Swing AnalysisSwing AnalysisA frame-by-frame biomechanical review of a filmed 5-iron shot, with the ball-flight readout from the range screen and benchmarks against the PGA and LPGA Tours and his other irons. Includes a diagnosis, priorities and a 4-week practice plan.
Bottom line: a solid, efficient 5-iron. At 108 mph of ball speed it went 169 yds total (159 carry), only 2 yds short of the LPGA Tour carry average, with an estimated club speed about the same. The curve was a modest 20 ft, the tightest of his long irons so far. The finish is balanced and held, as always.
The flight is still too high and too flat at landing: a 19° launch against 12° for the PGA Tour, and a 40° landing against 43–47°. So the ball rolled 10 yds after landing. The swing shows his familiar patterns in a milder form: the head drops about 3 inches by impact, the top is high and arm-driven, and the tempo is ~1.9:1.
A near-LPGA carry for his speed, only 20 ft of curve, and a full, held finish.
Hands ahead at impact to take loft off: launch from 19° toward 14–16°, landing above 43°.
Keep the cap level through impact and stretch the backswing toward a 3:1 rhythm.
Read from the range's ball-tracking screen, filmed at the end of the video. This is one recorded shot, so treat it as a snapshot, not an average.
Screen capture from the video. Final values after the ball came to rest (the total counts up from 168 to 169).
| Metric | André | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Total distance | 169 yds | 10 yds of roll |
| Carry | 159 yds | Efficient for the speed (flat carry 157) |
| Ball speed | 108 mph | Est. club speed ~77–80 mph* |
| Launch angle | 19° | High for a 5-iron |
| Apex (max height) | 72 ft (24 yds) | Normal |
| Landing angle | 40° | A bit shallow, so it runs |
| Hang time | 5.4 s | — |
| Curve | 20 ft (≈6 m) | Modest; direction not shown |
| Proximity to target | — | Not shown on screen |
*Club speed isn't shown on the screen. It's estimated from ball speed ÷ a typical long-iron smash factor of 1.36–1.40.
| Metric | André | LPGA Tour avg | PGA Tour avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Club speed | ~77–80 mph (est.) | 79 mph | 94 mph |
| Ball speed | 108 mph | 112 mph | 132 mph |
| Launch angle | 19° | 14.3° | 12.1° |
| Max height | 24 yds | 25 yds | 31 yds |
| Landing angle | 40° | 43° | 47° |
| Carry | 159 yds | 161 yds | 194 yds |
Figures from the classic TrackMan PGA and LPGA Tour averages tables (5-iron).
Why the LPGA row matters: his speed and carry sit right on the LPGA average, so the engine is fine. The gap is shape. LPGA players launch about 5° lower and land about 3° steeper at the same speed. That's the difference between a 5-iron that stops near the pin and one that runs to the back of the green.
| Club | Session | Total | Carry | Ball speed | Launch | Landing | Curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-Iron | Oct 7 | 183 yds | 167 yds | 110 mph | 20° | 37° | 39 ft |
| 5-Iron | Oct 2 | 169 yds | 159 yds | 108 mph | 19° | 40° | 20 ft |
| 6-Iron | Oct 6 | 149 yds | 140 yds | 103 mph | 23° | 46° | 11 ft |
The gapping story: 4-iron to 5-iron is only 14 yds total and 2 mph of ball speed, while 5-iron to 6-iron is 20 yds. The 4-iron isn't adding much over the 5-iron yet. That's typical when a long iron launches high and lands shallow. Lower launch would spread the two clubs apart.
Nine key positions from the video, filmed down-the-line from behind at Mariners Point.
P-numbers follow the standard 10-position swing model. The video runs at 30 fps, so timestamps are accurate to about ±0.03 s. The impact frame is the last one with the ball on the mat; in the next frame it's in the air.
The white line marks the top of the head at address and the gold line marks the cap brim at address. By impact the whole head sits below both lines. The camera didn't move: the fence poles stay in place. Inches are estimated from head size, so treat them as ±1 inch.
Confidence: high on the screen numbers, the tempo and the head movement, which are measured. It's moderate on the link between head dip and added loft, because shaft lean can't be seen down-the-line.
Lay a folded towel about 6 inches behind the ball. Hit 5-irons without touching it.
Forces a ball-first strike with the hands ahead: lower launch, steeper landing.
Hit three-quarter 5-irons with the hands finishing at chest height, ahead of the clubhead. Aim for a launch under 16° on the screen.
Teaches forward shaft lean through impact.
Film from this same spot. Put tape on the phone screen at the top of the head at address, and check it stays at the tape through impact.
One fix for the whole bag: driver, 4-iron and 5-iron all show the dip.
Cross the arms over the chest and turn until the lead shoulder is under the chin, then add the club with the same feel and lower hands at the top.
Replaces arm lift with chest turn.
Rehearse "back-2-3 / down-1" with a tempo app. Start with half swings, then build to full.
Every report so far measures ~2:1, so this is the bag-wide habit to change.
Hold every swing in the finish for a three-count.
Protects the balance he already owns.
| Week | Focus | Session (≈50 balls) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball-first strike | 15 towel-drill shots · 15 hold-off punches · 10 full 5-irons, logging launch and landing · phone line check on 5 swings |
| 2 | Head height + turn | Turn-to-the-top rehearsals · 20 shots at 80% with the phone line check · 10 punches under 16° launch |
| 3 | Tempo | Metronome rehearsals · 20 full 5-irons at 3:1 · 10 4-irons with the same tempo, to check the gap between them |
| 4 | Retest | 10 5-irons at Mariners Point, logging total, carry, launch, landing and curve, plus a new down-the-line video |
Launch angle: 19° → 14–16°
Landing angle: 40° → 43°+
Total distance: keep 165+ yds with less roll
Curve: 20 ft → under 15 ft
The targets are practical goals for his speed, not tour standards. Refine them after the week-4 retest.
For the next session: film face-on and down-the-line from 3–4 m away, using slow motion (120–240 fps) if possible. Photograph the screen after 5–10 shots.