Opinion & Analysis
Was Tiger Woods really swinging his driver between 124-and-128 mph at the Honda Classic?
In case you missed Tiger Woods in action at the Honda Classic last week, he looked strong with the driver en route to a 12th place finish. He didn’t find many fairways with the big stick, but he appeared to be swinging it fast and hitting it far — actually, he ranked No. 2 in driving distance (319.1 yards) for the week.
But, just how fast was he actually swinging the driver?
According to Brandel Chamblee’s research (he appears to be using live ShotLink data), Tiger was bringing it between 124.5 and 128.4 mph, as measured on hole No. 3 each round.
For those who think Tiger’s club head speed numbers (124.5-128.4) were off because they didn’t come with a corresponding ball speed,all you have to do is look at the smash factor to realize he didn’t hit any of those four tee shots solid. Speed was accurate. pic.twitter.com/B38HfivIJw
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) February 26, 2018
And just how high is 128 mph club head speed?
Tiger Woods club head speed has been measured today at 128.42 MPH.
That number would lead the PGA Tour every year since they started keeping track in 2007.
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGC) February 24, 2018
Wait a second. If he was swinging the club that fast, shouldn’t his ball speed and distance be way higher? Well, it makes more sense when you look at the smash factor, which is surprisingly low. Smash factor is a ratio of ball speed and club head speed, and the highest possible (depending on who you ask) is 1.50. So Tiger producing smash factors between 1.416 and 1.456 means that while he was swinging the club very, very fast, he was missing the center of the club face, too.
Here’s top-100 teacher and GolfWRX featured writer Tom Stickney’s take: “As with anyone, this shows that not even Tiger is exempt from hitting the ball in the sweet spot. Usually when you try and swing at the upper end of the spectrum, you will find that impact quality suffers. Therefore, you must find your own balance between swing speed and centeredness of contact.”
Of course, there’s a number of different explanations for the numbers — from a few well-respected names in the golf industry, I might add — in the responses to Chamblee’s Tweet.
What do you think? Do you think Tiger was really swinging the driver that fast, and simply missing the center of the face? Or do you think the club head speeds were jacked up?
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about this in the forums.
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On this week’s episode of the “On Spec” podcast on the GolfWRX radio network, the discussion was focused on all things club fitting and what it can and can’t do to help golfers.
One of the most important take-aways was about some of the misconceptions around how much a club fitting can help improve the results of a less than ideal swing.
“There is no magic bullet when it comes to fitting… It’s not to stop you from doing anything (in your golf swing) … But by going through a proper fitting, and process you can help reduce a miss (improving consitency)”
You can listen to the full show below, the above quote starts at 41:38
You can check out other episodes of On Spec, as well as the entire collection of shows on the GolfWRX Radio Network here: GolfWRX Radio on SoundCloud
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Wilson Golf has a new raw golf ball that has no paint on it. The raw golf ball gives a more precise dimple depth and offers better dispersion and consistency. The ball has a firmer feel than the first Staff Model but really good performance off the tee and with the wedges. Also, a few ideas for some different holiday gifts.
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One of the fascinating things about the 40-year golf industry career I have been blessed with is how much I have learned about golfers…just by asking. Over these four decades, I have repeatedly conducted surveys of golfers from multiple communities to help me better understand just what it is you all want from me as a club designer and blog writer.
I’ve surveyed buyers of the products I’ve designed and marketed over the years…and from golfers who engaged with those companies but did not “pull the trigger”. I’ve worked with the best market research companies in the industry to both study their own research as well as to conduct custom proprietary surveys to dive deeper into what golfers are really thinking and feeling about this game we all love.
You might remember that we even conducted a survey of you readers of “The Wedge Guy” column some time back, which also proved enlightening for me. Thanks to all of you who participated.
I would like to invite you all to participate in another survey, but this one is not as much about “how” you play the game, but rather “why”. What are the forces that keep you coming back time and again to put yourself up against the challenges this crazy game throws at you?
Is the experience more important than the numerical outcome? Or the number counts more than how it got there?
I’m going to ask you all to dive into this survey and share your thoughts and feelings. And just to make your time worthwhile, I’m going to give a new custom-built Edison Forged wedge away to one of you just to say thanks.
Please click on this link – SURVEY – and spend a few minutes sharing your thoughts and approach to the game. I will collect your responses for a week or two, then report back to you all what you shared, so that all of us can understand each other just a bit better, OK?
Thank you for your time and participation, and for reading this column each week. I totally enjoy sharing with you and plan to continue for as long as GolfWRX will have me.
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ray
Mar 19, 2018 at 8:55 am
No way 128. He was going after it pretty hard at Arnold’s tourney and wasn’t hitting 180 ball speed.
Robert Parsons
Feb 28, 2018 at 8:36 pm
Measured hitting a fade?
Stephen
Feb 28, 2018 at 8:35 pm
This jurry-rigging won’t last for long. canna’ change the laws of physics
Christopher
Feb 28, 2018 at 4:06 pm
The 1.5 Smash Factor Ratio isn’t an absolute, it varies with the data gathering device. A perfect ratio with something like GCQuad is 1.45.
Seems like a storm in a teacup for 4 measurements over 4 different days with something that usually has decent +/- tolerances at best.
David
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:55 pm
Who cares?
Paul
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:39 pm
This has been one of Tigers problems all along. The harder he swings, the worst he hits his drives. I have seen him swing controlled and smooth and hit the fairway or al least the first cut. When he swings out of his shoes, the ball goes way right more often then not.
