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getting the most out of your equipment and your game.

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Golf-Pro Shop
South China Athletic Association
88 Caroline Hill Rd
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Tel:   (852) 2882 6878

Email: mark@precisiongolf.hk

Website: www.precisiongolf.hk

Data
The following data is compiled by the launch monitor after each shot.
-         Clubhead speed
-         Ball speed
-         Dynamic loft (loft of the clubhead at ball contact)
-         Launch angle (the angle the ball is launched when leaving the clubface)
-         Club head path
-         Clubface angle
-         Angle of attack of the clubhead
-         Rate of ball back spin and side spin
-         Displacement of the ball during and after flight
-         Carry and total distance
-         Efficiency or smash factor

How date is used to enhance the fitting process
The data from the launch monitor is particularly useful in fitting the driver club. Launch monitor is also useful in plotting incremental difference in shot distance between each club thus making it easier to work out the set make-up.
Traditionally it was believed that a ball that launched low and climbed higher during flight maximized shot distance when playing the driver. This method relied heavily on the ball roll after landing. Driver heads where designed with grooves consistent with iron club heads and were offered in lofts as low as 6 degrees. The problem here is that the main function of grooves is to encourage backspin. With the emergence of the launch monitor manufacturers and club fitters realized that a ball that spins too much creates too much drag against air resistance and hence the modern trend of offering drivers with higher loft and little or even no grooves began. Drivers with as much as 19 degrees are now available in the market.
The key to maximizing driver distance is to maximize carry distance. This is achieved by matching the ball launch angle and the backspin rate to the clubhead speed at impact. Simply the higher the clubhead speed the lower the launch and spin requirement. The lower the clubhead speed the higher the launch and backspin requirement. For example:
Clubhead speed of 100 mph requires a launch of 15 degrees and a backspin rate of 2400 rpm
Clubhead speed of 70 mph requires a launch of 21 degrees and a backspin rate of 3000 rpm

The optimum launch is achieved by matching clubhead characteristics such as loft weight and head design with shaft characteristics such as flex, deflection point and weight together with club length, total weight and swing weight (balance between the head and handle end of the golf club), together with your swing.
The angle of attack (or approach) of the clubhead to the ball is also a critical factor in maximizing distance off the tee. The angle of attack greatly influences the amount of backspin that is imparted on the ball at impact. It has been stated that the average attack angle on the USPGA tour is around 5 degrees and on the LPGA is around 8 degrees.

Testing shafts with varying shaft profiles during the fitting process aids the process of optimizing ball spin. Shaft manufacturers offer shafts with either low mid or high launch properties as well as high mid or low spin influences in many shaft weights. Typically slower swingers will be most suited to lighter, softer shafts with a high launch influence (low kick point) and faster swingers will be suited towards heavier, stiffer shafts with low launch influence (high kick point) however there are always exceptions.

History
The first launch monitor is believed to have been developed by Acushnet the parent company of Titleist Golf some back in the 1970’s. It featured a large mainframe computer with a camera that captured the ball and club at impact, and the ball about 12 to 18 inches into flight.
“Way ahead of its time,” Acushnet CEO Wally Uihlein said.
As with other advances in equipment, launch monitors are now portable, smaller and more efficient.

Types of launch monitors
There are currently two types of launch monitors in the market. One technology is using radar technology to track the ball its entire journey and the other uses high speed digital imagery of the ball and calculates the shot characteristics based on images immediately following impact. Both have their advantages however the radar systems do require more space in setting up. Perhaps the greatest thing about the expensive radar technology is that it confirms that the cheaper image based systems are in fact very accurate at calculating and simulating the actual ball flight and are a fraction of the price.
 
The Launch Monitor on Tour
 “There’s a lot of reasons the ball is going farther, and one of them is the launch monitor,” Jeff Sluman (PGA Tour professional) said. “You can really dial in the exact ball flight and get the right shaft and the right club, and that combination will maximize your potential off the tee.”
Brenden Pappas used a launch monitor for the first time two years ago while on the Nationwide Tour. He found the equipment for optimal launch angle and spin, and now tests himself every four or five months just to make sure his driver is reacting the way it should.  Pappas is tied with Tiger Woods at 10th in driving distance on the PGA Tour. “I’ve changed drivers to get extra spin on the ball,” he said. “If you don’t embrace technology, you fall behind. I use everything at my disposal. You’d be crazy not to.”

The launch monitor is not singularly responsible for players hitting the ball farther. It’s simply the catalyst for players being matched up with the best equipment — clubs, shafts, balls — for their game. “It shows players what it will take to play power golf,” said Bill Morgan, executive vice president of research and development at Titleist. “The information shows players how to make changes that give them increments of distance. For some, it was big. For others, it was not so big.”

