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

[drewtaylor21]

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?

 

Well it's been almost exactly one year now and my mat and net are still in great shape. I haven't needed to rotate either of them, but I will most likely do that in the next 6 months or so just to keep things from wearing down.

 

Yearly costs: golf balls. I'll buy some balls here and there whenever I see a good sale on a decent ball. TaylorMade project a's have been really good for my purposes, and I'll use some of the costco callaway balls as well. I've probably spent $50 on golf balls for the indoor range in the last year. There haven't been any other costs, so no, I don't see myself spending $2500 every 5 years.

 

As far as Flightscope being obsolete, what would cause that to happen? They still support the model I have, and I don't really think there are going to be any significant parameters discovered between now and then that will change the way launch monitors work. Face, path, AoA, ball speed, spin, etc are still going to determine ball flight, so unless FS decides they won't support the Xi anymore, then I've got all I need.

 

With that said, my hope is that in 5 years we will have much better consumer options for at-home launch monitors, so re-sale value of the Xi could certainly go way down. I'm willing to take that risk, however, as there really aren't any better options out there that are near this price point IMO.

[BB28403]

Sorry to make you Anxious friend!

It's just i work in IT and computers and tech change ALL THE TIME!

And it's just the nature of the beast that a company wants to phase out old products and get you to buy new ones. That's just why I say average is 5 years in the IT world. And I wish I could get 5 years out of an IPhone.

[GungHoGolf]

Sorry to make you Anxious friend!

It's just i work in IT and computers and tech change ALL THE TIME!

And it's just the nature of the beast that a company wants to phase out old products and get you to buy new ones. That's just why I say average is 5 years in the IT world. And I wish I could get 5 years out of an IPhone.

 

Drew doesn't sound like the anxious one in this thread.

[BB28403]

What do you mean by that? Is everyone on WRX trying to pick a fight?

[drewtaylor21]

Sorry to make you Anxious friend!

It's just i work in IT and computers and tech change ALL THE TIME!

And it's just the nature of the beast that a company wants to phase out old products and get you to buy new ones. That's just why I say average is 5 years in the IT world. And I wish I could get 5 years out of an IPhone.

 

No worries, I've watched the launch monitor market for a couple years now and while things are improving for the consumer, it's happening much more slowly than I would have expected. One of the biggest things I've learned is how much of a niche market it still is. As such, no one can really afford to create a product that disrupts things the way we're used to seeing in most other tech areas. I expect that will change, but like I said, it's happening very slowly and I have zero doubt I'll have gotten my money's worth from the Flightscope by then. Honestly it feels like I've already gotten my money's worth from it, given that it's allowed me to maintain my practicing over this past year, which has seen the arrival of our first baby and a very busy work schedule. I'd be at least a 5 cap by now without the ability to practice at home! It's a lot of fun to have, and the ability to see precisely what is happening is a great benefit.

 

Are you thinking about purchasing a personal launch monitor?

[BB28403]

Thank you for the nice reply. I do a lot of research too. I love to research products for a long time before buying them .

Yes I am looking at a Launch Monitor. We don't exactly have a budget, it's just would I use the thing?

I think I will start small and just grab one that I can take to the range to get some numbers. You know im going to sort of dip my toe into the Launch Monitor market.

[drewtaylor21]

Thank you for the nice reply. I do a lot of research too. I love to research products for a long time before buying them .

Yes I am looking at a Launch Monitor. We don't exactly have a budget, it's just would I use the thing?

I think I will start small and just grab one that I can take to the range to get some numbers. You know im going to sort of dip my toe into the Launch Monitor market.

 

As to the "would I use the thing" question, I think it probably depends on your individual situation. Honestly before the baby came along, I didn't see a need for one at all. I've had a range pass for the past few years and got all the information I needed from the range and the course. It sounds like you may fall into this category as well if you don't really know if you'll use it. In the next few years I hope to get back into doing most of my golfing and practicing on the course instead of in my garage, so I may not use one down the road either!

