A method for operating a controller for a plurality of direct access storage devices to minimize rotational misses during data transfer operations. Transferred data is staged into a controller cache when a rotational position sensing miss avoidance reconnection is made. Circumstances are detailed for qualifying an operation pending on direct access storage devices for treatment as miss avoidance candidates. Adjustment of controller response depending upon foreknowledge that a channel command word chain includes a write operation is also accomplished utilizing the present method.