Skytrak

[bk24bk]

that's awesome. I just ordered one too. I had sent a guy an email about building something out of plexiglass. this is just easier. looks like a sturdy case!

[Jdavenp3]

I have this set up below that I am hoping to use for my projector set up and am wanting to know the best way to go about it from those with similar set ups. My projector is mounted to the ceiling and I am trying to figure out if I need to buy an Apple TV and mirror everything to it through my Macbook. Is that something everyone else has done? If I can get this done I am not sure if I would ever want to leave the house...Any tips on building/buying a net and mat would be greatly, greatly appreciated as well

 

 

[Z4Par]

This was my 4th time using the Skytrak today. My overall opinion is Skytrak does a good job calculating what it can. I think Skytrak is a very good tool for those that have a great swing and don't put much side spin on the ball. However I am one of those that does not have the greatest of swings and I put a lot of spin on the golf ball. To be honest, trackman or any high end unit has always calculated my distances significantly low. The only thing I can relate this to is my high spin numbers and it knocks me in distance every time because of it.

 

Back to Skytrak. Has it calculated my drives pretty consistently? I'd say it's been accurate 50% of the time for me. But then there is times that I hit it in the screws and it says my drive finished short of 200 yards. I'm not an expert but I am a very good judge of my swing and know that none of my drives during an average 18 hole round come up short of 200 yards. I consistently hit my driver 245-255. Better drives get 260-265 and sometimes I can get one to go 280-290 during a round. However between WGT and JNPG my longest drive recorded was 258. I would have to say my average while hitting driver with Skytrak has been 225-230 which is a good 20 yards short of how I normally hit driver. Sea level should not be this much of an issue. I play at 1,000 feet above sea level in real life.

 

I would say my BEST iron shots on Skytrak are still 3-5 yards short of my normal distances. This wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't know my yardages however this is not the case. I feel as though I can just hit into my net and off a mat and understand when I'm flushing it rather than Skytrak docking me 10-20 yards at times. Skytrak is not always this way for me but due to my swing and the spin I create this is my issue. I guess I can't justify paying $1,700 for a unit that is somewhat accurate for me on my best shots. I even went as far as purchasing JNPG today since I saw several of you and other Skytrak users have enjoyed it. JNPG was more accurate than WGT I will admit however it just isn't worth it to me based on the same feedback or lack there of hitting into a net and not spending $1,700.

 

I plan to give Skytrak and JNPG another shot tomorrow. If it ends up being the same results I intend to most likely return Skytrak. Unfortunately I will be out of the $450 in software fees however it was worth it to try it out before investing anymore money. I hope everyone else is enjoying their Skytrak!

[moadhia]

This was my 4th time using the Skytrak today. My overall opinion is Skytrak does a good job calculating what it can. I think Skytrak is a very good tool for those that have a great swing and don't put much side spin on the ball. However I am one of those that does not have the greatest of swings and I put a lot of spin on the golf ball. To be honest, trackman or any high end unit has always calculated my distances significantly low. The only thing I can relate this to is my high spin numbers and it knocks me in distance every time because of it.

 

Back to Skytrak. Has it calculated my drives pretty consistently? I'd say it's been accurate 50% of the time for me. But then there is times that I hit it in the screws and it says my drive finished short of 200 yards. I'm not an expert but I am a very good judge of my swing and know that none of my drives during an average 18 hole round come up short of 200 yards. I consistently hit my driver 245-255. Better drives get 260-265 and sometimes I can get one to go 280-290 during a round. However between WGT and JNPG my longest drive recorded was 258. I would have to say my average while hitting driver with Skytrak has been 225-230 which is a good 20 yards short of how I normally hit driver. Sea level should not be this much of an issue. I play at 1,000 feet above sea level in real life.

 

I would say my BEST iron shots on Skytrak are still 3-5 yards short of my normal distances. This wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't know my yardages however this is not the case. I feel as though I can just hit into my net and off a mat and understand when I'm flushing it rather than Skytrak docking me 10-20 yards at times. Skytrak is not always this way for me but due to my swing and the spin I create this is my issue. I guess I can't justify paying $1,700 for a unit that is somewhat accurate for me on my best shots. I even went as far as purchasing JNPG today since I saw several of you and other Skytrak users have enjoyed it. JNPG was more accurate than WGT I will admit however it just isn't worth it to me based on the same feedback or lack there of hitting into a net and not spending $1,700.

