Drill library · Launch monitor
The Carry Map
Why this drill
The single highest-value hour a launch monitor offers: measure what every club in the bag actually carries — not what it carried once, downhill, in July. Approach play improves the day the guessing stops.
Setup
Launch monitor or simulator reading carry distance, full bag, a notecard or phone. If the session is indoors, note the ball type — range-ball numbers need a real-ball session to confirm.
The drill
Seven balls per club, starting with the most-lofted wedge and working up. Throw out the worst strike and the best flier; write down the average carry of the remaining five — the number you can actually order on the course. For wedges, run the clock positions too (7:30, 9:00, 10:30 backswings) so the partial-wedge grid gets real numbers instead of range-flag estimates. Stop at the club where two gaps in a row come out under eight yards; that overlap is a set-makeup conversation, not a swing problem. Leave with a one-card carry map, dated.
One thought to take with you
Average carry is your number — the best ball you ever hit is a memory, not a yardage.