Improve Your Decision Making With These Two Launch Monitor Tests

You've just received your new launch monitor from The Indoor Golf Shop, and you're excited.

But now what?

How can you utilize your investment to optimize your return on investment?

In this article, we’ll share two simple tests golfers can perform to help them make better strategic decisions on the course with approach clubs and tee shot clubs. 

Every time you play golf, you’re going to be faced with multiple approach shots where you feel the yardage is right in between two clubs.

So you have two decisions:

1. Do you take less club and swing harder?

2. Do you take more club and swing easier, and/or grip down on the club?

Now, most recreational golfers suffer a similar fate on approach shots - they don’t take enough club and fail to get the ball to the green. Generally speaking, many players would fare better by simply taking more club.

But with technology like launch monitors, we can make more informed decisions by running tests.

Here’s a simple challenge you can do - pick several yardages that are in between various clubs throughout your bag.

Pay attention to relevant feedback, such as how you’re striking the ball, the curvature of your shots, and whether you have difficulty starting the ball on your intended target line.

The most important metric to pay attention to on your launch monitor is carry distance. Tiger Woods always said he was a great iron player because he could keep his shots “pin high” to his intended distance.

Are you seeing any trends or clear winners between the two? For many, they will likely see a closer proximity to the distance by taking more club. However, there are always outliers.

Additionally, if your software displays dispersion mapping, you should also examine your shot pattern around the target.

For some, swinging harder with less club might tighten the circle, or ellipse, that appears around the target.

Either way, if you see a clear choice that keeps your shot pattern closer to your target, that’s your winner! Use this information to choose the right club more often when faced with these scenarios during your rounds.

Some might find out that their “safety clubs,” like irons, hybrids, and fairway woods, are not as safe as they think. Or vice versa.

So pick a few clubs that you would hit off the tee, and plan to hit about 20-30 shots each. You can do these in separate sessions over time to reduce fatigue.

Many launch monitors, such as SkyTrak, Rapsodo, Trackman, and Foresight Sports, offer software to facilitate these tests and provide a visual representation of your shot patterns.

Essentially, you are looking to find your typical distances with each club, but more importantly, how wide of a shot pattern you are seeing.

For example, elite drivers typically see a 65-70-yard wide gap between their shots from left to right when hitting the golf ball.

Once you can start benchmarking your distances and dispersions for clubs like a 4-iron, hybrid, fairway wood, and your driver, you can make more informed decisions about your club and target selection.

If you want to get really analytical, start analyzing the courses you play with Google Maps, and you can begin to measure the distance between trouble on certain holes and how that fits into your dispersion data.

Overall, your goal is to have more confidence in the decisions you make on the course, knowing that it’s the right club to hit on each hole.

If you have any questions regarding which launch monitors and software will suit your needs best, feel free to reach out to our team of experts.

Author: Jon Sherman

Jon Sherman is the author of the international best-selling Foundations of Golf series. He also is the co-host of the Sweet Spot podcast, a PGA Tour coach, and the owner of Practical Golf.