🎯 Proximity to the Hole: How Close Should You Be from Different Yardages?

Want to shoot lower scores fast? Start by mastering distance control and improving your proximity to the hole on approach shots. In today’s newsletter, we’ll break down how close you should be hitting the ball from various distances based on your handicap—and what separates good from great.

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📏 Why Proximity to the Hole Matters

The closer your ball finishes to the hole, the easier your putt. It’s that simple.

Tour pros average just under 20 feet from 100 yards. The best amateurs? Around 30–40 feet. If you’re consistently outside 50 feet from these distances, you’re making scoring unnecessarily difficult.

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⛳ Proximity Benchmarks by Handicap and Yardage

Use these numbers to set realistic, improvement-focused goals:

Under 100 Yards

• ✅ Good: Inside 35 feet

• ⭐ Excellent: Inside 25 feet

• Scratch: ~20–25 feet

• 10 Handicap: ~30–35 feet

• 20+ Handicap: ~40–50+ feet

100–150 Yards

• ✅ Good: Inside 45 feet

• ⭐ Excellent: Inside 30 feet

• Scratch: ~35–40 feet

• 10 Handicap: ~55–60 feet

• 20+ Handicap: ~75–85 feet

150–200 Yards

• ✅ Good: Inside 60 feet

• ⭐ Excellent: Inside 40 feet

• Scratch: ~45–50 feet

• 10 Handicap: ~65–70 feet

• 20+ Handicap: ~85–95 feet

200+ Yards

• ✅ Good: Inside 75 feet

• ⭐ Excellent: Inside 50 feet

• Scratch: ~55–60 feet

• 10 Handicap: ~75–80 feet

• 20+ Handicap: ~95–105 feet

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🎓 Pro Tip: Master Your Distance Control with This Drill

Ladder Drill – The Ultimate Feel Builder

1. Grab 3 clubs (wedge, 9-iron, 7-iron).

2. Pick 5 targets at increasing distances (40, 60, 80, 100, 120 yards).

3. Hit one ball to each target using different clubs and focus only on feel, not mechanics.

4. Your goal: Land within 10% of the total distance (e.g., within 6 feet on a 60-yard shot).

5. Repeat and track your success rate.

This builds touch, trajectory control, and the ability to dial in your proximity from any distance.

Bullseye Drill – Build Consistent Proximity Under Pressure

This drill is designed to sharpen your accuracy and distance control inside 120 yards—exactly where strokes are gained or lost.

🛠 How to Do It:

1. Set up a target (like a towel or alignment stick) at a specific distance: start with 60 yards.

2. Place a 10-foot ring (or use tees to mark a circle) around the target—this is your bullseye.

3. Hit 10 balls and track how many finish inside the ring.

4. Change distances every 10 balls: 60, 80, 100, 120 yards.

5. Try to beat your previous score each round.

🎯 Goal:

• Good: 4–5 balls inside the ring

• Great: 6–8 balls

• Elite: 9–10 balls

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💡Final Thoughts

Great golfers don’t always hit it straight—but they do hit it the right distance. Improving your proximity to the hole by even 5–10 feet can shave multiple shots off your scorecard.

Start tracking your proximity and set targets that match your current skill level. Want help building a stat-tracking system that works? Keep an eye out for our upcoming practice tracking tools designed to help you get better faster.