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Dynamic loft, angle of attack and your launch angle

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I want you to remember way back to when launch monitors first became commercially available and what they actually measured. My first monitor showed me club speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, carry distance and smash factor. That was it.

Such data is pretty basic by today’s standards, and as time has progressed and we’ve come to understand more about the club and ball interaction. I want to introduce you to two other terms that you need to understand and their efforts to control your ball’s initial launch angle: dynamic loft and angle of attack.

We’ll examine the data given to us by the old launch monitor and how these two new data points will help us to better understand what is going on in more detail.

Photo 01

As we examine the driver swing of a tour player friend of mine, I want to show you what the old launch monitor would have told me.

  • Club Speed: 110 mph
  • Ball Speed: 162.4 mph
  • Smash Factor: 1.48
  • Spin Rate: 2629 rpm
  • Launch Angle: 11.9 degrees
  • Carry: 268 yards

Based on this information, all I could tell this player with the old launch monitor is that we need to get his launch angle up a touch. But I really wouldn’t know why it was too low until years later when launch monitors like Trackman and FlightScope became available. They give me two other vital pieces of the puzzle: dynamic loft and angle of attack.

Since we now know that the launch angle is too low, the real question is why? Based on information given to us Trackman, we now understand that launch angle is comprised of two factors:

  • Angle of Attack: The vertical (up and down) angle the club is moving on during impact.
  • Dynamic Loft: The loft angle of the club at impact.

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.

Knowing this simple math can really help you to fine tune your ball’s launch angle, and it is now easy for me the teacher to understand exactly what piece of the puzzle is causing your launch angle issues. It might be your dynamic loft, it could be your angle of attack or it could be both!

Knowing all of the information help me make a more educated decision regarding your fitting. So the next time you have a fitting and the fitter says your launch angle is too high or too low, remember these two factors and you will have a better understanding of just why that is.

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Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

23 Comments

23 Comments

  1. Pingback: Launch Angle Vs. Angle Of Attack In Golf - Everything You Need To Know - (MUST READ Before You Buy)

  2. Pingback: How To Put Backspin On A Golf Ball | 2021 Golfers Guide

  3. Golfinghound

    Oct 3, 2014 at 6:10 pm

    Hi Tom, Just found this article – very illuminating. Thanks for the clear description. One question i had was – given the Launch Angle and the Static Loft of the driver, couldn’t you just calculate the Dynamic Loft(DL) and the AoA ?

    Since
    DL = Static Loft + AoA
    &
    Launch Angle = 85% of DL + 15% of AoA
    You already know the launch angle from the old trackman data and the static loft on the club. So you now have 2 equations with 2 unknown variables, which should be easy to solve to get the values of DL and AoA. You dont need the fancy new trackman numbers.

    What am i missing ?

    cheers
    U

  4. Chuck

    Apr 26, 2014 at 10:26 am

    I don’t know about anybody else, but I am so grateful for straight, solid, plain-English, authoritative writing like this.

    Thank you Tom.

    I am as much of an equipment junkie as the next guy at GolfWRX. “Tour only” could be my middle name. But if I’ve learned anything in the era of internet-fueled golf equipment fanaticism, it is that “Lessons are the best equipment you can buy.”

    • tom stickney

      Apr 26, 2014 at 10:41 pm

      Thank you very much for your comments….I try to do my best to make things easier to understand.

  5. BG

    Apr 24, 2014 at 9:37 am

    So how do you use this to fit a club?

    • Tom Stickney

      Apr 24, 2014 at 10:09 am

      The correlation of dl and your aoa controlls your launch angle. All if these factors influence spin rate, carry, landing angle, and roll…which are the keys to your distance output.

  6. AP

    Apr 23, 2014 at 3:04 pm

    If your angle of attack increases, won’t your dynamic loft increase as a byproduct too?

  7. Mekong

    Apr 22, 2014 at 1:01 am

    Hi tom
    What is the optimum numbers for spin rate, landing angle, launch angle?
    Thanks tom

    • Tom Stickney

      Apr 22, 2014 at 1:05 am

      All depends on your ball speed…

      • Mike

        Apr 22, 2014 at 1:35 pm

        Can you expand on this answer? For example, would optimum stats for someone with 154 to 157 avg driver ball speed be very different from the example dissected in your article?

        Thank you. Very cool article.

  8. Mekong

    Apr 22, 2014 at 12:58 am

    Hi tom
    How can i compute the spin rate and angle of descent?
    Thanks tom

    • Tom Stickney

      Apr 22, 2014 at 1:07 am

      You need a fitting with someone whom uses a TrackMan, flightscope wyc.

  9. Eric

    Apr 21, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    “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”

    Do you mean…?

    “Understanding that launch angle is the sum of 85 percent dynamic loft and 15 percent of angle of attack”

    • Tom Stickney

      Apr 22, 2014 at 1:08 am

      Yes

      • Brian

        Jan 31, 2024 at 1:13 pm

        I tested the AOA calculation with Trackman’s driver fitting chart: total optimizer

        at the club speed of 105 with a launch angle of 11.7 then AOA should be 1.755 degrees where the chart shows 5 degrees

        What am I missing as this is significant?

    • mike wakes

      Feb 9, 2018 at 10:18 am

      Eric; I’am on your side. either tom’s not listening or he does not understand the math. Tom,this is good stuff.

  10. MHendon

    Apr 21, 2014 at 4:27 pm

    That’s some pretty slow club head speed for a 6’4″ tour pro.

    • tom stickney

      Apr 21, 2014 at 6:09 pm

      Always in the top 20 of the ball striking category…works for him…never the longest but boy can he hit it! Shot 64 on the last day of qschool to get his PGA Tour Card on the number at PGA West two years ago. Good dude.

    • JJ

      Apr 22, 2014 at 12:34 am

      @MHendon

      Typical “WRX” pro douche comment with your XX 118mph SS. He’s on tour, stick to your day job bud.

  11. tom stickney

    Apr 21, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    The driver is 85/15. The irons are 75/25. Testing done by Trackman.

  12. Gary McCormick

    Apr 21, 2014 at 10:47 am

    Where does the 85/15 split for dynamic loft/angle of attack come from? Is it always the same?

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Instruction

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

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Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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How a towel can fix your golf swing

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This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

Setup

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

Conclusion

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Instruction

Clement: Why your practice swing never sucks

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You hear that one all the time; I wish I could put my practice swing on the ball! We explain the huge importance of what to focus on to allow the ball to be perfectly in the way of your practice swing. Enjoy!

 

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