Trackman Data: PGA Tour vs. LPGA (With 2017 Data!

[Spitfisher]

Well, If you wanted to post something on 300 yards, there are plenty of threads about it. When I mean plenty, I mean too many. :-D Though I warn you not to start that up again, those threads are like throwing oil onto fire.

I found JPKs post relative to the threads subject at the time, 5 pages deep, in a perfect world threads are started and the subject remains the same at the beginning,middle and end. I haven't found that to be the case. And that's what moderators are for.

[iacas]

Updated Info for 2017: https://blog.trackmangolf.com/2017-pga-lpga-tour-avg/

[billchao]

12 minutes ago, iacas said:

Updated Info for 2017: https://blog.trackmangolf.com/2017-pga-lpga-tour-avg/

I was surprised that the numbers are largely unchanged (though I admit I didn't go through them all). I guess that's a result of averages.

I'm seeing more shots by players up near 40 yards max height in recent years which is part of why I thought these numbers might have changed over the years, but like I said, might just because the charts are averages.

According to the PGA Tour, the median player averages 34 yards apex height off the tee.

http://www.pgatour.com/stats/stat.02407.html

[iacas]

1 minute ago, billchao said:

According to the PGA Tour, the median player averages 34 yards apex height off the tee.

As you know, medians and means aren't always the same.

[nevets88]

I suppose that so many more high CHS players nowadays that they can afford to not hit up on the driver, thus keeping the average the same? Koepka hits down on his driver, for example.

[billchao]

3 minutes ago, iacas said:

As you know, medians and means aren't always the same.

Yea.

I always liked the charts. Gives me a benchmark to measure against.

[nevets88]

With big data being, well, big these days, you'd kind of hope there would be more drill down data.

[iacas]

1 minute ago, nevets88 said:

With big data being, well, big these days, you'd kind of hope there would be more drill down data.

Yeah.

 

[dennyjones]

I noticed that the average AoA for the PGA is negative.   I thought Rory got into a heated twitter argument with somebody recently over hitting up/down with the driver.  

[iacas]

1 hour ago, dennyjones said:

I noticed that the average AoA for the PGA is negative.   I thought Rory got into a heated twitter argument with somebody recently over hitting up/down with the driver.  

Yeah. I'm not sure what you're asking/saying…?

[dennyjones]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

Yeah. I'm not sure what you're asking/saying…?

Do the pros hit down with their driver?   Isn't that a negative angle of attack?  I was under the impression that a positive angle of attack was hitting up on the golf ball with the driver.    Please clear this up for me.   

[Jeremie Boop]

14 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

Do the pros hit down with their driver?   Isn't that a negative angle of attack?  I was under the impression that a positive angle of attack was hitting up on the golf ball with the driver.    Please clear this up for me.   

Pros typically do hit down, aka negative AoA, however for optimum distance a positive AoA is best. Now, as for why, I couldn't really answer that.

[iacas]

26 minutes ago, dennyjones said:

Do the pros hit down with their driver?   Isn't that a negative angle of attack?  I was under the impression that a positive angle of attack was hitting up on the golf ball with the driver.    Please clear this up for me.   

Yes, negative is downward.

But Rory wasn't wrong in what he was saying: he hits up, and it helps him hit the ball farther.

Some PGA Tour players don't like it when the ball gets up in the air. Bill Haas hits down a bunch, but he gets nervous when he starts hitting up and hitting the ball higher, even if it does get him 20 yards of added distance.

He figures he swings fast enough that he can hit the ball far enough (giving up some yardage) but it's more comfortable and in his opinion controllable when it's a lower ball flight with a bit more spin from hitting down slightly.

[dennyjones]

1 hour ago, Jeremie Boop said:

Pros typically do hit down, aka negative AoA, however for optimum distance a positive AoA is best. Now, as for why, I couldn't really answer that.

 

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Yes, negative is downward.

But Rory wasn't wrong in what he was saying: he hits up, and it helps him hit the ball farther.

Some PGA Tour players don't like it when the ball gets up in the air. Bill Haas hits down a bunch, but he gets nervous when he starts hitting up and hitting the ball higher, even if it does get him 20 yards of added distance.

He figures he swings fast enough that he can hit the ball far enough (giving up some yardage) but it's more comfortable and in his opinion controllable when it's a lower ball flight with a bit more spin from hitting down slightly.

Thanks.   I now understand...

[colin007]

On 6/29/2017 at 0:46 PM, iacas said:

Yes, negative is downward.

But Rory wasn't wrong in what he was saying: he hits up, and it helps him hit the ball farther.

Some PGA Tour players don't like it when the ball gets up in the air. Bill Haas hits down a bunch, but he gets nervous when he starts hitting up and hitting the ball higher, even if it does get him 20 yards of added distance.

He figures he swings fast enough that he can hit the ball far enough (giving up some yardage) but it's more comfortable and in his opinion controllable when it's a lower ball flight with a bit more spin from hitting down slightly.

Won't the ball balloon if there's too much spin?

Also, BIG difference in AoA for the boys vs the girls with the driver...

Edited June 30, 2017 by colin007
Spelling

[iacas]

2 hours ago, colin007 said:

Won't the ball balloon if there's too much spin?

They do okay… they still minimize spin.

[NCGolfer]

Really interesting stuff here...i'm also surprised that things haven't changed (much) in the past years.

The biggest difference between the men and women (other than distance) are angles of attack.  Women are hitting up a lot more up on the ball.  Huge delta on the driver.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, NCGolfer said:

Really interesting stuff here...i'm also surprised that things haven't changed (much) in the past years.

The biggest difference between the men and women (other than distance) are angles of attack.  Women are hitting up a lot more up on the ball.  Huge delta on the driver.

They have to, yeah.

Funny story… when "MG" was still involved with S&T, I saw in their public Facebook group that the "hitting up vs. hitting down with the driver" debate had begun again. Andy Plummer in particular was adamant that you should hit down with the driver… regardless of what the science has taught us.

Anyway, MG - who was fairly high up in the S&T leadership at the time - said something like "well, the women hit up with the driver, and they hit the ball shorter than the men!" as proof that hitting down was better.

Uhhh…