Someone talk me out of the ProTee VX LM

[Mr_Wolfe]

Does anyone have any negative experience with this launch monitor??

 

Mr. Wolfe

[Drrussell]

On 1/16/2024 at 12:56 PM, Mr_Wolfe said:

Does anyone have any negative experience with this launch monitor??

 

Mr. Wolfe

I just got my Protee VX setup and installed a month or so ago. I replaced the Uneekor and the Bushnell Launch Pro. I couldn’t be happier with the setup. 

 

Can’t talk you out of it because I believe it’s one of the best launch monitors on the market and it’s a bargain at current prices. 

 

There is a bit of a bet that they will keep doing updates. 

 

As an example, the range is only a range. They just enabled shot recording which means all of your shots are going to cloud storage. Currently, you can see all the data, but can’t really do anything with it. They are developing a way to use the data. They have said they are releasing analytics for things like bag mapping, etc. 

 

In the short-term, the best work around for that is to use the range on GS Pro. Then you can export all shots from a session and see your club data. 

 

The upside is pretty significant. The launch monitor itself is fantastic. Not only do you see the club through impact, they do a precise line to show approach angle and face angle, but they also show the live video of your ball rotation off the club face in a different image. It’s awesome. 

 

I was planning to upgrade to the Uneekor EyeXO2, but decided to give this a shot because of the promised upside. Plus, no stickers for ball or club data. Love it.

[Mr_Wolfe]

Wow, thanks for the great review! It's so new that it worries me a little. Most reviews I have seen have been positive though.

 

Mr. Wolfe

[Drrussell]

7 hours ago, Mr_Wolfe said:

Wow, thanks for the great review! It's so new that it worries me a little. Most reviews I have seen have been positive though.

 

Mr. Wolfe

Yes sir. I was not 100% on my decision. However, when it arrived, I tested it against the Bushnell, which I know to be spot on accurate from taking it to the course with me. The numbers were right there. I sold both the Bushnell and the Uneekor. 

 

I will say that periodically, I see some odd club data numbers; however, the club data has nothing to do with the ball flight. I think in the last month, I have seen one shot that was a clear misread and in fairness, I also had some things in the hitting area so I am not sure I can really blame the launch monitor for that. Often when I am hitting balls, I put a head cover just outside of the ball to make sure my swing path is where I want it…

 

 

[Mr_Wolfe]

Thanks again Drrussell.

 

I think I am sold. I know the $6500 is still the "introductory price". I wonder how long it is going to stay there? I would like to purchase over the summer/fall so I can install it in my (not built yet) shed. Hate to buy it now and let it sit in a box 7-8 months chewing up any warranty it may have.

 

Mr. Wolfe

[mattHFX]

Hey Mr.Wolfe (what time is it??? hopefully you get the reference...) 

 

I'm just about finished having a 15x30 garage built (will be watertight next week, and interior finish by end of month). I've elected to go with the Protee VX. My young son is a lefty so I had to go with an overhead unit. I was hell bent on the Uneekor, but due to numerous delays and changing contractors, my garage build went on far longer then anticipated and allowed the Protee to hit the market and then get enough reviews out to make me comfortable buying a "new" product. I'm convinced it's a market disruptor. I've spoken with a couple Canadian simulator companies that sell the Protee and they are raving about how good it is. 

It won't help you out much right now, but within the next 6-8 weeks I should have everything all completely done. I spend a couple hours on the trackman at my home course every week in the winter and save most of my sessions so I'll be able to really scrutinize the accuracy.  But the video replay of your club through impact, the near instant shot tracer, the no need for stickers, and very generous hitting area at a price point under 10k is extremely hard to beat, if the unit can be competitive on accuracy which all indications seem to suggest it is. I'll post my own thread when I get everything done to show my build. 

 

[NC63]

I am getting my Protee VX tomorrow and will be setting it up and testing it through the weekend (I'm sure my wife is going to be thrilled).  I'll post some thoughts on it next week.

 

I did do a lot of research (everything I could given how new it is).  I was originally sold on an Eye XO until I started looking into the VX.  I talked to all the major resellers (who all sell a bunch of different brands) and they all raved about the VX.  My conversation with Carl's Place sold me.  I was also discussing mat options for my sim and they steered me towards the fiberbuilt player preferred rather than their own in-house brand - which led me to believe they were truly giving me honest feedback rather than pushing product with highest margin/commission.

 

I will post again next week with some initial thoughts on the system. 

 

 

 

 

[cdnavalanche9312]

On 2/2/2024 at 11:02 AM, mattHFX said:

Hey Mr.Wolfe (what time is it??? hopefully you get the reference...) 

