Flightscope Indoor Range **GC2/JNPG Update p.4**

[drewtaylor21]

Still liking the FlightScope? I have garage set up capable of up to at least 20' of ball flight but rather keep it shorter. Talking to FlightScope and ForeSight reps has my head spinning. I like flightscope prices better but what are there many "strings attached' to the purchase?

 

What do you mean by strings attached?

 

And yes, I absolutely love my Flightscope! Best investment I've every made in my game by far.

[leekgolf]

Still liking the FlightScope? I have garage set up capable of up to at least 20' of ball flight but rather keep it shorter. Talking to FlightScope and ForeSight reps has my head spinning. I like flightscope prices better but what are there many "strings attached' to the purchase?

 

By strings do you mean the maintenance and support agreement they want to sell when you buy a new Flightscope? It's not a requirement. I bought it with my sensor but you may want to ask Goatbarn. He bought one and chose not to buy the support contract.

[rookerdee]

drew

Sorry if you have answered this before (i have read too many forms to recall) but how far is your BenQ short throw projector from your screen? Are you projecting in 4:3 or 16:10 aspect ratio? mounted slightly off-center or directly centered to screen? I have 19.5 feet to my screen (with 1.5 feet behind) 9.5 ceiling, projecting at 16:10 to a 8x10.5 screen.

 

The project central calculator makes me concerned I need to place a ST projector between the ball and the screen and I have kids who can undercut a teed ball at a higher launch angle than my lob wedge.

 

Thanks

JR

[drewtaylor21]

drew

Sorry if you have answered this before (i have read too many forms to recall) but how far is your BenQ short throw projector from your screen? Are you projecting in 4:3 or 16:10 aspect ratio? mounted slightly off-center or directly centered to screen? I have 19.5 feet to my screen (with 1.5 feet behind) 9.5 ceiling, projecting at 16:10 to a 8x10.5 screen.

 

The project central calculator makes me concerned I need to place a ST projector between the ball and the screen and I have kids who can undercut a teed ball at a higher launch angle than my lob wedge.

 

Thanks

JR

 

It's basically right above and slightly behind the ball, so for me it's about 9.5 feet from the screen and off-center to the right as you look at the screen. Honestly I'm probably not the best person to ask about projectors....I used the projector central calc to get an idea of what I was going to need, but once I had it I found that the calculation is more of a guess, and I just moved it around until I found what I was looking for. It required a bit of keystone, but it looks great to me, so I haven't touched it since I installed it. Sad to say, I can't even remember what aspect I'm running! (I'm pretty sure it's 4:3....)

 

Have you checked with some of the other guys on the golf sim forum? I'm sure there are quite a few who have set something up in a similar space to what you have....Sorry I can't be of more help on this one

[leekgolf]

What size hitting strip did you buy? What size stance mat?

[drewtaylor21]

What size hitting strip did you buy? What size stance mat?

 

Hitting strip is 10" x 36" and the stance mat is 3' x 4' (put together, it's a nice 3 x 5 basically)

 

I had made a mat enclosure out of 2x4s, which has been helpful, but a few days ago I put some industrial velcro down underneath both mats and that's made a world of difference. I'd be adjusting the mat every 20-30 shots or so, now it's fixed in place. Should have done that from day one probably :)

[horgand]

Thanks for sharing your info and congrats.

 

Apologies if this is a basic question :

 

Can the FlightScope simulate different courses? I'd like to build one of these golf simulators in a spare garage I have which of like to convert to a home gym /range /table tennis / den. However I'd need to be able to load multiple courses on the launch monitor /simulator (e g Augusta, St Andrews, K club, etc, etc) otherwise I'd imagine I would get bored of it, quite quickly. I.e a launch monitor on its own would do little for tbh.

 

Ideally I would be able to invite a few mates over during the winter to play a round in Augusta or Cyprus Point say? Ideally the product would even track our scores....mauve using a home practice green to putt out the final shot(s) on each hole.

 

Is this possible with the FlightScope product or would I need a different type of product? And where would I get info on those type of simulators ?

 

Thanks for any info

[iteachgolf]

Can use E6 for simulation with Floghtscope. Works very well and I did the exact same thing where I putted things out on a putting green and manually input putts

[drewtaylor21]

Thanks for sharing your info and congrats.

 

Apologies if this is a basic question :

 

Can the FlightScope simulate different courses? I'd like to build one of these golf simulators in a spare garage I have which of like to convert to a home gym /range /table tennis / den. However I'd need to be able to load multiple courses on the launch monitor /simulator (e g Augusta, St Andrews, K club, etc, etc) otherwise I'd imagine I would get bored of it, quite quickly. I.e a launch monitor on its own would do little for tbh.

