Clubhead speed and carry+roll

**bunkerputt** · March 22, 2012

I heard a few years back, I think it was in a golf digest article about how to hit it 300 yards. The guy started with a swing speed of 100mph and someone told him "You probably max out at around 260". I think for that guy at that time, that was about right. There seems to be some common wisdom about needing a 120mph swing speed to hit it 300 yards. Maybe they are referencing carry there, not sure what the disconnect is... I've seen numbers on several launch monitors that were really good with a swing speed that would be considered low. e.g. 104mph, 288 carry, 306 total. At first I thought it was just a crappy launch monitor, but some really good monitors out there seem to all concur that you can hit it over 300 with a swing speed in the 102-104 range. Who's right? The launch monitors or random golf mavens?

Post some data if you have some or just give honest anecdotal evidence that you can hit it over 300 without swinging 110+

**mdl** · March 22, 2012

I've had monitors tell me my driver swing speed is between 104 and 112 mph, depending on the monitor and the day and how much I go after it. I've had the same experience, where those monitors tell me I'm carrying it ~280s and rolling out past 300 on all the straight ones. I think that's a little bit inflated, but not much. On flat fairways that aren't overly hard I tend to get carry+roll in the 280s on my solid, straight drives on standard SoCal warm, dryish days, but my best couple drives each round will end up past 300 even without excessive roll or downhills or anything. Note of course that my true mean isn't over 280, since I don't hit every drive solid and straight!

But the point remains that you definitely don't need swing speed over 120mph to get carry+roll of 300 yards. I'd guess that that's 300 yards of carry. I'd believe that, since I know for sure I've never carried a drive anywhere near 300 yards and that my swing speed is significantly below 120mph. Maybe you need swing speed of ~110mph with center contact and good smash factor to get carry+roll of 300 yards on a flat fairway of average hardness and roll when it's not too cold or wet?

**x129** · March 22, 2012

http://www.iseekgolf.com/clubfittingandrepairs/7313-angle-of-attack-its-role-in-fitting givers you a carry of 274 at 105mph with a perfect strike (good luck with that) which matches what I have seen elsewhere. 25 yards of roll isn't unreasonable on a lot of course while on some others ones the your roll out will be more like 10 yards. You could also tweak your swing for more roll less carry and squeak out a few more yards on certain courses. So in theory yeah you can hit 300 with a 105mph club speed. Reality is that if you getting much above 270 on a regular basis you are doing good. Personally I think they set all the launch monitors to 5k ft so everyone hits the ball just a bit farther. I am also convinced that all of the practice putting greens slope to the hole at my local store.

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I heard a few years back, I think it was in a golf digest article about how to hit it 300 yards. The guy started with a swing speed of 100mph and someone told him "You probably max out at around 260". I think for that guy at that time, that was about right. There seems to be some common wisdom about needing a 120mph swing speed to hit it 300 yards. Maybe they are referencing carry there, not sure what the disconnect is... I've seen numbers on several launch monitors that were really good with a swing speed that would be considered low. e.g. 104mph, 288 carry, 306 total. At first I thought it was just a crappy launch monitor, but some really good monitors out there seem to all concur that you can hit it over 300 with a swing speed in the 102-104 range. Who's right? The launch monitors or random golf mavens?

Post some data if you have some or just give honest anecdotal evidence that you can hit it over 300 without swinging 110+

**pipergsm** · December 27, 2012

105 mph, +5 angle of attack gives you 274 yds of carry with a 10 degree driver, that's correct.

add to that a spin rate of only 2070 and a firm FW, and you're likely to pass 30 yds of roll.

ergo, +300 yds total distance.

CLUBHEAD SPEED (MPH)	ANGLE OF ATTACK (DEGREES)	BALL SPEED (MPH)	LAUNCH ANGLE (DEGREES)	SPIN AT LAUNCH (RPM)	CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)	DYNAMIC LOFT AT IMPACT (DEGREES)	PROBABLE DRIVER LOFT
75	-5° Down	105	14.1	3170	145	17.1	23
75	0° Level	107	16.1	2690	156	18.6	19
75	+5° Upward	109	18.9	2310	167	21	15
90	-5° Down	129	10.6	3130	195	13.1	19.5
90	0° Level	131	13.4	2700	208	15.4	15.5
90	+5° Upward	132	16.0	2210	221	17.7	11.5
105	-5° Down	153	8.0	3060	243	10.1	14.5
105	0° Level	155	10.7	2520	259	12.3	12
105	+5° Upward	156	13.8	2070	274	15.2	10
120	-5° Down	177	5.7	2880	291	7.4	12
120	0° Level	178	9.0	2430	309	10.4	10
120	+5° Upward	179	12.1	1910	326	13.2	8

