Instruction
Low Point: Can Trackman’s newest parameter indicate golfer skill level?
One of the things I have enjoyed most about teaching golf the over the past two decades is the advent of new technologies that have helped me improve as an instructor. One of my favorites, as you might know by now, is Trackman.
Trackman currently measures 26 different data parameters, which is more than enough to help golfers improve their game. The company continues to push the envelope, listen to instructor feedback and embrace new technologies, however, with the goal of making the game easier to learn and teach.
In a few months, the company will release its newest data parameter called Low Point. Here’s what you need to know about it.
Low Point: The distance from the club head’s geometric center to the lowest point on the swing arc at the time of maximum compression
We’ve all watched golf on TV and seen golfers make sizable divots. For accomplished golfers, this indicates ball-first contact and a downward angle of attack that creates a Low Point that is in front of the ball.
As a general rule, golfers have the most downward angle of attack, or AoA, with their wedges and short irons, and their Low Point is generally a few inches in front of the ball. As the irons get longer and golfers move into their hybrids and fairway woods, however, the angle of attack shallows and the Low Point moves closer to the front of the golf ball. In a perfect world, a golfers would actually have an upward attack angle with their driver, which would create a low point that’s slightly behind the ball.
Knowing this made me start to wonder if the Low Point of golfers varied between handicap levels, and if so were there any correlations? So I contacted Trackman and took a trip to their headquarters in Denmark to do some testing with their new Low Point parameter to see if my hypothesis was indeed valid.
Who we tested
- A recent major champion and top-10 player in the world (PGA Tour)
- A PGA Tour player
- A Web.com Tour player
- A scratch player
- A 10-handicap golfer
- A 20-handicap golfer
- A 30-handicap golfer
The Process
We had each of the players hit five “stock” shots with their 6 irons on Trackman using the new Low Point parameter. We would have had them hit more, but we had limited time with each player.
Sample Trackman screen showing Low Point.
Major champion and top-10 player in the world (PGA Tour)
- Range of Low Point: 3.9 to 4.4 inches (after)
- Difference: 0.5 inches
- Average Low Point: 4.16 inches (after)
PGA Tour Player
- Range of Low Point: 4.0 to 5.1 inches (after)
- Difference: 1.1 inches
- Average Low Point: 4.55 inches (after)
Web.com Tour Player
- Range of Low Point: 3.7 to 5.5 inches (after)
- Difference: 1.8 inches
- Average Low Point: 4.58 inches (after)
Scratch Player
- Range of Low Point: 4.2 to 5.2 inches (after)
- Difference: 2 inches
- Average Low Point: 4.78 inches (after)
10 Handicap Player
- Range of Low Point: 3.9 to 6.2 inches (after)
- Difference: 2.3 inches
- Average Low Point: 4.98 inches (after)
20 Handicap Player
- Range of Low Point: 3.9 to 6.3 inches (after)
- Difference: 2.4 inches
- Average Low Point: 5.54 inches (after)
30 Handicap Player
- Range of Low Point: 4.9 to 7.2 inches (after)
- Difference: 2.3 inches
- Average Low Point: 6.5 Inches (after)
Conclusions
- As the players’s skill level decreased, their Low Point moved forward with a 6 iron. To me, this seems to correspond to the tendency of a golfer’s swing path to move more leftward of the target (for a right-handed golfer) as handicap increases, as well as more rightward alignments of the torso.
- The ranges of Low Point grew wider as the player’s skill level decreased, indicating a lack of Low Point control. That falls right in line with the average player’s lack of consistency at impact as it pertains to solid shots.
- Better players have better sequencing and the upper body and tend to stay “behind” the ball a touch more than the average player. You can see this in their Low Points, which are closer to the ball.
- With the world-class golfers in this test — Major Champion, PGA Tour Player and Web.com Player — the Low Point difference ranged from 0.5 inches to 1.8 inches on all their shots, giving us an idea as to just how narrow the Low Point margin is for the world’s best golfers.
