Interesting observations

[revkev]

Wasn't quite sure where these observations best fit.  Since they have to do with tracking and Personal Launch Monitor data, I thought that I'd try here.

I'll start with the personal launch monitor stuff.  On the range I get my longest drives when I launch the ball higher.  Because spin rates are not available on the Rapsodo I don't know what they are.  I always have had issue with too much spin on driver because I have a very positive AoA - plus 3 or even greater at times.  However, that higher launch `15 degrees or so does not square with my tracker devices or the times that I've been fitted on track man.  I can't tell you the launch on the shotscope device but I know that my longest drives are a bit lower followed by some additional roll out that Rapsodo can't pick up.  This same thing held true when I got fitted on trackman - 3 of my last 4 driver fittings have gone heavier shaft to reduce spin a bit and bring the launch down. 

 

Of note the driver that a fitter talked me into that produced a higher launch and more carry on trackman that day produced very inconsistent course results once I got it there - first time in forever that I had a two way miss going and I lost distance - lighter shaft, more loft did not work for me.  That was two drivers ago anyway.  I now have a voice caddy 3 so I'm going to check some spin numbers when I'm on the range later - my scheduled round is being rain delayed and it will be too late to play by the time it clears so I'm going to hit the range instead.  I've significantly increased my P average on shot scope (8 yards since November) - I think it's a combo of stack workouts and consciously lowering the launch angle by teeing the ball higher (yes because it flattens my swing a bit.  For whatever reason when I see a lower tee, I subconsciously try to hit the ball higher. It's just me.)

 

Next is just a statistical anomaly but an interesting one.  I may have noted this elsewhere - I intended to at least and had even typed it in the shotscope users thread but don't see it there so I may have failed to hit send. 

 

I have about 3 years worth of shotscope data.  I haven't collected every round during that time and also dabbled with ARCOSS for a while - shotscope works better for me.  With driver I've had one over 300 yards (I hit a cart path that crosses that particular fairway about 225 yards off the tee and the ground was hard where the ball landed off the first hop).  I've got recorded drives in the 270's, 260's, 250's, 240's, lots in the 220's, 210's and some under that.  I have fairway woods, including 7 wood even in the 220's and 240's.  I do not have a single recorded shot in the 230's in 3 years.  
Weird

 

Just some random thoughts with no one around during a rain delay.

[tony@CIC]

Interesting comments. Have you thought about stopping by the new PGASS in Tampa and renting one of their booths for a 1/2 hour to get more accurate data?

Because of my OCD/Analytical nature I'm logging every round into Shotscope. At my lesson yesterday I pointed out to my instructor that I've got a big distance gap between my Driver (SIM 2 MAX D with a R Flex 45g Airspeeder shaft) and my 3 Wood (Radspeed with a Evenflow R Flex 50 g shaft adjusted to standard 14,5).  PAVG last 5 rounds Driver 192 and longest 229. Wood 160 yd PAVG and 173 longest. A 32 yd PAVG difference. He though a lighter shaft in the 3 wood would help plus he adjusted the connector +1 d. on the 3 wood = 15.5. His comment was you need to keep the ball in the air longer (?) with my 3 wood . BTW I also have a spare driver AIrspeeder 45g Senior Flex shaft which is consistently shorter then the R Flex. 

Also interesting since I took my 5 wood out of the bag since there was only a 7 yd difference in PAVG between it and the 3 wood. The 5 wood has a Helium 45g shaft. Maybe I'll be looking for a new/lighter shaft or a new 3 wood? My wife was at my lesson (we take back to back lessons) and she was nodding yes when he mention maybe a new 3 wood would be better .

[Golf2Much]

On 2/3/2023 at 11:23 AM, tony@CIC said:

My wife was at my lesson (we take back to back lessons) and she was nodding yes when he mention maybe a new 3 wood would be better .

Looks like you got yourself a keeper!  My wife would wonder where I was going to put it and what I was going to do with the old one.

[revkev]

On 2/3/2023 at 11:23 AM, tony@CIC said:

Interesting comments. Have you thought about stopping by the new PGASS in Tampa and renting one of their booths for a 1/2 hour to get more accurate data?

Because of my OCD/Analytical nature I'm logging every round into Shotscope. At my lesson yesterday I pointed out to my instructor that I've got a big distance gap between my Driver (SIM 2 MAX D with a R Flex 45g Airspeeder shaft) and my 3 Wood (Radspeed with a Evenflow R Flex 50 g shaft adjusted to standard 14,5).  PAVG last 5 rounds Driver 192 and longest 229. Wood 160 yd PAVG and 173 longest. A 32 yd PAVG difference. He though a lighter shaft in the 3 wood would help plus he adjusted the connector +1 d. on the 3 wood = 15.5. His comment was you need to keep the ball in the air longer (?) with my 3 wood . BTW I also have a spare driver AIrspeeder 45g Senior Flex shaft which is consistently shorter then the R Flex. 

