Trackman: Numbers You Need and What They Actually Mean.
- Mackenzie Puryear
- Oct 26, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 30
What comes to mind when you think of Trackman?
So much data, and how does it even all relate to your swing and the scores you produce? Trying to research Trackman can arguably create even more confusion. Falling down the rabbit hole of numbers, and degrees, spin rates, and smash factors. It’s almost a new language entirely on its own leaving you feeling like you need a level two certification to just understand the “basics.”
Most people in golf have seen and used a Trackman, or at the very least have heard about it. But for the newbies on here, Trackman is a highly advanced golf launch monitor. The device uses radar capability to track detailed data of the swing. The technology is only expanding as the Trackman 4 now uses impact and launch data to map a shot’s 3D trajectory in real time.
It’s most recognizable when watching the tour players on TV. Most of them practice or warm-up on the range using a Trackman, trademarked by its orange color and sleek design. And if the tour players use it as a seemingly vital part of their daily routine, then it must be a necessary tool, right?
Not always.
Hear me out on this—I do believe that Trackman has significantly impacted the golf world in a positive way. It is the science behind the golf swing. It is tangible confirmation of the statistical data behind making a golf swing. That’s it. No more guessing, no more assumptions.
Unless of course, you are making a guess about what these numbers actually mean and drawing assumptions about which ones apply to making you a better golfer.
Well, I certainly do not have Trackman all figured out. But I have compiled a list of FIVE Trackman numbers that I believe are important for any golfer, at any level.
5 Important Trackman Numbers for a golfer at any level:
1. Carry (Distance) – Carry is how far the ball flies in the air. Once it lands on the ground, the carry number is calculated. If you ever only use Trackman for one thing, then it should be to learn how far you consistently hit each club. Distance control will help your game immensely. It will help to narrow the cone of misses. Instead of missing long and short, left and right, it becomes less about distance and more about target lines. A shot that is hit a little off line and pin-high is a perfectly acceptable miss.
Now you may find once you start really trying to hone in on distance control, that you are having trouble with actually maintaining a consistent distance with each club. Which leads into my second point...
2. Smash Factor – Smash Factor is the ratio of ball speed divided by club speed, which determines how much energy is transferred from the club to the ball and consequently measures the efficiency of the club at impact. In other words, it’s a fancy way of determining if you are hitting the middle of the club face. Hitting the middle of the club face produces consistent distances with each club. It also allows you to maximize your distance relative to the amount of energy you use throughout the swing.
So now you notice that you have trouble hitting the middle of the club face? See my next point… (Are you sensing a "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" theme to this?)
3. Club Path – Club Path is essentially the direction you are swinging the club. Technically speaking, it is the horizontal angle at which the club head is moving at impact. This determines the shape of the ball flight. Most commonly known as an in-to-out club path or a out-to-in club path. In-to-out club path will show a positive number (1.5deg.), and an out-to-in club path will show as a negative number (-1.5deg.). If a coach tells you that you are swinging two degrees from the inside that means that you are swinging two degrees across the target line to the right. On the other hand, if you are swinging two degrees from the outside, then that means the club is moving two degrees across the target line to the left.
4. Face Angle – Face Angle is the horizontal direction that the club face is pointing at impact. This angle is the part of the club that influences the initial starting direction of the ball relative to the target line. This determines which line your ball will start on (right or left). Similar to club path, a positive number means that the face is pointing to the right, which is open relative to the target line. A negative number means the club face is pointing to the left, which is closed relative to the target line.
5. Face-to-Path – Face-to-Path is the difference between Face Angle and Club Path. Essentially, this number will tell you just how much curve your ball will have. For example, if you are swinging two degrees from the inside with a Face Angle of one degree, then your Face-to-Path is: -1 degree. That means the angle of your club face at impact is one degree closed relative to the target line. The ball would start one degree out to the right (face angle) and then draw one degree back onto the target line (club path). The higher the Face-to-Path number, the bigger the curve of the ball in the air.
Hopefully, this list gives you a better grasp on which data is most important to understand. Ultimately, playing golf is about how well you can control the ball. In order to control the ball, you must know how far you hit each club. In order to hit each club a consistent distance, you must understand the behavior of your golf ball (are you making center face contact, is your speed translating into the clubface, where does the ball start, where does it end relative to your target line).
Hungry for more? Below are some bonus numbers that are important, particularly with gaining distance with the driver.
Attack Angle – Attack Angle or Angle of Attack is the angle at which the club head arrives at the ball. It is a vertical angle (up and down). You may hear people talking about hitting up and down on the ball, in which case they are speaking about the angle of attack. The player wants to hit down on the ball with irons and up on the ball with a driver. Hitting up on the ball with a driver will help to maximize distance.
Spin Rate – Spin Rate is how many times the ball rotates per minute upon leaving the club face (measured in RPMs). Spin Rate impacts the overall distance that the ball flies. High club head speed with a high spin rate produces weak shots with a less than average Smash Factor. In other words, swinging really hard with too much spin will leave you feeling pretty tired and nothing to show for it.
Impact Location – Impact location is pretty self-explanatory: it measures the location on the club face at which you hit the ball. However, it is very important to maximizing distance and delivering a consistent ball shape. Suppose you have a draw biased swing, but tend to hit towards the heel of the club, then you will subsequently produce more of a fade ball shape instead of the draw. Moreover, the location of impact with a driver can also affect Spin Rate, which in turn can affect the Smash Factor. Notice how everything links together?
All in all, golf is a complicated sport. There is a fine line between knowledge and overthinking. It is important to know enough about the swing to gain an understanding and ownership of the game. To become self-sufficient and confident when stepping onto the course. But at the same time, that knowledge can quickly become a breeding ground for overanalyzing an already difficult sport. Maintaining a balance between the two is half of the battle, indeed. Perhaps Arnold Palmer summed it up best,
“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”
I wrote this post with help from these links:
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