Launch Monitor Personal Use?

[Luchnia]

After using a launch monitor for quite a while now, I really need something that shows my ball flight direction/path more than anything. Directional is my biggest challenge this year. Everything else I am happy with. More than likely will get a used Skytrak very soon unless the R10 can get it together. Hoping the Skytraks will come down some since the R10 has been out a few months.

Right now the R10 just seems way too flaky on flight path data and having bad data there is the last thing I need. I wished someone would produce something right at the 1 grand mark that is decent for a retired guy like me. Expensive sims are not feasible for me. If I spend 5 grand on a sim that is about a 100+ rounds or more of actual on course golf and unless we have a bad winter we can play quite a bit through the winter months.

 

[TheHeez]

A launch monitor for me would be a sim and practice tool. With family and work commitments, I just don’t have time to hit the range or course and would love a setup that allows me to get my reps and work on my swing.

A GC3 sure would be incredible, looks to be an incredible new option.

 

[YukonLiving]

A launch monitor for me would be a sim and practice tool. With family and work commitments, I just don’t have time to hit the range or course and would love a setup that allows me to get my reps and work on my swing.

A GC3 sure would be incredible, looks to be an incredible new option.

Absolutely! It’s so appealing for me because of the small form factor and wireless features. As a lefty, it would work so well if playing with friends while swapping between LH and RH players.

 

[jpotas]

if I could make it work where I can play Carnoustie in 30MPH winds with @MWard and @jdtox all at our own houses I'd be down.

Oh man now that would be something! That could make it all worth it.

You could do that with a Skytrak and TGC 2019!!

I don't really understand all the knocks against Skytrak. It is proven to be extremely accurate . Every side by side comparison I have seen with the LM's costing many thousands $$ more shows all of them within a yard or two and the same ball flights. Since Skytrak is a camera system the spin data is spot on. With the ability to play TGC it makes sim golf very enjoyable, the huge number of available courses and being able to play multiple tees is perfect.

The only bad thing is trying to switch from RH to LH payers when playing Sim golf, that is a true PIA. This is the only thing that would make me want to switch to something like a Uneekor.

Back to the original question though, a home LM allows for short practice sessions that you might not ever have, allows for bad weather golf (especially winter). The ability to practice more has improved my ball striking dramatically. I trimmed about 25 strokes a round off of my game in the last three years because of the extra practice time. I now have many, many low 80's rounds (several 80, 81, 82's), so getting dangerously close to breaking 80.

 

[Luchnia]

You could do that with a Skytrak and TGC 2019!!

I don't really understand all the knocks against Skytrak. It is proven to be extremely accurate . Every side by side comparison I have seen with the LM's costing many thousands $$ more shows all of them within a yard or two and the same ball flights. Since Skytrak is a camera system the spin data is spot on. With the ability to play TGC it makes sim golf very enjoyable, the huge number of available courses and being able to play multiple tees is perfect.

The only bad thing is trying to switch from RH to LH payers when playing Sim golf, that is a true PIA. This is the only thing that would make me want to switch to something like a Uneekor.

Back to the original question though, a home LM allows for short practice sessions that you might not ever have, allows for bad weather golf (especially winter). The ability to practice more has improved my ball striking dramatically. I trimmed about 25 strokes a round off of my game in the last three years because of the extra practice time. I now have many, many low 80's rounds (several 80, 81, 82's), so getting dangerously close to breaking 80.

After doing a lot of research the Skytrak still comes in at a solid bargain and its accuracy is really good for the money. I am intrigued by the Garmin R10, yet I don't think it will suffice if you are looking for a better percentage of accuracy. Most of what I have read indicates the Doppler radar tech is not as good as the photo-metric tech for a middle of the road simulator.

All of the test so far on the Garmin have shown some promise, but other areas are not looking good. While I believe Garmin will continue to work on getting the R10 numbers better, I need something for this winter and don't want to wait any longer to get moving on it. Maybe a month more at best. A missed shot on the R10 here and there is fine but pathing problems to me is not good and even with the latest software there are still issues with paths being opposite of what a golfer hits. Hard to complain much for a 600.00 dollar device.

