Yes, you definitely need to use a launch monitor—ideally with high-speed video. Dig in and find out why.

Long Answer

Beginning with the use of doppler radar to measure projectiles, the application of this technology to the game of golf was a natural conclusion. In the early 2000s, this project was realized by companies like FlightScope and Trackman, who released their own, unique approaches to measuring ball and club trajectory.

Trackman units are considered the gold standard. Their accuracy and capabilities far outperform any competitor’s technology. Much like the mobile phone, this technology has been shrunken down over the last few years; and it is now more accessible than ever.

My name is Jay Graham: a.k.a., The Golf Warrior. I am a PGA professional with over 30 years of teaching experience. So believe me when I say that without a launch monitor, it would be impossible for me to properly teach golf. I now operate a golf performance studio in Chandler, Arizona where I use two Trackman systems. These units can also be relocated outside on cooler days as well—amazing portability for a professional tool.

What Is Doppler Radar?

Doppler radar technology refers to the Doppler effect—the phenomenon that produces sounds like these, where the pitch of a car horn is distorted as it approaches and speeds past the observer. In short, the sound waves emitted from the horn catch up to themselves as the car advances forward, consequently shifting their pitch. This process can also be used to measure the position of objects in motion. In our case, the launch monitor uses two sets of microwaves to analyze both the golf club and the ball separately.

A Bunch of Data

The data gathered from these measurements are then used to calculate the precise flight of the ball. The system picks up on spin, launch angle, angle of attack, clubhead speed, ball speed, and many more factors relating to the precise moment of impact. This data is then mapped onto golf courses that the user can play like a video game.

It is similar to hooking up a car to the mechanic’s computer and running a diagnostic via the sensors. You can pick apart all the parts of your swing and really look “under the hood” of your golf game.

With the Trackman, you may see 60+ numbers relating to how your golf swing expressed itself onto the ball. As you’ll see below with the PGA Tour averages, there is an ideal range for each statistic to be in. It may seem a bit overwhelming when you see a lot of numbers that seem off. For example, our face angle should be between 2.1 and -2.1 at this stage in your game, but you might be hitting it at -10 and going way left because of that. Now, with all this data, you have an explanation for what just happened by bringing physics into your golf game.

Physics + Video = Perfect Swing!

As these numbers go on improving, and then your shot gets closer and closer to what golfers call ‘hitting it pure’, you realize why golf is the greatest sport on earth. Couple launch monitor data with high-speed video (like what your smartphone can easily film, or better yet, with a specialized system), and the result can be game-changing.

In my studio, we have one camera ‘Down the Line’ (golfer stands perpendicular to us as we look down the fairway) and the other ‘Front View’ (standing in front of the golfer). Each is recording several hundred frames of video per second, and the lighting is perfectly calibrated to expose every detail of our swing as we articulate ourselves through the golf club into the ball. If you are recording this at home, it may be best to be outside and record several shots from both views. So many of my students feel and look good from one perspective until they realize they’ve completely compromised their posture in the other view.

Launch Monitor, Data, Now What?

We use the video in coordination with the data we’ve collected to make our swing look more and more like the textbook example. If we can make the data and the video look as good as the demonstration, we are guaranteed to have a consistent game that we can easily control. The entire process is so much simpler as you have live feedback from the launch monitor at the driving range or simulator.

What About the Pros?

As usual, the professionals lead the front in adopting new tricks and technologies to improve their game. Every tour player is intimately familiar with a launch monitor. Not only is a pro looking at the present—the swing they have just performed—but they can compare their data points over time as well.

The paths of the balls they have recorded are like ghosts of their golf past. They can see their improvement by analyzing their most explosive movements and breaking it down into manageable chunks. A launch monitor becomes a logbook that is uncompromisingly honest, even if it can sometimes sting, or a digital caddy that is never tired of telling you how it is!

Amateur Accessibility

Until recently, there were few options for the average golfer to own this type of machine. There are now several units retailing for under $600.

Bushnell, Garmin, Skytrak, and Foresight Sports are often listed among the best launch monitors for consumers. These portable launch monitors have great battery life and can be taken anywhere to record data parameters on your swing.

I think the Garmin Approach R10 and the Flightscope Mevo are the best launch monitors in their price range. They are very reliable, easy to use, and make the driving-range experience a lot more fun. Plus, the Garmin golf app is packed with so much capability, such as shot data, leaderboards, and of course all the GPS data you could need when you are on a course. Find out more about them through the links above or talk to your Golf Expert.

