The advent of Trackman and other data analysis devices has allowed golfers to fine tune their games and unlock distance improvements. Over the years, teaching instructors and fitting experts have analyzed data from Trackman and other devices to find “optimal” performance from the results.
We now can estimate, based on your swing speed, about how high you should launch your golf ball, how much spin it should have, how high it should go and at what angle it should hit the ground.
Before we dive deeper into the numbers, however, let’s get this out of the way now: every golfer is different. Golf swings are like fingerprints in the sense that they’re all unique to the individual. Golfers have different release patterns, angles of attack, play in different conditions, have different preferences, and they have all sorts of idiosyncrasies. For a personalized assessment of your game, make sure to seek professional advice from a teaching instructor or expert golf club fitter.
Here’s the shaft flex you should play based on your swing speed
That being said, GOLF.com’s sister company, True Spec Golf, uses a chart called “Launch Monitor Preferred Parameters” that estimates a preferred range for certain categories. For each swing speed, there’s a recommended range of spin rates, launch angles, peak heights and angles of descent for you to optimize your golf shots.
Below, we take a look at what True Spec Golf says is “preferred” when it comes to driver data. Remember, the recommended driver numbers listed below are for reference only, so don’t panic if your numbers don’t fit perfectly in these ranges. If, however, your numbers are outside of the ranges listed below, and you’re looking for more distance, it may be time to address either your equipment or swing to find your optimal performance.
“Very Fast” swing speed (more than 105 mph with the driver)
- Launch: 10-16 degrees
- Spin: 1750-2300 rpm
- Peak height: 100-120 feet
- Angle of descent: 34-38 degrees
“Fast” swing speed (97-104 mph)
- Launch: 12-16 degrees
- Spin: 2000-2500 rpm
- Peak height: 87-100 feet
- Angle of descent: 33-37 degrees
“Average” swing speed (84-96 mph)
- Launch: 13-16 degrees
- Spin: 2400-2700 rpm
- Peak height: 70-86 feet
- Angle of descent: 32-36 degrees
“Slow” swing speed (72-83 mph)
- Launch: 14-19 degrees
- Spin: 2600-2900 rpm
- Peak height: 58-70 feet
- Angle of descent: 31-35 degrees
“Ladies” (less than 72 mph)
- Launch: 14-19 degrees
- Spin: 2600-2900 rpm
- Peak height: 45-58 feet
- Angle of descent: 27-31 degrees
Click here if you’re curious about the average numbers for PGA and LPGA Tour players.