Launch Monitor

The #1 Fitting Tool in Golf

by Ed Hebert, Manager of Product Testing, Acushnet Company/p>
The Titleist Launch Monitor® commonly called the TLM®, is a versatile golf shot analysis tool utilized by Titleist researchers and product designers. Using a system of digital cameras, high-speed strobes, and image analysis, the TLM is able to record and analyze the split-second event when the golf ball and club collide to produce a golf shot. By interpreting the images obtained at impact, the TLM is able to calculate the launch conditions imparted to a golf ball at impact. Launch conditions are defined as the golf ball's initial direction, spin and velocity, which together dictate the subsequent flight of the ball.

The data generated in through TLM testing provides an accurate fingerprint of a golfer's swing. The TLM allows a golfer to use his or her own equipment, hitting shots outdoors on real grass and under normal course conditions. As the golfer hits shots, the TLM captures and averages each shot's launch conditions. At the end of a test session, the launch condition values can be compared to predetermined optimum ranges based on the player's ball speed. Based on the results of the test, equipment changes can be recommended that will optimize the player's potential within the confines of his current swing. Any change in equipment or swing can have a profound, and many times beneficial impact on performance.

Since the first outdoor-capable electronic TLM was developed in 1991, Titleist has accumulated launch condition data on tens of thousands golfers worldwide. The scope of this sample spans the entire range of the golfing population from the PGA Tour player to the recreational golfer. The database created by this volume of testing has produced a unique and powerful tool for the analysis of player types. Although it is common knowledge that differences exist between the professional game and the recreational player, TLM technology provides Titleist's scientists a method to quantify those differences and produce golf products that better address the needs of specific groups of players.

Launch condition data has been analyzed statistically, comparing trends and relationships between golf ball direction, speed and spin rate. Though not the only factors affecting the flight of the ball, they are the only ones specifically determined by a golfer and his or her equipment. For any player's speed (or more specifically its resultant ball velocity), a spin rate and launch angle combination exists that will maximize that player's distance.

Ball velocity is the initial speed at which the golf ball leaves the tee. This variable is highly dependent on a player's physiology and technique, and can be modified somewhat through proper equipment optimization. A typical male PGA Tour player has an initial ball velocity of approximately 160 MPH with his driver. In comparison, a typical male recreational golfer may only generate a ball velocity of 130 MPH - about the same velocity as a PGA Tour player's 5 iron! Once a golfer's ball velocity is determined, emphasis is turned to optimizing the shot's trajectory and distance by modifying the golf ball's initial direction and spin rate. This optimization process happens through the proper club, shaft and golf ball selections.

Spin rate is the amount of rotation that a golf ball has when it leaves the tee. The component of spin most often quoted is backspin, which is the measurement of a golf ball's rotation in the horizontal axis perpendicular to the target line. Another component of total spin rate is sidespin, which creates draws and fades, as well as the dreaded hooks and slices. Although many recreational players regard sidespin as a negative byproduct of a bad swing, most accomplished players require equipment that will allow them to shape the trajectory of a shot. In reality, a golf shot has no separate backspin and sidespin components, but rather one spin rate and an axis of rotation - similar to the banking angle of an airplane.

Initial direction is the vector in which the golf ball leaves the tee. Launch angle is the angle at which the golf ball leaves the tee relative to the ground. Along with the push/pull angle (the left/right direction of the ball), the launch angle gives the drive its initial direction.

After leaving the clubface on its initial direction, a golf ball's spin rate and speed combine to generate aerodynamic lift that work with the ball's dimple design and the surrounding atmospheric conditions to determine the trajectory of the shot. Lift creates the upward curve that many players see in their shot shape. The greater the ball speed or spin rate, the greater the lift force. A proper amount of lift force results in an optimized trajectory that will maximize the distance for a given ball speed. Excessive lift, on the other hand, creates a shot that balloons, climbing excessively and costing the player significant distance. This fault is most commonly observed in hard-hitting amateurs using equipment poorly fit to their game. Proper golf club and ball selection usually helps these players to flatten their trajectory, improving their distance significantly.

The opposite can also be true. Many players with slow swing speeds don't generate enough lift force for the ball to experience positive lift. This group of players never sees any upward climb in their trajectory. Instead, their trajectory shape is usually low and flat, commonly referred to as a ballistic trajectory. For these players, a greater portion of their overall distance is often obtained through roll. Obviously, this player requires a golf club and ball selection completely different from the high lift player profile. By fitting the low lift player with equipment to produce more lift, the result is a more optimized trajectory for greater distance for the low swing speed player.

Based on the wide variety of launch conditions that exist within the golfing population, no one golf ball or golf club can claim to be the longest or most accurate for everyone. However, once a golfer's launch conditions are known, there certainly exists a combination of golf ball and club that can optimize his game. The TLM provides the Titleist Research and Development team with a precise tool for designing the perfect equipment selections for a wide range of golfer profiles. Whether used for equipment design, fit optimization, or a survey of the launch conditions of golfers worldwide, the Titleist Launch Monitor stands alone as the #1 Tool in Golf.