 

Lack of time and the ability to get out of the house frequently were the driving factors for me, and I knew that it was a necessity in order for me to continue practicing and staying sharp. Side benefits are that it is very nice to have access to numbers for testing new clubs, and getting precise carry yardages through the bag has been huge. My wedge game has seen the biggest improvement in that regard.

 

If you're interested in SIM play at all, that's a big factor to consider as well. I don't have SIM, but I also don't have to suffer through much of a winter here in Vegas, so I probably wouldn't get a lot of use out of it anyway, but for some guys who live in cold climates, that's huge.

 

Finally, I'd mildly caution against starting small, depending on what you mean by that. Flightscope Xi/Xi+, Skytrak, and GC2 are about as "small" as I would consider in terms of real-world accuracy. If you're doing your practicing indoors, GC2 would be my recommendation, Skytrak a close second. If you're planning to take it to the range outdoors, go Flightscope. Skytrak is not good outdoors, and anything cheaper is not going to give you accuracy at all. I'm sure you've read plenty of similar things if you've done your research, but thought I'd add my 0.02 just in case. Let me know if you have any other questions - it's a fun process!

[andrue]

I've thought of doing something like that in the past. In fact I still have some netting in my garage. Unfortunately the ceiling isn't tall enough to let me use anything longer than a 9i, not even with my swing.

[drewtaylor21]

Well it's been a year and a half since I started this thread and I wanted to take some time to update anyone who is following and/or interested in doing something similar at home. While the Flightscope was amazing to have and I truly enjoyed using it just about every day in the garage, there were a few shortcomings that influenced me to make the switch to Foresight's GC2 for my launch monitor. Before I get to that, however, I just have to say that if you're on the fence about doing something like this, DO IT! It's still by far the best investment I've made in my game and it's a ton of fun!

 

Reasons for switching from Flightscope to GC2

 

1. In the year+ that I owned the Flightscope, I only took it outside to use on a full range probably 4 times. When I purchased it I thought it would see much more outdoor range time.

 

2. When I did take the Flightscope to a range, I was frustrated by the influence of range balls on data. The newer models do have a "normalize" function that allows you to use a range ball and get data that is more true to life, but I found this to be a limitation on actually wanting to use it outdoors.

 

3. The space I had in the garage was just enough to get accurate readings for irons/wedges, but woods did not register and I missed being able to practice the full bag. Additionally, the model I had did not measure short chips or putts, which meant simulation was out. I didn't really mind this at the time, as I'm a range rat, but I've had a change of heart - more on this later!

 

Benefits of GC2

 

1. I can now practice the full bag, including chips and putts (though I have to choke up on driver just to be safe with overhead clearance in the garage)

 

2. I feel that I get more consistently accurate data indoors with the GC2. The Flightscope would occasionally have to estimate shot readings and I would see some very low-spin numbers and inflated carry distances. This actually snuck into my estimation of my actual carry yardages and didn't do me any favors when playing out on the course. I've since adjusted several of my short iron stock yardages and my proximity and GIR stats have improved.

 

3. The addition of Jack Nicklaus Perfect Golf (JNPG) and the Online Golf Tour (OGT) has been nothing short of awesome. I have access to all practice session data, two cool driving ranges, a handful of practice combines with worldwide leaderboards, a huge list of courses to play, and my favorite part, the actual online tournaments where I get to compete with players from all over the globe!

 

OGT Home: http://www.simulatio....net/index.html

OGT Course Downloads: http://www.simulation.onlinegolftour.net/course-reviews.html

 

OGT does a tremendous job of running things, and as a numbers geek, I think its awesome that we have access to stats from all tournament play. It's like our very own version of PGA Tour ShotLink!

 

Personal profile: http://www.simulatio...e.html?id=16001

 

Tour stat leaders: http://www.simulatio...s.html?id=10036

 

There is also a group chat on the Discord app where guys organize scrambles and other games, talk trash about tournament results, and just shoot the breeze. It's a fun group and everyone is very helpful when someone new comes on board.

