Tonight's Lesson... With a difference!

[One Planer]

A very interesting and enlightening evening for me

Rolled up for a lesson this evening continuing on with the winter theme and trying to tweak a little more consistency.

Waiting for my pro, browsing the forum as you do, when up he walks with a small case, putt of which he pulls a Trackman.

He told me that it wasn't in use for fitting so he decided to use it to try and garner some more in-depth info on my swing. The main reason he stated is that he wanted to see the data to try and understand a little more an issue that I have with my swing.

First time I've ever had the pleasure of using a Trackman.

Hit a couple dozen balls to get loose, then hit 10 balls to measure the data.

Worked through the prescribed changes after reviewing the data then hit more balls on the monitor again.

Discounting an Arthur J my average for the balls post changes were (All based on 7 iron).

Speed: 79.58MPH
Attack Angle: -1.96
Swing Path: +4.64
Face Angle: +3.74
Ball Speed: 110.28
Smash Factor: 1.386
Launch: 21.92
Spin: 4309.4
Spin Axis: -5.62
Carry: 157.6 Yards
Total Distance: 167.78 Yards

Now I'll be honest, I'm a little 'Dustin Johnson' when it comes to the figures.

I understand individually what the categories mean but I have no idea if a smash factor of 1.386 with a 7 iron is good? Or if the swing path is excessively from the inside? You be honest I'm not sure I really care :smirk:

My pro wasn't too concerned

My pro explained the parts that related to what we were looking at in my swing, specifically AoA, but left the rest out as it wasn't relevant to what we were working on.

Never the less, a fantastic surprise and something completely unexpected, especially as the lesson price was the same as usual.

Having said this, I'm not sure if want to do it all the time. Once every now and again for me but I can certainly see the merits in using Trackman as a training tool. It's a real eye opener :thup:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I really enjoy my lessons and looking at the figures before and at the end of a lesson and seeing (hopefully) some massive changes. However that said, there is nothing like watching the ball flight and the eye of a good pro to know what's going on too and it's easy (as I know) to get hooked up on the numbers themselves. It's good to see and I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson. I hope the changes work on the course

 

[ScienceBoy]

Despite loving data I would be tempted to let the pro deal with that. Your job is to take the pro's interpretation and work with that.

Personal preference but there is the danger you get lost in data and lose sight of the goal of your swing.

Up to you but best to weigh up the options and benefits of both sides.

 

[Hosel Fade]

They look like good numbers and should produce a slight draw.

Smash factor is ball speed/club speed and basically tells you how good/efficient the strike was. Mind something could be off seeing as the tour average off a 7 iron is only 1.33 and a 6 is 1.38

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Despite loving data I would be tempted to let the pro deal with that. Your job is to take the pro's interpretation and work with that.

Personal preference but there is the danger you get lost in data and lose sight of the goal of your swing.

Up to you but best to weigh up the options and benefits of both sides.

I agree with this, I let Steve (Blackmoor Pro) worry about the data, all I worry about is doing what he tells me because if I get that right, the numbers will look after themselves.

 

[the_coach]

Speed: 79.58MPH
Attack Angle: -1.96
Swing Path: +4.64
Face Angle: +3.74
Ball Speed: 110.28
Smash Factor: 1.386
Launch: 21.92
Spin: 4309.4
Spin Axis: -5.62
Carry: 157.6 Yards
Total Distance: 167.78 Yards

for sure it's not necessary for folks in a lesson to be over concerned with the #'s - Pro should get what they need from them to help their client improve

looking at the #'s the SF is a tad high for a 7i

swing path & face angle #'s along with the AoA indicate why at times the overdraw is an issue

in reality can see why folks get confused but to hit a draw with an iron especially a mid iron - if that's the objective - it just is not necessary to have a path that much out to the right

path & AoA are intrinsically linked together so with swing direction through impact of +4.64 getting close to +5 (+5 good driver swing direction #'s for draw flight) but with a mid irons is goin to produce issues with shot outcomes & curvature not always depends how face angle is managed but it will give issues - the ones that have been/are being experienced like the sockets & the overdraws

AoA with 7i would be around -3º / -4º with the swing direction (path) little ways more to neutral so from +2 to -1
& it's still possible to hit a soft draw but not likely to get the overdraw or the sockets

that's counterintuitive for folks I get - but that's why my take it's useful for Pro's to explain a tad of the 'mysterious launch monitor' numbers

but OP the reason for the path & AoA #'s are completely down to the re-route at the top of the swing (the lean back compensation move) which has the shaft under plane & coming from the inside a fair bunch

 

[Region3]

Built like a brick doo-dah and under 80mph? Hit it man!

My only sensible comment since the inside path has already been mentioned is that the spin looks low for a 7 iron.

 

[Jensen]

I don't understand the numbers either, but the only thing I thought was is the spin number not too low?
As a guide should the spin number not correlate to the iron i.e. 7 iron numbers should be around 7,000 and 6,000 for a 6 iron

 

[One Planer]

Built like a brick doo-dah and under 80mph? Hit it man!

My only sensible comment since the inside path has already been mentioned is that the spin looks low for a 7 iron.

:rofl:

 

[One Planer]

No idea on the spin side of it. I have to be honest they were flying high enough so I'm not overly fussed. I do play a heavy stiff shaft (Dynamic Gold S300) which are marketed as low spin.

Re: Smash factor: That was only for 5 balls post changes. The average figure for the lesson as a total was 1.35.

 

[Region3]

No idea on the spin side of it. I have to be honest they were flying high enough so I'm not overly fussed. I do play a heavy stiff shaft (Dynamic Gold S300) which are marketed as low spin.

Re: Smash factor: That was only for 5 balls post changes. The average figure for the lesson as a total was 1.35.

As long as the ball isn't dropping out of the sky like a stone the spin isn't so important for flight, but you need a decent amount to get the ball to stop when it (hopefully) lands on the green.

I think a general rule of thumb is 1k rpm per club number as posted above, but it can't be a hard and fast rule because you hitting your 7 iron at 80mph and Rory hitting his at 95mph are always going to produce different spin numbers.
I would guess your relatively shallow AoA helps to lose some as well.

 

[One Planer]

As long as the ball isn't dropping out of the sky like a stone the spin isn't so important for flight, but you need a decent amount to get the ball to stop when it (hopefully) lands on the green.

I think a general rule of thumb is 1k rpm per club number as posted above, but it can't be a hard and fast rule because you hitting your 7 iron at 80mph and Rory hitting his at 95mph are always going to produce different spin numbers.
I would guess your relatively shallow AoA helps to lose some as well.

I would guess Gary.

It seems right that if I'm not hitting down as much I wouldn't create massive spin.

Same issue with wedges unfortunately.