 

Ideally I would be able to invite a few mates over during the winter to play a round in Augusta or Cyprus Point say? Ideally the product would even track our scores....mauve using a home practice green to putt out the final shot(s) on each hole.

 

Is this possible with the FlightScope product or would I need a different type of product? And where would I get info on those type of simulators ?

 

Thanks for any info

 

As Dan said above me, yes, Flightscope has simulation options through E6, but the launch monitor doesn't read short chips or putts, so you'll have to manually input. If SIM play is your main objective, look into Skytrak with TGC (or GC2 with TGC if budget isn't a concern). There's a ton of info on golf simulator forum dot com

[360_CS]

Do you like the size of the hitting mat or would you think the 20x36 might be better? I don't know what one to get.

[somaplr]

Do you like the size of the hitting mat or would you think the 20x36 might be better? I don't know what one to get.

 

If you have the room, get the 5x5 CCE elite mat. These mats do wear out over time after excessive use. With a 5x5 mat you spin it around and have basically 4 "seasons" of use instead of 1 or 2. I'm not very handy like other guys but that's the least work involved.

[drewtaylor21]

Do you like the size of the hitting mat or would you think the 20x36 might be better? I don't know what one to get.

 

If you have the room, get the 5x5 CCE elite mat. These mats do wear out over time after excessive use. With a 5x5 mat you spin it around and have basically 4 "seasons" of use instead of 1 or 2. I'm not very handy like other guys but that's the least work involved.

 

10x36 is plenty IMO, I've never even thought about it being an issue. Personally I think the way my mat is set up is ideal. I can spin the hitting strip once, but it's only $50 to replace once it wears out. The 5x5 you can spin 4 times, but it's $500 to replace....I know which one I prefer.

[Pomps]

Great review! I'm going to build one when I close on a house. This info was very helpful.

[robrey85]

What size hitting strip did you buy? What size stance mat?

 

Hitting strip is 10" x 36" and the stance mat is 3' x 4' (put together, it's a nice 3 x 5 basically)

 

I had made a mat enclosure out of 2x4s, which has been helpful, but a few days ago I put some industrial velcro down underneath both mats and that's made a world of difference. I'd be adjusting the mat every 20-30 shots or so, now it's fixed in place. Should have done that from day one probably :)

 

What velcro did you buy? I need some of that for my mat as I am constantly adjusting it. And also, a side tip if your mat feels too hard, get some carpet padding and put it underneath. I did that for my mat out back because it went from feeling great on the dirt/ground to getting screwed up from a rain storm to feeling hard as hell after I put down some pavers to level out the mat, to feeling much better with carpet padding.

[drewtaylor21]

What size hitting strip did you buy? What size stance mat?

 

Hitting strip is 10" x 36" and the stance mat is 3' x 4' (put together, it's a nice 3 x 5 basically)

 

I had made a mat enclosure out of 2x4s, which has been helpful, but a few days ago I put some industrial velcro down underneath both mats and that's made a world of difference. I'd be adjusting the mat every 20-30 shots or so, now it's fixed in place. Should have done that from day one probably :)

 

What velcro did you buy? I need some of that for my mat as I am constantly adjusting it. And also, a side tip if your mat feels too hard, get some carpet padding and put it underneath. I did that for my mat out back because it went from feeling great on the dirt/ground to getting screwed up from a rain storm to feeling hard as hell after I put down some pavers to level out the mat, to feeling much better with carpet padding.

 

I just got industrial velcro from Home Depot/Lowe's. I don't remember the brand, but they only had a couple options, so I got the strongest they had. It's worked great, highly recommend it over adjusting the mat every day!

[dornstar]

Hell of a setup.

 

And thanks for the love everyone who mentioned my build. Glad I could inspire some of you to build your own simulators.

[Wardonation]

After reading Dornstar’s thread about his garage simulator build

(http://www.golfwrx.c...__hl__ dornstar), I started getting initial ideas about the possibility of setting something similar up in my own garage. At the time, it was more of a pipe dream, as I really couldn’t justify spending the money when I have access to a world-class practice facility at Paiute Golf Course for $300/year (thanks Paiute for treating locals right!).

