Many golfers think that swing speed is the only way to increase ball speed and ultimately the distance the golf ball travels. This is false. Before we discuss the other factors that affect ball speed and distance we need to talk about the relationship between swing speed and ball speed. Swing speed is defined as how fast the club head is moving at impact, while ball speed is defined as how fast the golf balls center of gravity is moving just after it leaves the clubface. Ball speed will always be higher than club head speed due to the transfer of energy from the clubhead to the golf ball. If you take a golfers ball speed and divide their swing speed from that, you will get what is known as smash factor.A golfer that has a ball speed of 150mph and a swing speed of 100mph then their smash factor is 1.5. This number tells you how effectively energy is being transferred from clubhead to the golf ball.
The higher the smash factor the more energy is being transferred. The USGA has put a limit on smash factor on to 1.5 when club manufactures submit new designs. A smash factor of 1.5 for a driver, around 1.39 for a 6 iron, and around 1.25 for a pitching wedge means you’re hitting the ball with optimal efficiency.
“You won’t find many drivers on the LPGA Tour under 45 inches,” Ping tour representative Jeff Heitt said. “Our standard is pretty much 451/4. You see a lot of drivers that are about 453/4.
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It is important to note that increasing the loft of the golf club will decrease smash factor. According to Trackman, the PGA Tour average smash factor with a driver is 1.49 and a 6 iron is 1.38. The LPGA Tour average for driver is 1.49 and 6 iron is 1.39.Male Amateur Averages (Driver).
Scratch or better – 1.49. 5 Handicap – 1.45. 10 Handicap – 1.45. 15 handicap – 1.44Female Amateur Averages (Driver). Scratch or better – 1.46. 5 Handicap – 1.45.
10 Handicap – 1.44. 15 handicap – 1.41As mentioned before swing speed isn’t the only thing that affects ball speed. While increase swing speed will likely increase ball speed and overall distance there are many factors that also affect ball speed and increasing your swing speed is most likely not the fastest way to increase overall distance. Improving how efficient you hit the golf ball is the quickest way to increase distance. Smash factor is a measure of how efficient you are hitting the golf ball, but what factors make up that efficiency? There are 3 main factors that make up how efficient you hit the golf ball. Centeredness of contact.
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Angle of attack. Face angle in relation to club pathCenteredness of contact and angle of attack are two major factors that affect ball speed and efficiency.
If you aren’t hitting the golf ball in the center of the face you will be adding side spin to the golf ball causing the ball to either hook or slice and reducing the efficiency of the strike. If your angle of attack is too steep in the downswing you are going to create more spin which will diminish the penetrating effect of the golf ball. Finally The face angle in relation to the club path plays a major role in the amount of side spin that is put on the golf ball. If the face angle and the club path don’t balance each other out, then there will be too much side spin on the ball and you will not hit the ball with optimal efficiency. The and to get more overall distance in your golf game is to improve your smash factor by focusing on centeredness of contact, angle of attack, and face angle in relation to club path.TAKE AMPD ANYWHERE! We’ve developed game changing solutions for golfers of all levels by combining fitness routines with swing tips to ensure RESULTS! Get ready to change the shape of your game and start playing the best pain-free golf of your LIFE — all with the convenience of our mobile app for golfers!.ReferencesJoseph, C.
Retrieved from Swing Speed vs. Ball Speed: golftips.golfweek.comPractical Golf. Why is Smash Factor So Important. Retrieved from Practical Golf: practical-golf.comTrackman. What is Smash Factor. Retrieved from Trackman Golf: blog.trackmangolf.comTrackman.
What is Ball Speed. Retrieved from Trackman Golf: blog.trackman.com.
By JAMES ACHENBACHSenior WriterSOUTHERN PINES, N.C. – Men, listen up.In analyzing and understanding golf equipment, most men can learn a lesson from the women of the LPGA.“What’s best for men? They should look at the drivers used by these gals,” proclaimed Pete Sanchez, president and COO of shaft manufacturer Fujikura Composites.
