Find AoA?

[AlexHowe]

Morning, 

I came across this article in Golf WRX about how dynamic loft and AoA factor into launch angle. The important parts are as follows:

Factor in the following numbers for this shot:

• Launch Angle: 11.9 degrees
• Dynamic Loft: 13.5 degrees
• Angle of Attack: 2.8 degrees

Understanding that dynamic loft is 85 percent of your ball’s launch angle and angle of attack is 15 percent of your ball’s launch angle, we now see that the dynamic loft of this shot hit was a touch too low.

• Dynamic Loft: 85 percent of 13.5 degrees is 11.47 degrees.
• Angle of Attack: 15 percent of 2.8 degrees is 0.42 degrees.

Add those numbers up and you get 11.89 degrees for your launch angle.

At my Golftec the launch monitors only measure LA and not DL or AoA. For those of you who are better at math than I am, could I somehow reverse engineer what the Golf WRX article says using only the LA to parse out AoA?

[DaveP043]

This is pretty simple math stuff.  

0.85(DL) + 0.15(AA) = LA

0.15(AA) = LA- 0.85(DL)

AA = (LA-0.85(DL))/0.15

But why do you really care?  If your launch angle is lower than you want it to be, you need to either swing up a little more (increase angle of attack) or add Dynamic Loft.  But you shouldn't be the one making the decision, or trying to figure out on your own how to get it done.  That's what instruction is for.  Here's the important part of the article you referenced:

Quote

and it is now easy for me the teacher to understand exactly what piece of the puzzle is causing your launch angle issues

 

[AlexHowe]

Thanks Dave.  Mostly care because I like seeing/having as much info as possible. I do have a coach and we have a time set up for the 31st to work on it, though I like having somewhat of an idea before I go in.  As for the math, unfortunately I'm not Euclid. Thanks for the help!

[AlexHowe]

Now that I reread it though it looks like I'd still need to know DL, which the GC2 doesn't provide. Oh well. Can always hope they'll upgrade to the HMT or the Quad at some point.

[DaveP043]

Here's the important thing.  Launch Angle is almost entirely based on Dynamic Loft.  This is absolutely analogous to ball flight laws determining horizontal shot shape, which is simplistically stated as the ball launches based on the FACE, and curves away from the PATH.  Vertically, the ball launches based on the FACE (i.e. Dynamic Loft) and curves away from the PATH (Angle of Attack is always lower than DL, so the ball wants to curve upward.  One thing that will give you an indication (not a direct calculation) of the AoA is the backspin.  The greater the difference between the path and the face, the greater the spin.  You might change to a little more upward AoA and see very minimal change on Launch Angle, but the spin will go down.  

Edited December 15, 2020 by DaveP043