Learn to drive the ball farther with technology

These devices use some very sophisticated technology like high speed cameras, lasers and radar that allow you to measure the speed, launch angle and spin rate of the golf ball as it leaves the club face.

This helps determine the correct loft and make up of a driver as well as a help in selecting the correct golf ball for your game. The use of a launch monitor in fitting can be the quickest way for you to gain yardage without ever changing your golf swing.

There are three basic ball flight parameters: ball speed, launch angle and ball spin.

Ball speed

Ball Speed is measured by how fast the ball leaves the clubface. It may seem obvious to all that the faster the ball can come off the clubface the more potential distance can be found.

An eight mph or five per cent ball increase speed translates into the biggest change in carry — a total of  15.6 metres in distance.

It is important here to mention that we are focusing on ball speed as opposed to club head speed.

An off centre hit often translates into a poor result with a lower ball speed than a centre hit.

Spin

Spin is measured as the amount of spin the ball has when it leaves the clubface. Higher ball speeds favour lower spin rates to produce desirable ball flight distances and minimize ballooning of shots. Spin is a by-product of ball speed and the angle the ball is being struck.

However, ball types and shaft profiles are variables here too.

The type of ball to be played can be tuned to the player’s equipment.

A golfer with a downward angle of attack is always going to be at a disadvantage in overall driver performance to the golfer with an upward angle of attack.

The more the golfer swings with a downward angle of attack, the more loft they will need to play on their driver to offset the effect of the downward angle of attack on the dynamic loft and resulting launch angle.

The higher the driver loft to achieve the optimum launch angle, the more backspin is generated.

Launch angle

Launch angle is the initial angle of the ball’s flight when launched into the air. Much has been written in the last few seasons about creating the maximum distance for a given ball speed.

Changing your launch angle is another way to accomplish this goal.

More launch angle can indeed be the friend of a slower swinger and less for the faster swinger to prevent ballooning.

The emphasis here is on launch angle instead of a club’s loft because launch angle is a product of how your swing and club impacts the ball.

Part two of Paul Adam’s column will appear next Friday.