- The top-10 player in the world had a Low Point difference of only 0.5 inches, showing us that extreme Low Point consistency is an essential component of major championship consistency.
- AoA is influenced by where Low Point occurs relative to the ball. So if your low point is faulty, you can get more or less handle drag in efforts to hit the ball solid. Thus, having a consistent Low Point will help you control your dynamic loft at impact.
- A consistent and predictable Low Point is the key to solid iron play.
Low Point Drill
So now that you know you must control your Low Point, you, of course, want to know the best way to do so on the range at home. As I mentioned earlier, Trackman’s newest parameter is coming in a few months. Until then, the simplest way for you to audit and “see” your Low Point is to use the line drill shown below.
Draw or scrape a line on the driving range, using spray paint or the tip of an alignment stick. Place the ball on the line and hit several shots, moving across the line as you do. You will notice a pattern — or lack thereof — within a few shots.
The general rule with a mid iron is to create a divot in front of the line that’s neither too deep or too shallow, although turf conditions will be a factor. If you find that your Low Point is inconsistent from shot to shot, that’s a good indication that a lesson should be in your future. Remember, with iron play consistency is key!
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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talljohn777
Jul 19, 2016 at 4:38 pm
Sorry, but higher handicap players are not hitting the ball first and then taking a divot in front of the ball. Complete lunacy…
Peter
Sep 24, 2015 at 4:45 pm
These results make no sense. The good golfer gets his weight and hands ahead of the ball, has a late release and strikes the ball first. The divot starts just in front of the ball and may extend four to six inches. The poor player hangs back on the right side, releases early with the hands behind the ball at impact. The most common result is a fat hit that may start three to five inches behind the ball or, sensing that this will occur, he /she pulls up out of the shot, takes no divot and tops the ball. Perhaps being monitored on Trackman is causing the high handicappers to really try to hit the ground in front of the ball. My 60 years in the game says that this does not happen on the golf course.
Waldy37
Sep 26, 2015 at 8:15 pm
Hi Peter, I know, sounds like it make no sense. I agree most poor player hangs back on the right side, releases early with the hands behind the ball at impact & the most common result is a fat shot or a thin shot. Most golfers never get the right AoA (or delivery or Approach as I like to call it) or correct low point, its poor on both sides of the hitting area.
However there more golfers with a over plane swing than under plane swing. Im sure you agree there are more golfers with a slice than a hook. When we get over plane the club is desending from a higher point. This causes early release and early right arm extension. This makes the clubhead in fact too early & steep at the same time making it nearly imposslibe for the correct appoach. Shots are either fat or thin.
When we release early there is no release at the hitting area, again making it nearly imposslibe to hit the base of the ball. Good players stays centered maintain right arm flex on downswing then they release the club before impact which shallows out the club which allows them to hit the base of the ball first. The body is angled back (all great players right shoulder is lower at impact than at address) but right arm is still flexed at impact. Post Impact the right arm extends and the club head rotates. Hips will also start to move up through impact.
Conclusion?
Right arm flex creates lag!
Release of the golf club (unhinging) combined with lowering of right shoulder creates shallowing of the club. The leading edge is level to the base of the ball at impact.
The right arm extension creates the downward movement of the club!
The rotation of the club and the rising of the hips creates the club to move upwards (the club moves on a arch)
So in fact most poor golfers who make contact with the ground have a divot that starts thin and ends thick. Sometimes the divot does not fly!
A good players divot is round /saucer shaped so although the club does move downwards its wanting to move upwards.
So this creates a earlier low point for better players. Lets say in relation to where the divots starts.
So I hope this makes some kind of sense now!
P.s This is my understanding and in golf there is in someway no real one way to do things!
rich
Oct 14, 2015 at 5:28 pm
i agree,turf first isnt correct,,,slow motion on tv shows this everytime…reading that article i thought he would be putting ball 4 inches behind that line??? this is why only pro’s whos dads were pro’s make it on tour half the time,,conflicting advice everywhere
Nestor
May 20, 2016 at 5:35 pm
This is exactly what I was thinking. Can someone please explain why the less-skilled player takes a divot further in front of the ball than the PGA Champion?
