PGA & LPGA Tour Averages

Here is a great chart to see what the best players on earth are able to produce with proper impact conditions; a downward strike, forward shaft lean and golf ball first.

Club head speed is pretty obvious - measured just prior to impact.
Attack Angle - a negative number is a downward strike.
Ball Speed - speed of the ball after it leaves the club face.
Smash Factor - measures the quality of the strike and transfer of energy.  Perfect smash factor is 1.5
Vertical Launch - Launch angle of the golf ball - 0 is straight and along the ground - 90 would be straight up.
Spin Rate - the rate at which the ball is spinning
Max Height - height at which the ball reached the highest point in it's flight.
Land Angle - the angle at which the ball lands.
Carry - the distance the golf ball travels when it strikes the ground.

These numbers are quite impressive.  As I study them I find the following interesting...
1) The driver launch angle is HIGH!  After all the driver is the home run club.
2) There is a significant downward strike on all clubs of at times of over 4 degrees.
3) The height of all clubs are pretty close.  Lowest 28, highest of 32 on the PGA Tour.  23 and 26 on LPGA.
4) With the irons and their lofts we see that irons are de-lofted roughly 3-4 degrees on average.
5) Based on a 9.5 & 8.5 driver lofts the launch angle is INCREASED by at least 4 degrees if not more.
6) Land angle does not change as significantly as I would have expected.   The variation is only 4 degrees from a 3 iron to a PW.  But, with significantly increased spin rates is the method the TOUR player stops the ball.

The most interesting is that the TOUR player hits their 3 iron and PW roughly at the same height... That means a low PW and a high 3 iron.... Interesting.

If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Your friend in golf.
John Grothe, PGA
Oregon Golf Association Golf Course