$2600 garage simulator build (and updates on using it for my game)

[wmblake2000]

How does software know your target distance? Are you playing a virtual course?

[dornstar]

How does software know your target distance? Are you playing a virtual course?

No, it's not a virtual course. It's their range feature, but there's a green feature that you can place at any distance. In the case of the skills assessment, the software essentially pick 10 different distances for you hit to, then analyzes it.

[wmblake2000]

Thx

[Shane1]

I've been thinking about getting a ST for my outdoor hitting area and have it running through the iPad. It's not undercover, so I'll need to set the skytrak unit up each time and pack it away inside when I've finished each session. Will this be a problem at all? Is it easy to setup and get its alignment right?

 

And what about levelling? What happens if the ground has a slight slope/gradient? And does the unit need to be placed at exactly the same height as the mat?

[bradski]

I've been thinking about getting a ST for my outdoor hitting area and have it running through the iPad. It's not undercover, so I'll need to set the skytrak unit up each time and pack it away inside when I've finished each session. Will this be a problem at all? Is it easy to setup and get its alignment right?

 

And what about leveling? What happens if the ground has a slight slope/gradient? And does the unit need to be placed at exactly the same height as the mat?

 

If you have the cover then leveling will be easy in the same place. you just will keep the legs adjusted the same. If you do need to level it every time for a different location it shouldn't take you more than 1-2 minutes to do it.

[dornstar]

I've been thinking about getting a ST for my outdoor hitting area and have it running through the iPad. It's not undercover, so I'll need to set the skytrak unit up each time and pack it away inside when I've finished each session. Will this be a problem at all? Is it easy to setup and get its alignment right?

 

And what about levelling? What happens if the ground has a slight slope/gradient? And does the unit need to be placed at exactly the same height as the mat?

The setup process is rather easy. After connecting the unit, there's a settings tab that turns on 2 alignment laser dots. Just line them up and you're good to go. The unit itself has an internal level that detects the how level the ground is and can account for up to 5* of tilt one way or another, so subtle slopes aren't an issue. For larger slopes, you would need a way to level it out. And yes, you'll want the unit roughly at the same level as the mat.

 

If you buy the case which I recommend, both of these issues can be easily taken care of with it as it has adjustable legs. Plus it looks cool...

 

[dornstar]

Another skills assessment in the books and I'm starting to get a nice little practice routine.

 

1. Warmup

2. Wedge ladder drill (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 yards and back down. Can't move on until shot is within 2 yards and any sort of a horrible shot like a shank, fat or blade shot is a complete restart).

3. Work on the 2 weakest yardages from previous days assessment. About 20-30 balls for each. Today was 90 and 120 yards.

4. Finish with skills assessment.

5. Putting

 

 

 

On a positive note, I'm REALLY starting to get a great understanding of my strengths and weaknesses at different ranges as well as what I have to do to create yardages that are between clubs. That 120 shot is a perfect example. I'm not hitting my gap wedge well and it's only going 114 and my PW is my 132 club, so I have to create that 120 yardage. It's taken me a few days, but I think I've figured it out.

 

Also, I've learned that when you look at all my shots as a whole, I consistently average 21 feet from the pin, so that's a distance that need to focus on heavily in putting. Thinking back to my rounds, I do in fact have a lot of putts in that 7-8 pace range. I need to get GREAT at that distance.

 

 

Tomorrow's 2 weak yardages will be 90 yard and the 3 wood... again. Seems like a recurring theme. That 90 yard shot is really starting to piss me off. :stink:

[dornstar]

Well, I've finally did it. After more than a year and thousands upon thousands of shots, I finally busted through the $30 Ikea quilt. There's a net behind it, so it's still usable until I find a replacement. I can't believe how long it lasted.

 

[drewtaylor21]

Also, I've learned that when you look at all my shots as a whole, I consistently average 21 feet from the pin, so that's a distance that need to focus on heavily in putting. Thinking back to my rounds, I do in fact have a lot of putts in that 7-8 pace range. I need to get GREAT at that distance.