 

I plan to give Skytrak and JNPG another shot tomorrow. If it ends up being the same results I intend to most likely return Skytrak. Unfortunately I will be out of the $450 in software fees however it was worth it to try it out before investing anymore money. I hope everyone else is enjoying their Skytrak!

 

I own one and I have to say SkyTrak is very accurate.

 

In 98% of the cases I have seen (on the golfsimulatorforum), when people complain about SkyTrak under reading their drive its mostly because your swing is very different indoors compared to outdoors. You should take your unit outside on a range and test. You will be surprised how closely the numbers match. In the other 2% of the cases, the unit is faulty. Its best to go outdoors and test it. You will know pretty quickly if the device has a problem or not.

[Z4Par]

This was my 5th time using Skytrak today. Two other guys played along so it was three of us. We started by playing (2) holes on JNPG. One of the guys was not hitting it well so he was frustrated. However me and another player were hitting it average with some well know struck shots. The other guy hitting it okay has 10-15 yards on the driver than me. You could tell he was hitting it solid with the driver and he registered one drive at 270. All other drives came back at 250-255 for him. I know he hits it pretty regular betw between 260-275. 245-255 yards is what I consistently hit my driver and JNPG registers half of my drives at 225-235 and then the other half the time gives me my modest distance of 248. JNPG still seems to be accurate 50% of the time. We hit a few more holes but then gave up on JNPG when none of us could hold some of the biggest greens we've played on from within 20-30 yards. I've got an excellent short game (I think) and unless I get lucky it takes 3 pitches to get it on the putting surface. It might not help that my attitude is poor when it comes to the short game on simulators because it has always not reacted for me the same as in real life.

 

We then decided to just go back to the Skytrak range which we've had the best luck with. We each hit a shot then let another hit (like normal golf so we don't get swung out). In the basic range with Skytrak we had the most fun again as our earlier trials. Irons are 3-5 yards short on well struck shots and I'm fine with this. Driver appears to be 15 yards short. I feel like I could go to my back yard, tee it up and hit hit farther at 15 degrees outside. I do like seeing the feedback on the range that my ball is taking a good line however I know it's going farther then what it's giving me credit for. I intend to keep Skytrak simply for range sessions and will continue to report back.

[Z4Par]

This was my 4th time using the Skytrak today. My overall opinion is Skytrak does a good job calculating what it can. I think Skytrak is a very good tool for those that have a great swing and don't put much side spin on the ball. However I am one of those that does not have the greatest of swings and I put a lot of spin on the golf ball. To be honest, trackman or any high end unit has always calculated my distances significantly low. The only thing I can relate this to is my high spin numbers and it knocks me in distance every time because of it.

 

Back to Skytrak. Has it calculated my drives pretty consistently? I'd say it's been accurate 50% of the time for me. But then there is times that I hit it in the screws and it says my drive finished short of 200 yards. I'm not an expert but I am a very good judge of my swing and know that none of my drives during an average 18 hole round come up short of 200 yards. I consistently hit my driver 245-255. Better drives get 260-265 and sometimes I can get one to go 280-290 during a round. However between WGT and JNPG my longest drive recorded was 258. I would have to say my average while hitting driver with Skytrak has been 225-230 which is a good 20 yards short of how I normally hit driver. Sea level should not be this much of an issue. I play at 1,000 feet above sea level in real life.

 

I would say my BEST iron shots on Skytrak are still 3-5 yards short of my normal distances. This wouldn't bother me so much if I didn't know my yardages however this is not the case. I feel as though I can just hit into my net and off a mat and understand when I'm flushing it rather than Skytrak docking me 10-20 yards at times. Skytrak is not always this way for me but due to my swing and the spin I create this is my issue. I guess I can't justify paying $1,700 for a unit that is somewhat accurate for me on my best shots. I even went as far as purchasing JNPG today since I saw several of you and other Skytrak users have enjoyed it. JNPG was more accurate than WGT I will admit however it just isn't worth it to me based on the same feedback or lack there of hitting into a net and not spending $1,700.

 

I plan to give Skytrak and JNPG another shot tomorrow. If it ends up being the same results I intend to most likely return Skytrak. Unfortunately I will be out of the $450 in software fees however it was worth it to try it out before investing anymore money. I hope everyone else is enjoying their Skytrak!

 

I own one and I have to say SkyTrak is very accurate.

