Equipment
Inside the Numbers: A look at the launch monitor results for 3 different PGA Tour players
Recently, during a practice round at Quail Hollow Club ahead of the 2022 Presidents Cup, I was standing near the tee at hole No. 13, which is a par-4 measuring 504 yards.
I was briefly following a foursome of United States team members, including Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, and Cameron Young.
If we’re being completely honest, I was following the group because I needed some photos of Morikawa’s custom USA Adidas shoes for a story about the custom gear that players were wearing at the Presidents Cup.
As a golfer, though, I was especially intrigued because the group was carrying around a Foresight GC Quad, and each player was taking turns ripping drivers on the long par 4. From where I was standing, I had a clear look at the launch monitor numbers that popped up on the screen after their drives.
Unfortunately, the launch monitor system didn’t properly read Finau’s numbers, but I was able to capture photos of the results for Morikawa, Homa and Young. Keep in mind that the 13th hole is a slight dogleg right where players have to either take on the bunker on the right, which is a 320-yard carry, or they play to the left of the bunker and rip it down the left side (possibly with a cut).
Let’s take a look at each players’ numbers below:
Collin Morikawa
Ball Speed: 167 mph
Carry: 298 yards
Launch Angle: 12 degrees
Pull: 2.4 degrees left
Spin Axis: 2.0 degrees right
Total Spin: 2,099 rpm
Max Homa
Ball Speed: 176 mph
Carry: 299 yards
Launch Angle: 10.7 degrees
Pull: 6.1 degrees left
Spin Axis: 12 degrees right
Total Spin: 2,885 rpm
Cameron Young
Ball Speed: 184 mph
Carry: 339 yards
Launch Angle: 13.8 degrees
Push: 0.6 degrees right
Spin Axis: 7.0 degrees left
Total Spin: 2,059 rpm
Obviously, these are results from just one swing for each player, so it’s not representative of their overall averages. For a wider scope of PGA Tour launch monitor numbers, you can find those stats over at PGATOUR.com on the Stats page under the “radar” section at the bottom.
My biggest takeaway from the three sets of numbers listed above is simply the importance of tracking your own personal launch monitor feedback. It can be extremely informative for you to figure out what numbers are causing suboptimal distance and accuracy.
For example, Morikawa’s ball speed is just 167 mph, compared to Homa’s 176 mph of ball speed, but Morikawa’s carry distance is 298 yards, versus Homa’s 299-yard drive. On these particular drives, Morikawa’s higher launch angle (12 degrees) and lower backspin (2,099 rpm), versus Homa’s lower launch angle (10.7 degrees) and higher backspin (2,885 rpm), allows Morikawa to better maximize distance for his speed. It’s possible that Homa either mishit the shot low on the face, or he was intentionally hitting a cut, which could explain the reason that Homa’s ball didn’t fly significantly farther compared to Morikawa’s.
A lot of information can be gathered from launch monitor numbers, especially when you consult a fitter or instructor to work through your results and how to improve them. I encourage all golfers to seek out a launch monitor system, and simply hit shots with multiple clubs to figure out how far you actually hit the ball, and why it flies the way it does.
For a full breakdown of Trackman vs Foresight, check out this article here. Also, check out our full review of the Full Swing Kit below.
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Whats in the Bag
Taylor Montgomery WITB 2024 (March)
- Taylor Montgomery what’s in the bag accurate as of the Cognizant Classic. Check out more photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 8 TX
Hybrid: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (19.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT HY 100 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW (4-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (52-09SB, 56-12SB), Vokey Design WedgeWorks Proto (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Ghost S
Grip: Elite
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
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Whats in the Bag
WITB Time Machine: Paul Casey’s winning WITB, 2019 Valspar Championship
At the 2019 Valspar Championship, Englishman Paul Casey took the trophy at the Copperhead Course for the second year in a row. On a difficult Sunday, Casey’s 1-over 72 was good enough for a one-stroke victory over Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Kokrak as Dustin Johnson faltered.
Check out Casey’s clubs from five years ago below.
Driver: TaylorMade M4 (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX (tipped 1 inch)
3-wood: TaylorMade M1 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX Limited (tipped 1.75 inches)
Irons: Mizuno MP-25 (3), Mizuno JPX 919 Hot Metal Pro (4), Mizuno MP-5 (5-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 TX
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM7 (52-08F, 56-10S), Vokey Proto (60)
Shaft: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Scotty Cameron Circle T 350-SSS
Grip: Scotty Cameron Matador
Grips: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Midsize
Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Mizuno’s Senior Club Engineer, Chris Voshall told us Casey’s somewhat surprising setup in his long irons is simply the product of Casey hitting the windows he wants to with the particular clubs in question.
“It’s all based on the height of the ball flight,” Voshall said. The MP-25 3-iron was more penetrating and better for him off the tee, so he kept it in there.”
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Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (3/22/24): Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a set of Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads.
From the seller: (@DrCoFo): “Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A heads in really nice shape. Just bought these recently- thought I would be the cool kid on the block with the Nikes. Was going to do a custom look, but I was way too ambitious and would rather just have a new set of irons. So here we are. Heads are already pulled from the shafts. Ready for your project needs. $550 shipped.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-A iron heads
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
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