Since I am retired and limiting myself to a budget I will probably pick up a pre-owned Skytrak soon. I did read with Skytrak's last software update (I think it is 4.0?) they have fixed a number of things that were buggy. When someone comes out with a 1k unit, I bet that will be the ticket for us wanna be hackers! I would be all over it as long as the pathing is decent.

 

[lsu5508]

100% for practice. In the last year I have probably cut my high handicap in half by installing a net in the garage and hitting a few dozen balls a night. However it has come at a cost. There are times I work something terrible into my swing into the net because you really have no clue how good a shot into the net is without data. Sometimes I take a thought I've grooved into the net onto the course and find out well that didn't work.

However if I ever got down to a single digit I think it would be a little less appealing to me outside of mapping club distances. However that's a problem I want to have.

 

[eddywhitaker]

I would definitely like one. Would help to get an accurate gapping. Would use as a sim in the winter to keep the swing in check. It would really be nice to have just to know, if I hit a bad shot, why I hit it bad.

 

[HarlettoScara]

If I had the space for it, I would be going down the full sim route. Not only would it be great fun and keep the swing oiled during the off season, it would really help with my practice without having to trawl down to the range to hit balls. We have a Trackman range at my club, but the data it gives is limited and doesn't include things like spin which I would be keen to get a regular track of. Besides, who doesn't want to have friends come over, and play a few holes in the man cave with a bunch of beers?

 

[Architex]

You could do that with a Skytrak and TGC 2019!!

I don't really understand all the knocks against Skytrak. It is proven to be extremely accurate . Every side by side comparison I have seen with the LM's costing many thousands $$ more shows all of them within a yard or two and the same ball flights. Since Skytrak is a camera system the spin data is spot on. With the ability to play TGC it makes sim golf very enjoyable, the huge number of available courses and being able to play multiple tees is perfect.

The only bad thing is trying to switch from RH to LH payers when playing Sim golf, that is a true PIA. This is the only thing that would make me want to switch to something like a Uneekor.

Back to the original question though, a home LM allows for short practice sessions that you might not ever have, allows for bad weather golf (especially winter). The ability to practice more has improved my ball striking dramatically. I trimmed about 25 strokes a round off of my game in the last three years because of the extra practice time. I now have many, many low 80's rounds (several 80, 81, 82's), so getting dangerously close to breaking 80.

The biggest knock on SkyTrak is alignment. And if that is off then everything will be off. My unit when I put it in the metal case is off by around 10 degrees. It looks so odd sitting there but it works and I use the chipping method of lining it up.


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[rlefig]

My SIM setup is in my garage and has to be setup each time. I have the R10 that I set up in driveway. I have marked the driveway where R10 should go. I have to pull the mat out of the garage, that I got used from driving range, to the driveway in a marked spot. I have two cables setup that I can pull the net/screen across and hook up to other side inside garage. Then put projector in place.

So far I have used my SIM for golf simulation via Home Tee Hero 75% of the time and then did driving range practice the other 25%. I will be using E6 connect when I finish projector housing build this week. So far have noticed some good strikes and improvement in the month or so of using this. I was able to fix some swing mechanics and last time out finally got back into the low 80's and had a round of 39 on back 9 at Trull.

I will need to be flexible to play out there in winter time. If I had a spot inside might have put more cash into it but this is all I got for now. Still like it and enjoy hitting some golf balls

 

[tanker337]

I have one, I use it for practice and some sim play. I found some other sim games that are more fun for kids too, so that helps getting the kids involved.

Probably my favorite thing about it is to be able to hit some balls any time day or night. The other night I was streaming the baseball game on the hitting screen and hitting balls at the same time, pretty fun!

My teacher uses video to show me swing faults that I need to work on, so I do like that I can take some swings and the sim records them so I see easily see if I'm slipping back into bad habits or not.