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Review:
So I have tested with the R-Motion and think they nailed a lot of the problems we all we having with the new beta software 1.2.7. Setup is relatively easy to install which start to finish only took an hour and included having to load The Golf Club (TGC) twice. One key thing which I think Rapsodo has not done well communicating is that TGC requires a beefy gaming computer. That being said if the buyer does their homework and has the correct setup I think this Golf tracker/simulator is a game changer.
The Good:
I consider myself a half-way decent golfer and have an index of 9.5. Yeah it’s not scratch but good enough to know a good swing from bad and pull from push. I did not have huge expectations for the unit as I have not loved my Optishot and the P3 Pro swing system didn’t last long. We have windows in the sim room and I can never get the lighting correct, I hate having to use the tape and the strike pad, even the aftermarket ones, are not the same as hitting off a mat. So comparing the R-motion to Optishot and P3 was eye opening. I think R-motion is a great tool and has some very serious potential, more on the potential later. The unit is small and unobtrusive; the TGC software is better than I expected and works seamlessly with the tracking unit. Users are able to put their own club specs into the game; sadly mine are actually shorter than the standard so I lost a little distance, bummer. The unit pairs quickly and the “ready to swing green light” is very easy to see and functional. With the recent software upgrades I am able to use my own club specks, real golf balls or almost golf balls, which are really great when the kids are napping. In a nut shell, the R-motion is far more accurate than the Optishot and a much more complete product than the Optisot or P3. I love the fact that I can put a golf ball down and just swing and not have to place the ball on a sensor pad, make sure my lighting is correct and check to make sure one of the kids haven’t pull the tape off one of my clubs. I always knew my swings speeds were way off on the Optishot and misreads on the P3 were annoying to say the least; however the R-motion proved it. I am 10 to 15 mph faster with my driver on Optishot compared to the R-motion unit. Also, with the Optishot the bad swings were still good and I could never get a draw out of the unit unless I hit a hook. For better or for worse the R-motion unit very accurately depicts your swing path and was quick to show me a pull hook that I constantly fight. The unit is very good at tracking swing speed and path into the ball but is a little lacking on launch angle, spin rate and smash factor, more on this later. I will say that TGC software is a little more cumbersome than Optishot but once the user gets comfortable it is amazing. I think the course choices are adequate but the Optishot does give users a lot more choices though less realistic and the P3 software isn’t even comparable. As with a lot of other club tracking units, bad shots can still read as good strikes and sometimes flushed shots seem to read incorrectly. Looks like they are addressing this issue with a new Beta 1.2.8 but I haven’t downloaded it yet. R-motion I think has minimal issues with misreads compared to the Optishot or P3 and is much better at measuring club path into the ball. Overall I love this little unit and the integration with TGC. For the price it is the most bang for the buck for a new entrant to the golf simulator world.
The Bad:
For some reason the lighting on my unit is difficult to discern between the “Amber” needs to charge and “Green” charged. Luckily enough all that needs to be done is plug it into the unit and the software shows if it’s fully or near fully charged. The clips while they hold their position are pretty bad, as everyone has pointed out. Every time I move one I am worried it will crack; I really think that the fix is just a slightly stronger piece of plastic on the non-screw side of the clamp. Second thing I hate about the clips is having to align them on the club shaft as there is not an alignment aid on the clip. I might be a little over anal trying to make sure the clip is set correctly but some form, maybe a white line on the side of the clip might help OCD owners from going too postal. Also, the clips seem to be inconsistently made, meaning some are easy to get on and off and others feel like I am going to bend the shaft before getting them to slide. For some reason the unit does not always pair the first time with the software when not plugged into the USB. Therefore, I typically just plug it into the USB prior to opening the software. Wow does the unit show low launch and spin rates compared to my game in real life. I typically have a very high ball flight and while it’s beautiful to see the low piercing ball flight from the R-motion unit, sadly it is not reflective of my game. Also, when low launch and spin are together it makes holding greens like stopping a ball on concrete. I do get occasional misreads on chipping and putting and I hope that they continue to enhance the software so it pics them up better. The one second requirement when setting up to the ball was originally a frustration but honestly it has forced me to be more methodical in my setup and pre-shot routine. Also, the system doesn’t give stats unless you upgrade to the full version which is lacking compared to other units on the market. The unit is not able to pick up my daughters strikes with real or almost golf balls which is sad. I admit at 4 she is still a little young for golf but hey start’em early. The battery life is adequate though I wish it were a touch longer, seems I am always getting through 18 and then want to do some range work; like many golfers my swings just before the battery runs dry are almost always my best. The product works really well with minimal misreads and if a new friendlier clip can be produced I think this product blows everything else away at this price point. That being said the launch angle and spin rates need to be corrected. The smash factor is too generous and my hybrid is somewhat inaccurate.
The Potential:
I must say I am very impressed with the unit and Rapasodo’s responsiveness, I know we were brought on to help vet the product but they have made some strides in the last month. Rapasodo could really step it up with enhanced swing path data similar to other club trackers to help the golfer visually see what they are doing right and what they need to work on. Also, the ability to take the unit to a real range would be awesome. I am not sure if this would require a change to TGC software though or if it could be a window in the Rapasodo software the user could toggle to. I know the company markets the product as a sim game and not a hardcore practice tool but it is pretty close to being one and it should have all the necessary data already.
Overall the unit is very impressive and is an excellent value for those wanting accurate information on their swing without breaking the bank or creating cause for a divorce. I am sure Rapasodo believes they are just scratching the surface… I think they might be right.
