There are two varieties of golfers: these chasing extra distance and people craving extra accuracy. Aaron Rai is firmly within the second camp.
On the time of writing, he’s hit 653 of 890 fairways this season, good for a 73.37 % driving accuracy charge. For comparability? The least correct driver on the PGA Tour (Frankie Capan) finds the green simply 42 % of the time.
What makes Rai’s driving stats so attention-grabbing isn’t simply how correct he’s, it’s what he’s utilizing to do it.
Aaron Rai’s driver setup: Not what you’d anticipate
Aaron Rai continues to be gaming a 2019 TaylorMade M6 driver with a Mitsubishi Diamana BB 73 TX shaft.
For context, the M6 gained “Finest for Distance” in MyGolfSpy’s 2019 Most Wanted Driver Test. It didn’t end prime of the charts for forgiveness however its mix of velocity and consistency works for Rai.
What’s much more telling is that Rai shouldn’t be afraid to exchange and improve tools. He performs the trendy Qi10 fairway woods. He’s testing what’s on the market however has had no motive to vary to one thing aside from the M6.
Longest versus most correct: How their seasons evaluate
The subsequent apparent query that involves thoughts is how vital it’s to hit fairways on the PGA Tour. We took the longest driver on Tour, Aldrich Potgieter, and in contrast him to Aaron Rai to see what their seasons seem like.
Clearly, there’s much more to it than distance versus accuracy off the tee however it’s nonetheless attention-grabbing to have a look.
Aaron Rai (Most Correct)
- Driving Accuracy: 73.37%
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee: 0.390 (twenty second)
- Membership Head Pace: 113.38 mph (145th)
- Common Driving Distance: 284.5 yards (162nd)
- Official Cash: $2,771,710 (fiftieth)
- High-10 Finishes: 1
- Wins: 0
Aldrich Potgieter (Longest)
- Driving Distance: 327.6 yards (1st)
- Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee: 0.686 (2nd)
- Membership Head Pace: 125.77 mph (2nd)
- Driving Accuracy: 55.21% (137th)
- Official Cash: $2,950,266 (forty seventh)
- High-10 Finishes: 3
- Wins: 1
So what can we be taught?
Regardless of Rai’s elite accuracy, Potgieter’s energy recreation has translated right into a stronger season general. He had extra top-10s, extra prize cash and a Tour win. That’s to not say Rai’s technique doesn’t work (his consistency off the tee continues to be among the many finest on this planet) however it does spotlight a fact most mavens know properly: hitting fairways is efficacious however distance wins extra usually.
Have a look at Rory McIlroy, the second-longest driver on Tour. He ranks 171st, 5 from the underside, for accuracy.
Closing ideas
Aaron Rai may be one of many few gamers on Tour nonetheless gaming a six-year-old driver however there’s a great motive: it performs for him.
If a membership provides you confidence and control, it doesn’t have to be the latest mannequin. Nonetheless, it in all probability is sensible to check it and see what the variations in stats would seem like. It’s one thing that Aaron Rai has possible completed each season.
The submit He’s The Most Accurate Driver On The PGA Tour—But He’s Not Using The Club You’d Expect appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