 

Nice numbers! Apologies if I'm sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but IMO and in the opinion of several well-respected instructors I follow, it's unlikely that you're ever going to be great at 20' putts (Tour avg is 14%). If I gave you 18 GIR with 20' putts all day, what do you think you'd shoot? Maybe one or two under at best? The emphasis should be on getting the ball closer to the hole, especially in those 60-100 yard segments. Your numbers are very good overall, but that's where I'd be looking to improve (especially in a "static" environment like we have with the simulator, and esp that 80-100 gap that you've identified). That said, the 72' from 250y is skewing things, so all in all, it looks like your ballstriking is really solid. Your avg distance is 15.4' when you remove the 250y group, which is very impressive! If you work on putting from any distance, I'd emphasize the 8-15' range much more than 20' range. I think you'd have a much more realistic chance of improving in that zone. Can I ask why you go from 180y to 250y?

[somaplr]

Another skills assessment in the books and I'm starting to get a nice little practice routine. 1. Warmup 2. Wedge ladder drill (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 yards and back down. Can't move on until shot is within 2 yards and any sort of a horrible shot like a shank, fat or blade shot is a complete restart). 3. Work on the 2 weakest yardages from previous days assessment. About 20-30 balls for each. Today was 90 and 120 yards. 4. Finish with skills assessment. 5. Putting On a positive note, I'm REALLY starting to get a great understanding of my strengths and weaknesses at different ranges as well as what I have to do to create yardages that are between clubs. That 120 shot is a perfect example. I'm not hitting my gap wedge well and it's only going 114 and my PW is my 132 club, so I have to create that 120 yardage. It's taken me a few days, but I think I've figured it out. Also, I've learned that when you look at all my shots as a whole, I consistently average 21 feet from the pin, so that's a distance that need to focus on heavily in putting. Thinking back to my rounds, I do in fact have a lot of putts in that 7-8 pace range. I need to get GREAT at that distance. Tomorrow's 2 weak yardages will be 90 yard and the 3 wood... again. Seems like a recurring theme. That 90 yard shot is really starting to piss me off. :stink:

 

I'm liking the look of this skills challenge - we've had a really warm fall in Ohio so I'm still on the range and have only broke out the ST to test out Kirkland balls since the last update haha

 

Great numbers, but man that Dynamic Handicap calculator seems to be a bit punishing, especially on that 3/4 wood approach shot off the deck...an 11 Dynamic Handicap ending less than 25 yards from the hole on a 3 wood approach shot on one swing? You could give an 11 hdcp 10 balls from 250 and take the average of his best 3-4 and there is no way that's getting any where near that. You're top 100 in the friggin WORLD at 54' (from pin) from 225-250 from the fairway. That's so far off.

[dornstar]

Also, I've learned that when you look at all my shots as a whole, I consistently average 21 feet from the pin, so that's a distance that need to focus on heavily in putting. Thinking back to my rounds, I do in fact have a lot of putts in that 7-8 pace range. I need to get GREAT at that distance.

 

Nice numbers! Apologies if I'm sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but IMO and in the opinion of several well-respected instructors I follow, it's unlikely that you're ever going to be great at 20' putts (Tour avg is 14%). If I gave you 18 GIR with 20' putts all day, what do you think you'd shoot? Maybe one or two under at best? The emphasis should be on getting the ball closer to the hole, especially in those 60-100 yard segments. Your numbers are very good overall, but that's where I'd be looking to improve (especially in a "static" environment like we have with the simulator, and esp that 80-100 gap that you've identified). That said, the 72' from 250y is skewing things, so all in all, it looks like your ballstriking is really solid. Your avg distance is 15.4' when you remove the 250y group, which is very impressive! If you work on putting from any distance, I'd emphasize the 8-15' range much more than 20' range. I think you'd have a much more realistic chance of improving in that zone. Can I ask why you go from 180y to 250y?