 

In 98% of the cases I have seen (on the golfsimulatorforum), when people complain about SkyTrak under reading their drive its mostly because your swing is very different indoors compared to outdoors. You should take your unit outside on a range and test. You will be surprised how closely the numbers match. In the other 2% of the cases, the unit is faulty. Its best to go outdoors and test it. You will know pretty quickly if the device has a problem or not.

 

I get what you are saying. All I can state is my opinion to my own experiences. I have access to a semi-private golf course that's basically in my back yard. I have the luxury to whip my golf cart around and get 5-9 holes in on a consistent basis in the summer time. When I do so I take between 3-5 shots with the same club and walk off my distances (I in fact have my clubs down to 10 yards the ball will fall based on if I struck it well or if it was average, so so, etc). Let's just say I have a very good idea of where I know the ball is going to end up. It doesn't always go on the same line but I know it is going to fall within 10 yards from my distances I keep in my notes unless I basically shank the shot or hit it horribly (than this is purely on me).

 

I also get the difference swinging indoors and believe me I don't hold back :). It's a garage and my brother in law is a drywaller. Hence why I have a pop mark in the ceiling from swinging hard under a wedge :). I don't think I can say that I swing slightly less 50% of the time. It has to be the slightest of head issues if this is the case because I know what a well struck golf shot feels like and I have those at times and Skytrak grossly underestimates the distance of the shot on some of the well struck shots. I thought this was just the case for me but after watching a big hitter hit shots with loss of distance it's supported this conclusion. Take it for what it's worth but Skytrak takes your launch and your ball spin and estimates distances based off those numbers. I have never had good numbers on simulators since I put a load of spin on the ball. I do like that Skytrak gives it its best guess half the time given its limitations.

 

I posted another session from today when I saw that you commented. Glad your unit has worked out well for you! I intend to keep Skytrak and keep swinging smooth at it on the range :)

[moadhia]

Try teeing your ball ever so slightly behind the red dot. That has helped with driver distance for some people

[moadhia]

Also if your driver has a whitehead that can also contribute to misreads

[wbond]

Unless you take the unit and actually hit balls outside to a known distance, you're only guessing. Also, you can put your measured ST numbers into FTO and see how it compares to ST algorithm. Vast majority of people eventually come to realize that at the beginning they do in fact swing different inside their own homes vs outside.

[Saskwatch]

My Skytrak arrived today. I will update this post with my findings. I currently have the unit charging for tonight!

[ruffellprefley]

anyone using pc vs using it on an ipad? i am and i don't seem to have the option to change from side spin rpm to spin axis instead.

[Saskwatch]

My Skytrak arrived today. I will update this post with my findings. I currently have the unit charging for tonight!

 

Ok. I got around to using the skytrak today. After I warmed up with the orange whip I jump right into a light 58*. I picked 75 yards in my head and went for it. I was marvelled as the unit was in action tracking the ball. Patiently I waited for the unit to stop tracking....78 yards carry, not bad! I then went into a full jab at it. In my mind I was expecting to see 110-112 carry on these next shots. Unfortunately my longest carry with the 58 was 104.

 

I worked my way up the set. Next was the 54. Usually it's my 120-124 yard carry. Skytrak had me around 109-114.

It was the same story with the 50. Usually I expect 130-134 with this club. Skytrak had me around 120-122. As I worked my way up the set, all other irons were roughly 8-12 less yards carry vs what I normally see on trackman. The only club that came close once during the set was my 7 iron. It's usually a 177 carry for me and I got one at 172 with he Skytrak.

 

After my irons I thought to myself maybe my swing is rusty. Maybe I'm making poor contact due to using the monster tee turf. Maybe my mind mentally won't let me swing as fast indoors as ball speed and distance were down?? Who knows. I carried on.

 

I jumped next to my 19 hybrid. This one is usually a fun guy for me on trackman as I've seen carries ranging from 238 to 245 with it. My longest of the day on Skytrak was 224 carry. To me that seems really low. Again, perhaps my swing is rusty?? I'm not sure and can't really conclude on that.

 

Next I went to my 915fd 15. Normally I see 252-260 carry on trackman off the deck with this guy. My longest of the session was 242 carry.

 

Somewhat expecting the worst, I then pulled out the driver. I absolutely nutted the first one (the dusty ball dimple marks on my face told me so). It felt good. I was excited. I actually never looked down at my phone to see the date as I wanted to mentally guess. Normally on trackman I see ball speeds ranging from 168-180. I was nervous to look...and rightfully so. 157mph ball speed??? Nutted?? Is my swing off?? Am I suffering from indoor swing syndrome?? Do I have a bad unit??