 

Some samples of JNPG/OGT:

 

 

 

 

Sorry for the stupid commentary here, this was originally sent to a buddy :rofl: However this is a good view of the "regular" JNPG driving range, as well as some of the features that can be included in a live stream

[media=]

[/media]

 

Here is the OGT Night Range:

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVQVdVAF8C0&t=14s[/media]

 

 

 

As a result of changing the launch monitor and starting to play SIM golf, I've also made some upgrades to "the lab." Here it is in its current state:

 

 

 

 

I'm still using the same netting and screen (PR-20) and have nothing but good things to say there. I've recently moved my birdieball putting mat so that I can hit from my mat and then putt on the birdieball to more accurately simulate real-world conditions, and while I'm still adjusting to the increased speed, it is definitely better for practicing real putting and seeing carryover to outdoor play, which is my whole purpose in doing this, so I'm happy. The viewing window for GC2 is only ~5 inches deep, so ordinarily using two separate mat stations wouldn't work, but thanks to my buddy (and WRX'er) Stingreye, there's an easy solution! I've got the GC2 sitting on one of these, which allows me to slide it forward when hitting full shots, then slide it backwards for putts and I don't have to worry about re-aligning the unit.

 

https://www.amazon.c...0?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I had been using the Country Club Elite (CCE) hitting mat for over a year, but with the addition of playing SIM golf, I was just starting to notice a tender trail elbow and didn't want to mess with that. I've heard many similar complaints from the other guys playing online, which is too bad, as it is a very good mat in terms of replicating real-world ball data. It just beats you up over time though. Currently there is some testing being done of different mats by various members of OGT. One solution that many are liking is the Divot Action mat, which can be found retail here:

 

http://www.customdes...trade-mats.html

 

This mat can also be DIY'd very easily and cheaply. I put together a pretty simple DIY using the following materials.

 

Lexan plexiglass from Home Depot:

https://www.homedepo...GE-07/202038064

 

Synlawn precision putt turf or other turf (I used a cheap turf from Amazon just to experiment)

https://www.synlawn....precision-putt/

 

Then simply glue some foam (or styrofoam lol) underneath and you're good to go. The idea is that the middle of the mat will flex to reduce joint wear and tear. I found that having the Lexan directly under the turf felt too much like I was hitting off of plastic and it muted the feel of shots for me, so I added a layer of carpet padding and it worked great!

 

 

 

 

I'm currently experimenting with the Fiberbuilt fairway grass hitting strip, as I was able to find a good used one online, but they retail here:

 

http://www.fiberbuil...-fairway-grass/

 

Overall, ball data is very similar between the DIY divot action and the fiberbuilt. I think the feel of the divot action is more realistic, but the fiberbuilt is incredibly easy on the joints. If you don't have a separate putting station though, the fiberbuilt is not a surface you would want to putt on for SIM play, so that could be something to keep in mind.

 

Finally, others are really liking the TrueStrike mat (or DIY versions), which uses a gel under the hitting surface to reduce wear and tear. I have yet to try that one, but I believe it's solid.

 

Anyway, hope this update has been helpful, as always, feel free to ask any questions!

[ajax5184]

Awesome post. I will be curious to see what you end up going with on the mat, as I am having rear elbow soreness too with the cce mat. Mine goes away once I warm up, but always sore when I first start.

[drewtaylor21]

Awesome post. I will be curious to see what you end up going with on the mat, as I am having rear elbow soreness too with the cce mat. Mine goes away once I warm up, but always sore when I first start.

 

Thanks! I'm about 98% sure I'll stick with the fiberbuilt long term. The data is good and it is so easy on the body. I'll get some rounds in on it this week though and I'll let you know if anything changes!

[rangersgoalie]

just saw this for first time.

Thanks for all your time

[Poser]

Looks like perfect golf has came along ways since I use to play that and TGC on the Gc2. May have to knock the dust off it this winter and start playing again. I literally never power on my pc anymroe just look at the numbers on the gc2 itself cause it was always a pain in the a** to open 3 different aps load the buggy software and they didn't even have a range then. I almost bought a skytrack just for the fact I could use the range on the ipad without having to boot up the pc.