Great post and thanks for the compliment. That last 3 wood really killed me.

 

I definitely know I'm not going to make a lot of those 21 footers. When I said I need to get great at that range, I was more or less meaning that I need to get to where I'm threatening the hole more times than not. I don't think I'm nearly as good at that as I should be from that range.

 

 

As far as the 180 to 250 jump, I think the software originally went to 200 and then to 250. I changed it to add some more wedge yardages and only wanted to go out to 200 yards total, but I guess I didn't turn the 250 into 200. Once you start the assessment, you can't change the distances and didn't notice it until I was halfway through the assessment. That 250 shot didn't go too well that time and Par 5 scoring is critical for me at my level, so I decided to just leave it. I definitely need to know where I stand in that range. I've been planning to change the yardages for the 10 distances weekly. Not positive, but I'm thinking...

 

WEEK A

1. 30

2. 50

3. 80

4. 100

5. 125

6. 150

7. 175

8. 200

9. 225

10. 250

 

WEEK B

1. 40

2. 60

3. 70

4. 90

5. 110

6. 140

7. 160

8. 190

9. 210

10. 240

[dornstar]

I'm liking the look of this skills challenge - we've had a really warm fall in Ohio so I'm still on the range and have only broke out the ST to test out Kirkland balls since the last update haha

 

Great numbers, but man that Dynamic Handicap calculator seems to be a bit punishing, especially on that 3/4 wood approach shot off the deck...an 11 Dynamic Handicap ending less than 25 yards from the hole on a 3 wood approach shot on one swing? You could give an 11 hdcp 10 balls from 250 and take the average of his best 3-4 and there is no way that's getting any where near that. You're top 100 in the friggin WORLD at 54' (from pin) from 225-250 from the fairway. That's so far off.

You're not joking that it's punishing. You really have to bring your A game for sure, but I like that. It's a true test as it should be. Hell, to get a 0 handicap from 40 yards is basically inside of 6 feet. You're talking a 5% margin of error. I think pros are in the 7% range on average. That's nutty. Fortunately wedge play is THE reason my handicap is as low as it is because if you're not sticking it close in those short yardage, you're not scoring on this.

 

I can see them changing it in the future to be easier, but I hope they don't. I find that it REALLY pushes me and adds so much pressure to my practices. It's the closest I've ever come to feeling tournament style pressure while practicing. It has me going through my full routine, practice swings... everything. I'm freaking GRINDING during skills test. You just don't get that in a normal practice session. Like I said, that one feature is probably the most valuable thing I've ever bought for my game.

[Krt22]

I would say anything less than 50yrds is tough to really hone in since at those distances you arent taking a full shot and wont be getting a ton of spin, so how you would play that shot is going to vary by daily conditions and hole lay out. I also wouldnt beat yourself up from 250yrds out. Being anywhere on the putting surface or within easy chipping range isnt something to scoff at.

[dornstar]

I would say anything less than 50yrds is tough to really hone in since at those distances you arent taking a full shot and wont be getting a ton of spin, so how you would play that shot is going to vary by daily conditions and hole lay out. I also wouldnt beat yourself up from 250yrds out. Being anywhere on the putting surface or within easy chipping range isnt something to scoff at.

I definitely agree with you that the conditions will change how you play those shorter shots, but I like to at least have a stock shot to hit into those yardages. Then I make variations (ball position, loft, etc) off of that stock shot to add or deduct distance. I've literally hit thousands upon thousands of 30-70 yard shots since getting the SkyTrak and I've never felt more comfortable on the course in that range. I've worked so hard on my wedge play with the SkyTrak that I'm at the point where I honestly feel that I'm going to stick to within a few yards every time. My confidence is through the roof and it's a really, really good feeling to have.

 

And even at my level, I'm not proficient enough at 250 to think I should hit every green. My goal is to hit a quality shot that finishes within 25 yards of the pin left or right. That's a <10% margin of error which is pretty damn good regardless of how this skills assessment grades it. Anything better than that is icing on the cake.

