New $500 Flightscope personal launch monitor (MERGED)

[mike_wardo]

Well that doesn't inspire me to purchase by any means, I'm sure they all say that but 3 days??? I took me 4!years to figure out my wife was a bad choice lol

 

True story

[JStang]

Very intrigued by this. Looks like the metallic dot is only needed to measure spin. Seems like a solid option for the price.

[t4t3r]

Was hoping for a better return policy. I'll have to wait for a few reviews or some customer experiences here. If this thing is decent they will sell a ton though. Hoping it is an awesome piece of equipment.

[poppman2142]

Has anyone found out how much space you need from the launch monitor to the ball and the ball to the net?

[mn44]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

[wundej]

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I have a close friend who has a Ph.D. in mathematics. He says all of these calculations are "pretty basic".

 

So while we tend to think of launch monitors as providing complex calculations and algorithms to give us detail on golf shots, I'm not convinced any of it is all that complicated. That being said obviously a $500 machine is not going to be as good as a Trackman, but there's no reason is cannot be good at what it does.

 

The calculation of derived parameters isn't the difficult part. It is the complexity of building quality hardware that can sample the measured data accurately, filter noise/bad data, process it very quickly and then apply it to their ball flight model (equation) to extrapolate flight parameters. A great deal of time has gone into the development of these activities, so while we may think of formulas like newtons first law and Bernoulli's equation of being "simple"....think about what went into developing and proving them. Ask your friend what they think went into the development of that ball flight model. I'm sure they can do tons of calculus and diff eq in their head, but that is just math, not total product development and engineering.

 

If it wasn't complicated to assemble all of the hardware and software into a cost effective package, all of these cheap systems like the ES12/14 would be accurate and present good data.

[goatbarn]

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I have a close friend who has a Ph.D. in mathematics. He says all of these calculations are "pretty basic".

 

So while we tend to think of launch monitors as providing complex calculations and algorithms to give us detail on golf shots, I'm not convinced any of it is all that complicated. That being said obviously a $500 machine is not going to be as good as a Trackman, but there's no reason is cannot be good at what it does.

 

The calculation of derived parameters isn't the difficult part. It is the complexity of building quality hardware that can sample the measured data accurately, filter noise/bad data, process it very quickly and then apply it to their ball flight model (equation) to extrapolate flight parameters. A great deal of time has gone into the development of these activities, so while we may think of formulas like newtons first law and Bernoulli's equation of being "simple"....think about what went into developing and proving them. Ask your friend what they think went into the development of that ball flight model. I'm sure they can do tons of calculus and diff eq in their head, but that is just math, not total product development and engineering.

 

If it wasn't complicated to assemble all of the hardware and software into a cost effective package, all of these cheap systems like the ES12/14 would be accurate and present good data.

 

Right, and I don't buy that the physics/mathmatics of measuring the spin of a spinning sports ball in the air via doppler radar signals is "easy". Certainly not to a non-engineer unfamiliar with fluid dynamics.

 

Spin rate, axis, spin decay, effect of winds on trajectory of spinning ball...etc. It's definitely not an A+B=C type equation/solution.

 

That all applies to a long range doppler radar unit, the mevo seems to be somewhat simpler in it's capabilities. Hardest thing it has to do is noise filtering, like you say.

[games]

Another layman chiming in: I have to believe part of the challenge with the smaller units (and even the commercial units) is the limitations of hardware attempting to capture motion of a round 3d object with "2d" technology.

 

I think a previous poster hit the nail on the head with the idea of using this type of technology with an Optishot. Maybe the next evolution in these products is a combination of ground hardware (lays on floor like Optishot) that captures club motion and some ball motion that provides inputs to the main launch monitor.

[somaplr]

Another layman chiming in: I have to believe part of the challenge with the smaller units (and even the commercial units) is the limitations of hardware attempting to capture motion of a round 3d object with "2d" technology. I think a previous poster hit the nail on the head with the idea of using this type of technology with an Optishot. Maybe the next evolution in these products is a combination of ground hardware (lays on floor like Optishot) that captures club motion and some ball motion that provides inputs to the main launch monitor.

 

You mean like Protee? On ground cameras, unless they are EXTREMELY high speed aren't going to be as accurate as radar.

 

I'm not sure if you are referring to the Mevo exclusively, but the high end commercial units for both Trackman and Flightscope are running 3D technology, not 2D.