**tstrike34** · December 27, 2012

Originally Posted by pipergsm

105 mph, +5 angle of attack gives you 274 yds of carry with a 10 degree driver, that's correct.

add to that a spin rate of only 2070 and a firm FW, and you're likely to pass 30 yds of roll.

ergo, +300 yds total distance.

CLUBHEAD SPEED (MPH)

ANGLE OF ATTACK (DEGREES)

BALL SPEED (MPH)

LAUNCH ANGLE (DEGREES)

SPIN AT LAUNCH (RPM)

CARRY DISTANCE (YARDS)

DYNAMIC LOFT AT IMPACT (DEGREES)

PROBABLE DRIVER LOFT

75

-5° Down

105

14.1

3170

145

17.1

23

75

0° Level

107

16.1

2690

156

18.6

19

75

+5° Upward

109

18.9

2310

167

21

15

90

-5° Down

129

10.6

3130

195

13.1

19.5

90

0° Level

131

13.4

2700

208

15.4

15.5

90

+5° Upward

132

16.0

2210

221

17.7

11.5

105

-5° Down

153

8.0

3060

243

10.1

14.5

105

0° Level

155

10.7

2520

259

12.3

12

105

+5° Upward

156

13.8

2070

274

15.2

10

120

-5° Down

177

5.7

2880

291

7.4

12

120

0° Level

178

9.0

2430

309

10.4

10

120

+5° Upward

179

12.1

1910

326

13.2

8

Question...

I am wondering about my driver distance. I have 11.5*... dunno my swing speed (probably 75) ... currently I am ranging in at about 189 - 195.. Is that accurate?

**x129** · December 27, 2012

The chart is about right (at least for distances) for maximum carry. For maximum distance (ie. carry plus roll) you tend to use a slightly lower loft driver. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that in TX you hit your driver about 160 yards carry and get 30+ yards of roll. Teebox elevation can also be good for a half dozen yards.

Quote:

Question...

I am wondering about my driver distance. I have 11.5*... dunno my swing speed (probably 75) ... currently I am ranging in at about 189 - 195.. Is that accurate?

**tstrike34** · December 27, 2012

Originally Posted by x129

The chart is about right (at least for distances) for maximum carry. For maximum distance (ie. carry plus roll) you tend to use a slightly lower loft driver. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that in TX you hit your driver about 160 yards carry and get 30+ yards of roll. Teebox elevation can also be good for a half dozen yards.

Quote:

Ouch.... man I just got a driver for Xmas... Looks like I need to either speed up my club head speed or get a high loft club!! *Ouch*

**Effington** · December 28, 2012

Weather could have an impact as well...or for an indoor monitor, a computer weather setting.

**saevel25** · December 29, 2012

Roll is unreliable. In the summer i have hit my 3 wood 300 yards before, when i purposely hit a low stinger type shot. But in the spring, that thing is 50 yards back.

I rather get as much carry as possible, i know a few guys who gain a good 30 yards between spring and summer on there drives, because they hit the ball lower

**Golfingdad** · December 29, 2012

All the info and charts above seem reasonable to me. My info from testing drivers the other day (typical SoCal winter day, sixty degrees, no wind): 106-107 club head speed, 160 ball speed, -4 attack, 9 launch, 2200-2800 spin ... And the best shot I recorded was 268 carry and roll out to 280-something. (Pretty obvious that my 'problem' is in the attack angle category :))

**colin007** · December 29, 2012

It's all about impact. I have a highish swing speed {115-117) but i make terrible contact, smash factor only around 1.35... Also, most of the fairways near me give zero roll. A lot of times my ball will be a few feet behind the plug mark where it landed.:-\

**late347** · May 31, 2014

I had ss 104mph, dynamic loft 7deg, smash factor 1.48(really stoked about that) 230yard carry 270 roll (LOL) I was hitting down -4.5deg with driver loft 11,5deg so said flightscope.

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Clubhead speed and carry+roll

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