On the PGA Tour, driving accuracy is calculated using the number of fairways hit in relation to the possible number of fairways (excluding par-3 holes). Aaron Rai currently leads the way with a whopping 72% of fairways hit, but the average for 2024 currently stands at 60%.
If we say for argument sake that there are 14 holes in total on a particular golf course that are either par-4 or par-5, that means that an average PGA Tour player finds around 8 fairways per round. World No.1 Scottie Scheffler only slightly exceeds that average (66%), but how do you compare?
The calculation is simple, meaning all amateur golfers can track their own data as they play. In all likelihood, your figures are going to be much lower than those stated above, but once you have identified your number, the next step is to know what to do with that information.
So, in the spirit of helping you to improve your driving accuracy, we asked Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Keith Wood for his top five tips to hit more fairways...
Driving Accuracy: 5 Tips To Hit More Fairways
Keith has worked with Golf Monthly for over 20 years and has coached multiple Tour winners, including Sir Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros. As an experienced professional, and one of our Top 50 Coaches, he is a trusted voice on all things relating to the golf swing.
1. Pick A Comfortable Club
First, get a clear idea of what you want to do on a hole. The hole in the image below has ditches and trees both right and left before turning right and up to the green. It’s not long – about 320 yards – so some golfers may not need their longest club to hit it far enough to make the corner and see the green.
But on every hole, you should be leaning towards your most comfortable club anyway – the one with which you are most confident of finding the fairway – because golf is much simpler from the short grass, even if you can’t then reach the green in regulation. This is where your handicap comes in!
Make sure you know what a hole does via a yardage chart or app or by lasering the distances to key points. On this hole, you perhaps ideally want to find the fairway at around 200 yards, so pick your most comfortable club to achieve that goal. For some, it may be a long-iron, hybrid or 5-wood, while for others it may be a 3-wood or driver. It’s different for everyone, but always choose the club you’re most comfortable with to help you find the target, especially when it’s a real must-hit fairway.
Pick the right club for the hole you are about to play
2. Go With Your Comfortable Shape
Part of your club-decision process revolves around your comfortable shot shape, too. In the example outlined in the image below, if you’re a fader, you can aim at the left edge of the tree at the far end of the fairway and let it drift right. But the most important thing is to guarantee that fade, so focus any swing thoughts on ensuring that happens.
These might be to make sure you hold the face off a little bit more, or rotate aggressively through the ball so the club can’t pass you and close the face. If your shape is the other way, those thoughts might be making sure you don’t get ahead of the ball. Either way, I would advise against trying to hit a shape that doesn’t come naturally. Things often go wrong when you try to manufacture a shape that’s just not comfortable.
Pick a start line the suits your comfortable shot shape
3. Put Yourself At Ease
Think about where to tee it up to put yourself most at ease. In the example below, I don’t think you’d tee up on the right even if you are a fader, as the overhanging trees are a distraction visually and could also come into play if you start the ball further right than intended.
Teeing off further left not only eliminates that particular risk, but also eases the visual pressure because you can now see more of the fairway around the corner, too. Tee it up where it creates the least anxiety for you. You have to hit this fairway, so the last thing you want to do is tee it up on the right where all you can see are trees, ditches and narrowness!
Use all the space available between the tee markers to find the right spot for your next shot
4. Think Alignment
Alignment is key, so good discipline at set-up is very important. Shoulders, hips, knees and feet must all be set parallel to your chosen target line. Clearly, in a competition you can’t lay down alignment sticks, as i've done below, but your chances of hitting the fairway will increase significantly if you’re correctly aligned, so it’s worth taking time to ensure you really are aiming where you want to hit it.
While you can't replicate this alignment drill on the course, be sure to focus on your aim as it is a fundamental aspect of the golf swing
5. Commit Fully
Finally, the danger can be that you become too ‘steery’ when your focus is on hitting the fairway, as everything gets a bit tight and anxious and the swing can easily become too short both back and through. What you actually want is a syrupy, full-to-full swing, so once you’ve taken all the above steps, commit fully and swing with confidence.
Who Is The Most Accurate Driver Of All Time?
According to Data Golf, using their all-time filter to rank players from across the decades in order of their driving accuracy, the number one position is currently held by Fred Funk.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner currently outranks the likes of Jim Furyk (second), Chez Reavie (third) and current World No.4 Collin Morikawa (fourth) on a list boasting seven Americans in the top-10 rankings. While Funk wasn't the longest off the tee, he certainly made up for it with his ability to find fairways and keep his ball in-play.
