Instruction
Like to hit it low with your driver? You must like shorter drives
Ricky Barnes has the PGA Tour’s lowest average launch angle with his driver in 2014, 7.45 degrees, a little more than half that of launch angle leader Jeff Maggert (14.62 degrees). So despite Barnes’ above average clubhead speed of 116.37 mph, he is only averaging 12.3 yards more of the tee than Maggert, who has an average clubhead speed of 104.78, fifth worst on the PGA Tour.
For most people, distance production with the driver is a very important thing because it defines how certain players feel about their game. I know golfers who cannot bear to see the ball go shorter than their other friends, and in fact it almost becomes an obsession to be the longest one in the group.
Thankfully, through the advent of Doppler radar launch monitors like Trackman and FlightScope as well as new shaft and clubhead combinations, golfers more than ever have the ability to get fit to a driver that works best for their game, their swing and their desired shot pattern. What can’t be fit for golfers, however, is the bias they have for certain trajectories, among other things.
While teaching and fitting, I often run into old attitudes that “good” players have regarding what they want out of their driver distance-wise and how it should be created. This type of golfer is usually one who disregards technology and prefers to rely on memory of what he did on the course on certain golf holes and with certain shots. While I am very keen on the idea of working things out on your own via feel, I do have a problem with players who tend to immediately disregard the data that comes from Doppler radar launch monitors as invalid or incorrect as it pertains to their game.
I have hit thousands of shots on my Trackman and seen hundreds of thousands more shots hit by players of all levels, and I’ve come to find that the data pertaining to distance is spot on! I hate to tell many golfers this, but 90 percent of the golfers today have NO idea that they don’t carry the ball anywhere near to the place where the ball rolls out on the course, and sadly they use this knowledge incorrectly when playing and or getting fit.
Below are two screen shots of a sample shot patterns from what I would call typical “good” amateur golfers from my lesson tee.
Golfer 1
Golfer 1 hits a low, flat, bullet-type drives, and while this is great for certain conditions it does not work optimally unless the fairways are running firm and fast. If you try and use this ball flight tendency on soft fairways, you better have the headcover off your hybrids, because it’s going to be a long day.
- Swing speed of 100+ mph.
- Mid-range ball speed of 153 mph.
- Low dynamic loft of 10.5 degrees.
- Low launch angle of 9.2 degrees.
- Low and flat ball-flight: 50 feet in height is well under the PGA Tour average of 90 feet.
- A below average carry of 225 yards, thus relying on roll to gain the remainder of their distance.
Golfer 2
Golfer 2 tends to hit the ball higher, yet he has a shallow landing angle that helps increase roll after the ball lands.
- Higher attack angle at 4 degrees upward.
- More dynamic loft 14 degrees and a higher launch angle at 12.5 degrees.
- Higher apex of 80 feet.
- Carry of 251 yards and a total distance of 291 years.
With the correct conditions, this shot will work better most of the time, but whenever better golfers see added height they instantly think less roll and less overall distance. I have to argue with many players after showing them that higher is better, provided their spin and landing angle numbers are correct as well.
Now back to the golfers who only use the golf course to audit their drives. Take that low, flat driving shot in from Golfer 1 and use it on a slightly downhill and hard running fairway. What happens? They get more distance. Take the higher-flying drive and hit it into an up sloping fairway. What happens? No roll. So by using the two shots listed above with the two examples I described, you would instantly say less loft is better and more loft costs you distance., but this is simply not the case.
In order to have your driver working optimally for your game, you must get fit in the best way possible and that only comes through using different shaft and head combinations coupled with Doppler radar launch monitors like Trackman and FlightScope. From there, golfers must learn what conditions will not allow their driver to perform optimally and accept that the outside elements — not the driver used — is what is hampering your distance output.
Sometimes when conditions change for the short term, it might be better to have two different drivers that operate on two different trajectories. Remember, you cannot only rely on roll to give you the added distance you need — it’s a blend between lofting up with optimal launch conditions so your landing conditions are working for you, not against you. Having a low, flat ball flight with your driver only works in certain situations and on certain holes. Don’t be fooled!
Read More Tom Stickney II : What Flightscope and Trackman can tell you (and me)
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Josh
Mar 20, 2014 at 1:55 am
Good article, Tom.
I’ve long given up on the idea of lower lofted drivers, and I am considering the Ping G25, as I’ve heard it is super-forgiving with high launch.
Wish I could get my brother/playing partner to think likewise.
He had a great 10.5* driver that he hit well, but he claimed it went too high. He now owns two other drivers, both 9*, though one is adjustable. He gets his lower trajectory.
