There are few things better in golf than watching a perfectly shaped drive fly through the air.
Rory McIlroy launching a towering drive.
Bryson DeChambeau sending one into orbit.
Scottie Scheffler hitting that controlled fade.
Jon Rahm producing his trademark powerful ball flight.
The swing is impressive, but there’s another reason these shots look so good on television:
the golf shot tracer.
Shot tracer technology has completely changed the way we watch professional golf. Instead of seeing a player hit the ball and waiting for a camera to find it somewhere down the fairway, viewers can watch the entire shape of the shot unfold.
And the technology behind those colourful lines is becoming increasingly sophisticated.
If you want to create a similar effect with your own golf footage, you can create a golf shot tracer here.
What Is the Shot Tracer You See on PGA Tour Golf?
A golf shot tracer is the coloured line shown on screen that represents the flight of the golf ball.
You’ve probably seen it hundreds of times.
A player hits driver.
Almost instantly, a line appears behind the golf ball.
You can then watch the trajectory climb into the sky, curve left or right and descend towards the fairway.
It’s particularly impressive with players who have distinctive ball flights.
The technology makes something that’s incredibly difficult to see with the naked eye much easier for the viewer to understand.
Instead of simply hearing:
“He’s started this down the left and it’s fading back.”
You can actually see the fade happening.
That’s one of the reasons shot tracers have become such an important part of modern golf broadcasting.
How Does the PGA Tour Track Golf Balls?
Professional golf broadcasts have access to significantly more technology than someone recording a round on their iPhone.
The PGA Tour has expanded its use of TrackMan technology to provide ball and club tracking throughout Tour events.
TrackMan uses radar technology to gather information about the golf ball’s flight.
This allows broadcasters and digital platforms to visualise shots and provide viewers with considerably more information about what’s happening after impact.
Modern PGA Tour broadcasts have taken this even further.
The Tour has experimented with live drone-based augmented reality tracing, allowing the tracer to be shown from an aerial perspective.
That means viewers aren’t limited to the traditional camera angle behind the golfer.
They can effectively watch the golf ball’s path through the hole.
PGA Tour Smart Tracer Technology
One of the more interesting developments in professional golf broadcasting has been predictive tracing.
The PGA Tour introduced a form of smart tracing where the colour of the tracer can indicate the predicted outcome of the shot.
The system analyses the tee shot shortly after impact and estimates where the golf ball is likely to finish.
For example, a tracer can indicate that the ball is likely heading towards the fairway or that it’s moving towards the rough.
That turns the tracer into more than a line following the golf ball.
It becomes part of the storytelling.
You’re effectively watching the technology analyse the shot while the golf ball is still in the air.
For golfers creating their own videos, you obviously don’t need that level of broadcast infrastructure.
A much simpler golf ball tracker can create the visual tracer effect from ordinary golf footage.
How Does LIV Golf Use Shot Tracer Technology?
LIV Golf has also made technology a major part of its broadcast presentation.
One of the biggest challenges with LIV’s format is that many golfers can be playing simultaneously.
That makes quickly communicating what’s happening particularly important.
Ball tracking and tracer technology help solve that problem.
LIV has used TrackMan as a ball-tracking technology partner, including radar units positioned across all 18 tee boxes to track tee shots during tournament broadcasts.
That provides the broadcast with information about the flight of the golf ball as well as performance data.
The result is a viewing experience where the tracer isn’t just decoration.
It helps tell the viewer:
where the ball started, how it moved and where it’s going.
LIV Golf Has Even Used Tracer Technology for Putting
Tracing doesn’t necessarily stop once the players reach the green.
LIV has also developed its LIV Line broadcast feature.
Rather than tracing a 300-yard drive through the sky, LIV Line visualises the expected path of a putt.
It can display the optimal line towards the hole and help viewers understand how the slope of the green affects the putt.
It’s an interesting example of where golf visualisation technology could be heading.
We started by tracing drives.
Now broadcasts can visualise putts.
Eventually, viewers may be able to see increasingly detailed predictions for almost every golf shot.
