Strange spin rates on simulator

I was just at Dick’s hitting he new M5/M6 drivers and was getting spin rates over 7,000!! Can this be right? My launch angles were between 14-15.5 degrees, with ball speed of 135-140. The tee I was hitting off of was a bit high for what it’s worth.

On a trackman last year, I was getting spin rates around 2,800 with similar launch angles and ball speeds.

Could it just be a faulty simulator?

Someone have it set to 7 or 8 iron and its not actually reading spin?

What was the monitor? I haven't been to D.I.C.KS in years so I have no idea what they offer in their bays. But it sounds like something is way off, 4-4.5k is about the most spin I ever seen with driver and thats intentionally trying to spin up and I wasn't launching @ 14+ with those shots.

Faulty simulator for sure.

LOL 7k spin with a driver you're basically hitting a 7 iron. I don't think you are skying it. The simulator must be set to iron setting.

> @Golfjack said:

> LOL 7k spin with a driver you're basically hitting a 7 iron. I don't think you are skying it. The simulator must be set to iron setting.

Thanks. So should I just ignore everything I saw in the monitor?

I also don’t understand how monitors can be put in an iron or driver setting. Aren’t they all recording what the ball does, regardless of what club is in your hands?

I was getting ball speeds around 135-145, launch angles of 12 to 15 degrees, and carry distances of 190 to 230. Would all this make sense even if the monitor was set to a 7iron?

The salesman could tell that the ball was going too high just based on the shot tracer lines appearing on the screen.

Just went back to the same launch monitor after being told it was fixed and calibrated. Avg driver spin rate of 6,200! Avg 7 iron spin rate of 5,900! Amazing. There’s no separate driver/iron setting, but we did enter the club as a driver. Had one drive with a ball speed of 145 mph carry 165 yards!! Seemed like the ball speed and launch angles were accurate, but distance and spin was way off. Strange.

Did you ever find out what was the make/model of the LM being used? That or take a picture of it so we can identify it for you.

Without that information, everything is just speculation. Some LM's need special markings on the ball to measure spin, radar units need reflective dots on the ball. Some have certain requirements for space and ball flight, etc.. Some don't even measure spin directly and try to calculate from other data - or just estimate it. They are all a bit different.

> @Stuart_G said:

> Did you ever find out what was the make/model of the LM being used? That or take a picture of it so we can identify it for you.

>

> Without that information, everything is just speculation. Some LM's need special markings on the ball to measure spin, radar units need reflective dots on the ball. Some have certain requirements for space and ball flight, etc.. Some don't even measure spin directly and try to calculate from other data - or just estimate it. They are all a bit different.

>

I’m not sure what they are using, but I’ll try to find out. It’s odd that the numbers with a 7 iron seemed pretty accurate. It was giving me a distance of about 155 which is spot on for my 7 iron. I just don’t know how the driver numbers can be so far off. I’ve used TrackMan a few times recently, and have been on a handful of LMs, and my usual numbers are about 100mph SS, 140 mph ball speed, and total distance of 250-270. This setup was giving me total distances if 205 on well struck shots!

I think that spin rates on the LM's at big box stores are probably the least reliable of the measurements provided, perhaps especially at Dick's or other stores that are not dedicated golf stores. Those monitors will suffice for comparing one club to another for distance, launch angle, and dispersion, but for tweaking spin rates you'd have to be on a more sophisticated unit with Doppler.

> @bluedot said:

> I think that spin rates on the LM's at big box stores are probably the least reliable of the measurements provided, perhaps especially at Dick's or other stores that are not dedicated golf stores. Those monitors will suffice for comparing one club to another for distance, launch angle, and dispersion, but for tweaking spin rates you'd have to be on a more sophisticated unit with Doppler.

What about distance? It was definitely off for me with my driver, but not with a 7 iron. Im not trying to be that guy who says he hits the ball 300 yds but only have a SS of 100. I know what my number should be.

Being that speed and launch seemed accurate, I can only guess that the overstated spin rates are being used to calculate distance (incorrectly).

> @harpua728 said:

> What about distance? It was definitely off for me with my driver, but not with a 7 iron. Im not trying to be that guy who says he hits the ball 300 yds but only have a SS of 100. I know what my number should be.

>

> Being that speed and launch seemed accurate, I can only guess that the overstated spin rates are being used to calculate distance (incorrectly).

>

Yes, any distance calcs will be VERY dependent on the accuracy of the spin numbers.

> @harpua728 said:

> > @bluedot said:

> > I think that spin rates on the LM's at big box stores are probably the least reliable of the measurements provided, perhaps especially at Dick's or other stores that are not dedicated golf stores. Those monitors will suffice for comparing one club to another for distance, launch angle, and dispersion, but for tweaking spin rates you'd have to be on a more sophisticated unit with Doppler.

>

> What about distance? It was definitely off for me with my driver, but not with a 7 iron. Im not trying to be that guy who says he hits the ball 300 yds but only have a SS of 100. I know what my number should be.

>

> Being that speed and launch seemed accurate, I can only guess that the overstated spin rates are being used to calculate distance (incorrectly).

>

We're getting above my pay grade now; I don't know anything about the algorithms that are used to calculate distance on monitors.

I do know that Dick's let all the PGA guys go several years ago, so the guy you were talking to is exactly what you called him; a salesman. As to the monitor being recalibrated, etc., no idea what that might mean. But I think if you can find another place, I'd give it a go and maybe ignore the numbers from Dick's; there are just too many questions.

> @bluedot said:

> > @harpua728 said:

> > > @bluedot said:

> > > I think that spin rates on the LM's at big box stores are probably the least reliable of the measurements provided, perhaps especially at Dick's or other stores that are not dedicated golf stores. Those monitors will suffice for comparing one club to another for distance, launch angle, and dispersion, but for tweaking spin rates you'd have to be on a more sophisticated unit with Doppler.

> >

> > What about distance? It was definitely off for me with my driver, but not with a 7 iron. Im not trying to be that guy who says he hits the ball 300 yds but only have a SS of 100. I know what my number should be.

> >

> > Being that speed and launch seemed accurate, I can only guess that the overstated spin rates are being used to calculate distance (incorrectly).

> >

>

> We're getting above my pay grade now; I don't know anything about the algorithms that are used to calculate distance on monitors.

>

> I do know that Dick's let all the PGA guys go several years ago, so the guy you were talking to is exactly what you called him; a salesman. As to the monitor being recalibrated, etc., no idea what that might mean. But I think if you can find another place, I'd give it a go and maybe ignore the numbers from Dick's; there are just too many questions.

I fed intely have to ignore it. It’s a shame because I was hitting the ball so well. The salesman was as nice as could be, but definitely had no clue that driver spin rates of 7,000 we’re not normal.

Golf galaxy has a 25 dollar try and buy program. Wonder if DICKS has the same? If you buy it they put it toward the purchase. I think it’s for 2 weeks.