 

That all changed when my wife and I found out that she’s going to be having our first baby (a boy!) in July. At that point, the wheels really began turning, as I realized quickly that my “me” time at the range was going to disappear, or at least be severely limited. My game is very important to me, and I knew that for sanity purposes, I was going to need a way to make my golf time more of a reality once baby boy arrives. Thus, the plans were put in motion. I’ve been doing a lot of overtime at work, so I had some “bonus” money to work with over and above what we’ve saved for baby expenses, so wifely approval was granted.

 

I spent a lot of time reading and researching on golfsimulatorforum dot com as well as the old ottowagolf dot com, and picked the brains of several forum members for their thoughts and ideas. Special thanks to Goatbarn, who has taken the brunt of my questioning and been extremely helpful in the process. Additional thanks to jwm1 for the insight on Flightscope! Both of these guys have been a huge help.

 

My real goal with all of this was to create an at-home driving range where I could maintain my full swing practice, then try to sneak out and play whenever possible. With that in mind, I wanted to find the most accurate but cost-effective launch monitor possible. I know I will want to add simulation play down the road, but for now, I just needed to establish a place where I could practice and stay sharp at home. My options were the GC2, Skytrak, and Flightscope Xi. GC2 seemed to be the top choice for short indoor practice, and Skytrak is doing a great job at providing a very similar product for a much better price. I'm hopeful that the market will continue to work in the buyer’s favor as products advance and the tech gets better. GC2 is just too expensive still for what it provides (IMO) compared to Skytrak, so GC2 was the first option to get cut from my list. I strongly considered it for a while, but all in, even if I found a used unit, the total price was going to be over $7k, which was more than I wanted to spend. Skytrak has really improved in the last 6 months, but I still had doubts about its accuracy, and I didn’t like the delay between ball being hit and image projecting on the screen. Not a deal breaker, but just not something I wanted to deal with if I was going to spend a lot of money. Additionally, it really doesn’t work well outdoors if I ever wanted to take it to a real range. Thus, Flightscope’s Xi became my #1 contender. I trust their accuracy as a quality launch monitor, and they developed a new firmware version over the winter that allows radar to be used in as little as 16 feet of total space from the unit to the screen, which just fits inside my garage (I have 19 feet from garage door to back wall). Flightscope units also measure every club and ball stat you could ever need, and while some units display more than others, everything is measured, which again, eased my mind where accuracy was concerned.

 

I began my build process slowly, and tried to save money wherever possible. I could certainly make things more visually appealing, but I’m not terribly concerned with that at the minute. This is all about functionality, accuracy, and saving money!

 

I purchased a Country Club Elite hitting strip with stance mat ($185) first. I’ve heard over and over not to skimp on the mat, as cheaper options can really mess your wrists and elbows up after a decent amount of use. The CCE has been flawless. (I built a very ghetto looking perimeter for it out of 2x4’s to keep things from sliding around - it does the trick).

 

 

 

Next step was the impact screen. I may end up going with the Cadillac model down the road, which is the Par2Pro HQ screen, but for now I am perfectly happy with West Coast Netting’s PR-20 screen ($260). Image quality is great, and it doesn’t make a loud noise at all when a ball hits the screen, which I’ve heard can be an issue with the HQ screen. I also purchased a golf net from ebay ($15) to use as backup behind the screen. I put the frame together myself just using PVC from Home Depot ($40). In hindsight, I probably should have used conduit pipes, as they are a bit sturdier and would allow for more tension on the backup net, but PVC does work and I haven’t had any issues. I hung my net and screen using zip ties, which have held up great so far.

 

 

 

At this point I was hitting some balls in the garage, just had no picture of ball flight. It was time to figure out the launch monitor. I talked to Flightscope and arranged for a demo unit to be sent out. I demo’d their Xi+ model, which shows more data than the Xi, but for an additional $2500. Had a lot of fun with the unit and my indoor space worked just fine, so I decided Flightscope would be my launch monitor. I purchased the Xi ($2500), a tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, $400), and projector (BenQ HT1085ST, $900). This was the expensive part, but I didn’t want to skimp here either, as the quality of the set up really depended on these final pieces. One could save ~ $600-800 getting a used tablet and lower quality projector and do just fine, but I wanted to have pieces in place for upgrades down the road. I’m very happy with the projector, and glad I spent the money for the quality there. Watching TV, movies, etc is now a possibility too, so the man-cave is going to see some serious action when my Seahawks are playing again this fall!

 

I’ve set up several practice games on the Flightscope Skills App, which is great. You can set up targets of varying width and distance along the range and give yourself options for point systems and shots hit into each target. There are also built in combines in Flightscope, which are a great test.