 

 

[RealBoogKnight]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

[Hondabuff]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

ES12 doesn't have an app for ipad but it does for iPhone and android tablets.

[RealBoogKnight]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

ES12 doesn't have an app for ipad but it does for iPhone and android tablets.

 

I just don't see them making the app only available on the iPhone and not the iPad... it's 2017

[geno4952]

Hey guys... this may or may not be old news but in Dec. I purchased a swing analyzer named SkyPro.(can be seen at) golfskypro.yadda yadda Anyway... this analyzer was only 150.00, cheaper at some retailers , and so far it seems accurate enough. I only have used it with a putter due to WNY winter weather. It is supposed to give you clubhead speed, swing path, club rotation, face angle, swing plane, impact position, tempo, shaft lean at address & impact. Like I said I have only used it with a putter but it appears to be fairly accurate. Just an FYI to those that don't want to spend a lot of cash.

[brandon_a]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

ES12 doesn't have an app for ipad but it does for iPhone and android tablets.

 

I just don't see them making the app only available on the iPhone and not the iPad... it's 2017

 

If it runs on iPhone, it will run on iPad. It may not be "native" but it will run in a compatibility mode unless the developer has specifically tagged the app as needing "phone features."

 

Source: I'm an iOS dev

[games]

Another layman chiming in: I have to believe part of the challenge with the smaller units (and even the commercial units) is the limitations of hardware attempting to capture motion of a round 3d object with "2d" technology. I think a previous poster hit the nail on the head with the idea of using this type of technology with an Optishot. Maybe the next evolution in these products is a combination of ground hardware (lays on floor like Optishot) that captures club motion and some ball motion that provides inputs to the main launch monitor.

 

You mean like Protee? On ground cameras, unless they are EXTREMELY high speed aren't going to be as accurate as radar.

 

I'm not sure if you are referring to the Mevo exclusively, but the high end commercial units for both Trackman and Flightscope are running 3D technology, not 2D.

 

Sorry, was not meaning to include the high-end / commercial stuff.

 

I heard of Protee but did not look it up until you mentioned it. I'm thinking along that concept. If you can sell MEVO or ES14 at $500 for hardware plus app / interface, I would think a dual sensor system could be more accurate and put you in a price sweetspot between MEVO / ES14 and Skytrak.

[TM_HOYER]

They must be in stock early. UPS is showing my Mevo will be delivered Friday.

[wundej]

I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I have a close friend who has a Ph.D. in mathematics. He says all of these calculations are "pretty basic".

 

So while we tend to think of launch monitors as providing complex calculations and algorithms to give us detail on golf shots, I'm not convinced any of it is all that complicated. That being said obviously a $500 machine is not going to be as good as a Trackman, but there's no reason is cannot be good at what it does.

 

The calculation of derived parameters isn't the difficult part. It is the complexity of building quality hardware that can sample the measured data accurately, filter noise/bad data, process it very quickly and then apply it to their ball flight model (equation) to extrapolate flight parameters. A great deal of time has gone into the development of these activities, so while we may think of formulas like newtons first law and Bernoulli's equation of being "simple"....think about what went into developing and proving them. Ask your friend what they think went into the development of that ball flight model. I'm sure they can do tons of calculus and diff eq in their head, but that is just math, not total product development and engineering.

 

If it wasn't complicated to assemble all of the hardware and software into a cost effective package, all of these cheap systems like the ES12/14 would be accurate and present good data.

 

Right, and I don't buy that the physics/mathmatics of measuring the spin of a spinning sports ball in the air via doppler radar signals is "easy". Certainly not to a non-engineer unfamiliar with fluid dynamics.

 

Spin rate, axis, spin decay, effect of winds on trajectory of spinning ball...etc. It's definitely not an A+B=C type equation/solution.

 

That all applies to a long range doppler radar unit, the mevo seems to be somewhat simpler in it's capabilities. Hardest thing it has to do is noise filtering, like you say.

 

He was probably just assuming basic projectile motion. The issue with most people's assumptions is that they don't really know how difficult the total development activities are. The math is just one part, then there is the hardware to measure, then there is the firmware and software to process. Then think about the hardware quality challenges, packaging, software stability....it goes on.