 

I'm just about finished having a 15x30 garage built (will be watertight next week, and interior finish by end of month). I've elected to go with the Protee VX. My young son is a lefty so I had to go with an overhead unit. I was hell bent on the Uneekor, but due to numerous delays and changing contractors, my garage build went on far longer then anticipated and allowed the Protee to hit the market and then get enough reviews out to make me comfortable buying a "new" product. I'm convinced it's a market disruptor. I've spoken with a couple Canadian simulator companies that sell the Protee and they are raving about how good it is. 

It won't help you out much right now, but within the next 6-8 weeks I should have everything all completely done. I spend a couple hours on the trackman at my home course every week in the winter and save most of my sessions so I'll be able to really scrutinize the accuracy.  But the video replay of your club through impact, the near instant shot tracer, the no need for stickers, and very generous hitting area at a price point under 10k is extremely hard to beat, if the unit can be competitive on accuracy which all indications seem to suggest it is. I'll post my own thread when I get everything done to show my build. 

 

Would love a tag when you make your new thread

[cdnavalanche9312]

10 minutes ago, NC63 said:

I am getting my Protee VX tomorrow and will be setting it up and testing it through the weekend (I'm sure my wife is going to be thrilled).  I'll post some thoughts on it next week.

 

I did do a lot of research (everything I could given how new it is).  I was originally sold on an Eye XO until I started looking into the VX.  I talked to all the major resellers (who all sell a bunch of different brands) and they all raved about the VX.  My conversation with Carl's Place sold me.  I was also discussing mat options for my sim and they steered me towards the fiberbuilt player preferred rather than their own in-house brand - which led me to believe they were truly giving me honest feedback rather than pushing product with highest margin/commission.

 

I will post again next week with some initial thoughts on the system. 

 

 

 

 

Would love a tag in your new post

[NC63]

Posted this in another forum, but thought it may be helpful here as well.  Cliff Notes - The Protee VX seems legit and i wouldn't talk anyone out of buying one.

 

Protee support has been phenomenal throughout the process. UPS lost my original unit and they promptly shipped me a new one. They just asked if I ever do get the original that I send it back. Every question I have had they have answered within 24 hours. If you do purchase the best advice I would give is to get prepared before delivery. Be proactive here - once the unit ships Protee can give you the serial number for the unit. Once you have the serial number, give it to the reseller to get the Protee Labs activation code. When you have the activation code you can download Protee Labs (even before the unit is delivered) and request the sim software of your choice be enabled through Protee Support. The reason I say to be proactive is if you are installing on a weekend or at a time when support is not available - you will not be able to use the unit without the activation code or sim software without Protee support enabling.

Mounting and installation of the unit was a breeze. They recommend 2 people to install however I did it alone with no problems. My initial measurements would have used only anchors holding the unit up, so I moved it to the closest joist since I really wanted at least 2 screws in a joist. Luckily, I only had to move the unit 4 inches closer to the hitting area to achieve this but did have to move the mat back as well which created a small gap between the landing turf and mat I'll need to fix.

The only hiccup on installation was downloading the software. I am in the US and some firewall in my network would not allow me to download. Protee Support live chat helped me out here - taking control of my computer and sorting it out. As I said they are very responsive but if you are installing on a weekend or time zone makes it difficult to get in touch with them here are the steps to fix:

1. Download a VPN software (Protee support used Proton VPN)
2. Choose a server in the Netherlands
3. Re-download

The performance of the system is fantastic. I have no idea how this is $6,500 when comparable units are $10k+. I don't have another LM to compare too, however I did just do a full bag fitting at Club Champion and have been back a few times dialing them in. As far as I can tell, the numbers are right where they should be (especially ball data). Good shots are exactly what i expect for the club, the misses are exactly what I expect after contact.

The one caveat (and i'm guessing this applies to all photo-based LMs and not just VX) is the type of ball being used can occasionally create some bad spin readings. I game Vice Pro Plus - but because the logo is thin writing that is more circular rather than linear (like a Titleist logo) I had the most side spin mis-reads with this ball. Granted it wasn't a ton, maybe 5-6 mis-reads over 100 balls, but it was there. What seems to happen is if there is no logo on the front of the ball at impact, the system will pick up the putting alignment bar on the side (with Vice pro plus is also doesn't help that line is much darker and more pronounced than the logo). It needs to be a very specific alignment that is picked up to generate a mis-read - basically the putting alignment bar at the very edge of the ball. If that happens, it gives the illusion of more side spin than is actually happening. Now you can easily tell this happened when the data doesn't match the ball flight, plus the spin video makes it very clear because you can see how the dimples are moving. ProV1 performed better, 1, maybe 2 misreads over ~100 balls, TM Pix were the best - i did not notice any misreads using Pix balls. One improvement i would like to see is letting the user know when the spin reading is bad. Either ignoring the erroneous spin and overwriting with a calc or even highlighting it would be helpful. Like I said, you can tell when this happens but have to dig a little bit.

