Instruction
Yet another reason to use a launch monitor: Trackman’s Shot Optimizer
In the golf world, there are always new technologies and software updates that make the jobs of instructors or club fitters easier, faster or both. One of the best I have seen to date is Trackman’s new Shot Optimizer, which helps me to understand just where my students are losing efficiency and what I need to do in order to optimize their ball flight.
Let’s take a sample swing I made and see what we need to do in order to help me hit the ball more effectively.
Club Head Speed: 101 mph. Not bad for the first swing of the day.
Ball Speed: 150.4 mph. That’s slightly low, as I hit the ball below the center of the face.
Angle of Attack: -0.2 degrees. That’s basically level with the ground.
Spin Rate: 2,828 rpm. That’s a touch high due to my low vertical impact point.
Dynamic Loft: 11.4 degrees (9.6-degree launch angle). Those launches are low due to a low impact point.
Carry: 245 yards. That’s about 15 yards shorter than my normal oiled-up swing.
Height: 69 feet. That’s low once again, due to the low impact point.
Landing angle: 31 degrees. That’s very flat due to the low launch.
Total yardage: 273 yards. I hope it’s dry so it will chase out more!
As we examine what Trackman is telling me, you will notice the following things:
- Spin loft, 11.8 degrees, was on the low end of the spectrum.
- Ball speed, 150.4 mph, was on the upper end of the range.
- Launch angle, 9.6 degrees, was out of the range completely.
- Spin rate, 2,828 rpm, was just above average.
- Height, 69 feet, was out of the spectrum as well.
The final optimization would be the following:
Carry yardage: 245 current shot versus 250 possible.
Total yardage: 273 current shot versus 277 possible.
So what does this sample shot tell me as the teacher?
The club head speed and ball speed are about normal for my swing without a warm up, so this is not an issue. My spin loft and launch angle are too low, however, which I attributed to the reduced dynamic loft at impact.
This could be attributed to factors such as:
- The static loft of my current driver could be set too low.
- Vertical gear effect, as I hit the ball a touch low on the face.
- Improper shaft fitting, causing the club to have too little loft at impact.
My spin rate was a touch high at 2,828 rpm. I would say this could be the ball I was hitting, which was a more “spinny” than the ball I usually play, and could also be a product of vertical gear effect from my low impact point.
My Overall height was about 10-to-12 feet too low. That could be a dynamic loft issue or vertical impact issue.
Now armed with all the data, here is what changes I would suggest in order to optimize this shot.
- Chart impact point on the club face with Dr. Scholls to see if the low dynamic loft, low launch and high spin is a gear effect issue.
- If so, fix the low impact point.
- If gear effect is not the issue, then we must raise the dynamic loft at impact by increasing the static loft of the club.
- If this doesn’t change things, then I would suggest altering the shaft so that the club doesn’t lag so much through impact and reduce dynamic loft.
- If we still don’t get the results we’d like, then we know it’s a combination of loft, the shaft and a swing issue causing a lower dynamic loft at impact.
Improving the impact point and dynamic loft will increase the spin loft, launch and height, as well as reduce spin. This will give me more overall carry while still maintaining a low descent angle so the ball runs out when landing.
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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Bill Schmedes III
May 16, 2014 at 7:11 pm
Nice article Tom. Amazed with some of the responses. The tool is there to help a player improve faster without all the guessing. If your a golfer not sure why would you would want to see anyone without a tool like this to help the process. Keep up the great work!
Tom Stickney
May 17, 2014 at 1:21 am
Thx sir…people often criticize what they don’t fully understand.
Cameron Prine
May 16, 2014 at 12:49 pm
I will be the first person to attest to Trackman on this forum, because it sounds like a lot of people do not believe in using it. For a bit of background on me, I am a +2.7 handicap when playing well, and I’m at about a scratch right now since I live in Ohio and have not had the chance to play or practice much this year. Over the past 4 months while using Trackman at an indoors facility, I have gained 22 yards carry on my driver and about 10 on all of my irons, by learning to manage my attack angle, and how to use that to change the shape of my shots. I went from attacking down 4 degrees with the driver, to only down half a a degree and my carry went from 274 to 296, and instead of 283 total I am averaging 311. If you are serious about getting better, invest some time and money into using one of these devices.
