How far do you air carry your driver?

[Moonlightgrm]

I'm on the DL and can't swing a club for awhile. I am a mathematician with some time on my hands so I got to tinkering with a little trigonometry and calculus. I have devised a formula for predicting club head speed with two inputs. The inputs are air carry and launch angle. I am looking for golfers who would be willing to give me an accurate approximation of their driver air carry and launch angle. Post them and I will input the numbers into my formula and attempt to tell you your club head speed. If you've used a launch monitor recently, you can compare your results with mine. This will test the efficacy of my formula, which I may tweak accordingly. If I can accurately predict club head speed, then I'll share the formula with some level of confidence. Are you willing to be one of my test subjects?

 

Using myself as an example, I launch at about 15 degrees with an air carry of 240 yards. My formula yields a club head speed of 102.3 mph, which is comparable to the results I have seen on a launch monitor.

[deadsolid...shank]

What the heck, I'll try it. Been a while since I've been on a monitor, but my best recollection was launch angle of about 16 and carry of 260.

[BrettB97]

Launch angle around 14, carry distance at 230.

[Moonlightgrm]

Deadsolid, I've got you at 112.5 mph. Brett, I've got you at 99.7 mph. Thanks for responding. If you've been on a monitor lately, how does my number compare?

[ABgolfer2]

As opposed to ground carry?

[duffer987]

[quote name='ABgolfer2' timestamp='1376971879' post='7710318']
As opposed to ground carry?
[/quote]

Yes it's a bit dcikish, but someone had to say it

Golfer 1: Hmm... how far is it to carry the bunker from here?
Golfer 2: You mean air carry?
Golfer 1:

[ALEXtheGREAT]

Not too sure of my launch angle but I carry around 250 yards

[sblack5]

298 carry 10.5* launch

[Hstead]

10.5 average launch 290 carry.

[Golfrnut]

What about ball speed and spin? I would be more concerned with tracking it by ball speed than club. Two golfers can swing at 100, and one could only have a 140 ball speed as opposed to a 150. Unless you are going to assume that all golfers have a set PTR(smash factor) which you cannot really do if they are providing a carry distance as the end result.

[jewofgolf]

I dont want to ruin your experoment, but a program called trajectoware exists. You should just assume a ratio of spin to launch angle and iterate some ballspeeds (so assuming a PTR) to get your equation. You will get something like 2.5 yards per mph of clubhead speed.

You will be as accurate as a simulator, however.

[ABgolfer2]

[quote name='jewofgolf' timestamp='1376976829' post='7710666']
I dont want to ruin your experoment, but a program called trajectoware exists. You should just assume a ratio of spin to launch angle and iterate some ballspeeds (so assuming a PTR) to get your equation. You will get something like 2.5 yards per mph of clubhead speed.

You will be as accurate as a simulator, however.
[/quote]

2.5 is carry and typical roll I thought (ie not British Open roll).

[BrettB97]

You guessed my clubhead speed to within 1 mph. 98mph clubhead measured at Golfsmith 3 weeks ago. I'm all about hitting the punch shot. Texas fairways help me tremendously.

Figure up a formula for SS and we can continue.

[Ballgofarboy]

launch angle 14 carry 238

[BeaverPRO]

last time I got put on the trackman my angle was 12.6 and my carry was 277

[Moonlightgrm]

Ballgofar, I have your speed at 103.9 mph. BeaverPro, I have your speed at 120.4 mph.

Brett, thanks for the feedback.

[Poser]

launch angle probably around 40 and distance around 30-60 yards depending on how angry I am when I throw it

[Jasonfish_02]

Flight scope has my launch at 13 with a carry of 341 using my 5.5 cobra. Thanks

[Moonlightgrm]

Sblack, 298 at 10.5 equates to a club head speed of 129.1 mph. Hstead, 290 at 10.5 equates to 125.4 mph. Wow, that's Bubby Watson territory.

[Moonlightgrm]

Jason, 341 at 13 equates to 146.9 mph. ReMax long drive numbers!

[Jasonfish_02]

I do compete in LD but I must say I don't swing that fast. I will top out at 139-141 on flight scope with my LD clubs and 131-134 with my normal driver. Thank you for inputting my info

[SilverBullets]

[quote name='Jasonfish_02' timestamp='1377006844' post='7711798']
I do compete in LD but I must say I don't swing that fast. I will top out at 139-141 on flight scope with my LD clubs and 131-134 with my normal driver. Thank you for inputting my info
[/quote]

[Hstead]

Me either. I hit 118 I think on Dan's flightscope but not 120+. Thanks though, pretty interesting.

[dudewheresmypar]

[quote name='Jasonfish_02' timestamp='1377006844' post='7711798']
I do compete in LD but I must say I don't swing that fast. I will top out at 139-141 on flight scope with my LD clubs and 131-134 with my normal driver. Thank you for inputting my info
[/quote]

Holy crap

[deadsolid...shank]

[quote name='Moonlightgrm' timestamp='1376971676' post='7710298']
Deadsolid, I've got you at 112.5 mph. Brett, I've got you at 99.7 mph. Thanks for responding. If you've been on a monitor lately, how does my number compare?
[/quote]

Moonlight (one of my favorite movies by the way), like I said, it's been a while since I've been on the monitor, but that sounds a bit high. I think I'm usually in the 108 range (+/- a couple). So still pretty close, but sounds similar to some of the guys above, the formula might be showing numbers just a bit high. Pretty cool.

[Moonlightgrm]

Great feedback. I will tweak my formula. I have to adjust the trig part of the formula. The launch angles near 14 degrees come out fairly accurate. The lower launch angles are producing numbers that are a bit too high. Darn that sine function!

[TJCDAS]

Water carry seems to be about 25% less that air carry with the driver, why is this?

[EJ Mac]

120 yds. on in 6 and putting to get the hell to the next hole.

[justasgood]

Launch angle 12, carry 260

[Moonlightgrm]

I've formulated three equations. One for launch angles less than or equal to 13 degrees, one for launch angles greater than or equal to 16 degrees, and my original formula for launch angles between 13 and 16 degrees.

Let's try this on for size. Justasgood reports a 12 degree launch with a 260 yard carry. Using formula A yields 108.3 mph. Jason's number now converts to 139.2 mph for his 13 degree launch with a carry of 341 yards. Hstead's 10.5 degree launch with a 290 yard carry converts to 118.4 mph.

Using formula C on deadsolid's 16 degree launch with 260 yards of carry yields a club head speed of 107.1 mph.