First Launch Monitor Session Ever!

[joepro23]

Today my club brought out the launch monitor at the range because they were fitting members for TaylorMade drivers. I didn't want to get a new driver (happy with the r7 Superquad), but I have never been on a launch monitor so I went over to try some swings in front of it. Vector Pro Launch was the brand (don't know their reputation?). It was set up to a laptop and gave tons of info (clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, and several more stats I don't understand). A lot of members were over there either hitting or waiting to hit and I ended up having to wait about 45 minutes to use it. Really cool though and definitely worth it. Now I don't have to guess anymore when people ask me.

Note: I have heard that some of these launch monitors are screwy or set up to make people buy the clubs, but in this case I am fairly confident the numbers are accurate. 1) No TaylorMade Rep was there, 2) This was run by just the 3 pros at my club out there fitting members and working with them, and 3) They have been calibrating this thing for over a year now so they know how to use it.

So I start out with my driver (r7 Superquad TP 8.5deg, 75g stiff shaft):
First shot stats : 108 mph clubhead speed, 149 ball speed, 8 deg launch angle, spin? (forgot to look at it)

I can't complain a lot about those numbers, but I actually thought my clubhead speed was a little faster. I once used a "speed stik" a few years ago and I was swinging it between 115-120mph. Now that I think about it, I don't know why I believed that thing because I was swinging it as fast as possible and that is not how I hit a golf ball. I guess in the back of my mind I knew my clubhead speed was truly lower than that, but I had never been in front of a monitor...until today. First thing the pros (and I) noticed was that the launch angle was too low. High school physics tells you the optimal launch angle is 11 deg (or was it 11.5?...either way its around 11). I actually kind of like my current trajectory (which I think looks like a bullet and rolls a good amount), but having a slightly higher angle could give me more distance I guess.

So, I hit a few more with my driver and the numbers were coming out pretty much in the same ballpark every time with the spin rate being the only big change. Here were my stat ranges for the major categories with my driver.
Clubhead speed - 105-109mph
Ball speed - 140-155
Launch angle - 7 - 9 deg
Spin rate - 3000-5000rpm

Next, the pros took out different r9 SuperTri clubs and started tweaking variations of clubheads, shafts, lofts, etc. I never knew what they were handing me but I hit about 10 more. Eventually they got my launch angle around 11 and that shot also happened to be my best one.

My best shot (looked at the club after this one) was with the r9 SuperTri, 9.5 loft, 60g stiff shaft, 1 deg open - Stats: 110 mph clubhead, 159 ball speed, 10.8deg launch angle, 3,000 spin rate (approx). I was really pumped about those numbers and that club seems like a great fit, but I am probably going to pass on the driver for a few reasons: 1) I am hitting my current driver straight as an arrow, 2) I am I am weary buying that club because the shaft weight (60g) is a lot lower than my current driver and could be tougher to control, and 3) I could wait a little while and get a SuperTri a lot cheaper in the future (If I still want it).

Anyway...good experience to just rip some shots in front of it. My brother (who hits the ball about about as far as me) also took a bunch of swings and it was really funny because his clubhead speed was the exact same number as mine on his first shot. He is really inconsistent off the tee and the launch monitor had hilarious numbers on a few shots...One really high shot he skied (not off the top of the face) was launched at 18 deg. Another shot had a spin rate of 7500rpm and 3000rpm of slice spin.

Other notes :
- 85-90 degrees out
- this session was around noon and a little after my morning round (hit the driver great but shot 75 because I couldn't putt)