 

All these things are now filling my mind. I kept testing up and down my bag in hopes to get closer to my trackman numbers. No luck. My highest ball speed with driver of the sessions was 161mph.

 

A few other notes to keep this short:

- prov1x ball for all testing. Brand new no markings

- I tried the skytrak unit both on and off the mat. Off the mat it was levelled to match the mat height

- outdoor temperature here today was -20. In my garage, I estimate the temperature were I was hitting to be 14C or roughly mid 50s F.

- the balls were inside the garage so they would have been cool.

- monster tee turf mat being used

- 11ft garage height

- amazing lighting (4 x 6600 lumen overhead lights)

- my swing felt good.

- spin numbers seem to be off the most with longest clubs. It had my 915D4 as high as 3700 rpm and the lowest at 2300. I never see that range on trackman. Woods and hybrids seemed high to.

 

Now, last Friday I picked up my 3 and 4 TMB irons from GT. I had them shafted and they let me hit them on their Gc2 which I did in order to have data to compare to the skytrak. According to the gc2, the TMB 4 iron was averaging 211 carry. The 3 iron was 221 carry. On the skytrak the 4 iron was 204 carry and the 3 iron wasn't even 210 but I wasn't hitting it good. The trend seems to be that I'm seeing about the same drop on each iron with the chance that it grows as the club length increases.

 

The biggest shock was he driver ball speed. I averaged them out at 157mph. That's a long way away from 175. Isn't Skytrak supposed to be a legitimate ball speed radar???

 

I'm not giving up yet and it's too early to make conclusions. The ball and air temps being cool may have been a factor? My swing? My mental "hold back"? I'm not sure.

 

Currently on the fence at the moment with this unit

[Z4Par]

My Skytrak arrived today. I will update this post with my findings. I currently have the unit charging for tonight!

 

Ok. I got around to using the skytrak today. After I warmed up with the orange whip I jump right into a light 58*. I picked 75 yards in my head and went for it. I was marvelled as the unit was in action tracking the ball. Patiently I waited for the unit to stop tracking....78 yards carry, not bad! I then went into a full jab at it. In my mind I was expecting to see 110-112 carry on these next shots. Unfortunately my longest carry with the 58 was 104.

 

I worked my way up the set. Next was the 54. Usually it's my 120-124 yard carry. Skytrak had me around 109-114.

It was the same story with the 50. Usually I expect 130-134 with this club. Skytrak had me around 120-122. As I worked my way up the set, all other irons were roughly 8-12 less yards carry vs what I normally see on trackman. The only club that came close once during the set was my 7 iron. It's usually a 177 carry for me and I got one at 172 with he Skytrak.

 

After my irons I thought to myself maybe my swing is rusty. Maybe I'm making poor contact due to using the monster tee turf. Maybe my mind mentally won't let me swing as fast indoors as ball speed and distance were down?? Who knows. I carried on.

 

I jumped next to my 19 hybrid. This one is usually a fun guy for me on trackman as I've seen carries ranging from 238 to 245 with it. My longest of the day on Skytrak was 224 carry. To me that seems really low. Again, perhaps my swing is rusty?? I'm not sure and can't really conclude on that.

 

Next I went to my 915fd 15. Normally I see 252-260 carry on trackman off the deck with this guy. My longest of the session was 242 carry.

 

Somewhat expecting the worst, I then pulled out the driver. I absolutely nutted the first one (the dusty ball dimple marks on my face told me so). It felt good. I was excited. I actually never looked down at my phone to see the date as I wanted to mentally guess. Normally on trackman I see ball speeds ranging from 168-180. I was nervous to look...and rightfully so. 157mph ball speed??? Nutted?? Is my swing off?? Am I suffering from indoor swing syndrome?? Do I have a bad unit??

 

All these things are now filling my mind. I kept testing up and down my bag in hopes to get closer to my trackman numbers. No luck. My highest ball speed with driver of the sessions was 161mph.

 

A few other notes to keep this short:

- prov1x ball for all testing. Brand new no markings

- I tried the skytrak unit both on and off the mat. Off the mat it was levelled to match the mat height

- outdoor temperature here today was -20. In my garage, I estimate the temperature were I was hitting to be 14C or roughly mid 50s F.

- the balls were inside the garage so they would have been cool.

- monster tee turf mat being used

- 11ft garage height

- amazing lighting (4 x 6600 lumen overhead lights)

- my swing felt good.

