Five years ago, I believed I possessed a comprehensive understanding of ball flight and golf instruction. However, my perspective dramatically shifted when I began incorporating TrackMan into my teaching methodology. It became clear that my knowledge was just the tip of the iceberg, not only regarding the intricacies of ball flight but also in grasping the nuances of individual golfers and their common tendencies.
It’s crucial to recognize that TrackMan itself is not a teaching tool; it’s a sophisticated measurement device. It serves as an invaluable asset for golf instructors, enabling us to more efficiently pinpoint the root causes of a golfer’s challenges and initiate effective improvements with concrete data backing our diagnoses. Once technology assists in the diagnosis process, it then becomes instrumental in evaluating the efficacy of recommended adjustments. If the data doesn’t reflect positive changes, a swift revision of the approach is necessary.
My experience with TrackMan has been enlightening, not just about ball flight mechanics, but also in identifying recurring patterns among golfers of all levels. These insights, shared by fellow TrackMan aficionados like Martin Chuck, Jason Sutton, and Tom Stickney, have significantly shaped my coaching philosophy.
The Critical Strike Point
One of the most significant revelations has been the paramount importance of where the ball makes contact on the clubface. The strike point dictates ball flight to a far greater extent than previously understood. Mis-hits towards the heel or toe can often mislead golfers into attempting to correct aspects of their swing that are not fundamentally flawed.
Pro Tip: A simple yet highly effective technique to gain immediate feedback on your strike point is to use Dr. Scholl’s Odor-X Foot Powder Spray. Applying a light coating to the clubface before hitting the ball will leave a clear mark indicating precisely where contact was made. This visual feedback is invaluable for understanding your impact patterns and making targeted adjustments.
Beyond Swing Appearance
The visual aesthetics of a golf swing, often captured in two-dimensional videos, are surprisingly disconnected from actual ball flight. The swing’s appearance on video doesn’t necessarily correlate with the message the clubhead delivers to the golf ball at impact. Counterintuitively, skilled players often need to swing considerably more to the left than they perceive to execute consistent fades. Similarly, achieving draws doesn’t necessitate consciously rolling the hands over.
Key Takeaway: Avoid fixating excessively on the “look” of your swing. Prioritize function over form, focusing on the physics at the moment of impact, which ultimately governs ball flight.
Angle of Attack Mastery
The angle of attack, the vertical direction of the clubhead at impact, exerts a profound influence on shot shape, distance, and trajectory. Many golfers commonly hit down too steeply on the ball, whereas elite players often exhibit a shallower approach. For golfers with slower swing speeds, a positive or upward angle of attack with the driver can yield substantial gains in tee shot distance.
Actionable Advice: Almost every golfer can benefit from cultivating a shallower, more sweeping motion into the ball. Specifically with the driver, learning to hit up on the ball is crucial, as the distance advantages are too significant to overlook.
Decoding Shot Shape
The clubface angle at impact is the primary determinant of a shot’s initial direction. Furthermore, the loft of the clubface at impact, known as dynamic loft, largely dictates the launch angle. It’s noteworthy that on full swings, the launch angle is frequently lower than golfers anticipate. Conversely, the club path, the direction the clubhead is moving relative to the target line, is primarily responsible for the curvature of the shot.
Practical Tip: To execute draws, a shot shape that is advantageous for most golfers, an in-to-out club path is essential. To elevate launch angle, consider adjusting club loft or optimizing the loft delivered at impact.
The Human Element: Ego Check Required
It’s a common observation that golfers, particularly men, tend to overestimate their hitting distance and clubhead speed. Simply mentioning club speed to a golfer often triggers an immediate, often unconscious, attempt to swing faster on the subsequent swing, in a bid to demonstrate higher speed. While general patterns exist in golf, the reality is that individual variations are vast, and almost anything is possible on the course.
Honest Self-Assessment: Leave your ego behind. You’ll start seeing improved scores when you strategically plan your shots based on your actual, demonstrable capabilities, rather than inflated perceptions.
TrackMan is an invaluable tool that guides instructors in identifying problems and verifying the effectiveness of proposed solutions. From a player’s perspective, it serves as a powerful feel machine. A high-quality lesson utilizing TrackMan should leave you with a clear understanding of the issue at hand and the precise feel required to rectify it.
For further insights and expert golf instruction, be sure to follow Martin Chuck, Jason Sutton, and Tom Stickney on Twitter. Their expertise and knowledge are highly recommended.
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and your feedback and questions are always welcome.