I don’t think he even realizes he hit further with a higher loft. Since most pros hit lower lofts (though it is slowly changing), that’s what he chooses. He should see a pro tournament in person to realize how high those drives really go.
Phat
Mar 18, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Hi Tom,
Great advice. I’m an occasional golfer (read. busy young family) and have been reading your columns with great interest, particularly in regards to launch angle and loft.
Recently I switched from a 9.5 TM driver to a 12deg 910d (set to 11.25 draw). What a difference, I’m able to consistently drive 250-275 yards now – on my damp local courses – without too much effort and keep it in the fairway more often than not.
ndabunka
Mar 16, 2014 at 11:50 pm
I am one of those that is still using an older driver (Nike Vr Pro). I bought it specifically due to the fact that is was one of the early adjustable drivers and I needed to reduce my spin rate (down from over 4K to something a bit more reasonable). I prefer an open clubface and doing so on that driver took it to about a 8-degree loft which did help reduce the spin to around the 3,400 mark. I swing around 103 and hit most fairways with driving distances between 240 and 280 with an occasional drive over that. I am a 50 year old fart who plays to a traveling 9 handicap and have always had a fairly low trajectory with a mild draw (very similar to your first example) but can also play fades as needed.
I just ordered a TM 430 SLDR TP with a gift cert I won from a recent tournament. I don’t have access to launch monitors but I do live on a par 5 and will take it out and compare it to my current driver to see if there is much real difference. One of the reasons I ordered the 10.5 version is because I understand that it can be lofted to as much as 12-degrees easily without having to buy anything else. I am hoping that this new 430 will allow me to do exactly what you have demonstrated in your graphics above. The one concern I have is that your not showing apples to apples above as the low trajectory hitter is a full 2 MPH slower than the “high ball hitter” and that may tend to skew the results a bit as the low ball driver would have had better distance on his carry if you had made the Swing Speeds equal.
Tom Stickney
Mar 17, 2014 at 9:54 am
With all things being the same the flatter ball won’t carry as far and will rely on the course conditions as to how far it will roll out in the end.
Snowman
Mar 16, 2014 at 8:18 pm
Great article… I’m hearing lot’s of abut inconsistencies in driver lofts / shaft flex (on same make/model of drivers) due to manufacturing tolerances.. So how do I solve the problem of the Driver I demo and get best launch spin numbers with is not the driver I actually get to buy?
Tom Stickney
Mar 16, 2014 at 8:24 pm
I’d suggest calling Scott Felix at Felix Clubworks in Memphis, TN and seeing when you can get an appt. In his fittings you leave with the exact club you hit! If that’s too far from you see if he knows others in the fitting world whom do the same. I’m sure there are others.
Greg
Mar 16, 2014 at 12:07 pm
And sometimes the problem isn’t wholly the club, which is hard for people to grasp the concept of.
I have a launch angle that is very low, whether the loft is 9.5 or 11.5. So a new driver isn’t the answer for me (I hit a 10 degree with a launch angle of 9.1). I work hard at the range to catch my driver on a better plane to get a better launch angle.
But for someone that grew up and still believes in a “feel” approach to the game (a swing is art not science), I do love these articles about the “numbers game”. Keep up the good work!
Tom Stickney
Mar 16, 2014 at 8:21 pm
Thanks. You’re 100% right…I always try to make my instruction a blend of art/science. Having one without the other leads to incomplete instruction.
Dave
Mar 15, 2014 at 8:20 am
A few years ago when I worked at a golf course I took two identical demo drivers out with the only difference being the loft. One was 9 and one was 10.5. Using the same model of ball for several swings the 9 degree was longer. Not by a huge margin but probably 10 yards or so. So explain that everyone who wants me to buy a new driver. (Don’t get me wrong.. I’d love to buy a new driver, just not one that’s shorter than my current one)
tom stickney
Mar 15, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Older technology necessitated lower lofts…
Dave
Mar 16, 2014 at 8:17 pm
They were Ping G5’s though so it wasn’t that long ago. That was after the trend became to go higher lofted… that’s why I tried it.
ABgolfer2
Mar 14, 2014 at 5:40 pm
I lofted down because I like to see where my ball lands then go hit it again. Had a 10.5 degree G10 and for every bomb there was a “where the F did that go?” No feel a too long in their is a bad combination.
tom stickney
Mar 15, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Not sure what you are saying but it sound like things are going well!
Roger
Mar 14, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Great info Tom, as always!
Higher loft, 70% swing, a high percentage
in the fairway…..thats the gameplan!
6 out of 7 fairways with TMXR03 10.5 driver yesterday. Golf lesson a week ago.