 

Technology like this is amazing, and the engineering behind it would make most of our user's heads spin. That simple equation is so complex it isn't funny, for all the variables that you mention.

[brandon_a]

They must be in stock early. UPS is showing my Mevo will be delivered Friday.

 

What was your order number?

[TM_HOYER]

They must be in stock early. UPS is showing my Mevo will be delivered Friday.

 

What was your order number?

I am not going to give out an order number, but based the weight, I am guessing i jumped the gun. I believe they are only sending the metallic dots. The package is too light for it to be the Mevo.

[poppman2142]

They must be in stock early. UPS is showing my Mevo will be delivered Friday.

 

Did you get the metallic stickers as well? If so,they might be shipping them and not the Mevo.

[brandon_a]

They must be in stock early. UPS is showing my Mevo will be delivered Friday.

 

What was your order number?

I am not going to give out an order number, but based the weight, I am guessing i jumped the gun. I believe they are only sending the metallic dots. The package is too light for it to be the Mevo.

 

Damn. I got excited...

[DLaake]

I disagree with a few of the posts I've seen. You can't just tell someone to go get a track man or a flightscope if they want to really dial in their games.

In my opinion there is a huge market for ACCURATE launch monitors at much less than your standard flightscope, trackman, or foresight. If it weren't for better players who can't spend 20k on a TM, this thread wouldn't have the views it does. Junior golfers, college golfers, and most other better player amateurs get excited about a product like this and hope it compares to the big players in the market.

Consumers are getting smarter. Just like what is going on with the tour ball market, I think we are going to see a lot more affordable and quality LMs being brought out.

[mn44]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect.

 

It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

[thedurtydurden]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well? What about android? (assuming no on android...)

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect. It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

Well that's a big buzzkill. I hate iPhones, but could justify getting an iPad. Thanks, Flightscope...

 

How does it communicate with the phone? If it's just sync'd with Bluetooth then I could probably just find a used phone just for this.

[b.helts]

I wonder if the data is crunched in the cloud to minimize the hardware cost. Could explain the need for a phone.

 

Cloud computing's the future, man!

[mn44]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well? What about android? (assuming no on android...)

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect. It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

Well that's a big buzzkill. I hate iPhones, but could justify getting an iPad. Thanks, Flightscope...

 

How does it communicate with the phone? If it's just sync'd with Bluetooth then I could probably just find a used phone just for this.

 

 

It is bluetooth only, you can get an iphone5 for $40 on ebay, so its no big deal. This is what I'm doing.

 

 

I wonder if the data is crunched in the cloud to minimize the hardware cost. Could explain the need for a phone.

 

Cloud computing's the future, man!

 

 

It is crunched locally, the iphone is just for video and data readouts (there is no screen on the mevo).

[thedurtydurden]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well? What about android? (assuming no on android...)

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect. It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

Well that's a big buzzkill. I hate iPhones, but could justify getting an iPad. Thanks, Flightscope...

 

How does it communicate with the phone? If it's just sync'd with Bluetooth then I could probably just find a used phone just for this.

It is bluetooth only, you can get an iphone5 for $40 on ebay, so its no big deal. This is what I'm doing.

Thanks, that's what I'll have to do I guess. Doesn't make sense to me that iPad wouldn't work, but whatever.

[RealBoogKnight]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect.

 

It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

 

Not very smart on flightscope's part.. I'm fine with it due to me having a iPhone since the iPhone 3 came out but making it compatible with the iPad would be ideal.

[JStang]

Their website only mentions iPhone -- is it safe to assume iPad works as well?

 

What about android? (assuming no on android...)

 

It Has to include iPad.. it's pretty much the same operating system

 

I spoke with two different people at flightscope and this is incorrect.

 

It is iPhone ONLY, and it must be an iphone 5 or newer. iPad will NOT work, neither will any android device.

 

Not very smart on flightscope's part.. I'm fine with it due to me having a iPhone since the iPhone 3 came out but making it compatible with the iPad would be ideal.

 

Yeah, this completely rules me out until they can support Android or iPad at the least.

[brandon_a]

Unless they need something special on an iPhone (cellular access), the app will run on an iPad that supports BTLE in compatibility mode. The app will run in a smaller screen or you can blow it up to have it fill the screen.

 

More information here: https://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/how-to-run-iphone-apps-on-an-ipad-and-why-youd-want-to