The capture
Four numbers, one bruise, no theater
We do not sell a dashboard. We sell a location: where the sole bottoms relative to the ball, how it entered, how deep it went, and what the handle was doing when dirt got involved.
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Low-point versus the ball
Early (behind) prints fat. Late (ahead) prints thin. On-ball with a shallow exit is the mark we hunt for irons on firm Yakima turf. Driver is allowed to bottom after contact — that is a different plate, with its own rules.
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Entry bruise
The first scuff tells us whether the leading edge or the trailing edge started the conversation. A toe bruise that starts early is not the same as a heel bruise that starts late, even if both look “heavy” to the golfer.
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Depth of the eat
We measure how far the sole displaced the plate, in millimeters, from a dry reference. Hybrids that mine three extra millimeters on baked lies will still mine on a July afternoon at Apple Tree.
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Shaft lean at the dirt
Handle ahead of the head can shove low-point forward and thin the strike. Handle trailing can dump the bruise behind the ball. Lean is a cause. Bounce is rarely the cause, even when it looks like the cure in a catalog.
What we refuse to lead with
Grind names, bounce stamps, and loft stickers are downstream. If a 10° bounce wedge still excavates, the low-point is late or the entry is greedy — the stamp did not fail you. We will still talk grind after the plate stops arguing.
On the sheet
Each recorded swing gets: plate ID, ball model, low-point offset in inches, entry note, depth in mm, lean in degrees, and a one-line flight remark. Three agreeing marks beat one pretty swing.