We should use numbers to guide improvements in our game
A10 February 2025 Charbonneau Villager
Charbonneau Men ’ s Club
By TIM BONINO
We should use numbers to guide improvements in our game
2024 student award winners
McKenna Rump , Sara Ellerton and Kaydence Meikle were awarded $ 5,400 . Checks were presented this Christmas .
BONINO Charbonneau Men ’ s Club ,
Charbonneau Women ’ s Golf Association and Charbonneau Ladies Niners , along with Chris Bensel and the pro shop , contributed to the fund . You may remember McKenna Rump from the pro shop and Sara Ellerton and Kaydence Meikle from the Market Café . There were smiles all around and we were very happy to help with their journey . Congratulations ladies ! The awards were presented on Dec . 27 in the Pro Shop . Representatives of each golf board and the Scholarship Committee attended the presentation and chatted with the winners . For future reference , the scholarship committee will now be known as the Charbonneau Golf Associations Award Committee . This committee was started eight years ago by the Charbonneau Men ’ s Club and now encompasses the CWGA ( Charbonneau Women ’ s Golf Association ) and the Niners groups , which play a vital role as well .
COURTESY PHOTO
Left to right : Richard McLeod , Greg Benesh , Joanne Stuvek , Gayle Fitzgerald , Amy Day , Kaydence Meikle , Sara Ellerton , McKenna Rump , Kathy Lofink , Virginia Horler and Tim Bonino
Golf tweaks by the numbers
Sports people are often driven by numbers , stats and performance enhancement tips . Devotees to numbers range from the DeChambeaus and other science nerds , to folks with a “ nice to know that ” attitude . Regardless of your inclinations , golf equipment manufacturers are here to fill in the stat sheets for you as individuals or with the assistance of tech and training centers and experts . With the advent of sports watches and rangefinders we have seen the birth and expansion of launch monitors to track our stats and tweak our personal equipment .
So what numbers are important and why ? Most of us are driven to hit the ball farther . Nature and aging have a subtle way of slowly limiting our abilities to do just that . To stay ahead of that aging and seasoning thing , let ’ s look at a few numbers to keep an eye on .
The “ meat and potatoes ” of numbers
First , there is club speed . Physics says that the faster the club head speed hits the ball , the farther the ball will go ( most of the time ). So , a faster club speed equates to a faster ball speed and more distance . Also playing a role is launch angle . How high the ball rises from the clubface goes hand-in-hand with club speed and ball speed . So far physics is easy , right ? This works well if you hit it straight . The stronger you get , the more club head speed you will have ( a gratuitous plug to work out and get in shape ). Yet one more factor influences distance and that is angle of attack . This is simply the angle at which the club approaches the ball , not a new method of baiting your playing partners .
Oh but there ’ s more … Making a good thing better . The pundits have come up with another stat using the above couple to arrive at smash factor . This sounds like a very manly thing , doesn ’ t it ? Smash factor is ball speed divided by club speed . It is a measure of energy transfer to the ball . The higher the better and typically it should be around 1.4 for the driver and closer to 1.3 for irons .
Remember that “ if ” in a prior paragraph ? To hit it straight we rely on another key measurement , face angle . It is not the contortion angle of your jaw as the ball sails off towards the houses . Face angle would be the direction the clubface is pointed at during impact and ideally it should be zero degrees . If yours , like mine , is all over the map , fear not . Even the pros have a difficult time replicating this number shot after shot . Your accuracy
will improve as you get more consistent with this number .
One of the best numbers you can rely on with your set of clubs is carry . It should be the number you pay closest attention to for a number of important reasons . This is the number that will tell you if you can get over an obstacle . If you rely on total distance , which most of us do , you may not carry a hazard and end up with double or more on a hole . If you have access to a launch monitor , this is what you would first want to know for each club in your bag . Write it down , keep it handy and by all means use it .
Total distance ( carry plus roll ) is a nice to know stat , but remember , you cannot predict the amount of roll you will get on any given day . Roll is dependent on launch angle , course conditions ( up hill , down hill , into or with the wind , wet , dry or soft turf , etc .).
Just a few more numbers to keep you honest
Backspin is the number that goes up as you hit clubs with more loft . For the driver , the closer you hit to the center of the face , the lower the backspin will be . A spin rate below 2,500 RPM is excellent and will lead to longer drives .
Sidespin is the bad news number you don ’ t like to see . Just like the news outlets , you can put a lot of varying spins to your golf story . Sidespin numbers that are high on any club can lead to big hooks or slices . It usually results from the location of your club face to the target and path . An ideal spin axis number would range from -2 to + 2 for a straight shot . Sidespin is unique to you and your swing . A low number will lead to a draw or a fade , a high number a hook or a slice .
Yet another number to look at would be
See MEN ’ S CLUB / A12
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