Common sense would suggest that the higher a golfer’s handicap, the lower his or her swing score would be in Mustard Golf, and vice versa. This has been proven by the thousands of golfers who have uploaded swings to Mustard Golf and also entered their handicap. The vast majority of golfers whose swing score is in the 8s or above are scratch to plus handicaps. Mustard ambassador and former World No. 1 Justin Rose and LPGA star Nelly Korda typically score in the high 8s or low 9s.
Average swing score decreases as handicap increases, as shown in the table below. However, there are exceptions to every rule, and it is very possible to be an outlier in either direction. A very gifted golfer can have a less-than-ideal swing, leading to a swing score that is lower than his or her handicap would suggest. And a beginner golfer might have a very good-looking swing, and may simply lack the reps necessary to produce consistent shot outcomes.
Those beginners can benefit greatly from using Mustard Golf. “Without the feedback from Mustard Golf, their inconsistent contact might lead them to believe there was something inherently wrong with their swing,” says Mustard Golf cofounder and head of product Luke Collis. “Mustard Golf will show them their natural movement patterns are good. By using Mustard, following the basics course and working on the things Mustard suggests, they might just need more reps to hone that decent swing they already have.”
Of course, better golfers who have good swings can also have bad outcomes. However, it is important to understand a bad shot outcome will not likely adversely affect your Mustard swing score. “What we look at in Mustard is the overall swing pattern,” Collis explains. “We’re not judging the minutiae of each swing.” This helps to reinforce for golfers that you don’t need huge swing changes to see improvement. Too often, they see their mishits and try to make a drastic change. Rather, all they really need is more reps and some refinement.
If your swing swing score is higher than it should be for your handicap, or if your swing score is lower than it should be for your handicap, here are some potential reasons.
Position in the Back Swing
Mustard Golf’s Mark Blackburn – Golf Digest’s No. 1 Coach in America – says the key to the golf swing is putting yourself in a good position in the backswing. If you do that, you don’t have to make any compensatory movements in the downswing. There are many excellent golfers who have figured out a way to compensate for some of their less-than-ideal movement patterns and still make good contact with the ball. They have learned to achieve good outcomes from bad positions, and this will show in their Mustard swing score. Conversely, a higher-handicap golfer might hit the perfect position in the backswing, but be unable to control the clubface into impact. This leads to a higher swing score with a less-than-ideal outcome.
Mustard is trying to reduce the amount of compensations in your swing. You will have a more consistent swing that relies less on making adjustments and manipulating the clubface to give you a higher ceiling in the game.
Clubface
One thing not currently addressed in the Mustard Golf app is clubface. (However, we are working hard to address this in the future!) Clubface position at impact is obviously very indicative of where the ball will actually go. It is a culmination of all the things we do with our body to deliver the golf club to the ball. When you see a shot that goes wildly offline, or curves right or left, it often comes down to clubface. The best players on earth are the best at controlling the clubface. This is why a pro golfer with a swing score of 8.5 will have significantly better and more consistent shot outcomes than an amateur golfer with a swing score of 8.0, even though their swing scores are almost equal.
Swing Speed
Another factor that separates pro and amateur golfers is swing speed, which is not yet measured in the Mustard Golf app. In general, low handicappers swing the club faster than high handicappers, and thus hit the ball farther. According to data collected by Trackman, average driver swing speed on the PGA tour is 115 mph, while average on the LPGA tour is 96 mph. For comparison, male amateur golfers with a scratch handicap average 110 mph. Those with a 10 handicap average 95 mph. Female amateur scratch golfers average 90 mph, while 10 handicappers average 83 mph.
If you’d like more great content from Mustard Golf, and you’d like to evaluate and improve your own golf swing, download the Mustard Golf app today.
Click HERE if you’d like to submit your pitching delivery or golf swing for use on #TeamMSTRD’s social media channels.
