SkyTrak vs Swing Speed Radar re: Clubhead SS

[dmoore9003]

I set up the Skytrak today...hitting 7 irons. My normal 7 iron is a 155 club.

The Skytrak had me swinging the 7 iron between 80-85MPH. The swing speed radar had my SS at 70-75 MPH.

Which one should I trust while trying to build my speed? My driver is usually right at 100mph.

[Clevited]

I don't know about you, but the only way I get realistic and consistent numbers with swing speed radar, is with irons and placing it directly behind the ball 3-4 feet. Even then it can often pick up ball speed, tee speed if using one and not club. When it does pick up the club speed, I find its very consistent and accurate for me.

With that, I made a little smash factor and swing speed calculator that may help you. Type in skytrak data from a well struck club (7 iron in your case), as well as club length of the 7 iron and your driver. It should give you an accurate 7 iron speed baring an abnormally hot face or a miss hit or a bad ball. It should also give you an accurate driver speed if you were to swing driver at the same effort and efficiency as that particular 7 iron swing. I have checked it against a lot of real data and it more often than not, is nuts on, very very close, or shows that there is something wrong with the launch monitor data (bad strike or bad clubspeed read etc).

PM me with an email address if you want to try it out.

[jut111]

my advice. Focus on ball speed. Frankly thats way more important then clubhead speed anyway. Skytrak is extremely accurate measuring ball speed. It has to make multiple assumptions, and basically guess to give a clubhead speed number

[Clevited]

A lot of people say ball speed is most important and I agree. Clubspeed is a very close second in my opinion. It can tell you why your ball speed might be what it is. High swing speed and low ball speed tells you your contact is poor and you can figure out the numbers you should be at given you swing speed.

I am a flipper. I might hit middle of the club, but ball goes sky high and spins a ton. If I didn't have something that could measure swing speed reliably, I would have thought I just don't swing fast and thats as good as I will get. Reality says I am well above average with swing speed and just hitting the ball with what amounts to glancing strikes. As an example, I can carry a certain iron 125 yrds, or 155 yrds with the same swing speed but one flipping and the other more ideal launch conditions.

[jut111]

i don't disagree. But I'd say you can see that with launch angle in combination with ball speed. Basically I'm in the camp of using data that is directly measured, and that I trust the accuracy of, vs a calculated number that I have very little faith in.

[Clevited]

That is a good point. I am continually frustrated by all the devices that supposedly measure clubspeed. Its really not that hard to measure, but if I don't know exactly how something is measuring it, it bothers the crap out of me. So I made my little calculator which believe it or not, has been more accurate at calculating swing speed for me than any device I own. Its consistent and usually +-2 mph from "industry standard devices". Trackman, Flightscope or GC2HMT/Quad are the only devices I trust but those are not affordable to me.

[DirtyGarry24]

I have a swing speed radar. I think it's fairly accurate if set up correctly. It is extremely consistent even it it's not perfectly accurate. As far as setup, I put the SSR a couple inches behind the ball and angle it slightly away from the ball. I've gotten a few ball speed misreads but those are usually pretty easy to see. I will get an average of 5 - 7 mph lower swing speed on TGC with a driver and I assume that it's due to the assumption used for smash factor.

To answer the OP's question though about building speed, use the SSR. The consistency will tell you when you swing faster.

[trumb1mj]

I use my swing speed radar with my SkyTrak. SSR may read fast but it's extremely consistent and is a great tool for working on swinging faster.