Total

Total is the distance from the launch point to the ball's calculated resting position, measured in yards or meters. It includes everything after landing: the bounce, the roll and any check or spin back.

The resting spot is an estimate that assumes flat ground at launch level with normal, medium-firm turf. Real courses that are firmer, softer, sloped or wet will give a different result.

For tour drives under normal conditions, Total is often around 15 to 25 yards longer than carry. PGA Tour players carry the driver about 275 to 282 yards on average, and their average driving distance is close to 300 yards. Irons usually add only a few yards, and wedges often add very little or even spin back.

Everyday golfers with low, flat driver flights can see more roll than tour players. That can make Total look healthy even when carry is short.

Carry sets the starting point. After that, roll grows when the ball lands at a shallow angle, comes in with more forward speed and carries less backspin. It shrinks with a steep landing angle and high spin.

Ground conditions matter too. Firmer turf adds roll, softer turf reduces it. Downwind shots land flatter and tend to roll more. Heavily curving shots lose some forward roll as they kick sideways.

Total is what decides where your tee shot actually finishes, and therefore your next shot's distance. For approach shots it shows how much a ball will release past the landing spot. Total paired with Side Total gives the complete end position.

Use Total for tee shots where roll is part of the plan, and Carry for anything that must fly a hazard or stop on a green. Because Total depends on assumed conditions, it is less reliable than carry for comparing sessions.

Bay drill: hit five drives with your normal flight and five with a slightly lower, flatter flight. Compare both Carry and Total. If the lower flight gains Total but loses Carry, decide which matters more for the holes you play, such as firm summer fairways versus soft spring ones.