Also interesting since I took my 5 wood out of the bag since there was only a 7 yd difference in PAVG between it and the 3 wood. The 5 wood has a Helium 45g shaft. Maybe I'll be looking for a new/lighter shaft or a new 3 wood? My wife was at my lesson (we take back to back lessons) and she was nodding yes when he mention maybe a new 3 wood would be better .

I do have enough trackman data from demo days to know that my total distance is indeed farther with a lower launch.  If ever I could get a shaft/head combo to give me 15-16 degrees and mid 2,000's spin rate that would be the optimum.  But 11 degrees and mid 2,000's will yield a longer total for me than 15 degrees and 3,000.  The carry distance on the later is a bit more but I get very little roll out even when it's relatively dry, as it is now.  

 

I'm surprised that your teacher hasn't suggested a 16/17 degree fairway wood head on a 3 wood shaft.  I bet that would do the trick for you.  It's been a killer good combo for me - you'd need a little lighter weight than I but I know a guy in his mid-70's who games that combo and kills it.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

18 minutes ago, revkev said:

I do have enough trackman data from demo days to know that my total distance is indeed farther with a lower launch.  If ever I could get a shaft/head combo to give me 15-16 degrees and mid 2,000's spin rate that would be the optimum.  But 11 degrees and mid 2,000's will yield a longer total for me than 15 degrees and 3,000.  The carry distance on the later is a bit more but I get very little roll out even when it's relatively dry, as it is now.  

 

I'm surprised that your teacher hasn't suggested a 16/17 degree fairway wood head on a 3 wood shaft.  I bet that would do the trick for you.  It's been a killer good combo for me - you'd need a little lighter weight than I but I know a guy in his mid-70's who games that combo and kills it.  

The lower launch is also going to more than likely lower your land angle which is going to cause the ball to come in hotter and will recur carry but increase total.

Higher launch is going to increase land angle and that will increase carry and could reduce total but highly likely as you see the total will drop for you from the lower and hotter ball.

There is a change of 250rpm and less than a degree of launch iirc for every 1/8” change in location of contact on the face.

Howard Jones has a great thread for diy driver tuneup. This could help achieve your optimal results 

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/960350-diy-driver-tune-up-diy-fitting/

[tony@CIC]

4 hours ago, revkev said:

II'm surprised that your teacher hasn't suggested a 16/17 degree fairway wood head on a 3 wood shaft.  I bet that would do the trick for you.  It's been a killer good combo for me - you'd need a little lighter weight than I but I know a guy in his mid-70's who games that combo and kills it.  

He did mention the "benefits" of the new 430 wood with the titanium head (due 6/2023) but I'm kinda stuck on experimenting with my current 3 wood for economic reasons. I'm going to bump mine up another .05* and also look for a slightly lighter shaft. I do have a Helium Light shaft on a King F9 - 5 wood I could try as well but it is an A Flex. On one of these rainy weekend days I just might take my own advice and run down to PGASS for a 1/2 booking on their sim (it's only $15. ) and play with different configurations with the 2 different shafts. 

[tony@CIC]

25 minutes ago, tony@CIC said:

He did mention the "benefits" of the new 430 wood with the titanium head (due 6/2023) but I'm kinda stuck on experimenting with my current 3 wood for economic reasons. I'm going to bump mine up another .05* and also look for a slightly lighter shaft. I do have a Helium Light shaft on a King F9 - 5 wood I could try as well but it is an A Flex. On one of these rainy weekend days I just might take my own advice and run down to PGASS for a 1/2 booking on their sim (it's only $15. ) and play with different configurations with the 2 different shafts. 

Edit: One other point (not sure if it's material) is the difference in torque between my Airspeeder driver shaft - which I love, at 8.0 and the 3 Wood Riptide CB at 5.0 . Would having the same profile on my 3 Wood shaft as my SIM Driver make a difference? It certainly did on the 410 driver and Alta shaft which was 5.0 and no where the distance I'm getting with my SIM. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

4 hours ago, tony@CIC said:

Edit: One other point (not sure if it's material) is the difference in torque between my Airspeeder driver shaft - which I love, at 8.0 and the 3 Wood Riptide CB at 5.0 . Would having the same profile on my 3 Wood shaft as my SIM Driver make a difference? It certainly did on the 410 driver and Alta shaft which was 5.0 and no where the distance I'm getting with my SIM. 

It may or may not. Depends on how it feels to you and how that feeling translates into how you deliver the club. Only way to know is to test it out