When I think of Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the first things that comes to mind is how deeply he goes into the details of his game. This is a player who has built a reputation around following everything: yards, speeds, tendencies and patterns. If there’s a number associated with it, there’s a good chance he’s seen it.
But instead of looking at this and thinking it’s a bit extreme, I find myself more curious than anything. If you’re tracking this much, you’re doing it for a reason.
And that’s what caught my eye in this video.
It’s not like Fitzpatrick is watching everything all the time. It’s that there are a few numbers that he clearly pays attention to when he practices, and at least one that he doesn’t seem to prioritize in the same way. Here’s what I found most interesting about watching him practice and think.
He knows his carry distances (and what they MUST to be)
The first thing that stands out is how clearly Fitzpatrick understands his carry numbers.
Throughout the video, he references how far a shot should go and compares it to what he actually did. You’ll hear it call out the expected strings and then check them against the normalized numbers.
What is important here is the consistency of this process.
He has a base for each club and uses it as a reference point. When something is slightly off, it’s obvious. When it lines up, it reinforces that everything is working as expected.
Normalized numbers also play a role. Conditions can change from day to day, and those adjustments help him understand whether a change is due to the environment or his swing. Distance control, even for the average player, starts with knowing your typical carry, not just your best.
His yardage gaps are intentional (and wider than you think)
Fitzpatrick mentions that his yardage gaps are usually around 12 to 13 yards and that he previously worked with gaps closer to 10 yards but found them to be too tight.
By breaking things up a bit more, it creates more defined roles for each club. This can make it easier to make a shot without second-guessing the selection.
For amateur players, this is where the inconsistencies often appear. The gaps are not always evenly spaced and sometimes there are no gaps at all. It’s easy to try to compensate with swing changes. Fitzpatrick’s approach is very structured. Gaps are consistent and each club has a clear goal.
He looks at club speed – but uses it as a check
Club speed is another number Fitzpatrick pays attention to, but not because he’s trying to push it in a training session.
He mentions keeping an eye on it because a drop in speed could indicate something is off, whether it’s fatigue or something in motion.
If the number remains stable, there is no reason to focus on it. If it changes, it can help identify where to look next.
This is a useful distinction because many golfers tend to treat club speed as something to maximize rather than something to monitor. If you’re constantly tracking speed for the sake of pushing the limit, you might want to try monitoring and see what it does for your game.
The number he has not fixed
Spin is one of those numbers you’d expect someone like Fitzpatrick to really dig, but he doesn’t come close to it.
He explains that it’s something he’ll keep an eye on, but not something he’s looking at in detail every time he practices. Instead, he’ll hit a few shots, usually with different irons, just to see where things are.
If the numbers look normal, he continues. If something is clearly out of line, then it’s worth a closer look. He’s not trying to fix the rotation from session to session. He’s using it more as a quick check to make sure nothing has strayed too far from what he expects.
For many golfers, the swing becomes something they follow without really knowing what it should be. Fitzpatrick teaches a good lesson here. You have a general idea of ​​your numbers, you confirm they’re still in a good range, and you only spend time on it if there’s a reason for it.
Final thoughts
This video is a great tutorial on how to approach practice with data.
Fitzpatrick isn’t trying to analyze everything at once. The numbers he focuses on help him understand how his clubs are performing and if anything has changed. If you’re working with numbers in your practice, it’s a good reminder that not all data needs the same level of attention. Knowing which numbers matter most can make the process much more manageable.
Main photo caption: Matthew Fitzpatrick drives during a practice round at the Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/David Cannon)