- spin numbers seem to be off the most with longest clubs. It had my 915D4 as high as 3700 rpm and the lowest at 2300. I never see that range on trackman. Woods and hybrids seemed high to.

 

Now, last Friday I picked up my 3 and 4 TMB irons from GT. I had them shafted and they let me hit them on their Gc2 which I did in order to have data to compare to the skytrak. According to the gc2, the TMB 4 iron was averaging 211 carry. The 3 iron was 221 carry. On the skytrak the 4 iron was 204 carry and the 3 iron wasn't even 210 but I wasn't hitting it good. The trend seems to be that I'm seeing about the same drop on each iron with the chance that it grows as the club length increases.

 

The biggest shock was he driver ball speed. I averaged them out at 157mph. That's a long way away from 175. Isn't Skytrak supposed to be a legitimate ball speed radar???

 

I'm not giving up yet and it's too early to make conclusions. The ball and air temps being cool may have been a factor? My swing? My mental "hold back"? I'm not sure.

 

Currently on the fence at the moment with this unit

 

Saskwatch everything you have typed is spot on to what I have been experiencing with my Skytrak (minus you hit it farther than me. I hit my PW consistent at 120 even jump on one at 135, best Skytrak will measure for me is 116; I hit driver consistent at 245-255, I can throw a poke in any where from 280-290 during a round, Skytrak has measured a best drive for me of 258; all these shots is over 5 sessions). I will admit though that it's not bad enough feedback to where I want to return the unit. It just gets to be conflicting when others tell you, "oh, my Skytrak measures my distances and metrics pretty close to spot on." I can see where you'd worry as have I. You will also here a lot that your swing is different indoors. I don't know about you but I don't lay off of it. I can absolutely PURE a shot and it isn't my best reading of the day; I get what you are experiencing. I just think pending the players swing X vs. Z has a lot to do with it. I myself have never registered "good" numbers on a launch monitor however I can't say I've had long enough sessions with other monitors to state this. Like I said, even though the numbers aren't horrible (I'd like to see better), I still can't justify returning the unit for some reason. I guess I've accepted that I know I hit it a bit farther in real life and I get my practice in during the cold months. I hope you find satisfaction in your Skytrak! Please continue to post your sessions.

[Saskwatch]

Z4. I won't quote just so I keep this thread length under control for others reading. Thanks for your feedback!

 

So, I talked with Skytrak today and I'll be honest I've gotten 2 different forms of the same information from them in regards to the basic range vs the game improvement package. I just have the basic range for now. When I adjust the altitude and temperature, it has absolutely 0 effect on distance gain or loss. You'd think it would change that....but not so fast!! I talked to 2 CSR folk today at Skytrak (web-chat) and 1 said that you need the GIP to have altitude, temp (and then humidity and wind) changes affect the distance. The other CSR said the opposite and that in fact the altitude change and temperature change can be altered in just the basic range. Naturally I'm left scratching my head.

 

For those that don't have a Skytrak, on the basic range you can adjust the altitude and temperate by means of overwriting the stock setting (at least in my case). As mentioned before, I can put 10,000 in the elevation column and yet see 0 distance gain. I'm hesitant to purchase the GIP just to find out.....

The plan is to talk to the technical team again.

 

Otherwise this unit is pretty slick. I'd say it's reprensenting my shot shape exactly how I'd see it on the range (slight draw, and even a forced cut with the driver and 3 wood). The only thing leaving me desiring more is the distance short coming.

 

I do have access to a golf dome here and I may go there for some "larger space indoor testing" to see if I can rule out any chances of a tentative swing in my garage.

 

I had time for a quick session this morning. I only hit PW and driver as I could easily reference those to my trackman stuff. The longest carry for the PW today was 131 and longest carry for driver was 267. So I've seen an increase if you will. Oh and new record high ball speed of 162 was achieved to!! Lol. That figure I don't think will improve if and when I alter temperature, altitudes and humidity. So again, the analytical side of me is left scratching my head.

