6 Trackman numbers all amateur golfers should know
You’ve likely seen Tour players using their Trackman on the driving range, and you may have even tried it with your local coach. Your coach might not have shared all the data with you, which makes sense—those numbers can be confusing, and the last thing you want during a lesson is to worry about complicated details.
With over 40 different data points, it can be hard to know where to begin. But understanding the numbers that impact your game can be invaluable.
While the following numbers might not directly apply to your specific swing adjustments, having a basic knowledge of them can benefit most golfers. It could even help you figure out the cause of an unexpected shot during a round.
In some cases, you might be able to make corrections mid-round. But the real advantage is knowing what caused the issue, so you don’t waste time fixing something that isn’t actually broken.
Before we get started, please note that some of these explanations are simplified for easy understanding and may not be scientifically detailed. Also, all the numbers mentioned are based on a right-handed golfer.
What is Face Angle?
Face Angle is the horizontal direction your club face is pointing at impact. It can be open, closed, or square. If it’s closed, it will point to the left, and the Trackman number will show a negative number, e.g. -2 deg. (Minus means left). An open club face will show a positive number e.g., 3 deg (positive means right), and a square club face will be 0 deg and pointing straight down your target line.
Good to know
In most cases, the direction your club face is pointing at impact will dictate the ball’s start direction. So if your ball is starting to the right, that typically means you have an open club face (a positive number).
What is Club Path?
Club path is the direction you are swinging the club, perhaps you have heard the terms swinging "out-to-in" or "in-to-out", that's typically the club path people are referring to. If you are swinging from in-to-out, the number will be a positive number, meaning you are swinging to the right of the target line, and that will typically create a draw shape (assuming a center strike, and Face Angle number less than the Club Path number).
If you hit a fade or a slice, one of the reasons could be that you are swinging out to in (swinging left), and that means the club path number is negative.
Good to know
In general terms, a positive number means a draw shape, and a negative number means a fade shape, 0 means a straight shot. The higher the number is, the more shape you will get. Club path is the number to look at if you want to shape the ball flight (horizontal).
What is Impact Location, and why is it important for the shot shape?
When it comes to the shot shape and club path, we assume that you are making contact with the ball at the center of the club face (Sweet spot), if that’s not the case you might experience different shot shapes than described in the club path section above, especially with the driver. Assuming your Face Angle and Club Path is 0, and with a center strike, you should hit a straight shot. But what if your strike is a bit towards the heel?
That will curve the ball from left to right (fade shape), and if the strike were towards the toe of the club face, it would give the ball a draw shape instead. So even if you have a draw-biased club path (positive number), you can still end up with a fade if you hit the ball towards the heel of the club. That might be something to play around with at the range, to understand what’s going on.
Good to know
Impact location will influence many parameters, but to keep it simple, we are only focusing on the horizontal shot shape here. If you already know that you have e.g., a positive club path (draw shape), but are seeing a straighter or perhaps a fade shape, it’s more likely that impact location might be a bit towards the heel, rather than your club path changed.
What is Attack Angle?
The Attack Angle number shows if you are hitting down or up on the ball, and in this case, it’s the vertical direction, a negative number means you are hitting down on the ball, and a positive number means up on the ball.
Good to know
For iron shots, you would typically like to see a negative number, and for drives a positive number, if you would like to know the exact number that suits your swing, visit your local Trackman coach.
What is Low Point?
This number will provide you with an A or B after the number, and that simply means After and Before. The number will tell when you are reaching the lowest point in your swing. A simplified translation of that, do you make contact with the ball Before or After you hit the ground. E.g., if you are hitting a 7 iron and your low point number have a B, you are hitting the ground before you reach the ball.
Good to know
For iron shots, you would typically like to see an “A” for after, that indicates that you hit the ball before you hit the ground. When it comes to the driver, you would like to have a “B”. Meaning the lowest point is before you hit the ball and that your club is traveling upwards (positive attack angle) when you make contact with the ball. It’s okay to have the lowest point “Before” when you are hitting the driver since you are teeing the ball up.
What is Carry?
The Carry number is simply the distance your ball is flying; when the ball lands on the ground, you will have your carry number.
Good to know
Knowing the carry distance for each club in your bag is a simple yet crucial number. It makes choosing the right club on the course much easier. After all, it doesn’t matter if your ball rolls an extra 30 yards if you’re unsure whether you can clear the water. A helpful tip for course management is to focus on your average carry distance rather than your longest. This gives you a more realistic expectation of how you’ll perform during a round.