Tracer

The visual line showing a ball's flight path through the air, popularized by TV broadcasts and now standard in simulator software. The tracer is a reconstruction from launch data, not a literal trace of where the ball flew — but on modern systems it is accurate enough to function as one.

Quality tracers show apex height, side curve, and landing angle. Better simulator platforms (GSPro, FSX) also show roll-out after landing, distinguishing carry from total. Tracers are one of the most useful tools for understanding ball flight visually, particularly for players who don't yet have intuition for how launch parameters translate into shot shape.