CLUB-FITTING Fitting data explained SPECIAL Club speed This is how fast the clubhead is travelling at 1impact in miles per hour. It will be highest with the driver and gradually decrease as UNDERSTANDING you move through the set and the clubs get shorter. Faster is obviously better and many coaches see club speed as a good indicator of a golfer’s WHY BALL SPEED THE NUMBERS potential. PGA Tour averages are IS KING FOR 113mph with driver, 90mph with a 7- and 83mph with a DISTANCE The key launch monitor data explained ; 90mph with driver is a club golfer’s average. We look at nine pieces If you can interpret and follow the information pumped out by launch of launch monitor data in a fitting but the three monitors such as Trackman and GC2, you will be able to have a more Ball speed key numbers to pay meaningful conversation with your fitting professional. This is how fast the attention to are ball ball launches off the speed, launch angle clubface in miles per average is -1.3° but the best Carry distance and spin rate 2 (highlighted in red hour. It’s a product of your swing drivers hit up by around 4°. You The distance in yards speed and the efficiency of your want to hit down for all other the ball travels through opposite). In other strike. Faster is better and clubs with increasing steepness the air before it lands. words, you want to TOTAL ATTACK ANG. CARRY 7 know how fast the ball longer, and it will decrease as as the loft increases. The PGA Longer is usually better, but that you move down the set from Tour average is -4.3° with a has to be in conjunction with a leaves the face, how driver to . The 7-iron and -5.0° with a pitching height and landing angle that high it flies and how average on the PGA Tour is wedge. enables you to stop the ball on a much backspin has 167mph with driver, 120mph with green if it’s an approach club. been imparted. a 7-iron and 102mph with a Although a more useful number Ideally, you want an pitching wedge. That typical Launch angle than total distance in a fitting, increase in ball speed 90mph driver speed for a club This is the angle the you must be mindful of the total. to improve distance, 266.2 3.4 224.8 not just a manipulation player will produce a ball speed ball launches off the of about 140mph. clubface in degrees of the spin and launch 5 characteristics. 252.3 yds +12.2 3.0 deg +1.3 219.8 yds +12.8 from horizontal. Higher is Total distance generally better, but you have to This is the distance the Recently, several Smash factor strike the right balance with your ball will travel in total manufacturers have This shows how ball speed and spin to produce before it comes to rest ‘strengthened’ lofts on 8 irons to the point where efficiently you transfer the optimal flight. in yards. You have to be mindful LAUNCH ANG. SPIN RATE BALL SPEED energy from the club of whether your fitter is talking the spin rate decreases 3 while the launch angle to the ball. It’s calculated by about carry or total distance as dividing ball speed by club Spin rate they don’t always go hand in increases. While this speed. A smash factor of 1.50 is This is the amount of hand. A ball releases more after can lead to distance regarded as optimal, but the spin on the ball in it lands if it has a lower flight, gains, you have to be design of modern drivers means revolutions per less spin and a shallower landing careful because the 6 combination of lower you can see higher numbers. minute. The more spin there is, angle so it could have a shorter The higher the number, the the faster it will lose speed and carry and more total distance. spin and a higher 13.7 1115 142.4 better you are hitting the ball. the more it will climb during its The key is to find the right mix launch with irons can The PGA Tour average with a flight. Many modern clubs are for you with each club. cause distance control driver is 1.48, 1.33 with a 7-iron hitting the ball further by issues. It might not also 11.4 deg +2.1 2182 rpm +836 142.2 mph +2.3 and 1.23 with a wedge. You may reducing spin. But you need a suit a player who see higher numbers if you’re combination of spin, ball speed Dynamic loft prefers to see a lower being fitted into game-improver and launch angle to keep the The actual loft on the ball flight. Remember, and distance-oriented irons. ball in the air, so players with clubface at impact in you need a certain more club speed and a higher degrees from vertical. amount of spin to SMASH FAC. CLUB SPEED SPIN LOFT 9 control and stop the launch angle can get away with lean, attack angle and club Attack angle less spin and hit the ball further. path influence this. Dynamic loft ball on the green. This is the angle the The average on the PGA Tour is influences launch angle, ball Ball speed is king. If clubhead is travelling 2,686rpm with driver, 7,097rpm speed and spin. There isn’t a it increases, the ball will at impact in relation to with a 7-iron and 9,304rpm with right and wrong here as it all go further. The tell-tale 4 sign is if, say, your the horizontal ground at zero. A a pitching wedge. Between depends on what works with positive number means you’re 2,000-3,000rpm is generally a how you deliver the clubhead current iron delivers a hitting up on the ball and a good number with the driver and the club’s technology. ball speed of 150mph 1.48 96.2 11.5 and a new iron delivers negative number means you’re and irons should be 1,000 times Generally, dynamic loft of the hitting down on the ball. The the club (so 8,000rpm with an driver should be more than its the same speed but 10 1.47 +0.02 96.9 mph +1.4 10.9 deg + 2.4 further you are from zero, the 8-iron), but don’t be surprised to stated loft because you hit up on extra total yards, steeper you are hitting up or see 1,000rpm less than this as the ball and all other clubs will you’ve simply launched down. You want to hit up with modern irons get higher- decrease in loft at impact it higher with less spin. modern drivers – the PGA Tour launching and lower-spinning. because you’re hitting down.

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