Home simulators

[stunted]

The improvements I made on skytrak were huge in such a short amount of time. It's made me so critical of my swing. This is a good thread, and my experience have been very similar. I'm also dealing with an injury, kind of like the guy in the thread too haha. I saw that skytrak for higher ball speeds might show a lower distance number, so I was swinging a little too hard with my driver to get my numbers closer to what they should be (seems 10-15 yards shorter, but only for longer shots, I'd estimate 230 is where it starts).

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/1238908-2600-garage-simulator-build-and-updates-on-using-it-for-my-game/page__st__60#entry12345742

[MTgolf]

HuskerDevil_1 - what mat did you end up going with after the cheap one? I am starting a my simulator project and am debating on a fiberbuilt or something different as the fiberbuilt are ~$500.

 

Thank you!

[sdrthedj]

Opinions on these options? Was looking into purchasing the "Tee off" package for Skytrak. Was looking to spend 12k or less on the whole project.

 

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2. Best gameplay, best tournaments through onlinegolftour.net.

 

The Golf club would be second. The other's aren't worth mentioning due to cost and or playability or both.

 

 

 

You could do a full setup, with GC2 for much less than $12k. Thousands less.

 

 

GC2 (refurb from foresight) $5400

computer $1000-1200 Maybe less if you build yourself)

Hitting screen $150-500

emt conduit cage and fittings $200

Hitting mat $250-500

short throw projector $500-800 (refurb from newegg.com $570)

 

Can be done cheaper than that if you wanted.

[sdrthedj]

HuskerDevil_1 - what mat did you end up going with after the cheap one? I am starting a my simulator project and am debating on a fiberbuilt or something different as the fiberbuilt are ~$500.

 

Thank you!

 

I have a fiberbuilt. You can buy a 4'x1' hitting strip and use whatever platoform or mat you wish if you don't want the big system and cost.

[Stuart_G]

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2.

 

Although there are valid questions of how long it will stay that way now that TM bought JNPG.

[Gamble Gamble]

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2.

 

Although there are valid questions of how long it will stay that way now that TM bought JNPG.

 

Trackman bought JNPG??

[Stuart_G]

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2.

 

Although there are valid questions of how long it will stay that way now that TM bought JNPG.

 

Trackman bought JNPG??

 

Apparently

 

https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum/skytrak/157057-jnpg-news

[mci711]

Opinions on these options? Was looking into purchasing the "Tee off" package for Skytrak. Was looking to spend 12k or less on the whole project.

 

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2. Best gameplay, best tournaments through onlinegolftour.net.

 

The Golf club would be second. The other's aren't worth mentioning due to cost and or playability or both.

 

 

 

You could do a full setup, with GC2 for much less than $12k. Thousands less.

 

 

GC2 (refurb from foresight) $5400

computer $1000-1200 Maybe less if you build yourself)

Hitting screen $150-500

emt conduit cage and fittings $200

Hitting mat $250-500

short throw projector $500-800 (refurb from newegg.com $570)

 

Can be done cheaper than that if you wanted.

 

This is all super new to me. Thanks for the tips. GC2 is better than Skytrak? I was looking around at the website forum that was dedicated to home simulators, there is a ton of info, almost a little overwhelming. I will look into GC2 though. Thanks again.

[PorscheFan]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

[jasonfish11]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

 

So I have a skytrak and it missreads/no-reads about 10% of the time. But I'm not being fair to skytrak because my room has poor lighting. The only lighting is from a ceiling fan that is about 12' above the ball. I'm sure if I brought in a spot light of some sort to shine on the hitting area that "fail" rate would go down drastically.

[GMR]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

[sdrthedj]

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2.

 

Although there are valid questions of how long it will stay that way now that TM bought JNPG.

 

Sure, the same applies to GC2 and Skytrak with The Golf Club. Skytrak could raise their rates from $100 to $200. Protee could pull the plug at anytime, especially if/when they release their own launch monitor. Lots of questions on how things will proceed. Always is, always will be.

 

GC2 has the advantage of multiple software options available, Skytrak currently only has 1. Skytrak is less expensive.

 

I believe TM will keep the revenue stream they have going so they continue software development.

[PorscheFan]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

 

It was in a Golf Galaxy, but it was a decent distance back... maybe 10 feet? What was odd to me was that spin axis/curve always looked exactly how I expected a how to turn out, whereas Spin Rate was erratic

[PorscheFan]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

 

So I have a skytrak and it missreads/no-reads about 10% of the time. But I'm not being fair to skytrak because my room has poor lighting. The only lighting is from a ceiling fan that is about 12' above the ball. I'm sure if I brought in a spot light of some sort to shine on the hitting area that "fail" rate would go down drastically.

 

I've heard lighting is key, and this seems to confirm that. I put in a screen, projector, projector box, putting green, etc. in advance, always hoping I'd get the spare $$$ for a Skytrak someday... I changed all basement lighting to LED and shielded the nearest basement window. Any other tips based on your experience?

