worked with a launch monitor today

[needham]

I hit balls with a VECTOR PRO lauch monitor today and I have questions

here are base line numbers......

clubhead speed...110mph +/- 2mph
ballspeed...........158 +/- 3mph
avg spin 3600 rpm
avg launch angle......11.6 degree
attack angle avg.... down 2.5 deg
path avg........3 deg out to in
carry 272yd +/- 5 yards
total distance 282yrd +/- 5 yards

Driver ....Cobra speed 460, 9 deg loft, stock NV stiff 55g shaft



ok........here is what I want to know.......

1.how bad is the 3 deg out to in. This is really suprising to me, I REALLY thought I was coming from the inside.

2. best way to get my spin rate down
3. will a lower spin rate REALLY get me the extra 15 yards of carry?
4. how to make my self "swing up" instead of down ?
5. if I down swing up insteead of down will I really gain that much yardage?


thanks guys

 

[needham]

wow I really thought with the tech heads and knowledge here that this thread would provide good discussion..................

 

[Richie3Jack]

Gotta say, I'm skeptical of this launch monitor.

My clubhead speed is at 110 mph, and I've had it measured on Trackman. My smash factor with a driver was usually in the 1.51 to 1.53 range. I cannot specifically remember the ball speed, but if you do the math, that ball speed comes out to about 166 to 168 mph. I just bought a new driver, optimized the spin rate and the launch angle. I also hit about 2 degrees up with the driver.

And there's no way in the world my carry is 272 yards.

It's probably 260 yards, tops.



3JACK

 

[needham]

Gotta say, I'm skeptical of this launch monitor.



3JACK

the numbers seems close to right to me. I played the day before, after a week of working on some things. Sat. I had my BEST tee ball day in years, matching quite closely to what the monitor told me sunday. In fact I seemed to be sometimes shorter on the monitor.

Then Again I do not know how the numbers work out, hence the reason I am asking now. But the numbers SUN on the monitor seems inline with what happened on the course SAT, only difference is I could not tee it as high at the monitor session.

thanks for any and all info

 

[Richie3Jack]

1.how bad is the 3 deg out to in. This is really suprising to me, I REALLY thought I was coming from the inside.[/QUOTE]

Not sure, have to ask the guys who use and own Trackman a bit. I think it's at least pushing the limit a bit.

2. best way to get my spin rate down

Driver, type of ball. Hitting up on the ball instead of down on the ball.

3. will a lower spin rate REALLY get me the extra 15 yards of carry?

Dunno about 15 yards, but lower spin rates will help you hit the ball further if your launch angles are higher as well. Basically you don't want the spin because that will cause the ball to 'balloon' instead of just take off like a cannon.

4. how to make my self "swing up" instead of down ?

Move the ball up more in your stance, tee it up a tad higher. Same golf swing.

5. if I down swing up insteead of down will I really gain that much yardage?

Provided everything else is equal, yes.

In order to hit the ball long off the tee, you need to hit it high. I tend to laugh when I talk to somebody who just watched a pro tournament and they are shocked at how high some of the long players like Holmes, Couples, Bubba, etc hit it. Or go watch a long drive competition in person, those guys are not hitting low bullets out there.

JB Holmes and Tiger Woods have the same swing speed. But anybody will tell you that Holmes hits it much further than Woods. Why? Because Tiger hits down on the ball 3 degrees whereas Holmes hits 3 degrees upward.

When I play I tend to have a standard ball position with my driver. But if I'm on say a 460 yard par 4 that is pretty wide open (and there's no wind blowing) I'll move the ball further up in my stance, tee it a little higher and take the same swing. If I'm on a 360 yard par 4 that is pretty tight, I *might* move the ball very slightly back to get the ball lower but to help out with accuracy.




3JACK


thanks guys

 

[Richie3Jack]

the numbers seems close to right to me. I played the day before, after a week of working on some things. Sat. I had my BEST tee ball day in years, matching quite closely to what the monitor told me sunday. In fact I seemed to be sometimes shorter on the monitor.

Then Again I do not know how the numbers work out, hence the reason I am asking now. But the numbers SUN on the monitor seems inline with what happened on the course SAT, only difference is I could not tee it as high at the monitor session.

thanks for any and all info

You may be hitting the ball very well, but I'm skeptical of those numbers because I have the same swing speed with Trackman a much outbetter smash factor (yours is at 1.43 vs. mine at 1.51 -1.53). I also hit up with the driver while you're hitting down and have a lower spin rate (can't remember what it is, but it's in the 2,000's). Absolutely no way I can carry a driver 272 yards except for once in a blue moon. I'm carrying it about 260 yards at best and probably more like 255 yards on average.