I listen,learn, implement the New Info From
the Expert! I have learnt a lot from Trackmn
on AOA and rollout. Super Stormy day here
in Auckland today so hope things are Just Fine where you are, cheers!
tom stickney
Mar 14, 2014 at 4:52 pm
Thank you…all the best! Love watching the All Blacks Rugby Team. Have a friend here who introduced me to them…studs! GLAD I didn’t play rugby; I would have died!
KK
Mar 13, 2014 at 9:32 pm
40 and 55 yds of roll?? What kind of fairways are these?
tom stickney
Mar 14, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Hopefully the ones you are playing as well. Seriously, the roll-out data is comprised of correlating the ball speed, launch, spin, landing angle, etc under perfectly level conditions by the Trackman…
KK
Mar 16, 2014 at 3:21 pm
The fairways I play don’t give that much roll unless it’s a significant downhill slope or a cart path. The median driving distance on the PGA Tour is about 289 with a median clubhead speed of about 112 mph. I guess the fairways they play aren’t up to snuff either?
jm
Mar 16, 2014 at 3:35 pm
i understand the launch and spin parameters but what type of fairways actually produce 40+ yards of roll.
looking at carry efficiency for barnes and maggert shows that barnes is less efficient at carry but they both average around 16-18 yards of roll.
my questions are:
if barnes had a different (more optimal spin rate) for his given launch angle would he pick up some more distance? looks like if barnes could lower his spin rate he may pick up some roll
if 12 yds does not seem like enough difference, what should the difference look like in your opinion?
Taylor Made Sucks
Mar 13, 2014 at 6:02 pm
Wow. Taylor Made is now claiming your ball will travel for “291 years”.Amazing what their technology can do. Are these the new TM “Lightspeed” drivers?
Tom Stickney
Mar 13, 2014 at 8:05 pm
This was done with my 430 sldr set at 13 degrees
John
Mar 14, 2014 at 9:31 pm
hahaha^^
Double Mocha Man
Mar 13, 2014 at 4:09 pm
Good article Tom.
I played yesterday on one of our soggy Northwest courses and absolutely smashed a drive (107mph swingspeed) at a medium trajectory about 260 yards. The ball actually backed up a foot! Never had that happen before. Many 1 foot rollouts in those conditions but never the driver backup.
I’m ready for drier, firmer fairways up here so I get what’s coming to me. Though I guess I’m better off than those in the cold, snowy northern states. At least I can play even if the shoes need a good washing after the round.
Tom Stickney
Mar 13, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Thx. You bet. Early wet season golf is tough if you are trying to run it.
Ian
Mar 13, 2014 at 7:00 am
The above article was sponsored by Taylormade Golf. Taylormade “Loft up or get left behind”. lol
Tom Stickney
Mar 13, 2014 at 10:47 am
Callaway’s alpha driver also needs to be lofted up. 🙂
Setter02
Mar 13, 2014 at 6:58 am
Good thing we still cares about what Tour Pros avg off the tee, given they are still measured whether they hit driver to a 3 iron, of what, 2 holes on the course…
Richie Hunt
Mar 13, 2014 at 9:05 am
I’ve asked the Tour about this and they told me that they measure only when the player is using a driver.
Leo
Mar 12, 2014 at 10:28 pm
How about the attack angle? What if Golfer 1 matches the attack angle of Golfer 2, wouldn’t he also increase the carry and total distance regardless of what loft of driver he plays?
Tom Stickney
Mar 13, 2014 at 10:46 am
It would still come out a touch too flat relying on roll for added distance.
Eric
Mar 12, 2014 at 3:45 pm
It’s so true that an expert with the right equipment will get it done right….yet people resist based on, what amounts to, stupidity couched as traditional type knowledge. It blows my mind that there are people out there that will pay for a club fitting and then tell the person they acknowledged as the expert in club fitting (via paying them) “no, you’re wrong.” Why get a fitting if you’re just gonna do what you want anyway? I’ve had instructor friends tell me the same thing….people come to lessons and just don’t do it and say the pro is wrong.
I know we live in an age of self-esteem and human potential (go to any bookstore and marvel at the size of the self help section) that has devolved into narcissism (e.g. the selfie….that really does sum it up), but imagine how great we’d all be if we were even a little less egotistical.
tom stickney
Mar 12, 2014 at 5:58 pm
It’s always best to keep an open mind…sometimes that’s harder than you think. I guess that’s why we were given two ears and one mouth to hopefully use accordingly. Thanks for the note
Lar
Mar 12, 2014 at 6:15 pm
It’s also because you will always have people are scientifically minded and those who are artistically minded that will think differently.
It’s not just about the Ego. Just because it’s a sport for competition, MOST people play it for FUN, lets not forget that.
tom stickney
Mar 12, 2014 at 7:32 pm
Spot on as well….