[GMR]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

 

So I have a skytrak and it missreads/no-reads about 10% of the time. But I'm not being fair to skytrak because my room has poor lighting. The only lighting is from a ceiling fan that is about 12' above the ball. I'm sure if I brought in a spot light of some sort to shine on the hitting area that "fail" rate would go down drastically.

 

I've heard lighting is key, and this seems to confirm that. I put in a screen, projector, projector box, putting green, etc. in advance, always hoping I'd get the spare $$$ for a Skytrak someday... I changed all basement lighting to LED and shielded the nearest basement window. Any other tips based on your experience?

Make sure you have nothing white "behind" the ball from where the unit is looking, and always orient some sort of mark toward the camera when you put a ball down.

[sdrthedj]

Opinions on these options? Was looking into purchasing the "Tee off" package for Skytrak. Was looking to spend 12k or less on the whole project.

 

Jack Nicklaus perfect golf was the best option but not longer an option with Skytrak. It is with GC2. Best gameplay, best tournaments through onlinegolftour.net.

 

The Golf club would be second. The other's aren't worth mentioning due to cost and or playability or both.

 

 

 

You could do a full setup, with GC2 for much less than $12k. Thousands less.

 

 

GC2 (refurb from foresight) $5400

computer $1000-1200 Maybe less if you build yourself)

Hitting screen $150-500

emt conduit cage and fittings $200

Hitting mat $250-500

short throw projector $500-800 (refurb from newegg.com $570)

 

Can be done cheaper than that if you wanted.

 

This is all super new to me. Thanks for the tips. GC2 is better than Skytrak? I was looking around at the website forum that was dedicated to home simulators, there is a ton of info, almost a little overwhelming. I will look into GC2 though. Thanks again.

 

Please be advised that golfsimulatorforum.com is owned by Protee United, they are the distributor of TGC. That is not disclosed on the website. Great information about many things, but they only allow discussion about TGC and FSX. They won't allow JNPG conversation and will ban members.

 

GC2 is better than Skytrak. How much better? That depends on priorities. I personally don't like the shot delay, I don't like the 'short game mode' or problems with short shot reads if off, putting misreads etc. Lots of users like it. Many users on the simulator forums will praise skytrak and rightfully so. It's good kit for the money. It's not a GC2.

 

I am not a fan of the pricing model of skypro. I don't like paying $2000 for a device and only getting a driving range out of it unless I pay a yearly fee. Not my thing.

[GMR]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

 

It was in a Golf Galaxy, but it was a decent distance back... maybe 10 feet? What was odd to me was that spin axis/curve always looked exactly how I expected a how to turn out, whereas Spin Rate was erratic

Didn't know they had trackman in GG... seems like a bit of a waste ha. Its the distance to the screen that really needs to be greater for TM in my opinion, any less less than about 20ft ball to screen and I tend to see a lot of misreads, especially with the longer (higher ballspeed, lower spin) clubs.

[GungHoGolf]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

 

It was in a Golf Galaxy, but it was a decent distance back... maybe 10 feet? What was odd to me was that spin axis/curve always looked exactly how I expected a how to turn out, whereas Spin Rate was erratic

 

Were you using metallic stickers on the balls? If not, it helps to make sure you align the ball seam perpendicular to the target line.

[PorscheFan]

Make sure you have nothing white "behind" the ball from where the unit is looking, and always orient some sort of mark toward the camera when you put a ball down.

 

Thanks a lot for the pointers!

 

This home needs a Skytrak!

[PorscheFan]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

 

It was in a Golf Galaxy, but it was a decent distance back... maybe 10 feet? What was odd to me was that spin axis/curve always looked exactly how I expected a how to turn out, whereas Spin Rate was erratic

 

Were you using metallic stickers on the balls? If not, it helps to make sure you align the ball seam perpendicular to the target line.

 

They had the metallic stickers, but they looked like they'd been hit more than a few times. Never knew about the ball seam... thanks!

[GungHoGolf]

I was hitting balls on Trackman last night and was surprised how many misreads I was seeing.

 

I keep hearing about the 1-2% no-reads on Skytrak, but I was honestly over 10% on Trackman. They weren't no-reads; rather they were crazy spin numbers... 3K spin 6i going 200 yards... 12K spin 6i going 140 yards, and then spinning back!!

 

Picking up a Skytrak as soon as the next $300 sale comes along... can't wait!

Were you using TM indoors in a confined space? I've found it needs a lot more room than the camera systems to function reliably when using indoors.

 

It was in a Golf Galaxy, but it was a decent distance back... maybe 10 feet? What was odd to me was that spin axis/curve always looked exactly how I expected a how to turn out, whereas Spin Rate was erratic

 

Were you using metallic stickers on the balls? If not, it helps to make sure you align the ball seam perpendicular to the target line.

