Side Total

Side Total is the distance, measured at right angles, from the target line to the ball's calculated resting position, measured in feet, yards or meters.

For a right-handed golfer, a positive value or an R means the ball finished right of the target line and a negative value or an L means it finished left. It answers where the ball ended up, while Side answers where it landed.

There is no tour average, because Side Total depends on the target and the shot shape. What matters is the difference between Side and Side Total. For a straight shot it is usually small. For a curving drive the ball often moves several more yards sideways after landing, and a big hook or slice can add 10 yards or more. Steep wedge shots usually finish very close to their Side value.

Everything that changes Side changes Side Total: start line, curve and distance. On top of that, a ball that is curving when it lands tends to keep going in that direction, so draws kick left and fades kick right for a right-handed golfer.

Flatter landings, faster landing speed and more roll add sideways movement after landing. Steep landings with plenty of backspin stop quickly and keep Side Total close to Side. Firmer turf adds roll and therefore extra sideways run.

Side Total decides whether your ball finishes in the fairway, the rough or a hazard. It is the number that matters most for tee shots on tight holes, because a drive that lands on the edge of the fairway with curve can still roll into trouble.

Compare Side and Side Total on your driver and fairway woods. If the gap is often large, your shot shape is adding more sideways run than you thought. Aim so the finish, not just the landing, stays in play, or work toward a gentler curve.

Bay drill: on a simulated narrow fairway, hit ten drives and record Side and Side Total for each. Count how many landed in the fairway versus how many finished there. If you lose several between landing and finishing, practice a lower-curve version of your stock shape and recheck the count.