How To Use Launch Monitor Data
 What is “club performance fitting”? One might say club fitting has come into the technical age. Some major club companies travel the country with tech vans and fit clubs on site. In recent years a couple of companies have offered fitting services with science vans outfitted with expensive proprietary launch monitors. Armed with an abundance of technical data, these companies offer the ultimate fit matching their clubs with their ball for maximum distance.
Even though launch monitors have been around for several years, their use is now more common. The software has become friendlier to use and the cost and portability of launch monitors have made it practical for golf professionals and club fitters to use them with their club sales programs.
However, the greatest influence that is driving this new fitting method is the popularity of aftermarket golf shafts. Today, many composite shaft makers have a presence on tour giving the pros a smorgasbord to select from. Golfers of all abilities are seeking this same advantage. It has become very fashionable to retrofit popular brand drivers with the hottest composite shafts used on tour.
That brings us to the answer of what “club performance fitting” is all about. In technical terms, “club performance fitting” is defined as “matching club head performance (size, loft, lie & face angle) to shaft performance (length, flex, weight, bend point, & frequency) with a golf ball that produces the highest ball speed launched at the optimum angle with an appropriate spin rate.”
 Are you confused? Actually it is easy to identify the best performance combination of club head, shaft and ball with launch monitor data. What is the launch monitor data and how do you use it? The most important performance data is ball speed, launch angle and spin rate.
Ball speed has the most influence on how far the golf ball will travel. But launch angle and spin rate of the ball must be appropriate to achieve maximum distance. Club head loft has the most influence on launch angle. Typically, for most golfers, the best way to gain distance is to increase the launch angle and reduce spin. Each golfer will have their own ideal numbers, which depends on how fast they swing a given club.
Club head speed has been the benchmark for determining shaft flex and kick point in most fitting systems. Shaft manufacturers grade the flex of their shafts with a swing speed rating. It is thought golfers have a “swing speed” that is fairly consistent, which suggests they will swing all drivers within the same 10 mph range. Launch monitor data has shown that this is not always the case.
Different club specifications will enhance performance including swing speed. Shaft geometry can produce noticeable changes in ball speed, launch angle and spin rates, which produce different distance results.
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In the shot screen illustration of this launch monitor, a Golf Professional hit a ball that traveled 160.8 mph with 3472 rpm’s of spin. It was launched at 9.3 degrees and carried 272.4 yards. To gain more distance he will need to increase the launch angle and reduce the spin rate of the golf ball.
With a second drive he was able to gain 10.5 more yards as illustrated in the trajectory screen. The ball speed increased with a launch angle of 13.2 degrees and a spin rate of 2560 rpm’s, which produced a carry distance of 282.9 yards. He used drivers with similar specs and the same shaft brand & model, but the lofts were 8.5 degrees on the first driver and 10.5 on the second.
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This is not an analysis of your typical golfers. Most golfers swing the club between 80 & 90 mph and produce ball speeds less then 140 mph. But they too can gain more distance with improved performance. So how do you do that?
Club performance fitting with launch monitor data requires finding the best combination of club head & shaft specs to produce the greatest distance. This is accomplished by comparing the shot performance from clubs with different specifications.
Remember, the performance factor that has the greatest influence on distance is ball velocity, which is the direct result of club head speed. Golf balls have different spin rate performance. The golfer’s favorite golf ball should be used in the fitting process for best results.
Club performance fitting has become the norm for fitting drivers. However, the same launch monitor data can be used for fitting all clubs, especially hybrid utility clubs. It’s all about “performance”. Golfers are asking for technical data to help their game. Club performance fitting gives it to them. |
