Are You Making These 5 Costly Mistakes? What Data Is Telling Women Golfers

Every golfer steps onto the tee wanting to post their best score, yet most of us leak unnecessary strokes through simple, avoidable errors. Bad habits and poor decision-making happen quickly, but the fix is just as straightforward once you recognise where you're going wrong.

Thanks to the fantastic female data and analysis from Shot Scope, I’ve highlighted five key mistakes and how a few simple changes in club selection and gaining a better understanding of your yardages could see a transformation in your game.

Build Confidence On The Tee

A 25 handicap golfer will hit just as many fairways as a scratch handicapper (57-58%) yet the carry distance is 167 yards for the higher handicap and 237 yards for the scratch golfer. Each woman will therefore have a different plan for the hole as there will be differing distances left to the green (197 yards and 150 yards respectively).

Most golfers don’t actually know their carry distance, leading to first-tee panic when it's time to step up and hit the ball. Too many players step onto the course without a strategy beyond getting the shot over with as quickly as possible. Instead, build a pre-shot routine that instills confidence and a setup designed to hold up under pressure.

Aim for a safe part of the hole that’s within your driving carry distance. It’s important to take into account carrying over trouble and where to play the next shot from. Without a plan (whatever your handicap) can lead to big trouble.

Develop a pre-shot routine where you visualise the shot, rehearse it and execute it with confidence. A routine is crucial throughout your whole game including putting.

Does Your Ball Always Come Up Short?

Shot Scope data proves the majority of female players (regardless of handicap) come up short of the green or the pin, with scratch golfers hitting 62% of greens in regulation versus the 25 handicapper managing only 10.9%. Given shot allowance that’s expected.

But too many golfers are under clubbing because they only rely on the best ever shot as a base for their yardage. Clubbing to your perfectly hit 7-wood rather than taking the average will see you come up short more often than not. So get smart with your club choices and begin to really groove those yardages.

Take into account the yardage to the middle of the green when using a GPS, acknowledge the wind and the slopes and how you are feeling. I’m constantly aware that if I am lacking energy I club up, if I’m feeling fresh and energised I’ll hit the ball further. Think about what the actual distance is you need to hit the ball and always opt for more club, as most trouble is at the front of the green as a general rule.

Planning needs to start as you walk to your ball. Looking from a distance will help you see the bigger picture and you’ll usually have made an instinctive decision before you get to the ball. Your gut is usually right, so leave the heroics in the bag and play smart.

To accurately determine your club distances, you can use launch monitors like the Shot Scope LM1, or visit a modern driving range. Additionally, track your yardages on the golf course by noting down how far your shots travel under various playing conditions.

Taking Too Little Loft For Approach Shots 

A 30-handicap golfer will only hit the green 1% of the time with a 3-wood. A scratch golfer only hits the green 18% of the time.

That’s a stat that speaks volumes, proving that grabbing a 3-wood to gain the most yardage and try to chase the ball onto the green might put you in more trouble. Instinctively thinking, “hit the club that goes the furthest” can lead to big numbers and potentially wreck scorecards.

Choosing a more lofted wood, or even a hybrid could be the smarter option. Positional play will win the day more often than not, sometimes the green doesn’t have to be the target.

If you can hit less club and nestle the ball just short of the green, you might find you have an easier chip and run, or even better, you can putt it.

For many female golfers, especially higher handicaps, there is little difference in length between a 3-wood and 5-wood. I suggest carrying a friendlier fairway club, like a 4 or 7-wood. More lofted options can send the ball further thanks to increased carry. They also mean more forgiveness and more versatility especially on hillier courses.

Have A Club Cull

Many women carry 14 clubs, but slimming this number down means less decisions to be made and ultimately your game becomes simpler.

Too many players I coach have a 5-iron, 5-hybrid and a 7-wood. The difference in distance between these clubs is negligible, they all do a similar job.

Shot Scope data tells us that a scratch handicapper hits 7-wood 166 yards, 5-hybrid 164 yards and 5-iron 164 yards. Therefore, she only needs one of those clubs in her bag.

A 30-handicapper hits a 7-wood 96 yards, 5-hybrid 91 yards and 5-iron 89 yards, so again, there really is no point having all of them. Get really confident with one club and ensure you finish your swing to maximise swing speed.

My advice is to book a playing lesson and a gapping session. A pro will help you to find the perfect bag setup. As your game improves, gaps will appear and then you’ll have reason to treat yourself to a new toy to fill the yardage gaps.

Choosing To Show Off Instead Of Playing Smart

Choosing to hit a full sand wedge is always risky, so getting smart with your shot choice round the green will save your score.

Master the chip and run to keep your ball lower and out of trouble. Also develop a great half shot and you’ll find your strike is cleaner and you’ll hit more greens.

As your handicap drops, begin to learn how far the full sand wedge and lob wedge go, as you’ll find they stop faster. However, if striking your irons crisply isn’t your forte, then you could be asking for trouble if you catch the full shot skinny. There’s a lot of momentum in a full swing and not a lot of loft on the base of your club.

Instead, shrink the swing and change the game plan. Opt for less loft, a landing spot that is before the green perhaps, and be risk adverse by getting in touch with your hip-to-hip swing.

Experiment with different clubs on the practice ground and begin to learn how far each club carries compared to how far they run. (Usually a 7-iron will fly 25% and run 75%, a 9-iron 50-50 and a sand wedge will fly 75% and run 25%.) These are general guidelines

Working on shorter swings will also improve your long game by focussing on your weight transfer and width as it’s ultimately the impact zone.

The difference in short game success from high to low handicappers is huge. According to Shot Scope, a 5-handicapper will get up and down from 10-20yds 48% of the time, whereas a 30- handicapper will only see success 15% of the time. It becomes evident that if you want to see gains in your game you need to hit the short game area.

So there you have it. This may give you some food for thought on your own game and help you hatch a plan to see some improvement in the next 6 months. Remember so much can be done with what’s in your bag and how you use it.