[drewtaylor21]

I can see them changing it in the future to be easier, but I hope they don't. I find that it REALLY pushes me and adds so much pressure to my practices. It's the closest I've ever come to feeling tournament style pressure while practicing. It has me going through my full routine, practice swings... everything. I'm freaking GRINDING during skills test. You just don't get that in a normal practice session. Like I said, that one feature is probably the most valuable thing I've ever bought for my game.

 

I freakin love this! I find a similar experience with a short iron combine I set up on my Flightscope. Trying to break previous scoring records that I've set has me doing the exact same thing and it's great practice!

 

I still tell everyone the Flightscope is by far the best investment I've made in my game. Thanks again for the inspiration :)

[dornstar]

Glad to hear it.

 

And I feel the same way. Although I went a little overboard and tore up my elbow, my game has never been better. Most importantly, this is the first time in 20+ years golf that I can correct my own swing when it's off. Not sitting there wasting days, weeks or even months trying to fix it is worth every penny I spent on this.

[Shane1]

I was about to pull the trigger on a Skytrak..... that was until they said that I would have absolutely no warranty with it as I live in Australia (even if I got it posted over after getting it sent to U.S postal address). They said if I wanted to 'play it safe', I would have to wait until they are able to sell them here in AUS, but they couldn't even tell me if that would be 6months or 4years away. Quite disappointed actually. It seems as though they don't want to stand behind their product, or rather, they will find any excuse not to.

[Krt22]

I would venture to say it has nothing to do with that, but instead silly ITAR regulations

[Shane1]

I would venture to say it has nothing to do with that, but instead silly ITAR regulations

 

Serious question - If I purchase it in the states, shouldn't that be enough to keep my warranty? Does it really matter where I use it?

[hardboiled]

I was about to pull the trigger on a Skytrak..... that was until they said that I would have absolutely no warranty with it as I live in Australia (even if I got it posted over after getting it sent to U.S postal address). They said if I wanted to 'play it safe', I would have to wait until they are able to sell them here in AUS, but they couldn't even tell me if that would be 6months or 4years away. Quite disappointed actually. It seems as though they don't want to stand behind their product, or rather, they will find any excuse not to.

There's a guy in Melbourne that sells the Skytrak and offers warranty too.

 

Otherwise, I bought mine from Chip at

http://shop.virtual-golf-simulator.com and had it shipped to Oz.

 

Good price too.

[Shane1]

I was about to pull the trigger on a Skytrak..... that was until they said that I would have absolutely no warranty with it as I live in Australia (even if I got it posted over after getting it sent to U.S postal address). They said if I wanted to 'play it safe', I would have to wait until they are able to sell them here in AUS, but they couldn't even tell me if that would be 6months or 4years away. Quite disappointed actually. It seems as though they don't want to stand behind their product, or rather, they will find any excuse not to.

There's a guy in Melbourne that sells the Skytrak and offers warranty too.

 

Otherwise, I bought mine from Chip at

http://shop.virtual-golf-simulator.com and had it shipped to Oz.

 

Good price too.

 

PM sent.

[Krt22]

I would venture to say it has nothing to do with that, but instead silly ITAR regulations

 

Serious question - If I purchase it in the states, shouldn't that be enough to keep my warranty? Does it really matter where I use it?

 

In some cases, yes it does matter. If there is a warranty issue and you return it for repair, if they are not allowed to ship it to your country how will they return it?

[Shane1]

I would venture to say it has nothing to do with that, but instead silly ITAR regulations

 

Serious question - If I purchase it in the states, shouldn't that be enough to keep my warranty? Does it really matter where I use it?

 

In some cases, yes it does matter. If there is a warranty issue and you return it for repair, if they are not allowed to ship it to your country how will they return it?

 

I told them they could ship the 'replacement/repaired' unit to a US address, but they still said I would have no warranty.

