So, What is a Good Shot?

In today's issue, we are going to look at what it means to hit a good shot.

Failing to understand what a quality shot is, for your skill level, is a problem many golfers have.

Understanding this is an important part of effectively managing your expectations.

Through the years I have watched hundreds (if not thousands) of golfers get mad after a good shot. They thought they hit a bad/mediocre shot.

They had no idea they hit a good shot (for their skill level).

These reactions are a slippery slope. They make us angry, frustrated, annoyed, lost, confused, etc...

Trying to play good golf while in this mental state is not going to end well.

Once upon a time that is exactly how I was. My expectations were completely unrealistic.

Below I am going to give you the information you need to better understand what it means to hit a good approach shot.

Let's Define "Good"

This is simple. I am defining a "good" shot as one that gains at least 0.00 strokes.

Would we all love to hit nothing but "great" shots? Absolutely. Who doesn't enjoy a well-struck wedge that finishes inside 5 feet?

But as Ben Hogan said, it's a game of misses.

Why This Matters

The feedback I get the most in my Twitter DMs goes something like this:

Like the typical direct message above, having realistic expectations (for your skill level) can help you enjoy the game more AND shoot better scores.

The Data

The data is based on the over 575 million shots that have been captured in Arccos.

The tables below are broken down by skill level. (Scratch, 5-index, 10-index, 15-index and 20-index).

The value in each column is how close you need to hit the ball (from that distance) to gain 0.00 shots.

The first set of tables is for shots from the fairway. Keep scrolling for shots from the rough.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s info. Thank you for following along and have a great week!

— Lou