[SDL]

I can't respond to all your concerns, but I can tell you my experience in relation to some of these issues. I was frustrated with the distances I was getting with the SkyTrak when I first got it, but over time I have come to realize that most of my distance deficits are related to my swing. What helped me was getting used to swinging indoors - and I mean really getting used to swinging in tight quarters indoors. Most ST players who have checked their results against their outdoor distances have seen results match within a few yards - at least once they have perfected their technique for making a normal free swing indoors. I have also come to realize that my estimates of outdoor distances have often been overly optimistic. I also know that my distances on the ST are similar to those I get on a GC2, assuming that the GC2 isn't set up to "goose up" the distances. Most objective comparisons between the ST and the high-cost launch monitors actually show very similar results for the things ST measures directly, such as ball speed, spin, and launch angle. If you know a golf store that uses a ST, take yours in and compare to be sure you don't have a defective unit - if you're worried about that possibility.

 

As far as increasing the ST readings, the only way I know to increase ST distances is to increase the temperature, increase the altitude, and/or increase the firmness of the fairway. For me, these adjustments do make a difference. Try setting the altitude to airplane heights (e.g., 35,000 feet) and you should see a really significant distance. However, these distance "bumps" only work on the ST range since the sim software just works with the measured data put out by ST.

 

I certainly am not trying to talk you out your own experiences with ST. If your swing results in lots of ball spin, the ball flight algorithms of all of the launch monitors will fail to give you the distance that comes with a high launch - low spin shot. But if you can get useful info from a monitor like the ST, it's a great tool for improving your swing and a fun way to play golf when the weather outside makes it impossible to play on grass.

 

Good luck!

[Saskwatch]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

[SDL]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Actually, I have the Play & Improve Package (which includes WGT). I also have the JNPG Premium Package for sim play. When I renew plans, I will drop down to the GIP package instead of the PIP package since I'm no longer playing WGT. I will also renew the JNPG subscription since I'm loving the new courses being created by talented community members. Fantastic versions of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach were just added to the list of user-created courses for JNPG.

 

From what I can tell from the SkyTrak website, the GIP package does include "environmental controls" while the Basic package does not. I've never had just the Basic package so I can't confirm what features it does or doesn't have, but I've heard it's really limited. Although I don't like the SkyGolf subscription model, the GIP package is the best "value" of the 3 ST packages. I use the "club compare" and "session history" features a lot to compare clubs and golf balls.

[moadhia]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Actually, I have the Play & Improve Package (which includes WGT). I also have the JNPG Premium Package for sim play. When I renew plans, I will drop down to the GIP package instead of the PIP package since I'm no longer playing WGT. I will also renew the JNPG subscription since I'm loving the new courses being created by talented community members. Fantastic versions of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach were just added to the list of user-created courses for JNPG.

 

From what I can tell from the SkyTrak website, the GIP package does include "environmental controls" while the Basic package does not. I've never had just the Basic package so I can't confirm what features it does or doesn't have, but I've heard it's really limited. Although I don't like the SkyGolf subscription model, the GIP package is the best "value" of the 3 ST packages. I use the "club compare" and "session history" features a lot to compare clubs and golf balls.

 

You forgot to mention the best part about the GIP package. You can do a skills assessment , which requires you to hit shots at various distances. In the end, it spits out a dynamic handicap (total) and broken down by various distance. Best way to hone in on your wedges and irons. It will shot your GIRs up in real life.

 

@SDL , curious why didn't you go with TGC. Its a one-time fee, a lot of people play online tournaments on it and apparently it has more than 100,000 courses. I am deciding whether I should go down the SIM route hence wanted to see what your thought process was there. Currently, I just practice on the range.

[Saskwatch]

SDL:

 

Thanks for your post. As per their Website, the GIP does state that it offers environmental controls which aren't available in the basic range. That being said, since the altitude and temperature are still adjustable (on the app) when using the basic range yet no changes take place distance wise (for me) tells me that they don't become active unless the GIP is active. I could be wrong and I've gotten conflicting information from Skytrak regarding this.

 

My whole plan was to get the GIP and practice yardages primarily with irons as well as do multiple comparisons with various clubs I own and intend to own. However, if it's concluded that the carry yardages will still be 10-12 yards short for me even with the GIP active, I'm afraid

I'll be returning this device. I haven't given up yet!

 

This is an excellent device and I feel we are just seeing the potential of the unit with more to come.

 

Good discussion guys!

[ruffellprefley]

Asking again because chat support was of NO help...

 

Does anyone use PC software and if so, are you able to change spin rate to spin axis? That section of the settings is just blank for me. Not the end of the world if I don't get that option, as all I really care about is ball flight right now

[Z4Par]

Asking again because chat support was of NO help...

 

Does anyone use PC software and if so, are you able to change spin rate to spin axis? That section of the settings is just blank for me. Not the end of the world if I don't get that option, as all I really care about is ball flight right now

 

I don't know the answer to this or I would answer.

