Articles

Understanding Launch Angle And Driver Performance

No matter where you look, rather it be a golf magazine, a golf website or one of the many golf catalogs, you will come across an article or some kind of information related to Launch Angle and Driver Performance.  In fact, the latest release of the R7 Taylor Made driver features a system specifically designed to manipulate not only the launch angle, but directional control and distance; Distance being  what most golfers ask for in a driver first and foremost. With this being said, Launch Angle is the key to maximizing distance.

First, it is important to realize that for every swing and loft angle there is an optimal launch angle that will produce maximum distance - the problem is, there are so many variables it is impossible to guarantee the optimal launch angle will occur on every drive for every golfer. It is also important to understand the relationship of club head speed to launch angle and the distance a golf ball will go. It is also important to understand the different types of flight a golf ball can actually achieve.

The key point is that any increase in distance due to launch angle and spin is dependent on clubhead speed. Lower swing speeds benefit from more spin, not less spin, to help to optimize trajectory and flight time for increased distance, due to the lift the spinning ball generates. The technology measuring spin rates and launch angle has been around since the 1960's and is now available to any golfer who seeks it out.
It is important, however, to understand that the High Launch Angle Spin Craze is not for everyone. It does not even apply to most golfers. Yet, we get information that leads us to believe that specific driver heads, based on mechanical testing or computer modeling produce specific launch angle characteristics or have a specific launch angle profile for any golfer. This simply is NOT true.

The FACTS are:

1. Higher launch angle and lower spin rates can produce longer carry distances for those with swing speeds in excess of 85-90 mph. It takes this speed at a minimum, for the ball to achieve aerodynamic flight which is controlled by forces such as lift and drag and gravity. At the higher swing speeds lift and drag actually give the golf ball a "gliding" element. 
2. Swing speeds below 85mph will benefit from a high launch angle and a high spin rate for a simple reason - the more spin, the more lift created, which helps to keep the ball in the air longer and thus carry longer.
3. The loft of the club is only one of the many factors that affect the launch angle and ultimately the total distance a player can hit a driver. Other factors are...tee height, ball type, weather and turf conditions, ball position, face material, face height, vertical roll on the clubhead face, ball contact point on the face, and the location of the center of gravity on the face of the clubhead.

Remember most data and test results are obtained using robotics with optimal consistency. Something the majority of golfers are not going to achieve. Therefore, data based solely on results from robotic testing do not indicate what will happen in the "real world."

Launch Monitors are useful tools for evaluating real golfers on any given shot to determine if the conditions and spin rate are within the parameters needed to optimize distance. However, fitting of loft, club length, shaft weight and flex, observing trajectory, ball flight characteristics, and the understanding of a player's ability and needs will achieve a fit that optimizes distance and direction. Launch monitors are a great addition to the fitting process but are not a be-all, end-all method for determining driver performance.

I hope you have a better understanding what effect launch angle and spin rate have on driver performance. I also hope you now have a better understanding of the benefits and limitations of launch monitor testing in the determination of the correct driver for any given golfer.
Kirby Huestis

Thanks to Britt Lindsey from the GolfWorks  for this article.