Launch Monitor Scam?

I've had numerous experiences as you described. I'm convinced it it used to sell a lot more clubs, especially the latest and greatest from the OEM's. To "Joe Average" I'm sure their ploy works magic, Joe picks up 30 yards from teh off season wiothout hitting a ball all winter long! Magic! The better golfer understands that it is crazy to pick up over night yaradge refuses to buy, as I assume you did.

hawaii: Exactly! We KNOW our yardage. There is no free lunch! I just wonder if the Novice Golfer falls for that ploy???? :)

I had a similar experience with a shop recently where I was testing out a TM RAC LT 7 iron on a simulator. The "pro" set up the simulated range and let me hit a few balls. He told me out right that the numbers might be slightly skewed as it was a new system and it hadn't been calibrated correctly yet. Still, my first swing after a long winter I cracked a low shot 200 yards with this new 7 iron. I repeated it for a while with similar readings. Then the guy left to go check on another customer.. so I walked over to the computer and reset the whole thing. It came back on and I hit another shot: 173 yards. Which is the actual yardage I hit my 7 iron, granted my current clubs are about 10 years old, I still dont think new tech added 30 yards to my swing.

I don't think its fair to deem this kind of thing as "common practice" but I'm sure it is used often enough to be unfair to the consumer. I'm lucky enough that when I'm at home my local pro tapes up any club you want and lets you take it out on the real range out back instead of some indoor simulator. I think launch monitors are great for finding SS, launch angles and spin rates, but unless you know the shop is reputable I'd wait till I got onto a real range before trusting yardages.

Where on the Island was this shop? I live on the South Fork but I'm currently at school in Pittsburgh. You can PM me the name if you dont want to make it public. :)

Huge "scam".....and more prevalant than we might expect I'm afraid......I've probably hit drivers on 10 different launch monitors....mostly Vectors.....and can come reasonably close to telling you both MY clubhead speed and ball speed.....reasonably close......some of the results have been incredible......all over the ballpark.......

IMOP, IF you want an accurate and correct "fitting" you need to go to a well respected club fitter in your area that has a quality launch monitor.......that person will have but ONE intention.....to get you fitted into the CORRECT golf club and NOT to "fit" you into A golf club......their very survival as a "fitter" depends upon it.......while SOME golf stores simply want you to walk out the door with A driver/clubs that you didn't walk IN with......they simply want the SALE.....

NOW, N O T all golf retail stores are like this......in fact, I would imagine that the greatest majority are honorable in their "fitting"/launch monitor operations........but, all it takes is a person doing the "fitting' who either has NO idea what they are doing (the majority IMOP)....... or, in the WORST case, is a dishonest/disreputable person who simply wants to convince you that driver "X" is longer than your current driver to get you out the door with a 300 to 500 dollar golf club......a golf club that more than likely is marginally (and probably not any) better than what your currently playing......and your OUT 400 bucks on a driver that will end up on EBay, here, or in your brother in law's golf bag.......:)

whoa whoa whoa!!!!!!!

so your telling me, that when i went in to the golf shop a few weeks ago looking for a new shaft for my driver and i am hitting my driver 255 yards, and then he has me try a different driver and i am getting 300 yard drives - after he "reset" the launch monitor - that it was possibly the guy tweaking the machine?????

i don't know why they do it, but i've seen a lot at one particular shop. they have you hit your driver and then hit the new driver and sudenly the new driver is 20 yards longer. funny that the spin and ball speeds might not be significantly different. its funny that at this shop if you are looking for a new driver they have you on one monitor, but for shaft upgrades they have you on a different monitor. hmmm??????

i find launch monitors are only good for spin, launch angles and ball speed.

whoa whoa whoa!!!!!!!

 

so your telling me, that when i went in to the golf shop a few weeks ago looking for a new shaft for my driver and i am hitting my driver 255 yards, and then he has me try a different driver and i am getting 300 yard drives - after he "reset" the launch monitor - that it was possibly the guy tweaking the machine?????

 

i don't know why they do it, but i've seen a lot at one particular shop. they have you hit your driver and then hit the new driver and sudenly the new driver is 20 yards longer. funny that the spin and ball speeds might not be significantly different. its funny that at this shop if you are looking for a new driver they have you on one monitor, but for shaft upgrades they have you on a different monitor. hmmm??????

 

i find launch monitors are only good for spin, launch angles and ball speed.

LOL.....yep........a launch monitor is only as good as the guy/girl runnin' it....:)

WOW!! I am finding the replys very enlightening to say the least. I guess we have to realize that these guys are in business to SELL CLUBS! (Whatever it takes) :)

Where do you guys live? Shadytown?

I've never had this experience. If anything, it's the opposite. Every ball I hit on the launch monitor indoors with a driver is short of my normal shots outside. I just attribute it to crummy balls, rubber tees, inaccurate LM, whatever....the only thing I look at is spin rate and even then just for relative comparisons rather than the actual number.

The only results that I care about are on the course. Playing the same course all the time, I find out really fast if a driver is working or not.