[SDL]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Actually, I have the Play & Improve Package (which includes WGT). I also have the JNPG Premium Package for sim play. When I renew plans, I will drop down to the GIP package instead of the PIP package since I'm no longer playing WGT. I will also renew the JNPG subscription since I'm loving the new courses being created by talented community members. Fantastic versions of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach were just added to the list of user-created courses for JNPG.

 

From what I can tell from the SkyTrak website, the GIP package does include "environmental controls" while the Basic package does not. I've never had just the Basic package so I can't confirm what features it does or doesn't have, but I've heard it's really limited. Although I don't like the SkyGolf subscription model, the GIP package is the best "value" of the 3 ST packages. I use the "club compare" and "session history" features a lot to compare clubs and golf balls.

 

You forgot to mention the best part about the GIP package. You can do a skills assessment , which requires you to hit shots at various distances. In the end, it spits out a dynamic handicap (total) and broken down by various distance. Best way to hone in on your wedges and irons. It will shot your GIRs up in real life.

 

@SDL , curious why didn't you go with TGC. Its a one-time fee, a lot of people play online tournaments on it and apparently it has more than 100,000 courses. I am deciding whether I should go down the SIM route hence wanted to see what your thought process was there. Currently, I just practice on the range.

 

I'm glad you mentioned the skills assessment in the GIP package. I haven't used it, but I'll have to give it a try. I've been busy playing JNPG to spend a lot of time on the range.

 

Regarding JNPG vs. TGC, I bought both programs for use on my PC even before SkyTrak was able to integrate with those sims. I'm talking about the basic games available through Steam, not the purchases through SkyGolf. By playing them using a mouse, I got a feel for the graphics and game play in each. Both are good programs. Other users may differ, but I liked JNPG better for several reasons. First, the gameplay seemed more natural to me and the graphics seemed less like a cartoon or video game. Also, TGC put greater demands on my PC in terms of being able to run the program with the somewhat limited cpu and graphics card I was using at the time. The biggest difference, though, was the extremely large number of very poor courses in TGC. Users can put up almost anything they want, and many of their creations are not worth playing. For use as a sim with ST, the longer courses are too difficult to play for short hitters like me. I don't know if TGC now allows multiple tees, but when I last checked, it didn't. In contrast, I've enjoyed almost all the JNPG courses I've played, and I have many more favorites than I had when I was playing TGC on my pc. For JNPG, there is a community-run system for beta testing new courses before they are available for download. JNPG also has an active group of players who compete in online tournaments like TGC.

 

I've heard from many players that they prefer the one-time purchase for TGC vs. the subscription model for JNPG. There are good arguments on both sides. I don't like paying an annual fee for JNPG, but I am assured that I always have the latest updates and that I won't be stuck with an older version of the game that I may have purchased just before a major revision of the game is released. I know there has been talk about a TGC-2, which would be considered more than a free update when it comes out. However, the TGC folks may offer a special price break to owners of the original TGC, but I don't know enough about TGC's long-term plans to give any advice about how TGC will be priced in the future.

[Z4Par]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Actually, I have the Play & Improve Package (which includes WGT). I also have the JNPG Premium Package for sim play. When I renew plans, I will drop down to the GIP package instead of the PIP package since I'm no longer playing WGT. I will also renew the JNPG subscription since I'm loving the new courses being created by talented community members. Fantastic versions of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach were just added to the list of user-created courses for JNPG.

 

From what I can tell from the SkyTrak website, the GIP package does include "environmental controls" while the Basic package does not. I've never had just the Basic package so I can't confirm what features it does or doesn't have, but I've heard it's really limited. Although I don't like the SkyGolf subscription model, the GIP package is the best "value" of the 3 ST packages. I use the "club compare" and "session history" features a lot to compare clubs and golf balls.

 

SDL where does one find altitude settings in Skytrak and JNPG (don't know if JNPG even has it I guess). I feel like I've jumped all over the settings in both and could not find anything to do with altitude or temp adjustments. Also I have play and improve package so I'm understanding that I can change these things on the range then?

[SDL]

Asking again because chat support was of NO help...

 

Does anyone use PC software and if so, are you able to change spin rate to spin axis? That section of the settings is just blank for me. Not the end of the world if I don't get that option, as all I really care about is ball flight right now

 

I use the PC app and I can change side spin to spin axis in the Session Settings. I have the PIP plan, but I assume those options are available in the GIP plan as well. If you do change side spin to spin axis, the backspin display gets changed to total spin (combining backspin and side spin).

