Know Your Distance Numbers Indoor VS Outdoor

Northern golfers are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and it’s almost golf season. While nothing compares to the bliss of watching a perfectly struck golf ball fly into the blue sky, indoor golf can be the fix golfers need to get through the winter—it can also be a great way to access both ball AND club tracking. Between TrackMan, Foresight or Flightscope, there are tons of great simulators out there that offer tons of numbers for the Arccos statistician.   

Arccos members are accustomed to data. Each round played using Arccos shows the player performance across a variety of facets and equipment used to played outside. What about indoors vs outdoors? We are figuring that out for you. Here are pieces of information to help you manage your expectations when transitioning from indoor rounds to the great outdoors. 

Spin Rate changes 

Indoor spin rates are consistently lower than outdoor spin rates. The cause of that? Mats. Indoor golf facilities are always equipped with artificial turf. Hitting off mats is great for confidence but the golf club doesn’t dig into the ground as it would outdoors. This results in a strike that is slightly higher on the clubface, causing less spin. 

If you’d like to see more information on spin rate performance, check out this experiment from TrackMan. You’ll see much less spin off mats than real grass. 

Launch angle increases

When hitting off mats, your club never reaches its low point- the mat gets in the way. This results in a slightly higher than center strike on the ball. Higher off the face not only decreases spin, it also increases launch angle.

From TrackMan study. 

Lower spin and higher launch? You know what that means. 

The combination of lower spin and higher launch will result in a slight increase in distance. When playing indoors, you can expect the ball to go a touch farther- about 5-6 yards longer in carry.

While that’s super fun, just remember what your outdoor numbers are. Unless your speed training intensely, your distances won’t be too different from last year. Transitioning from indoor to outdoor isn’t always easy leaving a static environment and heading back to the great outdoors. That being said, when you get back out on the course, the Arccos A.I. Rangefinder will be your bestie for the first few rounds. 

With the fluctuating temperatures in early golf season, distances will look and feel a bit off (especially if you’re used to playing inside). You will also be hitting from various terrains and lies, which the simulators don’t typically replicate well…if at all. So using your previous seasons distances with the A.I. Rangefinder will help you shake off the winter rust and get your gears running in early golf season this year! 

Now go book those tee times and start logging your rounds, that club championship isn't going to win itself!