Why Shot Tracers Make Professional Golf Better to Watch
Imagine watching Rory McIlroy hit driver without a tracer.
He swings.
The ball disappears.
The camera changes.
A few seconds later, you see a golf ball bouncing down the fairway.
You know it was a good shot.
But you’ve missed one of the best parts.
The ball flight.
A tracer lets you see the actual shape of the shot.
And with the world’s best golfers, those shapes can be incredible.
Rory McIlroy: The Towering Driver Tracer
Rory McIlroy is one of the first golfers who comes to mind when talking about great driver ball flight.
His combination of speed, launch and rhythm produces the type of drive that looks spectacular from behind the tee.
When a tracer is added, you get to appreciate the complete shape.
The ball launches strongly, climbs and then seems to hang in the air before descending hundreds of yards away.
It’s exactly the type of shot where tracer technology adds something to the broadcast.
Without it, you’re watching Rory’s swing.
With it, you’re watching Rory’s shot.
There’s a difference.
Bryson DeChambeau: The Tracer That Just Keeps Going
Then there’s Bryson.
Bryson DeChambeau has become synonymous with speed and distance.
When he’s swinging driver at full speed, the resulting tracer can look ridiculous.
It starts climbing.
Keeps climbing.
Keeps going.
And you’re left wondering when the golf ball is actually going to come back down.
This is where golf shot tracers are at their most entertaining.
Distance becomes visually obvious.
You don’t necessarily need someone to immediately tell you the drive was enormous.
The trajectory tells the story.
For golfers creating YouTube or social media content, this is worth remembering.
A shot tracer app doesn’t just make the ball easier to see.
It can make a great shot feel like a great shot on video.
Scottie Scheffler: The Controlled Fade
Not every impressive tracer needs to look like a missile launch.
Scottie Scheffler is a great example.
One of the most satisfying tracers in golf is a controlled fade that starts slightly left before working back towards the target.
The tracer makes that movement immediately obvious.
Without the line, subtle movement in the air can be almost impossible to appreciate on television.
With it, you can see exactly why elite players talk so much about “shot shape”.
It’s no longer an abstract concept.
It’s drawn on the screen in front of you.
Jon Rahm: Powerful, Penetrating Ball Flight
Jon Rahm provides another great example.
His compact swing can produce a powerful ball flight that looks very different from the towering trajectories associated with some other players.
That’s another reason tracer technology is so interesting.
Golf swings are different.
Golf shots are different.
And the tracer exposes those differences.
You start noticing whether a player launches the ball particularly high, prefers a fade or produces a more penetrating trajectory.
Joaquín Niemann: Speed and Shape
Joaquín Niemann is another player whose ball flight is great to watch with a tracer.
His combination of speed and aggressive shot-making can create some seriously impressive trajectories.
LIV’s tracking technology has helped highlight just how far elite players can hit the golf ball.
At LIV Golf Chicago in 2025, Niemann recorded a 440-yard drive.
That’s the type of number that sounds impressive on a stat sheet.
Seeing the tracer makes it feel completely different.
The Most Satisfying Golf Shot Tracers
Ask ten golfers which ball flight looks best and you’ll probably get ten different answers.
But there are a few tracer shapes that are particularly satisfying.
The High Draw
Start it right.
Watch it climb.
Then watch the tracer slowly turn back towards the centre of the fairway.
For a right-handed golfer who loves a draw, it doesn’t get much better.
The Power Fade
Start slightly left.
Hold it there.
Then watch it peel gently towards the target.
This is one of the most recognisable shapes in professional golf.
The Stinger
Almost the opposite of the towering driver.
The tracer comes out low and stays low.
A proper stinger looks completely different from a normal golf shot, which is exactly why the tracer makes it so enjoyable to watch.
The Huge Bomb
Sometimes subtlety isn’t required.
Launch driver as high and hard as possible and watch the tracer disappear towards the horizon.
Bryson has made an entire generation of golfers appreciate this particular category.
The Approach Shot That Falls Towards the Flag
Tracers aren’t only great for drivers.
