Carry
The distance the ball travels through the air before touching the ground.
What it means: How far your ball will travel in the air — the key baseline to use and adjust on-course based on conditions, to decide on your club selection.
What it means to you: Just like Tiger Woods, this may be the most important number to dial in for your club distance consistency on course.
Total Distance
Total distance the ball travels after it comes to rest (carry plus roll).
What it means: After your ball has landed, how far it will roll before coming to rest.
What it means to you: Depending on spin, ground conditions, and other factors, you can work to optimize ball-flight based on the shot you need for the situation.
Club Speed
The speed the club head is traveling just prior to impact.
What it means: The faster your club speed, the greater potential for distance.
What it means to you: Work on gaining clubhead speed while maintaining control of your clubface to maximize your best possible result.
Ball Speed
The speed of the golf ball immediately after impact.
What it means: A key element of distance determined by ball speed, optimized by proper impact.
What it means to you: Create the most ball speed through a combination of club speed and proper impact to have the best result.
Club Face Angle
The direction the club face is pointed (right or left) at impact relative to the target line.
What it means: Positive value = face pointed right of target; negative value = left of target.
What it means to you: This affects where your ball flight will start directionally.
Club Path
The horizontal direction of the club head’s center prior to impact (in-to-out or out-to-in).
What it means: Positive value = face moving right of target (RH players = in-to-out, LH players = out-to-in). Negative value = face moving left of target (RH = out-to-in, LH = in-to-out).
What it means to you: In-to-out is needed to hit a draw and out-to-in to hit a fade. The higher the number, the more extreme the shape.
Ball Direction
The initial direction the ball starts relative to the target line.
What it means: How far left or right of target your ball is starting post-impact.
What it means to you: Indicates how much of a “push” or “pull” you hit. The larger the number, the farther from the target line.
Launch Angle
The initial vertical angle of the ball after impact.
What it means: Are you hitting too low (ground ball) or too high (pop-up)? This varies by club.
What it means to you: Combined with spin and ball speed, this impacts your ball’s carry and total distance.
Apex
The maximum height your ball reaches during flight.
What it means: Determined by ball speed, launch angle, and spin.
What it means to you: A unique stat best optimized on a shot-by-shot basis.
Smash Factor
Ball speed divided by club speed.
What it means: A ratio showing how efficiently energy transfers from club to ball.
What it means to you: For drivers, 1.5 is a great goal.
Backspin
The amount of revolutions of the golf ball generated instantly after impact.
What it means: Higher spin rates have a greater effect on ball flight.
What it means to you: This is a major factor in flight, height, and rollout of your golf shot.
Side Spin
The amount of revolutions of the golf ball generated (left-to-right or right-to-left) instantly after impact.
What it means: Too much side spin causes the ball to roll out in an extreme manner after landing.
What it means to you: Excessive side spin causes exaggerated rollout and directional deviation.