Swing speed tracking for pitching?

[ToePoke]

Hi guys,

 

Long time reader, first time poster. I've searched, but found no information related. If this question has been asked and answered, I apologize for the oversight and I'd sure appreciate being pointed in the right direction. I also wasn't certain where to file this question, but figured you fellas would know the most about tools that measure clubhead speed reliably.

 

So, here goes. Long story short, I want a way to develop consistent clubhead speeds on 7, 8, and 9 o'clock pitches. My thinking is that I should swing the swing first and then go out to find out what distance each one goes with the 60, 56, 52, 47 RATHER than go out and contrive shots for certain distances.

 

Do the radars that people use for driver swings also work well for slower swings? Maybe something like an optishot or swingbyte could also work? I am not so concerned that the device in question is calibrated to read within X mph of real world speed, but rather that it is very consistent in the readings that is does produce.

 

Any insights you can share are greatly appreciated!

 

 

[xxio]

I know Terry Rowles is currently studying the different pitching techniques using the new foresight.

 

I'll try to pick his brain next time I see him.

[DaveMac]

I have a low cost swing analyser (SkyPro) and a medium cost launch monitor (Flight Scope Xi)

 

Skypro simply doesn't provide enough data to accurately predict the distance any partial wedge shot will carry, as you know strike, path, face angle and presented dynamic loft along with swing speed all contribute to the actual shot distance.

 

Unsurprisingly the XI is better for this type of practice but even it has its flaws, it has an occasional dislike for shots that have too high a launch angle, putting the ball outside the radar window, thus returning unreliable data, which is rejected by the app. Pushing the launch monitor back close to maximum distance minimises the problem (along with slow swing mode) but 54 and 58 degree wedge shots still fail to capture about 1 in 10 times. This is a bit of a pain when using the skills app because it frequently happens to my best shots.

 

I will admit my technique doesn't help as I tend to flip a bit so all a fair bit of dynamic loft at impact.

 

Cheapest option is to buy a few different coloured practice balls and laser a few target distances then approximate your distance and dispersion from the real ball positions. It should only take a couple of range sessions to find your distances for each short game swing length. This is what I used to do before I bought the Xi.

[ToePoke]

I have a low cost swing analyser (SkyPro) and a medium cost launch monitor (Flight Scope Xi)

 

Skypro simply doesn't provide enough data to accurately predict the distance any partial wedge shot will carry, as you know strike, path, face angle and presented dynamic loft along with swing speed all contribute to the actual shot distance.

 

Unsurprisingly the XI is better for this type of practice but even it has its flaws, it has an occasional dislike for shots that have too high a launch angle, putting the ball outside the radar window, thus returning unreliable data, which is rejected by the app. Pushing the launch monitor back close to maximum distance minimises the problem (along with slow swing mode) but 54 and 58 degree wedge shots still fail to capture about 1 in 10 times. This is a bit of a pain when using the skills app because it frequently happens to my best shots.

 

I will admit my technique doesn't help as I tend to flip a bit so all a fair bit of dynamic loft at impact.

 

Cheapest option is to buy a few different coloured practice balls and laser a few target distances then approximate your distance and dispersion from the real ball positions. It should only take a couple of range sessions to find your distances for each short game swing length. This is what I used to do before I bought the Xi.

 

Many thanks, xxio and DaveMac for your replies. Very much appreciated indeed!

 

I completely understand that you can't get much data out of a device that has limited sensors. I further understand that you get what you pay for in terms of data output and the reliability of said data. Finally, I'm on the same page as to going out and hitting balls in real life to see what the distances come out to be.

 

With all that said, I'm looking for a device that can consistently read slower clubhead speeds (say, 10-60mph) to groove consistent "feels" for certain backswing positions for my chipping and pitching. I have a room at my office where I can take these smaller swings in the hope that enough consecutive days of 10-15 mins of practice will allow me to know that my clubhead speeds are fairly consistent for each of the 6 or so backswings I'd like to hone. Note that I don't say I have to know what those speeds are exactly, just that the readings from the machine are consistent with themselves. I don't need calibration to within 1mph or anything like that, just that if the thing reads, say 38mph on one swing and I put the same swing on it again, then it tells me 38 again. I hope I'm making sense here...

 

I understand and agree that all the other variables you mentioned, DaveMac, (strike, path, face angle and presented dynamic loft) do indeed affect the final outcome. My hope is to simply take one variable (that variable being clubhead speed) and make it consistent in the practice time/location I have available on a daily basis. In the process of this, I am also concentrating intently on making every chip or pitch with as close to perfect form as I am able to help mitigate the "variability" of the other variables you mentioned. Do you guys have suggestions on a device that can read clubhead speeds with enough consistency that it could help me achieve this goal? DaveMac, how do you feel SkyPro performs, swing to swing, at tracking your clubhead speeds? Do you feel like it is consistent with itself?

 

Thanks again, guys. There are tons of posts by the big hitters about the performance of various devices in reading SS from 85-150, but I'm not that guy. Just hoping to take a few shorter putts.

[DaveMac]

"DaveMac, how do you feel SkyPro performs, swing to swing, at tracking your clubhead speeds? Do you feel like it is consistent with itself?"

 

Certainly Skypro reports consistent swing speeds, it is always about 4 mph optimistic in comparison to Flightscope. It also has three groove mode swing parameters, which will help on your quest.

 

You can set a backswing length target and groove your ability to hit this target. You can also groove your tempo and in fact skypro also has a swing speed groove mode, you can set a window as tight as 2 MPH, combining these three swing parameters will certainly sharpen up your short game.

[ToePoke]

You can set a backswing length target and groove your ability to hit this target. You can also groove your tempo and in fact skypro also has a swing speed groove mode, you can set a window as tight as 2 MPH, combining these three swing parameters will certainly sharpen up your short game.

 

This sounds right on the money. Thank you for your help, DaveMac.