[MMB1500]

Amazing set up. The World Golf Tour looks incredible, though if I had that my family would probably never see me.

 

Anyway thanks for posing Drew. Very much enjoy reading this thread.

[drewtaylor21]

just saw this for first time.

Thanks for all your time

Amazing set up. The World Golf Tour looks incredible, though if I had that my family would probably never see me.

 

Anyway thanks for posing Drew. Very much enjoy reading this thread.

 

Happy to share, guys! It's been a lot of fun!

 

Wolf, if I wasn't as busy as I am with work and a 15-month old at home I would be playing a LOT more. The competition is a blast and it genuinely scratches that itch for me just like competing in real life. That was a big surprise to me, but between the combines and the weekly tournaments, it really challenges me to try to be at my best!

[drewtaylor21]

Looks like perfect golf has came along ways since I use to play that and TGC on the Gc2. May have to knock the dust off it this winter and start playing again. I literally never power on my pc anymroe just look at the numbers on the gc2 itself cause it was always a pain in the a** to open 3 different aps load the buggy software and they didn't even have a range then. I almost bought a skytrack just for the fact I could use the range on the ipad without having to boot up the pc.

 

They've done a lot to improve and OGT is constantly working to have the best SIM product on the market. You should definitely come back and play on the tour! It'd be fun to have you! PG2 is coming soon and it looks incredible as well. 3d grass, etc. Check out some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

[stingreye]

Great Setup Drew! Definitely looking forward to seeing you throw down some low scores IRL too!

 

I still need to get my hitting mats sorted my trail elbow gets more tender every day. CCE is great but not if you hit off it daily.

[Gamble Gamble]

Looks like perfect golf has came along ways since I use to play that and TGC on the Gc2. May have to knock the dust off it this winter and start playing again. I literally never power on my pc anymroe just look at the numbers on the gc2 itself cause it was always a pain in the a** to open 3 different aps load the buggy software and they didn't even have a range then. I almost bought a skytrack just for the fact I could use the range on the ipad without having to boot up the pc.

 

They've done a lot to improve and OGT is constantly working to have the best SIM product on the market. You should definitely come back and play on the tour! It'd be fun to have you! PG2 is coming soon and it looks incredible as well. 3d grass, etc. Check out some photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

[drewtaylor21]

Great Setup Drew! Definitely looking forward to seeing you throw down some low scores IRL too!

 

I still need to get my hitting mats sorted my trail elbow gets more tender every day. CCE is great but not if you hit off it daily.

 

Thanks Steve, as you know the carryover from sim to IRL is definitely there, I just need to get out more often so I have the chances to put up some low ones!

 

Can't believe you haven't changed out your mat yet! What's the holdup? Too anxious to play hazard golf with Burner every night? :rofl:

[drewtaylor21]

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

 

Yeah FSX is great in terms of matching up to GC2 and all, but the graphics are pretty poor IMO. From what I hear, PG2 should be coming around the new year!

[stingreye]

Great Setup Drew! Definitely looking forward to seeing you throw down some low scores IRL too!

 

I still need to get my hitting mats sorted my trail elbow gets more tender every day. CCE is great but not if you hit off it daily.

 

Thanks Steve, as you know the carryover from sim to IRL is definitely there, I just need to get out more often so I have the chances to put up some low ones!

 

Can't believe you haven't changed out your mat yet! What's the holdup? Too anxious to play hazard golf with Burner every night? :rofl:

 

Ugh! Yes, its the addiction to playing sim golf instead getting the mat situated! My elbow is begging me to change it out.

[Gamble Gamble]

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

 

Yeah FSX is great in terms of matching up to GC2 and all, but the graphics are pretty poor IMO. From what I hear, PG2 should be coming around the new year!

 

That is awesome, does that mean the GC2 port will be running then or is that a few months after?