Watching an iron shot climb, turn towards the flag and drop onto the green can be just as satisfying.
It also helps viewers understand how much elite golfers deliberately shape their approach shots.
Why YouTube Golf Has Embraced the Shot Tracer
Professional golf isn’t the only place where tracers have become important.
YouTube golf has embraced them too.
There’s a good reason.
If you’re standing behind your mate filming him hit driver with an iPhone, the golf ball can disappear almost instantly.
The viewer sees the swing but not necessarily the result.
Adding a tracer changes everything.
Instead of:
Swing → ball disappears → camera pans towards fairway
you get:
Swing → launch → trajectory → shot shape → landing direction
The viewer can follow the actual golf shot.
That’s particularly important in match-play videos and golf challenges where knowing where each player’s ball finished is part of the story.
Professional Golf Tracer vs a Shot Tracer App
The technology used during a PGA Tour or LIV Golf broadcast is obviously very different from what most golfers need.
Professional tournaments can combine radar systems, multiple cameras, broadcast graphics, drones and large amounts of shot data.
A golfer making a YouTube video doesn’t need all of that.
The goal is much simpler:
Make the golf ball’s trajectory visible.
That’s where a golf shot tracer app becomes useful.
Instead of installing radar equipment around a golf course, you can record your shot normally and add the tracer afterwards.
For most golf content, that’s the effect that actually matters.
Can You Make Your Golf Videos Look Like PGA Tour Coverage?
You won’t have a PGA Tour broadcast truck sitting beside the first tee.
But visually, you can recreate one of the most recognisable elements of professional golf coverage.
The tracer.
Start with good footage.
Film from behind the golfer.
Keep the camera relatively stable.
Make sure the initial ball flight is visible.
Then add the trajectory afterwards.
Our complete golf ball tracker guide explains how the process works and how to get better results from your footage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What shot tracer does the PGA Tour use?
The PGA Tour has used TrackMan’s radar-based tracking and tracing technology across Tour events, alongside its own broadcast technologies including live drone augmented reality tracing.
Does LIV Golf use shot tracers?
Yes. Ball tracking and tracer graphics form part of LIV Golf’s broadcast presentation. LIV has also partnered with TrackMan for ball tracking and broadcast data.
How does the PGA track a golf ball?
Professional golf broadcasts can combine radar-based ball tracking, cameras, shot data and broadcast graphics to determine and visualise the trajectory of a golf shot.
Does a golf shot tracer show the real ball flight?
Professional tracking systems can use measured tracking data to visualise the flight. Consumer video tracer tools can instead create a visual representation of the trajectory from recorded footage.
Which golfers have the best-looking shot tracers?
This is subjective, but powerful and distinctive ball flights tend to look particularly impressive. Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm and Joaquín Niemann are great examples of players whose shots can look spectacular with tracer graphics.
Can I put a PGA-style tracer on my own golf video?
Yes. You don’t need professional broadcast equipment just to create the visual effect. A golf shot tracer can be added to footage you’ve recorded on a phone or camera.
Can I add a tracer after I’ve already filmed the shot?
Yes. Existing golf footage can be processed afterwards, so the tracer doesn’t necessarily need to be generated while you’re actually playing.
From the PGA Tour to Your Own Golf Videos
Shot tracing has become one of those pieces of technology that now feels like it belongs in golf.
Watch professional golf without it and you quickly realise how difficult a golf ball can be to follow.
The PGA Tour uses sophisticated tracking systems.
LIV Golf has pushed tracer technology and data heavily throughout its broadcasts.
And golf creators are increasingly adding the same visual concept to YouTube, Instagram and TikTok videos.
The technology behind each system may be different.
But the reason for using it is exactly the same:
Golf is better to watch when you can actually follow the golf ball.
Want to understand the technology in more detail?
Read our Golf Ball Tracker: How to Track Your Golf Ball on Video guide.
Want to learn specifically about apps and adding tracers to existing footage?
Read our Shot Tracer App guide.
Or if you’re ready to try it with your own footage: