Golfers require different yardages for various shots, and two key measurements they consider are carry and total distances. The advancements in golf technology have provided numerous ways to measure these distances, but traditional methods also prove effective.
Carry and Total Distances
-Carry distance is the length between the ball's launch location (where it is hit) and its landing spot.
-Total distance is the length between the ball's launch location and its finishing point.
These distances serve distinct purposes in golf. When aiming to clear a hazard, golfers rely on carry distances to select the appropriate club for landing the ball beyond the hazard. Conversely, when planning to lay up or reach a specific point, total distances come into play.
Methods to get your distances
Driving range with ball tracking
Utilizing ball tracking technology at driving ranges is a convenient and affordable way to measure and monitor changes in distances. Prominent ball tracking systems include TopTracer/TopGolf, inrange, and TrackMan range. Follow these steps to measure your distances on a TrackMan range:
To find a range with ball tracking you can check the TrackMan Locator
or YGB Venue Finder.
Before going to the range:
Download the app and set up an account.
Determine if you need to book a bay.
Bring a towel to dry your golf balls.
Clean your clubs.
Bring a pen and paper if you prefer.
1. Warm up
Begin by warming up. You can use the tracking while warming up to get familiar with it, but start a fresh session when you are ready to measure your distances. If there are different types of balls in different conditions, use the worst ones for your warm-up.
2. Setup your device
Once warmed up, make sure you are signed in and start a new practice session to remove your warmup shots. You may need to go to the main menu and load a range practice session from scratch by selecting practice, then range practice to start a new session.
3. Hitting your shots
To measure your distances, hit around 6-8 full shots per club, deleting any mis-hits that may skew the average. The shots don't need to be perfect, but they should be acceptable. Be sure to change your club on the screen when you switch clubs to ensure the shots are being attributed to the right club. Keep your club and balls dry so you don't lose distance.
4. Getting your data
Once you have finished the session, if you are signed in on a TrackMan range, you can head over to the app to see your stats for each club. Make sure conversion is on, then toggle between carry and total distances for each club.
5. Sanity Check
To double-check your distances with the ball conversion, hit a few shots with your actual balls with ball conversion off. The distances should fall in line with the distance you achieved with range balls and ball conversion on.
6. Know your distances on-course
Use a gapping chart bag tag to take your distances on-course. Strap it onto your bag, and you can see your distances when you need them, so you don't have to guess which club is correct.
On course
1. Finding the right time & location
Choose an empty, flat hole or a course with an empty practice range where you can hit and collect your own golf balls. Pick a time where you are unlikely to be interrupted.
2. Setup & hitting shots
Use a laser range finder, golf GPS watch, phone app, or yardage markers to hit balls and record landing and finishing locations. Hit 6-8 shots per club and head to the green once you're finished with each club.
3. Calculating your distances
Yardages are typically measured to the centre of the green, not the pin. For example, if you hit a shot from the 150-yard marker and your ball finishes 20 yards behind the centre of the green, your total distance is 170 yards (150 + 20 = 170). If possible, pace out the landing location to calculate your carry distance as well.
4. Know your distances on-course
For convenience, use a gapping chart bag tag to keep track of your distances while on the course. This tag attaches to your bag and displays your distances, making it easy to select the right club.
Launch Monitor
For precise distance measurement, consider booking a gapping session with a professional using a launch monitor. Alternatively, purchase your own launch monitor based on your budget and needs, with prices ranging from £200 to £15,000.
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