[drewtaylor21]

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

 

Yeah FSX is great in terms of matching up to GC2 and all, but the graphics are pretty poor IMO. From what I hear, PG2 should be coming around the new year!

 

That is awesome, does that mean the GC2 port will be running then or is that a few months after?

 

There is no GC2 port needed, PG software is the same whether you are playing using a mouse on a PC or a launch monitor. The launch monitor connection is just a plugin within the software itself. I think it's been this way for a couple years now, or so I'm told. One of our guys actually plays against the computer players now and then for an added challenge :rofl:

[Gamble Gamble]

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

 

Yeah FSX is great in terms of matching up to GC2 and all, but the graphics are pretty poor IMO. From what I hear, PG2 should be coming around the new year!

 

That is awesome, does that mean the GC2 port will be running then or is that a few months after?

 

There is no GC2 port needed, PG software is the same whether you are playing using a mouse on a PC or a launch monitor. The launch monitor connection is just a plugin within the software itself. I think it's been this way for a couple years now, or so I'm told. One of our guys actually plays against the computer players now and then for an added challenge :rofl:

 

So does it cost more for the GC2 version? (I heard it was $250 for the GC2 version.)

[drewtaylor21]

Holy ****! That looks awesome. When does PG2 come out? I have this graphics card that i feel gets underused from the FSX software.

 

Yeah FSX is great in terms of matching up to GC2 and all, but the graphics are pretty poor IMO. From what I hear, PG2 should be coming around the new year!

 

That is awesome, does that mean the GC2 port will be running then or is that a few months after?

 

There is no GC2 port needed, PG software is the same whether you are playing using a mouse on a PC or a launch monitor. The launch monitor connection is just a plugin within the software itself. I think it's been this way for a couple years now, or so I'm told. One of our guys actually plays against the computer players now and then for an added challenge :rofl:

 

So does it cost more for the GC2 version? (I heard it was $250 for the GC2 version.)

 

So everyone has to buy the actual game JNPG on the steam platform ($35). Within the game there is an option in the pro-shop to purchase the simulation pass, which is the $250 you're talking about, yes.

[Gamble Gamble]

Do you still have to run the OGT software in the background or is it all built in now? I look forward to getting in the winter tournies with you guys.

[drewtaylor21]

Do you still have to run the OGT software in the background or is it all built in now? I look forward to getting in the winter tournies with you guys.

 

Yeah, there's an interface that runs in the background. The nice thing is you can use it to display ball and club data in a live stream, which I think is pretty cool. You can see it in the 6 iron video I posted in the update further up the page. I don't have HMT, so I can only show ball data, but it's still a nice addition IMO!

 

It'd be great to have you on tour! Let me know if any other questions come up in the meantime

[Gamble Gamble]

Do you still have to run the OGT software in the background or is it all built in now? I look forward to getting in the winter tournies with you guys.

 

Yeah, there's an interface that runs in the background. The nice thing is you can use it to display ball and club data in a live stream, which I think is pretty cool. You can see it in the 6 iron video I posted in the update further up the page. I don't have HMT, so I can only show ball data, but it's still a nice addition IMO!

 

It'd be great to have you on tour! Let me know if any other questions come up in the meantime

 

Thank you!

[bbjr]

 

 

Yeah, there's an interface that runs in the background. The nice thing is you can use it to display ball and club data in a live stream, which I think is pretty cool. You can see it in the 6 iron video I posted in the update further up the page. I don't have HMT, so I can only show ball data, but it's still a nice addition IMO!

 

It'd be great to have you on tour! Let me know if any other questions come up in the meantime

 

How do you get the club data to live stream in the corner of the screen like that, is it an option within the settings?

[stingreye]

@bbjr. It’s pretty easy with OBS. Check out this link https://onlinegolftour.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=236&t=26

 

Feel free to pm me and I can help walk you through it if you have any trouble.

 

Also, jump on discord and you can get instant help from a lot of guys.

 

Even if you don’t go on discord much, I would sign up on it so if you ever need help you can get it really quickly. It’s basically a chat room and does voip for the live multiplayer games.