Sadly I have to agree. I own a titleist 983k 9.5* with a speeder shaft and can hit it about an average of 280yds, more in august when the fairways dry out. However when i went into a golf retailer (I wont name names) last summer on a callaway demo day and hit the 454 I hit it an amazing 320 with no roll! I was amazed and I thought that it was the club and that I was missing out on a lot. Not to mention my average for 5 drives was 305. I stuck around to see what other people's number were and they were all off the charts regardless of whether or not they had the ability to hit the ball that far. I saw a novice player to say the least hit a ball 280 and my jaw dropped. Finally, it was easy to see the maching was off. But as others have said they are good for one thing, and that is your launch numbers. But for a few moments you will feel like you can drive with the best of them. :)

OK Guys: I guess the bottom line is as follows; Use what you glean from your session on a LM for: Swing Speed, Ball Speed, Spin Rate, Launch Angle, Feel of Various Clubs & Shafts (Flex/Length/Weight), Sound at Impact, and Esthetic Impression. Leave the Distance Factor for a Trip to the Range, or Better Yet.....The Course! :)

i was on a launch monitor b4 i bought my x-16's I hit 20 shots with a 6 iron. Avg on the monitor was 183....I get on the course....no more than 170...wow

I think most of it is operators who have NO idea how to "set"/operate the machine properly......a LOT of the folk's working in retail "off course" shops were selling cars/insurance/shoes last year and now they are "fitting"/"teaching"/"golf club experts" this year......:).....but I have NO doubt that some know EXACTLY what they are doing and are rippin' people off.......I think it's a LOT bigger "scam" than we might believe......

OK Guys: I guess the bottom line is as follows; Use what you glean from your session on a LM for: Swing Speed, Ball Speed, Spin Rate, Launch Angle, Feel of Various Clubs & Shafts (Flex/Length/Weight), Sound at Impact, and Esthetic Impression. Leave the Distance Factor for a Trip to the Range, or Better Yet.....The Course! :)

I agree. When I was fitted for my new shaft, the guy I was working with knew what he was doing. He ignored distance and focused on the above measurements. Not only was he watching the numbers (minus distance), he was watching my swing. Looking at how I was loading the shaft, my tempo, swing plane, swing path, etc.

He agreed the monitor distance is a joke.

A perfect example of this is when I went into one of the larget golf retailers in Canada. I think they have shops across the US as well.

I was hitting some balls into the simulator that they use while warming up to use the Vector that they have on site. I was hitting my 6 iron 230 carry and 235 with roll on average (185/190 on course average) and my driver at 320 carry and 335 with roll compared to (275/290 on course average)

Once he turned on the Vector the results on the machine were more realistic and the simualtor was still showing the outrageous numbers.

I would stick with the advice of using it for ball speed and spin rate.

I've never had someone "reset" a LM for me, however I now gather that the machine is "pre-set" for outlandish ball striking. I guess I was one of the foolish weekend hacks that they tried to take to the bank. I only bought equipement after testing, granted in a golf dome before buying from golf dome or ebay etc. Thanks for opening my eyes!

I'm very glad that I started this post. I have acquired some very good information and I thank all of you who have responded to this. It just goes to show you that you get the best information/advice from those who are out there on the course, working at this game we all play. (Walk the Walk vs Talk the Talk.) You don't really understand it unless you're doing it. I would imagine that our egos and our quest for improvement, leave us vulnerable to these less than reputable "Slugs" who shill this vast array of garbage which, in all probability, is no better than what we already possess. Like the Tour Sergeant on Hill Street Blues used to say just before the Cops would head out on their beats, "HEY.....BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!" :)

I have a friend that is a Callaway rep and he travels to demo days with the launch monitor and all the works. I asked him about this issue and he said that they can 'juice up' the numbers by changing the simulated elevation in the computer. So if you live at ground zero and he's got it set up like you're on top of Mt Fuji then you're definitely going to see some crazy numbers.

There is also different settings depending on whether you are hitting a 6 iron or a driver. If they have it on the wrong setting you will get whacked out numbers too.

He told me that the launch monitor can be very accurate if the operator is properly trained....and he also said that he would never buy a club by hitting it into a net. A proper fitter will have you hit real golf balls (not restricted flight range balls), have you hitting them outside at a range and use your real ball flight along with the launch monitor numbers to get you fit with the best club available.

I think I'm pretty lucky that my club will actually let you take a club out and play 9 holes with it....if they know you well enough that is.

IMHO and based on my 27 years of playing golf. Launchmonitors are overrated and ballflight and feel is underrated.

Personally I cannot understand how someone can by a golfclub without hitting real balls with it and viewing the ballflight.

Think people think!

It can be a great tool when used in the proper hands and if the person running the monitor is trust worthy.

The use of such a system and person just saved me hundreds of $$$. After testing almost everything in the store looking for a driver I brought my old one in from the car and discovered what I realy needed was just a reshaft. Now yes the store still made a sale but it was for much much less than what I may have spent. Also if I don't find the results to be as expected out on the course I can still "work a deal".

You get what you pay for.

Classic case of operators and his/her motivation of sales.

This is why i kept on saying LM is good to see the different between different equipments or shafts that you are testing and trying to buy, LM is not a good use for getting the exact number and comparing it w/ the actual number on the course.

IMO combination of playing fitting and LM is still the best way to do it, especially for an inconsistent hitter.

Joe

:crazy: YOU CAN NOT BE FIT PROPERLY WITHOUT ACTUAL BALLFLIGHT!

I would love to see the look on a PGA pro's face when he was told he was being fit into a net! He would probably fall over laughing. :)

Thats why you need to go to a facility like the one I work at. Launch monitors at each station of our demo center from which you hit out to the range. I love it when guys come in after they have just been to Golf Galaxy and get on our monitors and it says they are hitting it 240 with a 85 mph swing and they say "those numbers have to be WAY off, over at Golf Galaxy I was hitting it 290 and my swing speed was 100 mph"