Tom Stickney
May 16, 2014 at 1:02 pm
They are remarkable tools for all levels of players whom are interested in getting better results from their instruction/practice time. I taught on both sides and couldn’t agree more with your experiences. It’s not just applicable to the better players…
Peter mill5
May 15, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Can’t help agreeing with @leftright. I don’t think the average hobby golfer has the time, inclination, money or patience to work on 400rpm here or 1.5º there. We’re getting into the “baffle them with facts” area for most golfers – no disrespect meant – just the experience from coaching “normal” golfers for more than 30 years.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 6:17 pm
I’m here to help anyone who what’s to get better; not saying the beginning golfer has no other options but trackman. However it’s my duty to help people stay in the game not leave due to frustration due to poor performance.
Mike
May 15, 2014 at 9:54 am
I can’t believe how negative the responses to this teaching method have been. This is the future of teaching and although you can go about fixing a swing in many ways, video and launch data are the easiest way to quickly diagnosis problems.
Great write up, Tom! Keep it coming!
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 10:14 am
Thanks…
Gary Mackintosh
May 15, 2014 at 8:06 am
Tom, the one thing you didn’t do is adjust the AOA. I’m a fitter and I find that if I get my customers to get their path in to out and get a positive AOA(4 to 6*), they greatly increase their swing speed and vertical launch. I myself picked up 2 to 4 mph and 20 yards of distance. I know that sounds crazy and I’d never believe it if I didn’t see it with my own eyes(and Flightscope). I’ve always been a high spin player(steep AOA). With the help of my Launch monitor, I’ve dropped my spin to the mid to upper 2000’s. Of course, to be fair, most of the spin reduction came from lowering the static loft of the club which increasing the AOA allowed me to do.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 10:16 am
AoA is a huge key as well…thx.
Neil
May 15, 2014 at 1:59 am
Tough crowd.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 10:17 am
I’m just glad people are reading and commenting…I like hearing everyone’s thoughts positive or negative.
leftright
May 14, 2014 at 8:29 pm
Tom, I am sorry but I can’t buy into all the crap. My cynicism knows no bounds. I’ve been playing for 45 years and participated in all major amateur events and played in a few regional/local pro events over my lifetime. I know how well I have played and got the best out of my limited talents. If someone cannot recognize their limitations then no amount of teaching or money is going to change it. I know, it is all about expanding the game but I see a lot of misery out there. I see a lot of hope and I just shake my head because what are we to do, just let them fail or try to save them form their own mediocrity. I hope golf grows by leaps and bounds to levels unheard of but marketing fraud is against my principles and plays on someone’s mentality and could damage their psyche. To tell someone they can do this when you konw they will never be that good is teacher malpractice. When people start suing, maybe it will stop.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 12:24 am
I can only help you to reach YOUR goals but I’m brutally honest when your reality doesn’t match your talents or dedication. I’m not a miracle worker nor do I claim to have the magic dust. Not everyone can be a good player and I understand this fact, but I can help EVERYONE enjoy the game more.
Ben Mutz
May 15, 2014 at 9:49 am
http://www.CantPutt.com
Lowering your putting stroke average by learning to
Master your Distance Control
Take the words Feel and Touch and flush them down the toilet
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 10:20 am
Ben…I’d appreciate it if you’d respect this forum and comment on the story that I wrote.
golferjack
May 16, 2014 at 8:07 am
I wonder if leftright is a lawyer? I have to agree with a couple of Points he makes but as a Pro teacher I can say that a launch Monitor is of help to a wide range of Players if for nothing more than to help them understand how far they really hit the ball in comparison to how far they think they hit it. Also matching a set of Clubs based on fact and not just feel is useful and can in many cases save Money by giving someone a set with less rather than more that they don’t need.Jack and co didn’t have forged Composite heads and graphite shafts either. They also didn’t have to compete with Bubba and co. who would bomb it past them on their best day. This is not to disrespect the guys, they were all great Players and I’m sure that they would be great Players in any era. The world doesn’t stand still, but there is also still a difference between Clubs as there is a difference between cars. I guess leftright isn’t driving a 70’s car. Like your articles Tom, they are often thought provoking.
leftright
May 14, 2014 at 8:22 pm
Pureing, $45 a shaft, Trackman $50 and hour. It is all about the money. I think scratch golfers can be helped but not the masses and the yardage gain is negligible as best. Technology takes the “ideal” into consideration, not the non-talented average golfer. I am scratch but pureing did absolutely nothing for my iron game and 7 of the 9 shafts required no adjustment. The trackman was a waste of time. I had a Driver pured once and it was actually made worse, I had him put it back like it was and I regained my driver, go figure. Marketing is trying to make everyone a low handicap golfer and sorry folks, that niche is reserved for about 2% of us and no amount of practice, trackman’s, pureing or lessons is going to change it. If you don’t have it just enjoy the game. This is no different than a 3 who want to play to 0, he might not have the capacity, though usually I find it a mental obstacle rather than ball striking.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 12:27 am
I never spoke about puring shafts. Just maximizing your talents. At the scratch level improvements take a ton of time and most players never get much better than this. When you’re an average golfer your improvements come in leaps and bounds through technology. Sorry but you’re 100% wrong on this one.
