What is Angle of Attack & Why Is It Important?
Understanding Angle of Attack
When using certain launch monitors, you might be faced with confusing metrics. Angle of attack is a term that most golfers often hear and see on the screen but don’t truly understand how it relates to their swing.
Fortunately, you don’t need to know all of the intricacies and physics of this term.
But understanding a few basics can help you make smarter decisions with your swing and equipment.
So let’s demystify angle of attack, bust some common myths, and give you clear ways to improve it — especially if you’re practicing in a golf simulator.
What Is Angle of Attack?
Angle of attack (AoA) measures whether your clubhead is traveling up or down when it strikes the ball. Think of it like this:
A negative angle of attack means you’re hitting down on the ball (clubhead moving toward the ground).
A positive angle of attack means you’re hitting up on the ball (clubhead moving away from the ground).
A neutral angle of attack means the golf club moves parallel to the ground.
Why Is Angle of Attack (AoA) Important?
Your angle of attack can influence the following:
Launch angle
Spin rate
Strike quality
Club/ground interaction
However, while AoA influences launch angle, spin, and strike quality, delivered loft matters more for trajectory. Most golfers hear the term “hit down on it to make the ball go up” and have the wrong intentions.
Angle of attack plays a supporting role in determining how the ball launches and spins. You’ll see more spin and a lower launch if you hit down more steeply. If you’re hitting up, you can reduce spin and launch the ball higher — especially with the driver.
AoA is a key ingredient for optimizing distance, particularly in a simulator environment.
But here’s where golfers often get confused: angle of attack alone doesn’t dictate how high or low the ball goes. The true king of ball flight is delivered loft — the actual loft on the clubface at impact. Some golfers will reduce loft by having their hands more forward at impact or add loft if their hands are behind.
The bottom line is that AoA sets the stage, but the delivered loft primarily launches the ball. You want to keep track of both metrics when using a launch monitor.
The Truth About Angle of Attack With Irons
You generally want to hit down on the ball with irons and wedges. That’s how you compress it and get the clean, ball-first contact that launches with enough spin.
But here’s where most golfers go wrong: they think they must slam the club into the ground to achieve this. And they end up getting too steep for their swing matchups.
Every golfer needs to understand this - you can hit down without being overly steep. A good iron swing might only have a -2° to -4° angle of attack — just enough to catch the ball before the turf.
For slower swing speeds, being more shallow can be a better matchup. Plenty of players can play fine with a -1° angle of attack with their 7-iron, whereas a tour player with much higher swing speeds can get away with being -8°.
So yes, hit down — but most golfers should avoid extremes.
With Driver, It’s the Opposite
With your driver, things are entirely different. You want to launch the ball higher with less spin. A neutral or positive angle of attack helps you accomplish that goal.
Too many recreational golfers hit down with their drivers, often because they carry over the same setup and swing thoughts from their irons. That steep AoA results in two things that kill distance - low launch and higher spin rates.
If you’re swinging around 95mph or less, hitting up on the ball is even more critical for carry distance. Players with higher swing speeds can get away with a negative angle of attack, particularly professional golfers.
So when you practice with a launch monitor, getting your number is positive territory will add distance.
To do that, try these setup adjustments:
Tee the ball higher (half the ball should be above the driver crown).
Move it forward in your stance.
Tilt your spine away from the target (right-handed golfers: your right shoulder should feel lower).
Focus on staying “behind” the ball at impact.
Even a modest change can be the difference between 220 and 240-250 yards of carry.
This is why launch monitors can be such effective tools: they allow you to measure correctly.
Myth-Busting: The Divot Isn’t Everything
Many golfers obsess over their divot as an indicator for angle of attack.
But here’s the truth: a deep divot doesn’t always mean you’re hitting down effectively. It could just mean your club is digging due to poor shaft lean, incorrect ball position, or lack of bounce control.
Also, you can hit a great iron shot with almost no visible divot, especially on firmer turf.
The launch monitor doesn’t lie — and this is one reason simulators are so helpful. You can see your actual AoA numbers without relying on dirt patterns.
How to Improve Your Angle of Attack: how to practice with a launch monitor? What should we be looking for when practicing?
Take advantage of that feedback if you’re practicing in a golf simulator. Watch your AoA numbers and try these small tweaks:
To Shallow Your AoA (less steep):
Move the ball slightly forward.
Let your trail shoulder stay down longer through impact.
Focus on brushing the grass, not diving into it. Think of it like a plane landing gently on the runway.
To Steepen Your AoA (more downward):
Move the ball slightly back.
Keep more weight on your lead side.
Let the handle lead the clubhead slightly through the strike.
The most crucial part is that you don’t need to overhaul your swing. These micro-adjustments help you match your intent to the club in your hands. Monitor your numbers by looking at if the number is very negative (steep), less negative (more shallow for irons/wedges), or neutral/positive for your driver.
Final Thoughts
Golfers should have a basic understanding of how angle of attack works. However, they don’t need to obsess over hitting perfect numbers.
If you have access to this measurement while you practice on a simulator, use some of this information to help interpret the numbers.
As always, reach out to our staff if you have any questions on which models will offer the most accurate measurements.