 

They had the metallic stickers, but they looked like they'd been hit more than a few times. Never knew about the ball seam... thanks!

 

Also, with the stickers, they need to be placed near the “equator” of the spinning ball, e.g. straight up or straight towards the target.

[Stuart_G]

Sure, the same applies to GC2 and Skytrak with The Golf Club. Skytrak could raise their rates from $100 to $200. Protee could pull the plug at anytime, especially if/when they release their own launch monitor. Lots of questions on how things will proceed. Always is, always will be.

 

True - but the fact that they have already taken action to drop support for one sensor raises the concern above the normal future uncertainties.

 

GC2 has the advantage of multiple software options available, Skytrak currently only has 1. Skytrak is less expensive.

 

No disagreement of that assessment (even though the GC2 support is technically unofficial, protee continues to be active in helping out GC2 owners).

[salmon2]

Solid thread. Lots of good information about the various options here. While there are better options it seems, ST seems pretty impressive on a relative basis for the price.

[sdrthedj]

Sure, the same applies to GC2 and Skytrak with The Golf Club. Skytrak could raise their rates from $100 to $200. Protee could pull the plug at anytime, especially if/when they release their own launch monitor. Lots of questions on how things will proceed. Always is, always will be.

 

True - but the fact that they have already taken action to drop support for one sensor raises the concern above the normal future uncertainties.

 

GC2 has the advantage of multiple software options available, Skytrak currently only has 1. Skytrak is less expensive.

 

No disagreement of that assessment (even though the GC2 support is technically unofficial, protee continues to be active in helping out GC2 owners).

 

Trakman probably told skypro to stuff it when they refused to renegotiate their cut of the JNPG subscription fee.

[jasonfish11]

The lag on skytrak is something everyone needs to be aware of before buying.

 

Some people really hate it, and some (like me) actually prefer the lag. It gives my brain time to analyze what I expect to see based on feel. It also is a good reference point for me for balance. If I can't stay balanced in my finish position before the 2-3 second lag finishes then something isn't right.

 

Also there seems to be talk about the metallic stickers. To be clear I've never noticed a need for it on skytrak. I've seen the unit misread spin before (drivers w/ 9000 rpm and wedges w/ 2000 rpm that were struck well). But I'm counting that in my 10% failure rate above, and again my lighting is not ideal in the least..

 

As for other units, I've not used them consistently enough to know.

[PorscheFan]

The lag on skytrak is something everyone needs to be aware of before buying.

 

Some people really hate it, and some (like me) actually prefer the lag. It gives my brain time to analyze what I expect to see based on feel. It also is a good reference point for me for balance. If I can't stay balanced in my finish position before the 2-3 second lag finishes then something isn't right.

 

Also there seems to be talk about the metallic stickers. To be clear I've never noticed a need for it on skytrak.

 

As for other units, I've not used them consistently enough to know.

 

Good point. I'm on the side of not minding the lag. I like to guess my shot shape, spin, carry to try to educate myself, so I try not to look at screens immediately anyway. The delay seems to drive other people bonkers, though.

[GungHoGolf]

The lag on skytrak is something everyone needs to be aware of before buying.

 

Some people really hate it, and some (like me) actually prefer the lag. It gives my brain time to analyze what I expect to see based on feel. It also is a good reference point for me for balance. If I can't stay balanced in my finish position before the 2-3 second lag finishes then something isn't right.

 

Also there seems to be talk about the metallic stickers. To be clear I've never noticed a need for it on skytrak. I've seen the unit misread spin before (drivers w/ 9000 rpm and wedges w/ 2000 rpm that were struck well). But I'm counting that in my 10% failure rate above, and again my lighting is not ideal in the least..

 

As for other units, I've not used them consistently enough to know.

 

Camera-based LMs like SkyTrak and GC2 don’t need or use metallic stickers. Stickers are for radar-based units like Trackman, Flightscope, and Mevo.

[Stuart_G]

Trakman probably told skypro to stuff it when they refused to renegotiate their cut of the JNPG subscription fee.

 

If that was the case, I doubt they would have allowed existing users to continue their subscriptions.

[sdrthedj]

Trakman probably told skypro to stuff it when they refused to renegotiate their cut of the JNPG subscription fee.

 

If that was the case, I doubt they would have allowed existing users to continue their subscriptions.

 

PR problems if they cutoff current subscribers for both Skytrak and Trackman. Just my opinion.

[Stuart_G]

Trakman probably told skypro to stuff it when they refused to renegotiate their cut of the JNPG subscription fee.

 

If that was the case, I doubt they would have allowed existing users to continue their subscriptions.

 

PR problems if they cutoff current subscribers for both Skytrak and Trackman. Just my opinion.

 

It's all just speculation anyways :-)

 

But I doubt TM is worried about PR from Skytrack owners.