Instruction
The best 8 ways to practice indoors with Trackman
In most places in the world it’s getting colder, so most golfers are headed indoors to practice. But don’t fret, there are still ways to get better and practice effectively! As we all know, practice without feedback can be difficult even for the most experienced players. However, I am here to show you a way you can kill two birds with one stone.
By now, most golfers know a teacher or fitter in their area who has a Trackman for teaching and/or fitting purposes. I would highly suggest you contact them to see if they will “rent” you an hour or two per week so you can practice with the unit. In this article, I want to show you how to practice with Trackman so you can work on things just like you would on the range in the middle of your golf season.
Trackman has more than 26 data parameters, but I want you to focus on a few simple ones during your practice sessions:
- Low Point: The club’s lowest point in the swing arc.
- Club Path: The direction of your swing (AoA + swing direction).
- Face Angle: The direction of the face at impact.
- Club Speed: The speed of the club at impact.
- Smash Factor: The correlation of club speed to the resulting ball speed.
- Dynamic Loft: The loft you deliver at impact.
- Carry: How far the ball carries in the air.
- Height: The apex of your ball’s flight.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the parameters.
Low Point
Your low point is mainly influenced by the pivot of your body, so if your pivot is faulty then your low point will be inconsistent, causing you to hit fat and thin shots. This is never more apparent than when you’re hitting short pitch shots. Therefore, my favorite way to work on my short game indoors is to hit 20-50 yard shots while auditing my low point. At this stage, I’m not looking for any specific number — I just want to make sure I have a very consistent range of where my club “bottoms out” after the golf ball. I never want to see my low point changing significantly from swing to swing; if so, I have some work to do.
Club Path
The path of the club is created by two factors: Angle of Attack (AoA) and swing direction. For our purposes, it is only necessary to monitor the path of your club through impact. I want you to hit 7-irons and look for two things:
- Is the path of your club moving in the direction you “feel” it is moving?
- If so, to what degree is it moving in that direction?
I first want you to make sure your path is going in the direction you want it to, because “feel is (often) not real.” If your path is moving in the wrong direction, that’s the first thing we need to fix.
Now let’s assume we ARE swinging in the direction desired. What is the range? It is impossible to swing “X” degrees in-to-out or vice versa every single time, so let’s instead find a 3-degree numerical range we can consistently swing the club. Based on your desired curvature amount, this range can be 1-3, 4-7, 7-10 etc., but 3 degrees would be my suggestion for the masses.
Remember that a path that moves in-to-out on Trackman will be a positive (+) number, while a path that moves out-to-in will be a negative (-) number.
Face Angle
One of the most misunderstood factors in golf is that the face angle at impact (mostly) controls the ball’s initial starting direction. Thus, the ability to get the club face in the correct position at impact is crucial for you to start the ball where you would like it to start.
What I like to do is put a range bucket directly between the ball and the target, and hit a few shots to the right and left of the bucket noting the face angle on Trackman. Then I do the same thing while moving the bucket a little right and a little left of my target. With this drill, I am educating my hands to produce specific starting directions without actively thinking about it. And this is the key to being able to start the ball where you want each time under pressure.
Club head speed
The first way to develop swing speed is simple; learn how to swing the club faster without compromising impact quality. But what is the second way to develop club head speed?
You need to “find” the speed that gives you maximum distance, control, and impact quality. Sometimes this is faster than what you’re used to, other times it can be just the opposite. Everyone has their own speed; think Nick Price versus Payne Stewart. They had different swing speeds, but they were both great players and ball strikers in their own right.
Smash Factor
The quality of your impact is shown with smash factor on Trackman, as it pertains to input versus output. In a perfect world, you would like to transfer maximum energy from the speed of the club head into the ball, which becomes “ball speed.” The better the quality of impact, the more ball speed you will gain with all things being equal. Once again, it’s not about a specific number, but gaining a consistent range of smash factors based on your level. Yes, you can obtain a higher smash factor and hit awful shots, so take smash with a grain of salt. You are striving to hit solid, quality shots with a higher smash factor than you are used to having — that’s the key for this data parameter.
Dynamic Loft
Everyone knows that you can deliver too much loft at impact, but few recognize that you can deliver too little loft at impact as well. Your loft at delivery is one of the biggest keys to controlling your launch angle. With too little loft, you won’t carry the ball as far or be able to hold greens. With too much loft, shots won’t carry far enough and won’t react properly when they land. As you watch your shots fly on the simulator, you can see where they land and how much they chase out per the club used. We want the ball to carry as far as possible and land softly with irons, but with the driver we’d like to carry the ball a fair distance and have it run out when landing. So use your dynamic loft number to control carry and landing angle and you’ll learn to hit more effective shots.
