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Does your pro use a launch monitor?

Deano

Deano

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Would you get lessons with a pro that doesn't use a launch monitor or something similar, or even that simply films your swing?

Just asking as the last lesson I had was with a pro that didn't use anything and I've seen a few videos lately from Mark Crossfield saying that he would absolutely recommend to use a pro who does record some sort of data.
 
Back in my lesson taking days (high school), my pro never used any tech but he was a great teacher. He was at Firestone CC and he was highly thought of. I actually went to a different guy at a gym rehabilitation center for one lesson to have him video tape me, it was cool to see myself on camera.

Fast forward 12 years later and I'm thinking I'm going to establish with a pro sometime soon to help tune me up when needed. My answer is no, I won't go to anyone that doesn't own a high quality launch monitor and isn't highly trained on analyzing it. I don't necessarily need video bc I can do that myself, although it would be preferred as well.


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The pro at our course does not.

The pro at the local driving range we like does.
 
Most people don't hit the ball consistent enough to benefit from a launch monitor during a lesson.
 
The pro at my course does not, he's an excellent instructor who has been giving lessons for around 40 years. He does get video to see what's going on in the swing. He watches the swing, watches the ball flight, and pretty much knows what you're doing wrong though. I trust that method much more than doing lessons indoors on a launch monitor personally.
 
My pro has one and uses it depending on student and what is being worked on. In my 7 lessons this year he has used it sparingly and it's only been to confirm things he sees in ball flight or my swing.

He uses video with every student and we look at it during the lesson then work on something to correct what we see. For me I'm good with an instructor who uses either or both or doesn't use them. The ability to communicate his thoughts to me and to be able to put those into drills and movements to make things work is more important.
 
InHartWeTrust said:
Explain?
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Most golfers rarely make center contact. If you're not doing that, you need to work on the fundamentals and when you're consistently hitting decent shots, only then tweaking spin rates and such will make a difference. If you constantly fitting or thinning shots, who care what your "numbers" are?
 
Yes. Foresight GC2+HMT
 
Borss said:
Most golfers rarely make center contact. If you're not doing that, you need to work on the fundamentals and when you're consistently hitting decent shots, only then tweaking spin rates and such will make a difference. If you constantly fitting or thinning shots, who care what your "numbers" are?
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Have you been on a launch monitor recently? One that shows face angle, swing path, angle of attack, swing bottom, contact location on the face?

Launch monitors aren't just spin and ball speed. They are a valuable tool for beginners and advanced golfers. To dismiss them is foolish in my opinion.
 
Borss said:
Most golfers rarely make center contact. If you're not doing that, you need to work on the fundamentals and when you're consistently hitting decent shots, only then tweaking spin rates and such will make a difference. If you constantly fitting or thinning shots, who care what your "numbers" are?
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...it confirms angle of attack, swing path angle, impact, etc. (aka the most important aspects of a swing, regardless of skill level) rather than just guessing on what your pro sees with the naked eye live or in a video. Just because you're on a launch monitor doesn't mean you're trying to "tune your game" down to the yard like a PGA pro, so, again...I don't understand your point.
 
blugold said:
Have you been on a launch monitor recently? One that shows face angle, swing path, angle of attack, swing bottom, contact location on the face?

Launch monitors aren't just spin and ball speed. They are a valuable tool for beginners and advanced golfers. To dismiss them is foolish in my opinion.
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You can figure out most if not all of that stuff with video and ball flight.
 
Mine has them both and uses them effectively. I would say the video is probably a little more useful, but the launch monitor has also been very helpful in some of my lessons.
 
My pro actually doesn't use a launch monitor, just the high speed video. I think it could be beneficial to have, but the results we got with video alone worked plenty well for me.
 
Borss said:
You can figure out most if not all of that stuff with video and ball flight.
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Maybe. Depends on the quality of the video. And how many degrees? How mush spin? How many degrees open or closed?

Regardless, to discount modern technology that can be useful just because of how things were done decades ago, is "get off my lawn" territory and will only hold back that narrow-minded golfer.
 
Golf is what the ball does. If the pro can tell what's going on and knows how to fix it, I don't care. Opposite is true in many case, some pros can't teach without props.

Before I chose my current teaching pro, I was shopping, found one with all the gear set up. We talk for 10-15 mins about my goal, strength and what I want to work on. I was a mid single then, and I said I'm very confident with my driving, I don't work on it much, I want to work on my wedge and short game. First thing he asked me to do is hit a few driver. ??? What? The guy kept looking at the monitor and tell me how to improve numbers. I'm sorry, I don't pay you full price to practice teaching, I pay you to teach. Adios.
 
The pro who has been giving me a few lessons as of late does not use any sort of tech. He observes, and corrects by showing, and by exemplifying feel. I have never had a "home" course where the head pro offers launch monitor technology.
 