paul
May 15, 2014 at 9:26 pm
I agree Tom. What a load of &*$#. I have been average at all sports in life ( not an athlete) But with a bit of dedication and a launch monitor it is easy to improve quickly. My friends were disgusted when I improved 10 strokes over the winter with a few small technique changes that helped me get good numbers on a flight scope. I am hitting laser guided balls with my irons right now. All my clubs are hitting balls within a yard or two of what I expect, thank you trackman. If only I could putt I would have broke 80 on Tuesday.
leftright
May 14, 2014 at 8:14 pm
Ben didn’t have one, neither did Byron or Sam. Walter and Bobby never heard of a launch monitor and Arnold was in his 70’s before he even knew one existed. Jack was in his 60’s and Tom in his 50’s. Too much confidence in technology has ruined more golf games than it has helped and marketing is the primary influence…period. Get good clubs, make sure they are lofted and lied correctly and swing away. All the clubs are good these days, golfers today would play a $15 a dozen golf ball if it miraculously appeared in 1990 because it would be better than the best Titleist of the time..of course this is balata era. You still have to swing the club and a launch monitor is useless for anyone more than a 5 handicap. Some guys can’t even hit the ball unless they produce 3500 rpms of spin. Spin is what keeps the ball in the air. I have seen these mythological launch angles and spin rates put more balls in the lake people “used” to carry. It ain’t all about roll out folks. Some courses dont’ set up for the ball to roll out, especially some Dye courses. If the fairways are hard and fast there is negligible difference between 2500 and 4000 rpms on the drive and how it finishes. You play a set course with low rpms and optimal launch angle and you will be behind the high spin guy all day.
leftright
May 14, 2014 at 8:16 pm
I meant “wet” course.
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 12:34 am
Fitting is all based on the player and their course conditions. Sometimes higher spin is better while other times lower spin is the answer. There is no right answer for everyone. As stated before lower handicaps get some advantages from fittings but also can adapt to poorly fit clubs while higher handicaps cannot thus why fitting is important
Tom Stickney
May 15, 2014 at 12:36 am
If technology was useless then why does every good player on tour use it?
paul
May 15, 2014 at 11:01 pm
Ha ha Tom.
Jamie
May 14, 2014 at 1:28 pm
Tom, with all due respect, I am not a golf pro or teacher, but I disagree with your approach to the info. I recently purchased a Foresight HMT and GC2 as my choice and couldn’t be more thrilled with all the data at my disposal. Different numbers will impact different peoples approach to their practice and training. Having all the numbers to see incremental improvement is key to enjoying the game more and each golfers approach to practice. I’d be upset if I knew you were not giving me all the data for me to make the choice on what I do and don’t want to assimilate after you educate me on what each readout means and how it relates to my swing and game. Just food for thought. All GPS/radar tracking devices are great learning tools.
Tom Stickney
May 14, 2014 at 3:17 pm
Some people can handle information productively while others cannot…
GMR
May 14, 2014 at 11:06 am
While I don’t doubt the usefulness of this tool, this particular example strikes me as a bit of paralysis by analysis. How bout instead looking at the numbers, realizing you lost only 5 yards of carry and 4 yards of overall distance from the “ideal” strike, and smiling to yourself that your results were as good as they were on an off-center hit?
Tom Stickney
May 14, 2014 at 11:33 am
Because as a teacher I’m paid to make sure you (the student) is as efficient as possible. Secondly the student never sees this information so they can’t become overly informed on my watch.
GMR
May 14, 2014 at 11:57 am
Fair enough, but if you know that the student is hitting it low on the face, what incremental information are you getting in this example that is going to improve your instruction. Sorry to play Devil’s advocate…as I mentioned I think there are scenarios this could be quite useful. Just am failing to get my head around why it might be in this specific example.
Rob Rashell
May 13, 2014 at 9:27 pm
Tom,
Been amazed how useful Trackman is with teaching, I notice players I work with trying hard to take in everything Trackman has to offer, do you notice players doing the same with you? Do you slowly introduce parameters, optimizer, etc.? Thanks for the thoughts.
Rob
Tom Stickney
May 14, 2014 at 12:27 am
I don’t allow my students to see the tm output…I control what they see as I don’t want them to get in too deep. Helping them focus only on what I want keeps me in control of their lesson. Thx for the note sir.