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Over the few past years, golf has taken absolutely massive steps in technology and the way coaches and players can now analyze golf swings, ball flights and outcomes such as distance and club head speed.

The top players in the world will rarely practise or receive a lesson from their coaches without a launch monitor present. The launch monitors give information that cannot be calculated by the naked eye on the golf course such as:

• Degrees of swing path
• Degrees of club face angle at impact
• Ball speed
• Club head speed
• Carry distance
• Finish distance
• Launch angle
• Shaft angle at impact
• Smash factor

The smash factor is an interesting figure because it calculates the ball speed divided by the club head speed to give a figure of how efficient the swing is performing but the overall aim is for the ball to leave the club as fast as possible. For example, a player hitting the ball with a club head speed of 100mph with the ball leaving the club at 110mph will result in a low smash factor of 1.10 because a perfect strike at this speed will result in the ball leaving at approximately 150mph which would give a perfect reading of 1.50 smash factor. This would be the legal maximum the ball should leave the club. Golf club legal limits were introduced on drivers to prevent the trampoline headed drivers from hitting the ball speeds over 160mph from a 100mph golf swing.

If you have the chance to use a launch monitor, keep an eye on your smash factor and the closer it is to 1.50, the better you are striking the ball and the more efficient your swing is. If you are around 1.30, this is an average number but 1.10 would be cause for concern and your golf swing would need some improving.

The smash factor is a great help for those players looking for their stats and building on them for game improvement. On the golf course, there is no way of knowing your smash factor but you can be happy when you hit one well.

The smash factor is not a calculation of distance. It is a calculation of the ball speed and the club head speed at impact. It cannot be determined on the golf course.

The smash factor calculates the ball speed divided by the club head speed to give you an indication of how well you are hitting the ball in relation to your swing speed. Therefore, it will not be very helpful with the finesse shots around the greens.