JeffL
Sep 23, 2015 at 5:33 pm
I agree with many of the commenters above. Most high-handicappers hit fat, and hang or fall back. No way is their low point in front of the ball. I’m just not buying this article.
That guy
Sep 22, 2015 at 8:06 am
So how does this play into sweepers and diggers? You are saying that sweepers are a horrible way to hit a ball? I disagree. I am a sweeper. I almost never take a divot, and when I do it is a result of my shot being fat. I don’t agree with being told that a divot is a must. A divot is not a must. A clean consistent shot can occur with or without a divot.
Ernie Happala
Sep 21, 2015 at 6:05 pm
As a former PGA Pro, I am interested in, is this info for just you or do you actually give the student all the numbers. Now admittedly I have been out of the business for 10 years, I guess I just see the numbers as something else to put a student on tilt…I have been around a decent amount of tour pros and I always heard from them, “I don’t want to know”… Do I need to update my brain with new software or are any semblance of a point I made make sense…
James G
Sep 21, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Interesting to note the Trackman Maestro, Joe Mayo, says that shallowing all irons and not really taking a divot works best for most amateurs. I don’t know all the details behind it but he has indicated it was verified by the Trackman. Just an interesting side note to all this.
One other note is that I would have thought most amateurs would have hit more fat shots. The tendency I’ve always heard is that amateurs bottom their swing out before the ball not after.
TJames
Sep 19, 2015 at 1:04 pm
These results seem backwards. I’m a high handicap golfer, and I would say my divots are much closer to the ball if not in front of the ball resulting in fat shots or thin shots. I would have imagined as the handicap went up, the divots got closer to the ball and even in front of the ball (fat).
Skip
Sep 22, 2015 at 12:44 pm
Agreed. Surprised to see the 20 and 30 handicapper consistently make ball-first, ground-second impact consistently.
Waldy37
Sep 29, 2015 at 6:38 am
Hi Guys, I understand your reasoning, the fact is that high hcp golfers hit a lot behind the ball and on top too, thin shots. The big difference is that good ball strikers approach the ball from a shallow angel, however not from below but pretty level. Yes even with a wedge (watch pros on slo mo videos). This is caused by a good release. Again high hcp golfers whether they hit before or after the ball the approach in general is too steep, thats why its hard to get to hit the base of the golf ball on any shots. When the approach is steep the divot is thin in the beginning and thick at the end. The divot sometimes get stuck in the ground. Where as a ball striker divot is arched making often the low point not as deep. After low point the divots continues but on a upward motion. Creating a early low point but a long divot. Important to understand the difference between a divot and low point! We can learn so much about the golfer by looking at the divot. In fact if you hit the base of ball first we dont need one.
Scott K.
Sep 18, 2015 at 9:06 pm
Tom, with respect, can you differentiate “your hypothesis” from previously known information about low point and handicap relationship? I would also point to Bobby Clampett’s published work “impact zone”, but he in no way took credit for being the first to recognize and measure this fundamental difference between golfers of different handicaps and If I recall has a predictive chart of hcp based on impact. There are many other published works with this observed. Expand on how your view is different or takes this knowledge to a new level please. If your purpose was simply to test trackmans new data point accuracy that is not made clear in the article. Thanks, Scott
Waldy37
Sep 18, 2015 at 4:34 pm
I totally agree. I have been teaching golf for over 35 years and have always taught the low point of the leading edge of the golf club at impact parallel to technical instruction. Great players or lets say great ball strikers always have a good low point. For me there are two points they get right. First they hit the base of the ball first. Then the club moves downwards creating a long divot. Why does a great play have a earlier low point? Well a golf swing is a arch and even though the club is moving down it is in fact starting to move upwards. A divot should no look like a Continuous downward hitting motion where the front of the divot is thin and the end of it is thick. This will in fact create a later low point and shorter divot, what I call a stop divot. Sometimes the divots will not fly, this is a classis divot of a higher hcp player.