“There is a strong correlation there. The LPGA players do it right. They don’t use drivers that are too much for them. They get the most out of their swings, as well as their drivers.”The putter aside, the driver is arguably the most important club in the bag. Male amateurs have much in common with female touring pros when it comes to drivers – their distances off the tee generally are much closer to those of LPGA players than those of men on the PGA Tour.Heading into the U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles Golf Club, 17 LPGA players were averaging 260 yards or greater on their drives.In contrast, 57 men on the PGA Tour took driving averages higher than 290 yards into the Buick Open.At Pine Needles, several trends were evident among drivers used by the best female golfers in the world. These drivers were longer, lighter and more manageable than the drivers played by many men – amateur or professional.
Most drivers here were 451/4 to 453/4 inches in overall length. On the PGA Tour, many players have cut back to 441/2 inches or other sub-45 lengths.“You won’t find many drivers on the LPGA Tour under 45 inches,” Ping tour representative Jeff Heitt said. “Our standard is pretty much 451/4.
You see a lot of drivers that are about 453/4. These women have the kind of smooth swings that work well with longer drivers. They have lots of rhythm and good timing.”. Women’s drivers have lighter overall weights and, in particular, lighter shafts.
The LPGA has been a proving ground in the use of ultralight graphite shafts, which can result in additional swing speed, more ball speed and more distance.“Most of the players out here use shafts in the low to high 50s (grams),” Heitt said. “Some go as low as 45. Nobody is higher than 65. The Fujikura ZCOM SIX, at 53 grams (in a stiff flex), kind of got it started.”The best-known ZCOM SIX user is Annika Sorenstam, who has the shaft in her Callaway drivers.Lorena Ochoa, No. 1 on the LPGA money list, uses a 54-gram Mitsubishi Diamana shaft in her Ping Rapture driver. Although Ochoa uses a lighter version, her choice of the Diamana places her alongside Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh.Fujikura has been the most-used driver shaft in every LPGA event this year, chased by Mitsubishi, Graphite Design, Aldila, Grafalloy and others.
Brittany Lincicome has a 55-gram Graphite Design Pershing shaft in her Adams BTY driver. Suzann Pettersen, No. 2 in LPGA earnings, swings a slightly heavier Graphite Design YS-6 in her TaylorMade SuperQuad driver. The women are unafraid to experiment with loft, many of them going to drivers with more loft to gain more carry.“We do a lot of bending for loft and lie,” TaylorMade tour rep Brian Rhattigan said.“I’d say we bend 50 percent of our drivers at least a degree flat.”Why? Because a flatter lie is one antidote for shots that are hooked or pulled.A word of caution: Bending titanium driver heads is tricky because they fracture easily. This bending, which voids most warranties, must be done by an experienced clubmaker. LPGA shafts also tend to be less harsh, featuring mid-range kickpoints rather than high kickpoints.
A lower kickpoint usually results in a higher ball flight.The downside of fitting with lighter shafts?“It’s easy for a player to lose feel,” Heitt said. “Then we’re kind of stymied by the (limited) weight range (of the shafts), because it’s harder for us to change flight characteristics solely by changing shafts.”Heitt is famous for dual roles on the LPGA. He is a Ping tour rep as well as Pat Hurst’s husband. Ping has the most contract players on the women’s tour with 15, including Hurst.“They appreciate what I do,” Heitt said. “Fitting them is like figuring out a puzzle.
I like that.”The answer to this year’s driver puzzle: longer and lighter.James Achenbach is a Golfweek senior writer. To reach him e-mail [email protected] Titleist preference: It is no secret that Titleist dominates golf ball usage on the PGA Tour and LPGA. For example, Titleist has been the No. 1 ball at the U.S. Open for 59 consecutive years.What is lesser known, however, is the number of touring pros who choose the Titleist Pro V1 compared with the Pro V1x.
More PGA Tour players use the Pro V1x, while more LPGA golfers use the Pro V1.The numbers from the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open: 76 played the Pro V1, while 49 played the Pro V1x.At this year’s U.S. Open, the preferences were reversed: 67 golfers used the Pro V1x, compared to 40 for the Pro V1.Why the difference? It relates primarily to feel and spin. Although the Pro V1x may be marginally longer off the tee for players with high swing speeds, the Pro V1 tends to feel somewhat softer on shots around the greens.The equipment category leaders at the U.S.
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