[SDL]

SDL;

 

You must have the game improvement package if your using sim software correct?

 

If this is the case, did you:

1. Use the basic range for testing before updating to the GIP

2. Adjust altitude and temperature in the basic range without the GIP and see distance increases?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Actually, I have the Play & Improve Package (which includes WGT). I also have the JNPG Premium Package for sim play. When I renew plans, I will drop down to the GIP package instead of the PIP package since I'm no longer playing WGT. I will also renew the JNPG subscription since I'm loving the new courses being created by talented community members. Fantastic versions of Cypress Point and Pebble Beach were just added to the list of user-created courses for JNPG.

 

From what I can tell from the SkyTrak website, the GIP package does include "environmental controls" while the Basic package does not. I've never had just the Basic package so I can't confirm what features it does or doesn't have, but I've heard it's really limited. Although I don't like the SkyGolf subscription model, the GIP package is the best "value" of the 3 ST packages. I use the "club compare" and "session history" features a lot to compare clubs and golf balls.

 

SDL where does one find altitude settings in Skytrak and JNPG (don't know if JNPG even has it I guess). I feel like I've jumped all over the settings in both and could not find anything to do with altitude or temp adjustments. Also I have play and improve package so I'm understanding that I can change these things on the range then?

 

The altitude and temp settings are in the Session Settings section for the ST range. I don't know of similar settings in JNPG.

[ruffellprefley]

Asking again because chat support was of NO help...

 

Does anyone use PC software and if so, are you able to change spin rate to spin axis? That section of the settings is just blank for me. Not the end of the world if I don't get that option, as all I really care about is ball flight right now

 

I use the PC app and I can change side spin to spin axis in the Session Settings. I have the PIP plan, but I assume those options are available in the GIP plan as well. If you do change side spin to spin axis, the backspin display gets changed to total spin (combining backspin and side spin).

 

thanks for confirming. maybe they just don't give me that option because i don't have any of the plans... just the unit

[Z4Par]

If I wanted to get super technical I could set the setting to 1500 above sea level on the altitude setting, currently I've been playing at sea level. This would be a 3 yard difference and get my PW from 116 to 119 (normal PW is a full shot of 120; if it's hot and I'm grooving it I can steal another 10 yards give or take and I realize Skytrak probably isn't going to catch these scenarios). I have to say Skytrak is dang accurate at getting my PW right!

 

But really after some thinking I'm starting to drink the kool-aid on the theory in loss of some distance due to swinging indoors (especially with the longer clubs). A guy might just not swing as "free" indoors as he usually would outside. At least that's all I have to hang my hat on at this point. I'm still pleased with Skytrak since I can't play outdoors currently. Way better than rust on the swing in the spring!

[bag302]

How accurate are the backspin and launch angle #'s? Is the Skytrak good enough to use for club fittings?

[bradski]

How accurate are the backspin and launch angle #'s? Is the Skytrak good enough to use for club fittings?

 

yes.

[Saskwatch]

I've got some more updates in regards to testing with the skytrak. After getting the device registered, re-installing the app and doing a system reset on the unit I went and hit balls again.

 

I left the stock settings on the basic range and went right to PW for comparison. 133 yards was the max carry with 131 being the average. I then tried changing the altitude to 10,000 ft. The skytrak then showed some 141,144,140 carry. So the elevation input does in fact do something with just the basic range (this wasn't working for me in a previous session). So, 131 avg carry is still nearly 14 yards off what I was seeing on trackman. At the 10k elevation the 140s are closer but I don't feel comfortable jacking this setting just to make myself happy.

 

This new finding basically leaves me to get the GIP and see if changing the humidity from 50 percent to 80 percent (normal for here) and adjust the temperature up makes any difference. Will this give the proper carry yardages? Maybe? I'm skeptical. Still on the fence.

 

I hit a few drivers today. I wasn't making good strikes tonight and saw lower ball speeds in general, however I hit a new max of 164. This is now +6 mph over my first session which somewhat tells me that perhaps I do have a winter swing right now and EVERYTHING is just travelling shorther and that Skytrak is actually 100% accurate. Again, skeptical on this theory but I'm not ruling out anything. I'm also not ruling out the psychological barrier of hitting inside either....

 

At this point I'm going to keep testing as much as I can before initiating the GIP. It's either staying or getting returned!