Because of their higher ball speed, pga tour players average launch angle is just over 11 degrees. Shot direction is primarily determined by a combination of face angle, club path and impact location the ball launches primarily in the direction of the club. Below is an image of a driver approaching the ball with a descending angle. For example trackman measures the center of mass of the club while.
For the test, we used a foresight sports gc2 launch monitor that measured swing speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate and distance. According to trackman, the average pga tour player has a vertical launch angle of 11. The loft of the golf club itself is the single biggest factor, of course. Optimized launch data driver optimal launch condition table club speed ball speed optimum launch angle range optimum spin range typical carry distance range typical total distance range. As you can see, the club speed for the average pga tour pro is 1 mph with driver. If you know your club speed, you can determine what loft driver optimizes distance for your swing. Increasing smash factor this is how fast the ball comes off the face relative to the club speed. If your angle of attack is off, you are losing distance on all shots. Many golf professionals are able to generate high club speeds through their form and method of striking the ball. If it is between 105 and 115 mph, a loft between 7 and 9 degrees should be considered. Tweaking the numbers isnt always easy, and you might prefer just to swing faster.
I have a relatively high swing speed 100 mph103 mph driver, 87 mph 90 mph 6 iron, measured by my course pro shop but i am averaging very short distances e. Club head speed plays a big role in optimizing your driver for distance and performance. To acheive maximum distance, one needs the combination of maximum ball speed and optiumum launch angle for that speed. The best 2019 driver and shaft combinations true fit clubs. Set up slightly shut if the club head is shutting through impact higher speed players can set up. But the same club can produce very different launch angles in the hands of different golfers based on the other factors.
For these average male golfers, trackman statistics report the average club head speed at this 1415handicap level is about 93. Choose a loft to try based on your assessed clubhead speed. A positive attack angle increases launch angle and reduces spin for a given cluhead speed thus creating more carry and roll. Club speed ball speed launch angle carry yds total yds. The chart ranges from swing speeds of 65 mph to 105 mph and assumes no. How to determine which loft you should get on your driver. The average distance you can expect when using a 10. Whereas at a head speed of 120 mph ball speed is approximately 177 mph a launch angle of. If golf were a simple game, we would be able to provide you with the ideal launch angle for your driver and you could head off to the range to work on finding it. You can have all the clubhead speed in the world, but if your ball speed isnt in proportion with your club head speed, you are wasting energy and losing distance. Unless your swing speed is 120 miles per hour, you should be striving for a degree launch angle or higher.
It shows how increases in clubhead speed, when combined with the ideal launch angle and. The greater the loft of the club, however, the less will be. Speaking of the driver, aumock said, just changing a few degrees of negative angle of attack to a few degrees of. The lightweight components of the club including the head, shaft and grip result in a total club weight of just 272g, making the launch pad driver one of the lightest on the market. Arent golfers with slower swing speeds supposed to use drivers with more loft. Club speed, attack angle, ball speed, smash factor, launch angle, spin rate. In general, the slower the swing or club speed, the higher. Club head speed calculator golf talk the sand trap. Golf club head speed is the biggest determinant of how far a golf ball will travel.
What we track trackman golf the best launch monitor. Drivers made for pros are finely tuned to produce the ideal launch angle and spin rate based on how fast that particular player swings. I think everybody thinks that there is one optimal. This calculator has been updated to include carry distances and total distances for drivers of different lofts and different club speeds. The heads cant get bigger, and the faces cant get springier. Golfers with club head speeds below 85 mph should use a loft angle between 14 and 20 degrees. Ball speed mph attack angle deg dynamic loft deg spin rate rpm launch angle deg carry yards club speed mph total yards driver. A driver will provide the maximum springlike effect but otherwise it doesnt matter what club you are using. Club speed ball speed launch angle carry yds total yds 65 mph 96 mph 16. A positive attack angle increases launch angle and reduces spin for a. A combination of increased club head speed and how solid you hit the ball on the center of percussion, a.
That makes the average male amateur driving efficiency to be 2. When you realize that you dont need 120 mph of clubhead speed to hit the ball 300 yards, you begin to realize how important it is to optimize your swing, setup. Do you know your spin rate and the exact loft not whats stamped on it. My clubhead speed and distances are about the same as lpga averages. Optimize your launch angle by getting tested on a launch monitor golf swing speed distance calculator. Any lower, and the ball wont stay in the air long enough to maximize total distance. Club head speed and distance optimization tips craguns. Typically 75 gram shafts but smoother tempos can play lighter weights. Golf driver distance and swing speed relationship adam. What kind of club head speed is needed to achieve a 280 yard drive. Use our fitting wizard to find the right driver shaft for you. Breed has a drill to help increase your clubhead speed and get longer off the tee. With an upward angle of attack, a player creates more dynamic loft at. Below you can see how the optimal launch angle, spin rate and landing.
While accurate angle of attack can only be measured with a high end launch monitor such as trackman, it can be estimated from an observation of driver shot trajectory well enough to allow the chart data to. Consequently, the average male player typically sees a ball speed of 120 to 4 mph, a spin rate of 2,800 to 3,500 rpm and a launch angle of 12 to 16 degrees, according to shengolf. Maximizing driver distance using a trackman or flightscope. Clubhead speed, spin and launch angle all factor in. Launch angle is determined by the clubs loft angle and the angle of attack at impact. Angle of attack is defined as the up or down movement of the club head at the. The other confusing variable here is that different launch monitors and sims measure club head speed differently. The spintilt axis is the axis that the golf ball rotates around to create. If it is between 105 and 115 mph, a loft between 7 and 9 degrees. This is how far pga and lpga tour players hit it with. Using the club speed definition, we would expect the average male amateur to hit their driver as far as the average lpga tour player.
With the advent of launch monitors, players are learning to hit up on the. Counter to what you mightve been told, less loft could. Moving the ball up slightly, off the middle of your left toes, helps you catch it on the upswing and assures maximum club head speed at impact. Choose a loft to try based on your assessed club head speed. This is based on the average club head speed of 85mph. Optimal driver numbers august 24, 2015 andrew rice. Do you know your spin rate and the exact loft not whats stamped on it of your driver. Optimize driver loft for more distance true fit clubs. Female players, on average, swing the club at 65 mph. The ball direction launch angle depends on the loft of the club and the club direction. Cameron champ currently leads the clubhead speed charts this season with a 129.
If your driver head is traveling on a downward trajectory as it approaches the ball, you will launch the ball lower which will rob you of distance. However, the actual difference is more than 20 yards. Understanding your launch angle basics for longer drives. Now that weve improved the launch angle, lets talk about how to get even more distance. Fast swingers if youre in this bracket 105mph club speed or more then you probably dont need as much loft as a slow swinger because your ball speed is sufficient to keep it traveling on. Clubhead speed, spin and launch angle all factor in gaining extra. According to the pga, the average male golfers swing speed is about 85 mph. In an effort to limit a drivers ability to generate ball speed, the u. At 115 mph club head speed, to maximize carry and roll i would try to get you averaging around 12. Along with a players angle of attack, club head speed creates a window of where a player should launch and spin. Desired launch angle, spin rates change based on driver speed. Launch angle deg carry yards club speed mph 75 80 85 90 95 166 178 187 176 187 197 199 211 223 215 228 239 243 244 256 total yards driver fitting chart.
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