distance offline when aiming at the large target was 13.5 yards, compared to 15.4 yards when aiming at the small target. This difference may not sound huge, but in golf, straighter is usually better! These results were statistically significant.

The fairway was hit more often when aiming at the large target. Fairway hit percentage to the large target was 67% and to the small target it was 50%. These results were statistically significant.

Results: Average Driving Distance

Once again, aiming at the larger target provided an advantage. The average distance when using the large target was 230 yards and to the small target it was 223.9 yards. These results were statistically significant.

The researchers attributed the increase in distance to the fact that aiming at a larger target may help golfers feel more confident and allow them to swing more freely, resulting in greater club-head speed and more distance.

Key Takeaways

While “Aim Small, Miss Small” might be a useful approach for some aspects of the game, such as putting or short-game shots, it may not be the best strategy for driving the ball. Aiming at a larger target seems to promote better accuracy, greater consistency, and more distance when hitting a driver.

The authors referenced prior studies that found evidence showing that "aiming at targets perceived as being larger than they actually are can lead people to think that they are easier to hit, and, if they think they are easier to hit, they feel more confident about hitting them and this increased confidence can improve performance".

When aiming at a very small target, the pressure to hit that target precisely might lead to increased tension and less fluid swings. In contrast, aiming at a larger target can reduce this pressure, allowing golfers to make a more confident, relaxed swing, leading to better overall performance.

This study could reshape how you think about what targets you look at when standing on the tee box with your driver.

For YOU, aiming at a larger target could lead to smaller dispersion and increased driving distances... all of which will contribute to lower scores.

My Thoughts

The idea of “Aim Small, Miss Small” is an appealing one, but as this study by Christina and Alpenfels shows, there might be a better way for YOU.

Like so many other things in golf, I would encourage you to test this out. Experiment. Find out what works best FOR YOU.

See you next week!

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