Angle of Descent

Angle of Descent (also referred to as Landing Angle) is the angle, typically measured in degrees, at which the golf ball strikes the ground as it falls from the highest point of its flight. The Angle of Descent is dependent upon dimple design and trajectory and will vary from player to player based on individuals' distinct launch conditions and from club to club throughout a set of clubs.

Shots hit with higher lofted clubs like wedges will result in steeper descent angles than shots with lower lofted clubs, like the driver.  Descent angle is an important performance consideration during design phases of the golf ball development process because it has a significant impact on stopping power.

Angle of Descent is an important consideration in both golf ball and driver fitting. On Tour, clubs are precision fit to optimize individual player swing characteristics. Though ball speed, launch angle and spin rates can vary greatly between players, descent angle is remarkably similar.

With the driver, tour players optimize their carry and total distance by achieving consistent landing angles within a range of 35° to 40°.  When landing angles fall below 35°, tee shots strike the ground too soon. Even a firm fairway will resist the forward motion of the golf ball with greater force than air, so the ball slows rapidly, well short of its maximum distance potential.

Conversely, when landing angles climb above 40°, tee shots lose distance as a result of minimal roll-out. These shots are also more affected by the wind and can be blown off-target more easily than a tee shot with piercing trajectory and optimal angle of descent.

In the Titleist fitting methodology, we recommend that players get fit for irons and wedges first – and then get fit into the right golf ball model based on the performance of those clubs.

Angle of descent also plays a significant role in iron play. Tour players are typically looking for a landing angle between 45° and 50°. The exact optimal descent angle will shift based on the loft of the club, but within this range, approach shots tend to strike the green, take one bounce forward, and come to rest very close to the impact location of the second bounce. At Titleist this type of control is known as Drop-and-Stop Performance.

Landing angle translates into stopping power on approach shots, so when landing angles fall below 45° the golf ball tends to skip forward too far on the first bounce, not grab forcefully enough on the second bounce and will skid roll out beyond the hole and might even roll off the back of the green, potentially.

An approach shot that descends into a green with an angle higher than 50° tends to land short of pin-high. When the ball strikes the green it bounces more up than forward and on the second bounce, the ball grabs too much. The shot spins back, short of where it struck the green, and may even spin off the front edge of the green.