So I have tested with the R-Motion and think they nailed a lot of the problems we all we having with the new beta software 1.2.7. Setup is relatively easy to install which start to finish only took an hour and included having to load The Golf Club (TGC) twice. One key thing which I think Rapsodo has not done well communicating is that TGC requires a beefy gaming computer. That being said if the buyer does their homework and has the correct setup I think this Golf tracker/simulator is a game changer.
The Good:
I consider myself a half-way decent golfer and have an index of 9.5. Yeah it’s not scratch but good enough to know a good swing from bad and pull from push. I did not have huge expectations for the unit as I have not loved my Optishot and the P3 Pro swing system didn’t last long. We have windows in the sim room and I can never get the lighting correct, I hate having to use the tape and the strike pad, even the aftermarket ones, are not the same as hitting off a mat. So comparing the R-motion to Optishot and P3 was eye opening. I think R-motion is a great tool and has some very serious potential, more on the potential later. The unit is small and unobtrusive; the TGC software is better than I expected and works seamlessly with the tracking unit. Users are able to put their own club specs into the game; sadly mine are actually shorter than the standard so I lost a little distance, bummer. The unit pairs quickly and the “ready to swing green light” is very easy to see and functional. With the recent software upgrades I am able to use my own club specks, real golf balls or almost golf balls, which are really great when the kids are napping. In a nut shell, the R-motion is far more accurate than the Optishot and a much more complete product than the Optisot or P3. I love the fact that I can put a golf ball down and just swing and not have to place the ball on a sensor pad, make sure my lighting is correct and check to make sure one of the kids haven’t pull the tape off one of my clubs. I always knew my swings speeds were way off on the Optishot and misreads on the P3 were annoying to say the least; however the R-motion proved it. I am 10 to 15 mph faster with my driver on Optishot compared to the R-motion unit. Also, with the Optishot the bad swings were still good and I could never get a draw out of the unit unless I hit a hook. For better or for worse the R-motion unit very accurately depicts your swing path and was quick to show me a pull hook that I constantly fight. The unit is very good at tracking swing speed and path into the ball but is a little lacking on launch angle, spin rate and smash factor, more on this later. I will say that TGC software is a little more cumbersome than Optishot but once the user gets comfortable it is amazing. I think the course choices are adequate but the Optishot does give users a lot more choices though less realistic and the P3 software isn’t even comparable. As with a lot of other club tracking units, bad shots can still read as good strikes and sometimes flushed shots seem to read incorrectly. Looks like they are addressing this issue with a new Beta 1.2.8 but I haven’t downloaded it yet. R-motion I think has minimal issues with misreads compared to the Optishot or P3 and is much better at measuring club path into the ball. Overall I love this little unit and the integration with TGC. For the price it is the most bang for the buck for a new entrant to the golf simulator world.
The Bad:
For some reason the lighting on my unit is difficult to discern between the “Amber” needs to charge and “Green” charged. Luckily enough all that needs to be done is plug it into the unit and the software shows if it’s fully or near fully charged. The clips while they hold their position are pretty bad, as everyone has pointed out. Every time I move one I am worried it will crack; I really think that the fix is just a slightly stronger piece of plastic on the non-screw side of the clamp. Second thing I hate about the clips is having to align them on the club shaft as there is not an alignment aid on the clip. I might be a little over anal trying to make sure the clip is set correctly but some form, maybe a white line on the side of the clip might help OCD owners from going too postal. Also, the clips seem to be inconsistently made, meaning some are easy to get on and off and others feel like I am going to bend the shaft before getting them to slide. For some reason the unit does not always pair the first time with the software when not plugged into the USB. Therefore, I typically just plug it into the USB prior to opening the software. Wow does the unit show low launch and spin rates compared to my game in real life. I typically have a very high ball flight and while it’s beautiful to see the low piercing ball flight from the R-motion unit, sadly it is not reflective of my game. Also, when low launch and spin are together it makes holding greens like stopping a ball on concrete. I do get occasional misreads on chipping and putting and I hope that they continue to enhance the software so it pics them up better. The one second requirement when setting up to the ball was originally a frustration but honestly it has forced me to be more methodical in my setup and pre-shot routine. Also, the system doesn’t give stats unless you upgrade to the full version which is lacking compared to other units on the market. The unit is not able to pick up my daughters strikes with real or almost golf balls which is sad. I admit at 4 she is still a little young for golf but hey start’em early. The battery life is adequate though I wish it were a touch longer, seems I am always getting through 18 and then want to do some range work; like many golfers my swings just before the battery runs dry are almost always my best. The product works really well with minimal misreads and if a new friendlier clip can be produced I think this product blows everything else away at this price point. That being said the launch angle and spin rates need to be corrected. The smash factor is too generous and my hybrid is somewhat inaccurate.
The Potential:
I must say I am very impressed with the unit and Rapasodo’s responsiveness, I know we were brought on to help vet the product but they have made some strides in the last month. Rapasodo could really step it up with enhanced swing path data similar to other club trackers to help the golfer visually see what they are doing right and what they need to work on. Also, the ability to take the unit to a real range would be awesome. I am not sure if this would require a change to TGC software though or if it could be a window in the Rapasodo software the user could toggle to. I know the company markets the product as a sim game and not a hardcore practice tool but it is pretty close to being one and it should have all the necessary data already.
Overall the unit is very impressive and is an excellent value for those wanting accurate information on their swing without breaking the bank or creating cause for a divorce. I am sure Rapasodo believes they are just scratching the surface… I think they might be right.
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