Side Carry

Side carry refers to how far left or right the ball lands from the target line, measured at the point where it finishes its carry in the air.

Instead of looking only at how far the shot traveled forward, side carry shows the lateral distance caused by face angle, club path, spin axis, and curvature. It’s one of the simplest ways to quantify how much a shot misses the intended line before it even hits the ground and starts rolling.

Fitters use side carry to understand directional control and shot dispersion patterns. If shots are consistently finishing left or right by a similar amount, it points to predictable tendencies in face delivery or path. If side carry varies widely, the golfer may need changes to shaft profile, lie angle, head design, or setup to tighten dispersion.

Tracking side carry helps identify whether equipment adjustments are actually improving accuracy and keeping more shots in play.