 

 

 

 

All in all, I am extremely happy with my set up and have been getting some great practice out of it at home already. Even in the few short weeks I’ve been set up, I can tell this is a greater benefit to my game than just hitting balls on a normal driving range, so it’s amazing to be able to do this from the comfort of my own home.

 

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I’d be happy to answer any questions anyone has, and I hope this will be a valuable thread for anyone looking to set something similar up themselves!

 

CCE mat: $185

PR-20 screen + net: $280

PVC frame: $40

BenQ HT 1085ST Projector: $900

Samsung Galaxy Tab S2: $400

Flightscope Xi: $2500

 

Total: $4305

 

(could be done as cheap as $3500 or so, depending on tablet and projector)

Did you look at skytrak? If so why did you choose flightscope?

[drewtaylor21]

Skytrak has really improved in the last 6 months, but I still had doubts about its accuracy, and I didn’t like the delay between ball being hit and image projecting on the screen. Not a deal breaker, but just not something I wanted to deal with if I was going to spend a lot of money. Additionally, it really doesn’t work well outdoors if I ever wanted to take it to a real range.

Did you look at skytrak? If so why did you choose flightscope?

 

The above reasons. I trust Flightscope much more than Skytrak for accuracy, can take it outside and accuracy gets even better, and there is a lot more data available with Flightscope. Living in Vegas, golf is pretty much a year-round thing, and being able to take the Xi to the range is a nice option.

[dornstar]

Skytrak has really improved in the last 6 months, but I still had doubts about its accuracy, and I didn’t like the delay between ball being hit and image projecting on the screen. Not a deal breaker, but just not something I wanted to deal with if I was going to spend a lot of money. Additionally, it really doesn’t work well outdoors if I ever wanted to take it to a real range.

Did you look at skytrak? If so why did you choose flightscope?

 

The above reasons. I trust Flightscope much more than Skytrak for accuracy, can take it outside and accuracy gets even better, and there is a lot more data available with Flightscope. Living in Vegas, golf is pretty much a year-round thing, and being able to take the Xi to the range is a nice option.

I have no problems once so ever with SkyTrak's accuracy. I have hit it side by side against other launch monitors and the results were nearly identical. There were subtle differences in spin and things like that, but really no difference in shot shape or distance. I fully trust its accuracy.

 

As far as the range goes, any launch monitor that works from the back instead of the side is going to be better for outdoors. It's a pain to have to move the SkyTrak around. It's really ideal for indoor use where you can just park it in one spot.

[drewtaylor21]

Skytrak has really improved in the last 6 months, but I still had doubts about its accuracy, and I didn’t like the delay between ball being hit and image projecting on the screen. Not a deal breaker, but just not something I wanted to deal with if I was going to spend a lot of money. Additionally, it really doesn’t work well outdoors if I ever wanted to take it to a real range.

Did you look at skytrak? If so why did you choose flightscope?

 

The above reasons. I trust Flightscope much more than Skytrak for accuracy, can take it outside and accuracy gets even better, and there is a lot more data available with Flightscope. Living in Vegas, golf is pretty much a year-round thing, and being able to take the Xi to the range is a nice option.

I have no problems once so ever with SkyTrak's accuracy. I have hit it side by side against other launch monitors and the results were nearly identical. There were subtle differences in spin and things like that, but really no difference in shot shape or distance. I fully trust its accuracy.

 

As far as the range goes, any launch monitor that works from the back instead of the side is going to be better for outdoors. It's a pain to have to move the SkyTrak around. It's really ideal for indoor use where you can just park it in one spot.

 

Yeah I would totally trust skytrak's accuracy indoors as long as you have a "good" unit. When I was doing all my research, there were still quite a few people who were unhappy with the unit that they received. I'm sure the platform is getting better and better, and the working units far outweigh those that don't now. However, at the time I didn't want to take those chances.

 

The ability to take it outdoors, as well as the data available were very big factors for me.

[bradski]

Skytrak has really improved in the last 6 months, but I still had doubts about its accuracy, and I didn’t like the delay between ball being hit and image projecting on the screen. Not a deal breaker, but just not something I wanted to deal with if I was going to spend a lot of money. Additionally, it really doesn’t work well outdoors if I ever wanted to take it to a real range.

Did you look at skytrak? If so why did you choose flightscope?

 

The above reasons. I trust Flightscope much more than Skytrak for accuracy, can take it outside and accuracy gets even better, and there is a lot more data available with Flightscope. Living in Vegas, golf is pretty much a year-round thing, and being able to take the Xi to the range is a nice option.