PGA Tour Averages on the Trackman

One thing many of my competitive students gravitate to is the PGA Tour average data. The Trackman data below gives you an excellent way marker for what you should be trying to achieve with a launch monitor. On a Trackman system, you can push yourself even further, as they provide models of players via video camera and launch monitor data. Generally, this chart is good enough to start one’s launch monitor journey. How do you compare?

Trackman Terminology

Club speed indicates how quickly the head is moving at impact with the ball, whereas ball speed is the velocity of the ball once the club has made impact. The attack angle describes the vertical angle at which the club head is moving at impact, and a negative number indicates the back of the club face sitting below 0 degrees.

Spin rate equates to the number of revolutions per minute this ball is rotating. The high spin rate produced by a wedge is what causes the ball to stop or roll backward. Smash factor is the ratio between the club and ball speed—think of it as a rating of power transfer.

The launch angle is the measurement of the initial angle of descent after impact or the steepness of the parabolic flight. Max height is the apex height of the parabola. Land angle describes the angle at which the ball falls to the ground.

Total distance is neglected in this graph but is yet a standard feature in every model. And we do see the carry distance, which is how far the ball travels whilst flying. 40+ more data points are crunched in the Trackman practice mode as well.

Remember, these are professional athletes in the prime of their careers who have been practicing golf for the majority of their lives. Though I believe that with consistent practice everybody can play consistent, fun golf.

What Kind of Data Should I Look at?

Smash Factor

SFA. Smash Factor Always! It is the golf equivalent of asking somebody what their bench press is.

A smash factor is the ratio of the ball speed to the clubhead speed. We are hoping to see a positive number larger than one, as the ball should be launched with an acceleration faster than that of the club that struck it.

Usually, any number over 1.3 is great—as this signifies there is a decent energy transfer from the swing to the ball. With a driver, you can easily bring that number even higher. Some powerful players achieve a smash factor of 1.5.

Face Angle

Another useful measurement is face angle. This measures the angle at which the clubface connects with the ball. It can be open, closed, or neutral. Open is indicated by a positive number, which signifies the ball will fly to the right. As opposed, the closed position is indicated by a negative number that indicates a left flight. Neutral signifies a straight flight.

Club Path

The club path is the curve the club obtains as it shifts from the backswing to the finish. This measurement signifies two possibilities: out-to-in and in-to-out. In-to-out is a positive number that signifies the shot is a draw approaching the right of the target line. Out-to-in is a negative number and signifies a slice or fade.

The combination of high-speed video and the launch-monitor data can really help a golfer shine. For instance, it is easy to think we are swinging closed because of the angle displayed in the video. But when we view data measured by the launch monitor, it can prove that on impact we are actually shifting the club instead.

A Word on the Flow State

One of my favorite theories in psychology is the idea of a flow state. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi popularized this idea in the 1990s: when you are receiving constant feedback as you are performing a task on the precipice of your ability—where you are right at the edge between the difficulty of the challenge and your skill to complete it—you will feel the flow state. Achieving this state is also entirely possible when practicing with a launch monitor.

Perhaps it should be written in large letters as a warning: this is potentially one of the most addictive activities in golf.

Some may even say in the world of hobbies. I have had numerous friends and clients tell me they’re unable to stop themselves from practicing on their launch monitors as they become consumed with chasing the perfect swing. Even some tour players have said that it became too much to handle. You have been warned!

Chasing Perfection vs. Playing What You Have

We have to accept the idea of the launch monitor opening up our game in a way that might render it out of service as we repair it. If you ask my family, they will tell you about all the different swings I had been working on over the decades. Always in the lab, deconstructing and remodeling the movement. These swings would not always be what I would play with when the stakes were high enough, I’d look in my swing arsenal and pick out the ole faithful.

A great way to waste time is to do too many things at once. “A man that chases two rabbits catches none” is a famous proverb for a reason. I like to see my students work on one thing at a time and work out any kinks as they improve. Just know that over time you will develop an arsenal of swings that you can develop as deeply as you’d like to great effect.

I look forward to every launch-monitor session I host—for both myself and my clients—even after decades of seeing mounds of data. The reality that our technology has advanced so far to be able to project microwaves onto golf clubs that are flying at the speed of a fast car and can then measure what occurred in a fraction of a second simply excites me! But, maybe I’m just old-school that way! For more on improving your game with a launch monitor or to invest in one of your own, talk to your Golf Expert here on Curated.