Trackman Level 2 Certification

A toe strike shifts the center of gravity relative to the impact point, creating gear effect which tilts the spin axis to the left, resulting in a hook despite a neutral Face to Path. Face angle dictates the starting direction, not the curve, and a neutral Face to Path on a center strike would produce a straight shot.

A negative Attack Angle with a driver increases Spin Loft, resulting in excessive spin and lost carry distance. Hitting up on the ball (positive Attack Angle) lowers Spin Loft, reducing spin and optimizing launch conditions for maximum distance.

Spin Loft is the 3D angle between the direction the club head is moving (Attack Angle/Club Path) and the direction the club face is pointing (Dynamic Loft/Face Angle). It is the primary driver of Spin Rate and Smash Factor, not a simple 2D subtraction or speed ratio.

A Low Point ‘After’ (A) means the nadir of the swing arc occurred past the golf ball, which correlates perfectly with a negative (descending) Attack Angle. This is the ideal delivery for a standard iron shot to ensure crisp, ball-first contact.

Trackman data proves that the ball’s initial starting direction is heavily dominated by the Face Angle at impact, representing roughly 85% for drivers and 75% for irons. Club Path primarily dictates the curve of the ball relative to that starting face angle.

A Face Angle of +2.0 starts the ball to the right. Because the Face is closed relative to the Path (Face to Path is -2.0), the spin axis tilts to the left, creating a draw. The ball starts right and curves left.

Smash Factor measures energy transfer efficiency by dividing Ball Speed by Club Speed. Due to equipment rules limiting the Coefficient of Restitution (COR), the maximum achievable Smash Factor with a driver is around 1.50.

Swing Direction is the orientation of the bottom of the swing plane. When a right-handed golfer hits down on the ball (negative Attack Angle) before the swing’s low point, the club is still traveling outward, making the Club Path more in-to-out (positive) than the Swing Direction.

Trackman defines a positive Spin Axis as tilting to the right, which results in the ball fading or slicing to the right, regardless of player dexterity. A negative Spin Axis tilts left, causing the ball to curve left.

The player already has a good positive Attack Angle, but their Launch and Spin are too low, indicating their Dynamic Loft is insufficient. Increasing the static loft of the club will increase Dynamic Loft, bringing Launch Angle and Spin Rate into optimal windows for maximum carry.

Trackman’s Normalization feature uses the measured launch conditions (Ball Speed, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, etc.) and runs them through its aerodynamic model to simulate the trajectory in zero wind at standard altitude and temperature. It does not alter Club Data.

For irons, the relationship between Face to Path and Spin Axis is generally a multiplier of about 2 to 3, depending on dynamic loft. For drivers, the multiplier is higher because lower loft creates more spin axis tilt for the same Face to Path difference.

Spin Rate is primarily dictated by Ball Speed and Spin Loft. If the Spin Rate is excessively high (like 8500 rpm for a 6-iron), the Spin Loft is too high, likely caused by an excessively negative Attack Angle combined with too much Dynamic Loft.

Vertical Swing Plane (VSP) evaluates the steepness of the club head’s path during the lower portion of the downswing (from knee high to impact). It is distinct from Dynamic Lie, which measures the shaft angle at the exact moment of impact.

Water acts as a lubricant between the club face and the ball, reducing friction. Less friction causes the ball to slide up the face more before leaving, which increases the Launch Angle and significantly decreases the Spin Rate, creating a ‘flier’.

When the club is delivered ‘Toe Down,’ the loft of the club face is tilted to the right for a right-handed player. This acts like an open face, causing the ball to launch to the right of the target line.

Landing Angle (or Descent Angle) is vital for iron fitting because it dictates how quickly the ball will stop on the green. A steeper landing angle provides the necessary stopping power, even if spin rates are slightly sub-optimal.

For a right-handed golfer, a downward Attack Angle shifts the Club Path to the right of the Swing Direction. To fix a heavily out-to-in (-4.0) Club Path, the player must shift their baseline Swing Direction to the right (more positive) to neutralize the delivery.

Spin Loft is the 3D angle between Face Angle and Club Path, as well as Dynamic Loft and Attack Angle. A large divergence between Face and Path increases the overall 3D Spin Loft, which creates excess spin, lowers Smash Factor, and robs the shot of distance.

In putting, ‘Skid’ occurs before the ball begins true forward roll. If a putter is delivered with too much negative Attack Angle or insufficient Dynamic Loft, the ball can launch with backspin, resulting in negative skid distance where the spin fights the forward motion.