A launch monitor gives you two kinds of numbers: what the ball did (ball speed, launch, spin, carry, curve) and what the club did (club speed, path, face, angle of attack). For most amateurs, the numbers that matter most are carry and its spread, ball speed and smash factor, then launch and spin. The rest help once you know your pattern.
Below is every number you are likely to see, what it means in plain English, and what a sensible range looks like, using Trackman's definitions and averages as the reference.
The numbers at a glance
| Number | What it tells you | Priority for amateurs |
|---|---|---|
| Carry | How far it flies | Top |
| Side / offline | How far left or right it lands | Top |
| Ball speed | How hard the ball left the face | High |
| Smash factor | How well you struck it | High |
| Launch angle | How high it started | High |
| Spin rate | How much backspin | High |
| Club speed | How fast the club was moving | Medium |
| Spin axis | How much it curves | Medium |
| Launch direction | Where it started, left or right | Medium |
| Angle of attack | Hitting up or down | Medium (driver high) |
| Club path | Direction the club was travelling | Medium |
| Face angle | Where the face pointed | Medium |
| Apex | Peak height | Low |
| Descent angle | How steeply it lands | Low (but useful) |
| Total | Carry plus roll | Low on a monitor |
Ball data
Ball speed
Trackman defines it as the speed of the ball just after it leaves the face. It is the single biggest driver of distance. Trackman's Combine data shows male driver ball speed rising from 131 mph for a bogey golfer to 161 mph for scratch or better.
Launch angle
The angle the ball takes off at, relative to the ground. Too low and it falls out of the sky early. Too high with a lot of spin and it balloons. Trackman's PGA Tour averages are 10.4 degrees with a driver and 16.1 with a 7 iron.
Launch direction
The horizontal starting direction, left or right of your target line. It is mostly decided by where the face points at impact. Good alignment of your launch monitor matters here (see our MLM2 Pro setup guide).
Spin rate
How fast the ball is spinning, in revolutions per minute. Backspin keeps the ball in the air and helps it stop on the green. Tour 7 irons spin around 7,000 rpm, drivers around 2,500. Full targets in our spin rate by club guide.
Spin axis
The tilt of the ball's spin, which is what makes it curve. Trackman uses negative for curving left and positive for right. Between about minus 2 and plus 2 degrees counts as straight. Trackman's rule of thumb: on a 150 yard shot, 2 degrees of axis is about 2.2 yards of curve, and 10 degrees is about 11 yards.
Carry
The distance the ball flies before it comes back down to the height it started from. This is the number to plan your golf around, because roll depends on the ground.
Total
Carry plus roll. Trackman describes it as a calculated resting position. Indoors on a net, every launch monitor calculates it, so do not read too much into it.
Apex (height)
The highest point of the flight. Trackman's PGA Tour 7 iron averages 34 yards high. Height matters because a shot that comes down steeply stops quicker.
Descent (landing) angle
How steeply the ball comes down. Tour 7 irons land at about 51 degrees in Trackman's averages. If your irons land flat, they will run through greens even if the carry is right.
Side (offline)
How far left or right of your target the ball finishes. Look at the spread over 10 to 15 shots, not one ball.
Club data
Club speed
The speed of the club head just before impact. More speed gives more potential distance, but only if you hit the middle. Trackman's average male golfer (14.5 handicap) swings the driver at 94 mph.
Smash factor
Ball speed divided by club speed. It is the quickest read on strike quality. Trackman's optimal driver figure is 1.50. See smash factor explained.
Angle of attack
Whether the club is moving up or down at impact. Trackman's PGA Tour averages are minus 0.9 degrees with a driver and minus 3.9 with a 7 iron. Irons should be struck on a descending blow. With a driver, a slightly upward strike tends to raise launch and cut spin, which adds distance for most amateurs.
Club path
The direction the club head is travelling at impact, in-to-out (positive for a right-hander) or out-to-in (negative). Path relative to face is what curves the ball.
Face angle and face to path
Where the face points at impact, and the difference between face and path. Face mostly sets the starting direction. Face to path mostly sets the curve. A face that is open to the path curves the ball right for a right-hander.
Dynamic loft and spin loft
Dynamic loft is the loft on the face at impact. Spin loft is the difference between the club's direction of travel and the face, and it is one of the main things that sets spin. Most home launch monitors do not show these, but they explain why hitting down harder does not always mean more spin.
Measured vs calculated
Different launch monitors measure different things. For example, Rapsodo lists ball speed, club speed, launch angle, launch direction, angle of attack, club path, spin rate and spin axis as measured on the MLM2 Pro, and calculates smash factor, carry, total, apex, descent angle and side carry. Calculated numbers are only as good as the measured ones behind them. More in is the MLM2 Pro accurate?.
How to actually use launch monitor data
Too many golfers hit 200 balls, stare at numbers, and go home none the wiser. A better approach:
- Pick one club and one question. "What is my real 7 iron carry, and how wide is my spread?"
- Hit 10 to 15 balls to one target. Same routine every shot.
- Look at averages and spread, not your best shot.
- Compare with a target. What does a golfer at your goal handicap typically hit? See our club distance chart by handicap and handicap targets page.
- Find the biggest gap. Low ball speed for your club speed? That is strike. High spin and low carry? That is delivery. Wide spread? That is face control.
- Work on one thing, then measure again next session.
How Pickle Shot helps
That six-step list is basically what Pickle Shot is being built to do for you. It is pre-launch, built for the Rapsodo MLM2 Pro first. Your launch monitor tells you what you did. Pickle Shot will compare it with what a golfer at your goal handicap typically hits, find the biggest gap and say it plainly, like "Your 7 iron is landing short. Fix first: centre strike." Early access opens to the waitlist first. See how it works and the FAQ.
Less staring at numbers, more fixing things. Join the Pickle Shot waitlist.
Questions
What are the most important launch monitor numbers for amateurs?
Start with carry distance and its spread for each club, then ball speed and smash factor (strike), then launch angle and spin rate (flight). Club path and face angle are useful once you know your pattern. Most amateurs gain more from better strike and distance control than from chasing swing speed.
What is the difference between carry and total distance?
Carry is how far the ball flies in the air before it comes back down to the height it started at. Total adds the roll. Trackman describes total as a calculated resting position. On a launch monitor, carry is the more reliable number to plan with because roll changes with ground conditions.
What is spin axis?
Spin axis is the tilt of the ball's spin, which makes it curve. Trackman treats negative as curving left and positive as curving right, with roughly minus 2 to plus 2 degrees counting as straight.
What is angle of attack?
It is whether the club is moving up or down at impact. Trackman's PGA Tour averages show a downward strike with irons (about minus 3.9 degrees with a 7 iron) and close to level with the driver (minus 0.9 degrees).
Which numbers does a launch monitor measure and which does it calculate?
It depends on the device. Rapsodo, for example, lists ball speed, club speed, launch angle, launch direction, angle of attack, club path, spin rate and spin axis as measured, and calculates smash factor, carry, total, apex, descent angle and side carry.
Sources
- Trackman, 40 Trackman parameters
- Trackman, Ball speed (Sep 2024)
- Trackman, What is club speed? (Sep 2024)
- Trackman, Smash factor
- Trackman, Launch angle (Sep 2024)
- Trackman, Spin rate (Sep 2024)
- Trackman, Spin axis
- Trackman, Attack angle
- Trackman, Introducing updated tour averages (May 2024)
- Rapsodo, MLM2PRO product page (measured and calculated metrics)
Pickle Shot is independent and not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by Rapsodo or any launch monitor maker. Product details change, so check the maker's site before you buy.