Phil Mickelson showed at the start of his season in Phoenix how much he was putting that information to use. “The spin rate has been knocked down. The launch angle has been sent up. The ball is just taking on a whole different orbit,” he said in Phoenix. “From last year, I’ve got a 2-degree higher launch angle, 8 mph faster ball speed and about a 15- to 20-yard overall distance difference.”

Charles Howell III was still in junior high when he first went to the Callaway Golf’s test center and worked with a launch monitor. He came away with a lesson in engineering. “I learned that it was a lot of numbers involved in driving,” he said. “I had tried a bunch of different drivers. At that age, you’re just trying to hit the ball far, and you don’t understand why one driver goes farther than another. Now, you have numbers to put to it. I was lucky enough to have that when I was 13 years old.”

Dick Rugge, senior technical adviser for the U.S. Golf Association, believes the launch monitor simply speeds up the process of finding the right equipment. “It’s a catalyst,” he said. “It doesn’t create more distance, but it makes getting there quicker. Through trial and error, somebody could keep trying different clubs, balls and swings, and sooner or later they would get there. But the launch monitor makes it happen much quicker.”

Firstly you must know that Hong Kong is not the exactly the easiest place in the world to take up the game, however if you don’t mind to travel about a bit then you’ll be fine.

Hong Kong has from my calculations 198 golf holes which is equivalent to 11 x 18 hole golf courses which is spread over 4 Golf Clubs and two public courses. There are I believe nine driving ranges and a handful of indoor facilities.

As a coach of now 10 years in Hong Kong I see a common trend amongst new golfers. Most pick up the game as an interest from family and friends and go headfirst into the deep end without considering the complexities that the game presents. Below I have outlined each consideration for you to see if golf weighs up to be the game for you.

Time – First consider how much time you have to devote to learning and self practice time.

Like in any learning process, at the beginning you will be required to put in more time so as to cement the new found skills and of course a big part of this is constant repetition of your swing motion and short games. Realistically you’ll need a minimum of 1 hour of instruction each week and at least 1-2 hours of self practice. I do however recommend that if you can afford it is better to practice with your instructor in the first few weeks.
Expect a minimum of 6 hours of instruction before being ready to tackle the golf course maybe more if the instruction is in group form or if you are not athletically gifted.

Budget – How much money are you willing to invest in your golfing future?

Let’s face it golf can be an expensive experience, particularly if you pick up and drop off.
It is worth investing your money wisely. The obvious safest surest way to get started is to take some group instruction or get a friend to teach you. Take this step if you’re prepared for blisters, aching muscles and frustration. That is unless you get your kicks out of looking kind of weird at the driving range.

Understand that new golfers paying smaller amounts of instruction fees usually get the lesser experience instructors. In my opinion this often presents the reason that many pick up the game and leave it ‘cause it seems too difficult. A good or great instructor is worth his or her weight in gold when it comes to learning a skill. Yes you’ll pay more and in most cases you will get more.

Learning in a group can be less intimidating and can also be fun so don’t rule out this option if it fits your bill.

Remember also that you will be required to purchase some of your own equipment at some stage which will happen before you head for the golf course. Your instructor should provide equipment for training and if he understands the importance of equipment should recommend you to customize a small number of clubs for you start out with that can be added to when you take the game more seriously

Do your homework – Finding the right instructor for you is a very key step in determining your golfing fate. Hong Kong houses an abundance of instructors. In fact it seems every man and his dog is taking a career change in teaching golf. There are also a multitude of Golf Instructor organizations and associations such as PGA, GTF, PGTA USGTF. I think you can get a certificate for most of these on the back of the Corn Flakes packet or even in PDF form from the internet. In general the instructors with a PGA after their name are the most qualified individuals apart from a few countries in the Asian Pacific whom I think also place their certificates in the cereal box. (Just kidding) don’t mean to offend anyone.
Some of the GTF types of organizations do offer a fairly detailed training program for their members in the field of instruction however do not necessarily require their members to possess a high playing standard. In saying that, some of the best and most renowned instructors in the world are not the good at playing the game. Well I’m not exactly on my game these days I might add.

Ask around friends or friends of friends whom play golf to a descent standard and whom know the industry to find out who the reputable instructors are. Or otherwise just hire me – I’ll sort you out!

Logistics – In general most golfers prefer to practice and take instruction somewhere within the vicinity of their work or residence. From a time factor this works best. If you do have the luxury of having time on your hands some of the less metropolitan golfing facilities house more comprehensive golf practice, training and playing facilities. I good instructor will surely take advantage of such facilities and advise you as to when you should visit such establishments and in what frequency of visit

Set realistic achievable measurable objectives for yourself – Playing golf requires quite a level of skill, certainly a level of patience and much persistence.

I wish you well in your quest and should you have any questions please post them below or contact me personally by phone or email.

Mark Smith
Australian PGA
Hong Kong PGA
Nakashima Golf Certified Master Club Fitter

Tel: 97750347 Email: mark@marksmithgolf.com