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Home Sim: Skytrak // ES16 // Other Options?

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Molten

Molten

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I'm looking to build a simulator at home. I do not need PGA accurate - I want to be able to groove my swing with something that is essentially accurate and play a quick 9/18 before or after work each day. I'd also like some range capability and integration with simulation software. I will have a full "studio" setup: projector, impact mat, etc. I'm looking for some suggestions or reviews from y'all so I feel somewhat confident in what I build.

I'm leaning Skytrak at the moment because it is essentially accurate and has a lot of sim integration. I want to love the ES16 but most of what I have read is that that is is far from polished. So what ya got for me THP?
 
Did you look at the Optishot 2? I use the Optishot and it seems to work for me. I never use either of the 2 you mentioned so I cannot compare. The Optishot is fully adjustable and seems pretty accurate as long as you calibrate you clubs.

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Molten said:
I'm looking to build a simulator at home. I do not need PGA accurate - I want to be able to groove my swing with something that is essentially accurate and play a quick 9/18 before or after work each day. I'd also like some range capability and integration with simulation software. I will have a full "studio" setup: projector, impact mat, etc. I'm looking for some suggestions or reviews from y'all so I feel somewhat confident in what I build.

I'm leaning Skytrak at the moment because it is essentially accurate and has a lot of sim integration. I want to love the ES16 but most of what I have read is that that is is far from polished. So what ya got for me THP?
Click to expand...

Far be it from me to steer you away from THP, but the GOLFSIMULATORFORUM.COM boards have extensive amounts of info on this and will be a helpful read in learning what hardware and software you will want to work with.
 
Molten said:
I'm looking to build a simulator at home. I do not need PGA accurate - I want to be able to groove my swing with something that is essentially accurate and play a quick 9/18 before or after work each day. I'd also like some range capability and integration with simulation software. I will have a full "studio" setup: projector, impact mat, etc. I'm looking for some suggestions or reviews from y'all so I feel somewhat confident in what I build.

I'm leaning Skytrak at the moment because it is essentially accurate and has a lot of sim integration. I want to love the ES16 but most of what I have read is that that is is far from polished. So what ya got for me THP?
Click to expand...

I have a friend who got the ES16 and it wasn't polished, like you said. To the extent, he had me come in and put it through the paces, and I was consistently out hitting the sensors with my driver. Which sounds awesome, but I'm by far a true long hitter. He still has it, but he ended up forking out the cash for a "lower end" Trackman, and keep the ES16 for back up. So, for the money, the Skytrak would be my bet, right now.
 
The golf sim world is a strange place to explore! Some companies that were part of the market for $50,000 sims would like to return to the time when expensive sims were the only option. Even the current $15-20K launch monitors are still often marketed as bargains compared to the expensive commercial units that preceded them. Now it is possible to buy equipment that costs just a few hundred dollars (like the Optishot), but better options are available. As the owner of a P3ProSwing for many years and a SkyTrak for the past year, I can tell you that I would not choose the P3ProSwing or the Optishot now given that the SkyTrak is a substantial upgrade in performance that is worth the additional cost.

Both the P3 and the Optishot measure only clubhead data, while the ST measures only ball data (ball speed, launch angle, backspin, and side spin). The ball data allows simulation software to plot a pretty realistic ball flight in terms of direction, height, and distance, while clubhead data can be fooled into predicting ball flight that isn't always accurate. The more expensive launch monitors can measure both ball and club data using radar and/or cameras, and most sim software estimates ball flight using the ball data while the club data is great for swing analysis and instruction.

A lot of golfers who are really into sims for home use believe that the "sweet spot" in cost vs. performance is to find a used GC2 that isn't too expensive (e.g., less than $3500). I made the decision that anything more than $2k was too much to spend for a home launch monitor. Although the GC2 is faster, uses better cameras, and is a little more accurate than the ST, I have found the ST to be "good enough" for working on my swing, comparing clubs and golfballs, and playing courses using sim software.

I think the best sim software values are Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf and The Golf Club. Both are video games that have been adapted to use ball data from a launch monitor as input to the sim software instead of using a mouse or controller. TGC came out earlier and has good graphics and lots of courses, but I prefer JNPG which seems more natural and immersive to me. Unfortunately, the sim versions of these video games are priced dramatically higher than the regular PC versions (which only cost $30 or $35), but that is a reflection of the niche market that golf sims traditionally have been.

Although ST had significant growing pains when it was first released, it is now a more polished and reliable product. You may need some patience while getting your unit up and running, and you'll have to pay a $99 annual subscription fee if you want to run sim software on it, but I think that ST is worth the trouble and ongoing cost. For what it offers, it is an excellent value. Playing a beautiful rendition of Cypress Point on JNPG last week, I couldn't stop smiling!
 
SDL1 said:
The golf sim world is a strange place to explore! Some companies that were part of the market for $50,000 sims would like to return to the time when expensive sims were the only option. Even the current $15-20K launch monitors are still often marketed as bargains compared to the expensive commercial units that preceded them. Now it is possible to buy equipment that costs just a few hundred dollars (like the Optishot), but better options are available. As the owner of a P3ProSwing for many years and a SkyTrak for the past year, I can tell you that I would not choose the P3ProSwing or the Optishot now given that the SkyTrak is a substantial upgrade in performance that is worth the additional cost.

Both the P3 and the Optishot measure only clubhead data, while the ST measures only ball data (ball speed, launch angle, backspin, and side spin). The ball data allows simulation software to plot a pretty realistic ball flight in terms of direction, height, and distance, while clubhead data can be fooled into predicting ball flight that isn't always accurate. The more expensive launch monitors can measure both ball and club data using radar and/or cameras, and most sim software estimates ball flight using the ball data while the club data is great for swing analysis and instruction.

A lot of golfers who are really into sims for home use believe that the "sweet spot" in cost vs. performance is to find a used GC2 that isn't too expensive (e.g., less than $3500). I made the decision that anything more than $2k was too much to spend for a home launch monitor. Although the GC2 is faster, uses better cameras, and is a little more accurate than the ST, I have found the ST to be "good enough" for working on my swing, comparing clubs and golfballs, and playing courses using sim software.

I think the best sim software values are Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf and The Golf Club. Both are video games that have been adapted to use ball data from a launch monitor as input to the sim software instead of using a mouse or controller. TGC came out earlier and has good graphics and lots of courses, but I prefer JNPG which seems more natural and immersive to me. Unfortunately, the sim versions of these video games are priced dramatically higher than the regular PC versions (which only cost $30 or $35), but that is a reflection of the niche market that golf sims traditionally have been.

Although ST had significant growing pains when it was first released, it is now a more polished and reliable product. You may need some patience while getting your unit up and running, and you'll have to pay a $99 annual subscription fee if you want to run sim software on it, but I think that ST is worth the trouble and ongoing cost. For what it offers, it is an excellent value. Playing a beautiful rendition of Cypress Point on JNPG last week, I couldn't stop smiling!
Click to expand...

Huge thank you for this post.


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Anyone used trugolf? It's the dark horse in this race only because it's very turnkey. Not sure of the quality of sensors and data.


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