The club data is not quite as reliable as the ball data but it is still really good. This doesn't impact ball flight and seems to be correct much more often than it seems suspect. The real-time video is so valuable with this because when you do see suspect club data you can verify with the video. I suspect this will become even better over time as the AI models become more refined.

Simulation integration is seamless and works great. I have been using GSPro with no issues. I really enjoy the GSPro range on the projector and the Protee labs summary on the computer monitor. The only thing I would like to see changed here is the club on GSPro overwrites the club image in the Protee labs summary. I'm too lazy to change my club every time in GSPro so it would be nice if Protee Labs would just use the club it detected for the impact image. I admit this is a nit pick - the impact location is still correct, it's just a picture of a driver if you are hitting an iron.

All in all i am extremely impressed with the VX. I have only had the system 4 days, but I have already gained super valuable data about my swing that I am working on correcting (Wow I was coming from the inside way more than I thought! Video Confirmed!) Now I can actually commit those changes to muscle memory rather than reverting back to old habits because I don't play enough. It has also done wonders for stress and mental health (busy job, little kids - all the fun adult stuff) If you are in the market and want a ceiling LM, this should be at the top of your list. The unit seems super accurate, you are not paying for bloated software, no club stickers or subscription costs (obviously you have to pay for 3rd party software). The biggest issue I have is not to over use it and hurt myself!

[mattHFX]

Incredible comment NC63. Really appreciate the insight on managing the set up if you're planning on doing it over a weekend (as I will be) so we can coordinate with support during their working hours.

 

I'm like 3 weeks out from garage being finished so like 5 weeks out probably realistically on having everything ordered and delivered and then installed but your post has my hype at even higher levels now. I'd been really nervous about committing to the protee VX given the no return policy and all things considered, relatively light online discussions about it but your post has really squashed those concerns. 

[NC63]

Glad I could help MattHFX. I was pretty nervous too when I pulled the trigger. I didn’t know much about the company, the no return policy and the price seemed too good to be true. Felt a bit like a gamble. You won’t be disappointed! 

[Drrussell]

Yes. I have been using mine pretty regularly and FWIW - I moved from the Uneekor QED and the Bushnell Launch Pro…and a good buddy who has the Eye XO and we use the sims together all the time…I wouldn’t dream of talking anyone out of the Protee VX. I couldn’t be more satisfied. Overall the LM is incredible. 

 

I would put it this way, if I were buying again today having used the BLP, Uneekor QED, and EyeXO…I would buy the Protee VX 100% of the time. Also, this isn’t defending my original decision because if I wasn’t happy with the device, I would also have 0 concerns about just buying the EyeXO2 and selling the Protee VX. There’s zero chance I would do that. For me, the AI integration for face data is so much better than having to apply stickers and frankly makes it usable. 

 

My buddy with the EyeXO simply doesn’t put the stickers on to get the club data. I had the Uneekor for 2 or 3 years and I used the stickers 1 time. Not because I didn’t want to see the data, but because it’s a PITA especially if the clubs you are going to use in your sim are the same clubs you are taking to the course. 

 

Plus, think about this. When we are talking about such small measurements. 1-2-3 degrees would be almost imperceptible to the naked eye. I wouldn’t be any more confident that I have the stickers 100% accurate to cause some degree of “off”. 

 

Sorry. As I was re-reading the thread, I was afraid I may have given a different impression because I was really trying to give any downside so that OP could consider it. However, I figure it would also be worth sharing my personal experience and opinion. 

[CamPar2Pro]

Hi there, we've had terrific responses on the ProTee VX. It provides very accurate data, instantaneous shot feedback and is one of the most user-friendly launch monitor on the market. The A.I. integrated software nullifies the need to use marked balls so you can play with your own equipment at all times. With multiple software options including their proprietary ProTee Labs software this system is setup to fit all your indoor golfing needs. While there are still some improvements that we would like to see, they have been pretty minor for that price point and know that ProTee is dedicated to developing the VX even further. For any further questions about ProTee visit https://www.par2pro.com/shop/index.php?cPath=62&sort=3a&filter_id=20 or contact [email protected] or toll free 1-877-417-2161.