My pro has one and will use it if he's trying to dial in clubs, but for a regular lesson? No.

It doesn't help to know that the club face is 1.2 degrees open. He can watch the ball flight and know the club face is open. Personally, I'd be wary of a pro that's too wrapped up in technology.
 
blugold said:
Maybe. Depends on the quality of the video. And how many degrees? How mush spin? How many degrees open or closed?

Regardless, to discount modern technology that can be useful just because of how things were done decades ago, is "get off my lawn" territory and will only hold back that narrow-minded golfer.
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I'm not discounting it. I'm just saying if you're focusing on "how many degrees" and can't break 100 because you're grip is off and your set up is bad, you're putting the cart before the horse.
 
Don't have a pro but if I was looking at finding one to go to for multiple lessons I doubt I would use on who didn't have access to a launch monitor.
 
My pro has access to a FlightScope Xi Tour. We've used it a few times, but only when we are working on something that might require it (tuning a driver, etc.) or when I ask to use it. I've had many lessons without using it, but he always uses a high speed camera to view my swings in slow motion.

And people that think you can accurately judge what's going on in a swing 100% of the time without a monitor don't understand the ball flight laws. This is especially true when the loft gets low. You could assume even with irons that you are swinging way in to out causing a push, but in fact your path could be closer to zero but your club face could be open.

When I had my last fitting I thought I was still way too in-to-out (because I had confirmed I was previously on a monitor). I was working hard to correct it, but still saw pushes or slight push-fades. I found out at my most recent fitting that my path averaged 0.8* with my 6 iron, but I averaged 2.4* down with an open face. So the face to path relationship was actually 8.2* resulting in pushes and push-fades. All I had to do was change the grip on my clubs and my ball flight turned into nice draws - I was playing midsize and needed to be in standard size grips. This could not have been diagnosed with just the human eye or even a high speed camera played back in slo-mo.

Imagine how many other people are struggling at golf when very minor changes could really make the game easier for them.
 
blugold said:
Maybe. Depends on the quality of the video. And how many degrees? How mush spin? How many degrees open or closed?

Regardless, to discount modern technology that can be useful just because of how things were done decades ago, is "get off my lawn" territory and will only hold back that narrow-minded golfer.
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There are some pros, and some golfers, who believe the over-fascination with technology has set golf instruction back. I'm one of the golfers. Remember a couple years ago when some pros would break the swing down in positions P1-P7? "Your hands are too far inside at P3 and your knee is bowed too far inward by 2.3-degrees at P6. Oh, and Trackman tells us your path was 0.7 degrees outside but your club face was 1.2 degrees open. Here...look at this swing of Dustin Johnson and you can see the correct move. Do that."

I have absolutely no problem with utilizing technology when appropriate. However, the golf swing is not a mechanical motion. We've seen numerous pros destroy their swing by "chasing the numbers."

Don't misunderstand me, I'm sure there are people who learn differently and for whom the constant use of technology is very effective. But looking at the average joe, I suspect it hurts more than helps.
 
where I got my lessons last year, he had access to 1. I think in 6 or 7 lessons we used it 1X and that was with driver.

Edit: We might have used it a little bit in first lesson too, I vaguely recall looking at iron swing on video
 
Deano said:
Would you get lessons with a pro that doesn't use a launch monitor or something similar, or even that simply films your swing?

Just asking as the last lesson I had was with a pro that didn't use anything and I've seen a few videos lately from Mark Crossfield saying that he would absolutely recommend to use a pro who does record some sort of data.
Click to expand...

Many of them have, but I wouldn't hesitate to get a lesson from someone who doesn't. often times it seems like pros get far too focused on the right numbers and not focused on the right results.
 
Borss said:
I'm not discounting it. I'm just saying if you're focusing on "how many degrees" and can't break 100 because you're grip is off and your set up is bad, you're putting the cart before the horse.
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Well right. Nobody is saying the fundamentals aren't important. But the information from a good launch monitor can tell the golfer and coach a lot of other information. To throw that information out the window seems like cutting off the nose to spit the face.

wadesworld said:
There are some pros, and some golfers, who believe the over-fascination with technology has set golf instruction back. I'm one of the golfers. Remember a couple years ago when some pros would break the swing down in positions P1-P7? "Your hands are too far inside at P3 and your knee is bowed too far inward by 2.3-degrees at P6. Oh, and Trackman tells us your path was 0.7 degrees outside but your club face was 1.2 degrees open. Here...look at this swing of Dustin Johnson and you can see the correct move. Do that."

I have absolutely no problem with utilizing technology when appropriate. However, the golf swing is not a mechanical motion. We've seen numerous pros destroy their swing by "chasing the numbers."
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's bad instruction. Those instructors would be bad with or with Trackman. I don't remember ever hearing about P1 or P7.
 
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