Steve Pratt
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:04 pm
As a long time TM owner, I don’t believe Tiger would miss a driver bad enough to get a 1.41 smash…that’s horrible. A tour player’s worst miss is usually 1.46.
So yah my gut feeling is that 128 he popped is an electronic outlier. If he does it again in his next tournament I will admit I was wrong.
DRod
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:43 pm
I will take a different approach; he is driving the ball terribly since his return. This is the worst I’ve seen Tiger off the tee. It could be a number of things, regardless of these numbers. Does he even have a driver that fits his swing? I don’t think he does. He’s experimented with several shaft combinations, both on the range and now the last two tour stops. Neither worked. This data means nothing…he needs to figure out his swing and that might entail equipment changes, including the ball. Just my 2-cents.
Bob Jones
Feb 28, 2018 at 12:18 pm
We care about this because . . .?
sean coxe
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:55 am
Would the ball he’s using have any effect?
Scott sinclair
Feb 28, 2018 at 11:49 am
I watch people hit balls on Trackman all day and Taylor Made drivers definitely have an amped up swing speed. Since Trackman gets the ball speed correct the smash factor will always be low.
Also the Callaway Rogue reads slightly lower swing speeds (from my experience) and therefore the smash factor is always high.
It is possible this was done on purpose on both companies behalf or not.
OG
Feb 28, 2018 at 9:56 am
Did it ever occur to any of you that maybe he was intentionally aiming for the heel on the face for say, a heel-cut? Smash factor would be lower of course.
Iain
Feb 28, 2018 at 6:13 am
That would mean every players data was wrong or do you think it was only Tigers that was wrong,!?
Mike C
Feb 27, 2018 at 8:40 pm
The smash factor makes no sense. Neither does a 6° Launch.
Ogo
Feb 27, 2018 at 11:17 pm
It only makes no sense to the ignorant and anti-science no hope duffers.
Woody
Feb 27, 2018 at 7:14 pm
Sure anyone on tour can go 128 for one hole…and to everyone who complains about numbers. It’s a golf website, these articles are meant to fill dead space.
Ogo
Feb 27, 2018 at 11:21 pm
High driver speed – higher risk and better/worst results. No secret here.
Doug
Feb 27, 2018 at 7:08 pm
I think the explanation is somewhere in the middle… bad reading, mishit, wind, etc. But if we accept that Tiger wasn’t hitting the sweet spot with his new TM M3 and it’s touted Twist Face technology to compensate for the mishit, does that mean Taylormade may have some explaining to do? It might make me start to window shop!
foreright
Mar 6, 2018 at 10:27 am
supposedly tour players don’t actually use the twist face
CrashTestDummy
Feb 27, 2018 at 6:38 pm
Too many factors involved (AOA, spin rate, launch angle, wind, turf conditions, smash, etc) to determine carry distance and total distance. However with that being said, I have found that all launch monitors are not 100% accurate exact science even though the numbers portray it as. Obviously, there is discrepancies with readings, but it doesn’t really matter a few yards here or there. The score is the important fact.
Ogo
Feb 27, 2018 at 11:16 pm
Only if launch monitors were as accurate as your Scotty/Bettinardi/Ping/Odyssey/Other Studio Tour Only putters…. and PXG clubs. Your need for perfect accuracy from launch monitors just reveals your high standards of performance.
Dana Upshaw
Feb 27, 2018 at 6:18 pm
I can’t begin to count the number of “caved” TM driver faces I saw the last six years I operated my shop. First hint was low smash readings with center hits. Radius gauge confirmed flat or caved faces. Hand the client a new club and with same swing speed smash goes up.
Easy driver carry computation is swing speed x 2.5. Watch the “pro tracer” numbers and run the numbers. You’ll generally be within a few yards of what PT will show for carry. Exceptional ballstrikers who produce high launch/low spin can use a 2.6 factor.
SK
Feb 27, 2018 at 5:54 pm
If Tiger was swinging ~126 mph average and his Smash Factor was depressed at ~1.436 average that can only mean he is not impacting the ball with a squared off club face.
His clubhead path may be on line but if his driver face is skewed slightly that will result in an undesirable initial ball path and errant spin axis which will lower the SM as well as push or pull the ball which he is doing. Simple vector physics.
Nick
Feb 27, 2018 at 5:49 pm
Not a chance he was swinging 128. Come on Brandel – it is so easy to tell by his swing that he’s not. 128 looks and sounds different than that! He’s probably around 119-122 Not a chance. He’s swinging fast for sure. 128 is like an LD guy in regular play.
What?!
Feb 28, 2018 at 1:48 pm
LD guys swing at 145mph or faster, with a regular 45 length they still top out over 140. 128 is not outside the realm, the top guys on tour have hit that number. In fact a newbie in last years US Open hit 130mph on the radar with a tour swing.
Johnnythunders
Feb 27, 2018 at 5:38 pm
Who cares? Why this age of fascination with computer generated numbers. Wow high ball speed, he’s back! Wow low smash factor, he sucks.
Did he win? No, 12th is all the matters.
The dude
Feb 28, 2018 at 10:16 pm
Idiot
njrp
Mar 1, 2018 at 7:56 pm
He lost again…get over it. I would be focussed on instead on how there is no way Tiger won’t blow out his four time operated on back swinging that fast. The only reason he did not blow out his back at a younger age because he let his knee take all the torqueing. Once he had to protect that knee he started to blow out his back.