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Tm4 vs protee vx (and vs tm io) - results of the match
Hello
This week-end, I've been conducting two sets of tests with my tm4 vs protee and tm4 vs.tm io.
I have to say that I'm very impressed with the results of my tests with Protee. I have attached the excel analysis of my test showing the discrepancy vs TM4 (with RCT balls). I've also included the results of TM4 vs TMio
All balls data are very close to TM4 (ball speed, spin, launch angle). Dimple Spin measurement, impressive (maybe except on a couple of driver shots) ! Spin axis is probably better than TM4 indoor. Launch angle, always read slightly higher by 1° roughly
As for club data, I saw some small differences :
- club speed : always 1-2mh quicker on protee -> for sure, it's due to the calculation method of TM4 (TM4 is now stating they measure prior to impact, it used to be at maximum compression of the ball in the geometric center of the face). The highest noticeable differences were seen on non-face-centered shots (ie: ball on the toe, quicker speed...that's logical vs radar based system). I had the same phenomena on the io
- face to path : also different to TM4 but when looking at the video replay, it clearly showed nearly all time that the Protee was correct, in particular on off-centered shots (heel or toe). I had the same result on io.
- AoA : that's probably where I would trust a bit more TM4. Protee reads AoA higher on driver (1.76° standard deviation) and lower on 7 iron (1.18 standard deviation) and much lower on PW (2.37 standard deviation...). Reading the protee change log page, I understand they’re trying to improve it
Now, there are still a few things that could be improved
- impossibility to export data
- impossibility to rename easily clubs during a same session (ie; 7i shaft A head A, 7i shaft B head B....) - ie the tag solution used by TM in TPS is perfect.
- carry distances are totally off (we managed to get them right increasing altitude). I took some of the protee data and log them in Gemini & ChatGPT and the carry distance was nearly identical to the one supplied by my TM4. Protee distance are lower by 10% vs reality or TM4
I ve shared this info with protee support to congratulate them - never got an answer - I was surprised - they normally answer quick and are very nice.
also may I add the conclusion of Gemini after asking him to analyse my data :
1. The Data Integrity (Standard Deviation Analysis)
To assess reliability, I focused on the Standard Deviation (\sigma) of the deltas between the overhead units and the TM4 benchmark. A lower \sigma indicates higher consistency.
Key Findings
• Ball Data Excellence: Both systems are elite. For ball speed and launch, you are splitting hairs. The Trackman iO shows incredible spin consistency (\sigma of 19 rpm is essentially perfect), but the Protee VX remains well within professional tolerances.
• The Face-to-Path Surprise: This was the most unexpected result. The Protee VX was significantly more consistent in measuring the club face relationship to the path on iron shots than the TM iO. If you are using an overhead unit for swing path diagnostics, the VX is punching way above its weight class.
• The AoA Challenge: All overhead optical systems struggle slightly with Attack Angle as loft increases (especially on wedges). While the iO is more "radar-like" on Driver AoA, both systems show a systematic bias compared to the TM4 on steep wedge shots.
The Trackman iO is nearly 3 times more expensive than the Protee VX. Based on the data, are you getting 3 times the performance? Mathematically, no.
• You pay for the TM iO for: The TPS software ecosystem, brand prestige, resale value, and surgical spin precision.
• You pay for the Protee VX for: Professional-grade accuracy, incredible value-for-money, and a club-tracking engine that, in my testing, proved more stable than the industry leader in key metrics like Face-to-Path.
Final Verdict
If you are a professional fitter or a commercial academy, the Trackman name carries weight. But for a high-end residential setup or a data-driven golfer, the Protee VX is a giant killer. It delivers 95% of the performance for a fraction of the cost. The data suggests the VX isn't just a "budget alternative"—it’s a legitimate technical competitor to the best in the business.
This week-end, I've been conducting two sets of tests with my tm4 vs protee and tm4 vs.tm io.
I have to say that I'm very impressed with the results of my tests with Protee. I have attached the excel analysis of my test showing the discrepancy vs TM4 (with RCT balls). I've also included the results of TM4 vs TMio
All balls data are very close to TM4 (ball speed, spin, launch angle). Dimple Spin measurement, impressive (maybe except on a couple of driver shots) ! Spin axis is probably better than TM4 indoor. Launch angle, always read slightly higher by 1° roughly
As for club data, I saw some small differences :
- club speed : always 1-2mh quicker on protee -> for sure, it's due to the calculation method of TM4 (TM4 is now stating they measure prior to impact, it used to be at maximum compression of the ball in the geometric center of the face). The highest noticeable differences were seen on non-face-centered shots (ie: ball on the toe, quicker speed...that's logical vs radar based system). I had the same phenomena on the io
- face to path : also different to TM4 but when looking at the video replay, it clearly showed nearly all time that the Protee was correct, in particular on off-centered shots (heel or toe). I had the same result on io.
- AoA : that's probably where I would trust a bit more TM4. Protee reads AoA higher on driver (1.76° standard deviation) and lower on 7 iron (1.18 standard deviation) and much lower on PW (2.37 standard deviation...). Reading the protee change log page, I understand they’re trying to improve it
Now, there are still a few things that could be improved
- impossibility to export data
- impossibility to rename easily clubs during a same session (ie; 7i shaft A head A, 7i shaft B head B....) - ie the tag solution used by TM in TPS is perfect.
- carry distances are totally off (we managed to get them right increasing altitude). I took some of the protee data and log them in Gemini & ChatGPT and the carry distance was nearly identical to the one supplied by my TM4. Protee distance are lower by 10% vs reality or TM4
I ve shared this info with protee support to congratulate them - never got an answer - I was surprised - they normally answer quick and are very nice.
also may I add the conclusion of Gemini after asking him to analyse my data :
1. The Data Integrity (Standard Deviation Analysis)
To assess reliability, I focused on the Standard Deviation (\sigma) of the deltas between the overhead units and the TM4 benchmark. A lower \sigma indicates higher consistency.
Key Findings
• Ball Data Excellence: Both systems are elite. For ball speed and launch, you are splitting hairs. The Trackman iO shows incredible spin consistency (\sigma of 19 rpm is essentially perfect), but the Protee VX remains well within professional tolerances.
• The Face-to-Path Surprise: This was the most unexpected result. The Protee VX was significantly more consistent in measuring the club face relationship to the path on iron shots than the TM iO. If you are using an overhead unit for swing path diagnostics, the VX is punching way above its weight class.
• The AoA Challenge: All overhead optical systems struggle slightly with Attack Angle as loft increases (especially on wedges). While the iO is more "radar-like" on Driver AoA, both systems show a systematic bias compared to the TM4 on steep wedge shots.
The Trackman iO is nearly 3 times more expensive than the Protee VX. Based on the data, are you getting 3 times the performance? Mathematically, no.
• You pay for the TM iO for: The TPS software ecosystem, brand prestige, resale value, and surgical spin precision.
• You pay for the Protee VX for: Professional-grade accuracy, incredible value-for-money, and a club-tracking engine that, in my testing, proved more stable than the industry leader in key metrics like Face-to-Path.
Final Verdict
If you are a professional fitter or a commercial academy, the Trackman name carries weight. But for a high-end residential setup or a data-driven golfer, the Protee VX is a giant killer. It delivers 95% of the performance for a fraction of the cost. The data suggests the VX isn't just a "budget alternative"—it’s a legitimate technical competitor to the best in the business.
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