The other important thing is to understand why this is so and what is the common denominator!
parker
Sep 19, 2015 at 1:24 am
Love your insight Waldy. Being a terrible (but improving) golfer for the 23 years of my life, I’ve noticed that most beginning and casual players have a terrible idea of ideal impact and I think that directly relates to the low point.
I played with an inexperienced player recently… he started his round OK, bogeys and doubles, but after like 5 holes this turned into shanks and “I’ll just pick up”. His reasoning? “I’m just not getting under the ball”. So in my opinion, to answer your question of “why this is so” with higher handicaps and beginners, I think proper impact and the desired low point is not taught early enough to new golfers. I shot high 40’s for 9 for years without understanding proper contact. Understanding good impact is the thing that helps me play my best, more than any mechanical advice, as I think this applies to everything in golf, especially to the many shots we face that are not simple, full-swing iron shots.
What is the common denominator? I have no clue, and am interested as well.
Waldy37
Sep 19, 2015 at 9:09 pm
Thanks for reply Parker. I agree most players dont understand impact or AoA. ( I like to call this the delivery or the approach) In general we dont get much input on how we deliver the golf club. I think its so important the information we receive is specific and what we say is more exact and precise. We often get to hear hit down on the ball. As a beginner we often miss the ball or top it. This causes poeple to lean backwards or flip the wrist causing them to hit behind the ball. They are trying to lift or get under the ball, as the ball is on the ground in golf, this is not possible! However most beginners & most average golfers come to much from above. (Over plane) So what should we say?
Well try a little test first. Put a ball on a low peg and then put a peg about 1 cm behind the ball slightly higher than the fist peg. Can you get the leading edge at the base of the ball?
Try it for yourself!
I will tell you the answer now so dont have to wait. Its pretty near on impossible. What does this tell us? (even without a trackman)
Yes! We need to shallow out before impact. Not below, slighty above but very little. So a good golfers shallows out in time. Allowing the loft to lift the ball. Most poeple shallow out to late!
Watch slowmo videos, watch how top players even with a wedge shallow out the club.
What is shallowing out?
Shallowing out is in fact the unhinging of the wrists. The release of the golf club! Yes as we release we are shallowing out the golf club. (Which is also a power Source!) With a good release the AoA is shallower which in effect gives us a earlier low point after impact! Trackman numbers are spot on!
However the longer the club the earlier release. So for example a driver swing is shallower than a wedge.
Courtney
Sep 18, 2015 at 4:32 pm
This will make Bobby Clampett very happy. He preaches the 4 inches forward mantra constantly in his “Impact Zone” teaching / book / DVD’s. But I’m with some of the other guys who are confused by the positive numbers for mid and high handicappers.
Saylor
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:15 pm
Great Article! Thanks for the research!
Brian
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:01 pm
Great Article! Thanks for the research!
Jason
Sep 17, 2015 at 10:46 pm
I think the bottom line (no pun intended) is that good players are consistent and bad players are not. Everyone’s good shot is good but great players do it more often and the difference been bad and good are not as drastic. Great article. Technology continues to help us understand this complex game
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:05 pm
…and that gap widens with the increase in HCP
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:03 pm
I would think that if this were indeed the case then the difference between a tour player and a scratch golfer would show more that a tour player may enter the ground in a similar place to the scratch golfer, but the club would leave the ground at a more consistent distance meaning all ball flight factors would be more predictable due to a more consistent and repeated swing arc/path…
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:10 pm
never mind my comments… i think i just typed a bunch of non-sense trying tie the two articles together…
Tom Stickney
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Balls hit from the ground need a downward aoa and a forward low point to create backspin which helps the ball with lift.
Balls hit off of a tee can be hit slightly down on but for optimal distance a slight upward hit provides better launch conditions.