Carry
Try to carry your shots as far as possible with your irons so they will land softly, but remember your driver carry should be optimized for course conditions. If you play soft and wet courses, I would suggest you try carry the ball as far as possible. If the conditions are firmer, you can work on a lower trajectory so the ball lands a touch flatter and runs out more. Experiment with your carry on Trackman and you will see what I mean as it pertains to total distance.
Height
The average height of a golf shot on the LPGA Tour is 75 feet in the air, while on the PGA Tour it’s 95 feet. People have NO idea just how high this is! Most players hit the ball too flat and this compromises distance in the end. Take your time to play around with your height on Trackman and you will see that you probably need to hit it higher than you think in order to get greater distance with softer landings.
Secondly, hit super low and super high golf shots to see how distance changes when you are playing in windy or windless conditions so you can access tight pins. If you cannot alter your trajectory, the game becomes very difficult.
I hope by now you have seen that Trackman can be a very effective learning tool — it can be a full-service practice tool for you all winter if you use it properly. Good luck, practice hard and stay warm!
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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Marty
Dec 16, 2015 at 2:50 pm
A few comments from reading replies. One, track man is well over $20,000. Two, The distances it records will seem inflated, as it is showing you roll out based on PGA tour courses. These fairways are extremely fast and hard in comparison to a normal course. Three, foresight CG2 with HMT is definitely better for clubhead position and knowing what the Clubhead is doing. But I do find their numbers are a little off on the low side. This is in comparison to Doppler radar systems (trackman, flightscope) which record actual ball speed in flight, not cameras calculating speed based on a few images in a foot window.
Poppa
Dec 14, 2015 at 4:22 pm
I fit people all day and I believe the author is mistaken. 99% of golfers need to focus on learning how to swing rather than focus on numbers. Also, nearly everyone I see hits the ball way too high. They scoop and flip with a 6 iron peak height well above 30 yards. Stop buying clubs and buy lessons!
Marty
Dec 16, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Pappa, while I wholeheartedly agree with you, on the point of lessons are more valuable than new clubs. The reality is most people barely have time to play a round of golf, let alone spend hours of time and hundreds of dollars on lessons. I do believe people can fix their own swing in a relatively short amount of time, to make it functional. Unfortunately most coaches want to change their swing completely to a style that the coach understands or prefers. Most people don’t have that much time, as a swing change can take a very long time. And you will get worse before you get better with this methodology. This can be disheartening to most players. It just seems easier to walk into a store pick up a brand-new club and walk out. Even if it is the wrong way.
golfraven
Dec 14, 2015 at 9:21 am
If you are a serious golfer don’t bother putting a deposit on a house, buy a Tracman and rent a house. You wife will love you for sure. Or tell your kids to start working and earn money if they want to go to university. Come on man, life is nit worth living without a Tracman.
Jmoney
Dec 13, 2015 at 11:31 am
I’ve got Foresight with the HMT…love it and used it up against a Trackman and it was more accurate to me. Didn’t give me inflated numbers like trackman can do at times. Cheaper and a better setup for limited space for in home sim. That being said, I’m not hating on Trackman. It’s great but I like Foresight’s science and technology better.
jakeanderson
Dec 13, 2015 at 10:39 am
where can i get a simulator like that and what does it cost?
Christian
Dec 14, 2015 at 1:18 am
Jake,
Check out http://trackmangolf.com/products/simulator for more information 🙂
Christian
TrackMan
Chuck
Dec 12, 2015 at 5:21 pm
That room in the picture looks too good to be true. It’s gorgeous. Where is it? What do you hit into? Is there a net that has been taken down?
The column is all excellent advice. Now I just need a trackman. What does a Trackman go for these days?
DJ
Dec 12, 2015 at 7:32 pm
That’s just the generic picture that trackman uses on their site. Dream room!
Um.....Hemispheres
Dec 12, 2015 at 3:44 pm
“In most places in the world it’s getting colder…..”
?
other paul
Dec 13, 2015 at 2:38 am
I thought about half was getting warmer and about half was getting colder… People always speak from their own perspective, what he said was “most places in the world are getting colder”. What he was trying to say was that where a lot of the world’s golfers are is getting colder. And he was thinking that its getting cold outside for himself, so it must be that way for everyone. It’s just the way our brains work. Its why our wives dont understand our love for golf 🙁
Tom
Dec 12, 2015 at 2:54 pm
“If you cannot alter your trajectory, the game becomes very difficult.”
This is so true! I do not really recall hearing it until recently. When I was just a high ball hitter in my youth I had a lot of problems. Had it even dawned on me the importance of being able to alter trajectory I am sure I would have minimized those problems and been a better player.