[Greasegun]

What is TGC on skytrak? Does skytrak require an internet connection? Going to use with a PC. Thanks

[wbond]

TGC is one of the sim software options. To run it, it really does require an internet connection to get the most out of it. If not, you only have access to a limited number of courses. With internet, you have pretty much unlimited courses as well as a tour you can play on. You will need a very good pc to run TGC. I have TGC and it's awesome.

What is TGC on skytrak? Does skytrak require an internet connection? Going to use with a PC. Thanks

[Greasegun]

TGC is one of the sim software options. To run it, it really does require an internet connection to get the most out of it. If not, you only have access to a limited number of courses. With internet, you have pretty much unlimited courses as well as a tour you can play on. You will need a very good pc to run TGC. I have TGC and it's awesome.

What is TGC on skytrak? Does skytrak require an internet connection? Going to use with a PC. Thanks

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Does skytrak itself require internet if you arent running simulation? Im mostly interested in the range and game improvement package for now.

[bongta029]

Is anyone using return net for the net? If so, was it worth the money? I'm trying to use that and my old 47" tv screen instead of the projector.

[teamacacia]

Bongta29,

I have my setup in the garage where I hit off of a leveled mat into a Callaway net with my computer facing me…if that makes sense. My folks bought me the net for Christmas last year. It's big at 12' wide. I actually wish it were closer to 8' wide but it works as is. The one thing i did was go to a local fabric shop and purchased a 7'x9' section of netting to put behind the included "target sheet." The netting reminds me of window screen, but much heavier and feels like rubber. I have already hit a couple drives where the ball or the tee punched a hole in the smaller target sheet so I wanted something a little more robust since I park my truck next to the hitting net. I'll post a pic here in a bit when I get on my iPad.

[somaplr]

TGC is one of the sim software options. To run it, it really does require an internet connection to get the most out of it. If not, you only have access to a limited number of courses. With internet, you have pretty much unlimited courses as well as a tour you can play on. You will need a very good pc to run TGC. I have TGC and it's awesome.

What is TGC on skytrak? Does skytrak require an internet connection? Going to use with a PC. Thanks

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Does skytrak itself require internet if you arent running simulation? Im mostly interested in the range and game improvement package for now.

 

There are two waves to connect to SkyTrak. For TGC (or likewise) simulation you have to be connected to an outside (home). If you don't want data saved them you don't have to have any connection but the Skytrak and your device (like at the driving range).

 

Just so everyone knows, if you're planning on banging balls on a grass range with irons, SkyTrak isn't the product for you (at least IMO). The dirt/grass/debris from the strike gets in the way of the ball readings. For driver, it is a non issue, on grass.

 

Is anyone using return net for the net? If so, was it worth the money? I'm trying to use that and my old 47" tv screen instead of the projector.

 

Yes and yes. I'm assuming you meant Net Return.

[Greasegun]

TGC is one of the sim software options. To run it, it really does require an internet connection to get the most out of it. If not, you only have access to a limited number of courses. With internet, you have pretty much unlimited courses as well as a tour you can play on. You will need a very good pc to run TGC. I have TGC and it's awesome.

What is TGC on skytrak? Does skytrak require an internet connection? Going to use with a PC. Thanks

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Does skytrak itself require internet if you arent running simulation? Im mostly interested in the range and game improvement package for now.

 

There are two waves to connect to SkyTrak. For TGC (or likewise) simulation you have to be connected to an outside (home). If you don't want data saved them you don't have to have any connection but the Skytrak and your device (like at the driving range).

 

Just so everyone knows, if you're planning on banging balls on a grass range with irons, SkyTrak isn't the product for you (at least IMO). The dirt/grass/debris from the strike gets in the way of the ball readings. For driver, it is a non issue, on grass.

 

 

Thanks. I am setting this up in my house but I have limited internet access. Skytrak website was unclear on whether it had to have internet access for basic use.