I have no problems once so ever with SkyTrak's accuracy. I have hit it side by side against other launch monitors and the results were nearly identical. There were subtle differences in spin and things like that, but really no difference in shot shape or distance. I fully trust its accuracy.

 

As far as the range goes, any launch monitor that works from the back instead of the side is going to be better for outdoors. It's a pain to have to move the SkyTrak around. It's really ideal for indoor use where you can just park it in one spot.

 

Yeah I would totally trust skytrak's accuracy indoors as long as you have a "good" unit. When I was doing all my research, there were still quite a few people who were unhappy with the unit that they received. I'm sure the platform is getting better and better, and the working units far outweigh those that don't now. However, at the time I didn't want to take those chances.

 

The ability to take it outdoors, as well as the data available were very big factors for me.

 

I know this discussion has been beat to death on forum's. I ended up getting a skytrak because I was able to setup an accurate launch monitor for under 4k. I moved from San Diego to Utah and I wanted to be able to really work on my game in the Winter.

 

indoor (these units are placed next to the ball and use images to calculate launch/spin/ can have issues with sunlight and have to place the ball in one spot over and over. )

1. gc2 (pro's- proven technology that is very accurate. cons- don't calculate club without spending extra money 3k ish)

2.skytrak(pro's-the lowest cost option with a couple good simulation options. cons- had accuracy issues at the beginning but now seems to be very accurate)

 

outdoor (these units are placed behind the ball and need some distance to measure the shot, don't ready chips/putts well)

1.trackman (pro's top of the line unit that is very accurate, cons unless you have 20 feet indoor they aren't great and chipping and putting issues)

2. flightscope (pro's, some mid priced options and very accurate, cons same as above.

[Krt22]

Technically you can use the Flightscope indoors with 16' of total distance between the unit and the net. I have one setup in my garage as well with no issues.

[goatbarn]

I'd add that radars like Trackman and Flightscope are totally different animals. Outdoors they measure carry distance, not calculate it, as long as line of sight to ball is not interrupted by any obstacles.

 

Much different than a side on camera system that can never measure carry distance. Sure they can both be accurate, but radar is not comparable to camera systems when outdoors.

 

Indoors, the edge goes to camera systems as they can measure spin axis, which radar cannot measure indoors. Thats my understanding.

[Ezgolfer]

Flightscope X3 or Trackman 4 for personal use ?

[drewtaylor21]

Flightscope X3 or Trackman 4 for personal use ?

 

What would you pick?

 

If money is no object, I'd probably go with TM4. That said, I think you'd be splitting hairs between the two options here. They're both as good as it gets.

[dg_1983]

How is the setup working for you down the road? Using it as much as you would like?

 

I'm about 1month down the SkyTrak journey, cannot get over the value I'm feeling from it. Not itching to hit balls, 30 balls a night is way better than 200 once a week. The numbers are crazy good for working on carry distance with short game. Driver launch and spin work. Side spin work to straighten up shots - amazing.

[drewtaylor21]

How is the setup working for you down the road? Using it as much as you would like?

 

I'm about 1month down the SkyTrak journey, cannot get over the value I'm feeling from it. Not itching to hit balls, 30 balls a night is way better than 200 once a week. The numbers are crazy good for working on carry distance with short game. Driver launch and spin work. Side spin work to straighten up shots - amazing.

 

Yeah it's great! It definitely allowed me to continue practicing with a young baby at home, which was one of my primary objectives at the outset. While I don't take it outside a ton, having that option is really nice as well. I'm still VERY happy with the purchase! Glad you're finding the same with the skytrak!

[dg_1983]

First child due June so that will be the test!

 

Has your game improved? or just stayed the same (which is awesome considering the little ones are here!)

[drewtaylor21]

First child due June so that will be the test!

 

Has your game improved? or just stayed the same (which is awesome considering the little ones are here!)

 

My game has declined a bit over the last 9 months, but certainly not because of the FS! I've only been able to practice short game/putting a half dozen occasions at most this year, so I'm just not as sharp as I need to be to score well. My ballstriking has stayed the same or perhaps increased a bit when I'm hitting balls regularly, so I feel like I'm constantly about a week or two away from being able to play really well again. Given the circumstances, I'm very happy with that! Without the FS I'd be about 5 strokes worse by now!

 

Congrats on the upcoming kiddo! It's an adventure

[BB28403]

How long do you see this setup lasting?

 

Like what are your yearly costs?

 

In 5 years after finishing setup will the Flightscope be obsolete? Do you see yourself spending $2500 every 5 years?