Trackman PGA & LPGA Tour Averages

Interesting stats provided by Trackman in their latest newsletter. First, here's what each abbreviation means:

ClSd = Clubhead Speed
BlSd = Ball Speed
AoA = Attack Angle
VLa = Vertical Launch Angle
Spin = Spin Rate
MH = Maximum Height of Ball
Carry = Carry of ball in yards

Here's the PGA Tour Averages for 2009

.........ClSd.....BlSd....AoA....VLa.....Spin....MH....Carry
DR........112......165....-1.3....11.2....2685....31.......269
3W.......107......158....-2.9.....9.2....3655....30.....243
5W.......103......152....-3.3.....9.4....4350....31.....230
HY.......100......146....-3.3....10.2....4437....29.....225
3I........98......142....-3.1....10.4....4640....27.....212
4I........96......137....-3.4....11.0....4836....28.....203
5I........94......132....-3.7....12.1....5361....31.....194
6I........92......127....-4.1....14.1....6231....30.....183
7I........90......120....-4.3....16.3....7097....32.....172
8I........87......115....-4.5....18.1....7998....31.....160
9I........85......109....-4.7....20.4....8647....30.....148
PW........83......102....-5.0....24.2....9304....29.....136

Here's the LPGA Tour averages for 2009:

.........ClSd.....BlSd....AoA...VLa.....Spin....MH....Carry
D........94......139....+3.0....14.0...2628...25.....220
3W.....90......132....-0.9.....11.2...2705...23.....195
5W.....88......128....-1.8.....12.2...4501...26.....185
7W.....85......123....-3.0.....12.7...4693...25.....174
4I.......80......116....-1.7.....14.3...4801...24.....169
5I.......79......112....-1.9.....14.8...5081...23.....161
6I.......78......109....-2.3.....17.1...5943...25.....152
7I.......76......104....-2.3.....19.0...6699...26.....141
8I.......74......100....-3.1.....20.8...7494...25.....130
9I.......72........93....-3.1.....23.9...7586...26.....119
PW.....70........86....-2.8.....25.6...8402...23.....107

Some noticeably differences here besides clubhead speed and ball speed. Particularly the Attack angle where the LPGA is much more shallow on the Attack Ange. The average AoA for the PGA Tour with the driver is -1.3 compared to the LPGA's +3.0. With a 7-iron it's -4.3 on the PGA and -2.3 on the LPGA.

This creates a higher vertical launch angle for the LPGA, but a lower maximum height (due to a much lower clubhead speed). I'd be curious to see if the higher clubhead speed LPGA Tour members also have a steeper attack angle.

I have heard of the theory that every club is supposed to reach the same maximum height, but these stats show that to be untrue.




3JACK