Dispersion and Target Drills

Your shots land all over the screen, and you can't tell if that's bad luck or a habit. That's a dispersion problem. Dispersion just means how spread out your shots are. A simulator draws the pattern for you, so you can work on it without guessing.

What dispersion means

In statistics, dispersion is the spread of a set of results. When the variance of a data set is large, the data is widely scattered¹. When it's small, the data is clustered¹. Golf shots work the same way. A tight cluster of landing spots means low dispersion. A wide spray means high dispersion.

Two separate things matter. Where is the middle of the cluster? And how wide is it? A cluster that's wide but centred is a different problem from a tight cluster that sits left of the target.

Check the setup before blaming the swing

If every shot starts left of the target, look at the monitor first. Garmin's manual says to adjust the launch monitor so its red alignment line is aligned with the tee location and the target². Check yours the same way, using your own manual. A monitor nudged a little can make a clean swing look off-line.

Also check the net and ceiling. The net or screen has to be high enough and wide enough for errant shots². Swing a club slowly before you start, keep people out of the hitting area, and never aim at a bare wall or window.

Name your miss

Names help you track what happens. A few from the golf glossary:

• A push unintentionally travels on the side opposite the one you swing from³.
• A pull unintentionally travels on the same side you swing from³.
• A hook curves sharply right to left for a right-handed golfer³.

Many simulators report numbers such as club path and carry distance, depending on the system⁴. Use them. If your path number and your miss agree session after session, you've found a pattern. If they don't, you may be seeing noise.

Drill one: the target group

Pick one club and one target. Hit a group of shots. After each, note where it ended up relative to the target: left, right, short or long. Look at the whole group, not the last shot.

Ask two questions. Is the group centred on the target? How wide is it? Now change one thing, such as ball position or tempo, and hit another group. Compare. One change at a time, or you won't know which one helped.

Drill two: shrink the target

Start with a big target, such as the wide part of the fairway on screen. When most shots finish inside it, move to a smaller one. Don't make it smaller until you're hitting it more often than not. The aim is a steady squeeze, not a wall of failure.

Drill three: the shape check

Choose a miss you actually have, say a push. Try to hit a few that miss the other way, a pull. You aren't trying to fix anything yet. You're finding out whether you can steer the ball at all. If you can steer it either way on purpose, narrowing the pattern gets easier.

Drill four: pressure shots

Give each shot a stake. Three shots to land one inside the target, with a rule, such as starting over if you miss. It adds a little nerves to a quiet room. Pair it with a group game if you've got company.

If the pattern won't tighten

Go back to basics. Is your club the right one for the target? Did you loosen up first? Are you tired? Stop when strikes get worse. Sloppy shots don't tell you much.