That's why I'm skeptical. If I'm skeptical on that carry number, then I'm skeptical on the rest of the numbers.




3JACK

 

[ggsjpc]

According to trackman, assuming the same contact on the face with the same club and swing, angle of attack does not effect spin rate. To reduce spin, it will be shaft, release style and loft. The reason hitting up on the ball can reduce spin is because it allows a player to use a less lofted driver to get the same height. The less loft is reducing the spin.

 

[needham]

According to trackman, assuming the same contact on the face with the same club and swing, angle of attack does not effect spin rate. .

I find that very interesting.

 

[ggsjpc]

I find that very interesting.

You can read it in one of their newsletter located at www.trackmangolf.com

 

[fronesis]

The reason hitting up on the ball can reduce spin is because it allows a player to use a less lofted driver to get the same height. The less loft is reducing the spin.

Yes, I get this - totally makes sense. If I can get a 14 degree launch angle by swinging up on an 8 degree driver, I will hit the ball further than if I get a 14 degree launch angle by swinging down on a 12 degree driver.

Same launch angle + less spin = more distance.

According to trackman, assuming the same contact on the face with the same club and swing, angle of attack does not effect spin rate.

This is a HUGE debunking of traditional golf wisdom!!!

I didn't believe this at first, so I went and looked up the Trackman newsletter - January 08. They state unequivocally that hitting down on the ball will NOT increase spin. The loft of the club plus where you hit it on the face plus shaft is what determines spin.

This leads to a big question: how DO you hit the ball with more spin? Is it even possible to increase spin through technique or does clubhead speed, plus club selection plus, plus shaft and ball determine all?

 

[jguidroz]

avg spin 3600 rpm
avg launch angle......11.6 degree
attack angle avg.... down 2.5 deg
Driver ....Cobra speed 460, 9 deg loft, stock NV stiff 55g shaft

You're definitely not playing a 9 degree driver. May have 9* on the bottom, but it's not an actual 9* of loft.

 

[Kevin Shields]

Experiment with shafts like everyone said to reduce spin and id also be very skeptical of the carry yardage on that Vector.

 

[needham]

You're definitely not playing a 9 degree driver. May have 9* on the bottom, but it's not an actual 9* of loft.

you think it is lower loft or higher loft ?

 

[mb6606]

A heavier and or stiffer shaft will reduce spin all things being equal.

 

[needham]

yeah mb your right, but when I swing a X its low short right, and heavier shaft I cant feel as well.......I need a stiffer tip more than anything I THINK

 

[tfro]

Gotta say, I'm skeptical of this launch monitor.

My clubhead speed is at 110 mph, and I've had it measured on Trackman. My smash factor with a driver was usually in the 1.51 to 1.53 range. I cannot specifically remember the ball speed, but if you do the math, that ball speed comes out to about 166 to 168 mph. I just bought a new driver, optimized the spin rate and the launch angle. I also hit about 2 degrees up with the driver.

And there's no way in the world my carry is 272 yards.

It's probably 260 yards, tops.



3JACK

You really think a 168mph ball speed will only get you 260 yards carry?

TrajectoWare suggests +280 carry for 168mph ball speed.

 

[mb6606]

yeah mb your right, but when I swing a X its low short right, and heavier shaft I cant feel as well.......I need a stiffer tip more than anything I THINK

The high spin may be due to a cut or fade? Although the launch might be higher than 11.
Try a heavier shaft in stiff flex. 69-73 grams or lighter shaft 63-65G in X stiff.

 

[jguidroz]

Higher loft

you think it is lower loft or higher loft ?

It's a higher loft. You're hitting down on the ball at 2.5* and launching the ball 2.5* above the stated loft.

 

[Richie3Jack]

You really think a 168mph ball speed will only get you 260 yards carry?

TrajectoWare suggests +280 carry for 168mph ball speed.

Then the course yardages must be messed up on just about every course I play. Today it rained and my carry averages were all in about the 250-260 range. Smoked a drive on #7, a 420 yard par 4, and you guessed it...had 160 yards to the green (no roll).




3JACK