Tom Stickney
Sep 17, 2015 at 3:57 pm
The other low point article was not written by me. If the low point is behind the ball you will hit up on it this it will have forward spin and not get airborne off the ground.
As far as Clampett’s research goes I’m not sure what technology, if any, they used to determine their information. To my knowledge there are only two systems that can measure low point…gears and now TrackMan. Think his measurement data came before these systems were out. Might be a question for them.
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 3:58 pm
I wonder if the initial article is referring to the start or the divot (or contact with the ground) and not the bottom of the swing arc…
If that were the case then it would make a whole lot more sense
Tom
Sep 17, 2015 at 4:38 pm
I know at one lesson I complained about how shallow my AoA was and my pro told me it was not that bad as he had seen a number of folks with +AoA. Would not a +AoA from the ground indicate a low point behind the ball? Also is not back spin created by spin loft not AoA?
Anyhow how did the AoA compare to the low point? Did it make sense?
JeffL
Sep 23, 2015 at 5:39 pm
> If the low point is behind the ball you will hit up on it this it
> will have forward spin and not get airborne off the ground.
Is this what you’re refuting? If so, you’re right, it’s not true. The only way to give a ball “forward spin” (the opposite of backspin) is hit it above the center line (top it). You can hit behind the ball a bit and still get plenty of backspin. Especially if it’s on a tee.
Mike
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:47 am
This seems counterintuitive. I would expect that as a golfers handicap increased the average low point would move closer to the ball. This would equate to less forward shaft lean and a more shallow AoA, resulting in less consistency in the strike. There was an article last year that talked about this called “Find the bottom of your swing arc by learning to read your divots”. In that article the author gave this table in relation to handicap and the bottom of a divot:
(Handicap) = (bottom of divot)
•+3 = 4-to-5 inches
• 0 = 3-to-4 inches
• 4 = 2-to-3 inches
• 8 = 1-to-2 inches
•12 = at the ball or up to 1 inch in front
•16 = 1 inch behind the ball
•20 = 2 inches behind the ball
•24 = 3 inches behind the ball
•28 = 4 inches behind the ball
Am I reading this wrong or do these two these two articles contradict each other?
Scooter McGavin
Sep 17, 2015 at 1:43 pm
I was wondering about this too.
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 3:55 pm
x3
Mat
Sep 17, 2015 at 9:21 pm
x4
And that delta… seems to skew the results on “scratch”.
Also, explain to me how a 30 index can strike a ball without topping it, while still having the low point over 7 inches in front of the ball? That’s 9 inches after contact… I am trying to imagine anything other than an ice hockey slapshot…
Large chris
Sep 17, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Good article but Yep I’m wondering this as well – also seems to be opposite to Bobby Clampetts Impact Zone book. Also launch monitors don’t handle divots very well, will be interesting to see how the technology develops.
parker
Sep 19, 2015 at 1:29 am
I’ve been thinking about this too, and in my head, spin and spin loft probably have a greater influence than where exactly the low point is
Adam
Sep 17, 2015 at 3:58 pm
I wonder if the initial article is referring to the start or the divot (or contact with the ground) and not the bottom of the swing arc…
If that were the case then it would make a whole lot more sense
Teaj
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:28 am
Scratch Player
4.2″ – 5.2″ —- Delta = 1″ not 2″
Looks like the scratch player is a great ball striker
Kyle
Sep 17, 2015 at 1:49 pm
Yeah I noticed this too…. either a typo or a subtraction error there.
Ted
Sep 18, 2015 at 4:54 pm
Or… A confirmation bias.
TR1PTIK
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:04 am
Great article. However, when talking about the driver in your second paragraph you said, “In a perfect world, a golfers would actually have an upward attack angle with their driver, which would create a low point that’s slightly in front of the ball”. Did you mean to say BEHIND the ball? Otherwise, I’m confused…
Zak Kozuchowski
Sep 17, 2015 at 11:08 am
You are correct, TR1PTIK, and we have edited the story accordingly.