Height is the maximum height or apex of a shot
The height of a shot will vary considerably depending on the combination of ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate.
Variations in ball speed or launch angle will have the largest effect on height. Also, height is highly correlated to the landing angle of a shot.
Depending on the golfer’s ball speed, a certain height must be achieved in order to create optimal carry and/or landing angle. For example, an LPGA Tour player with a 6-iron ball speed of 109 mph is looking to achieve a height of 28 yards. This combination will produce a trajectory optimized for carry and landing angle. However, a PGA TOUR player with a 6-iron ball speed of 130 mph is attemping to attain a height of 34 yards. This combination is optimal for the PGA TOUR player with a higher ball speed.
Due to differences in club design between a fairway wood, hybrid, and iron, an optimally fit set of golf clubs will not necessarily apex at the same height throughout all clubs in the bag.
Technical Definition:
Height – The maximum height (apex) of the golf ball’s trajectory measured relative to the height where the golf ball was launched from (resting point prior to impact).
Tour Averages
PGA TOUR
- Driver = 32 yards
- 6 iron = 30 yards
LPGA Tour
- Driver = 25 yards
- 6 iron = 25 yards
TrackMan Optimizer Values
6 iron (optimized for carry and landing angle)
- @ 95 mph club speed = height of 36 yards
- @ 85 mph club speed = height of 32 yards
- @ 75 mph club speed = height of 26 yards
- @ 65 mph club speed = height of 19 yards
The standard assumption for height comes from the TrackMan Optimizer. For the driver, a club speed of 94 mph, attack angle of 0 degrees, and optimized carry results in a height of 82 feet. For a 6-iron, a club speed of 80 mph and mid-trajectory results in a height of 76 feet. For a PW, a club speed of 72 mph and mid-trajectory results in a height of 69 feet.
Read what our TrackMan University Masters say about Height…
Mark Anderson
Philadelphia Cricket Club, PA, US
“I use height as one of the factors when I am looking at the optimization of ball flight. I want to make sure the student is hitting the ball high enough to be able to stop the ball on the green within a reasonable distance. With the driver, a slightly lower height might be necessary to maximize bounce and roll. If the height needs to change, I look at the launch conditions and how the launch conditions are being created.”
Hugh Marr
Premium Golf Consulting, UK
“I’m looking for height to be reasonably consistent throughout the bag. In particular with higher club speed players, all clubs should apex at approximately the same height. Good players with high club speed players typically have less than a 12 foot variance in height throughout the bag.”
Question: when i use to hit golf balls off a tee at a driving range with a #1Driver…my balls would travel 230 yards when it reached its Apex…my question is how far will the ball travel to where it hits the ground since the ball came off the tee like a line drive to the Apex point…heres something to help you..i use to hit a 9 iron between 190 to 195 yards since the last driving ranges markers were only at 200 yards