SkyTrak showing all shots going on avg 10-18yrds longer except for the driver, why?

[Andy_Golfer]

Setup:
My SkyTrak is running on v3.0.1 and Firmware updated.
Not related to the latest Software and Firmware update as this has been the case for the last 3 months since the purchase.
Commercial quality driving range mat on concrete floor is used
Excellent qualify Titleist pro v1x is or other brands but always same model and brands used for each session for consist measures
Direction, alignment and level all checked
SkyTrak is placed not on the hitting range mat to reduce any vibration from shot impact
No sunlight is interfering with the sessions
98% of all shots recorded by the SkyTrak

Issue:
Driver shots off the tee are very accurate in terms of distance, trajectory, shot shapes and spin numbers etc.
If anything, very slightly less distance than I thought.
However, all shots- wedges, irons, hybrids and woods off the mat are showing on avg 10-18yrds longer distance.
I have tried to eliminate all possible variables to measure the distance consistently.
Would it be due to the range mat on the concrete floor providing the extra spring effect that leads to extra distance?
Is anyone else have this issue? How did you solve it?

Thanks!

[nicklas]

Your settings for altitude and humidity will affect your lenght.
Regarding driver. Do you Place the tee ca 5cm behind the red laser dot?

[Andy_Golfer]

Does it mean, I must upgrade to GAME IMPROVEMENT package so that I can use environmental controls?
Do other SkyTrak users have to do this to adjust the lengths off the mat on hard floors?
Would hit off the range mat on the concrete floor providing that much of the extra distance?
This would mean that most of the indoor golf simulation users experience the same issue as me, would it be right?

[nicklas]

i would say you are the ONE that hits longer...... everyone hits shorter.
No, you have those settings under "session settings" a couple of 100 meters up in the air does a lot on the lenght..
Cant comment regarding Concrete floor. I play on the second floor, thick old Wood. I tried to hit on a plastic base to see if if the ball flew longer (I thought I fit to short) but no differnce. In door swing...

[Llamma]

We have the same scenario with our system, 7irons travelling 195-200yds, when on course we are looking at about 180yds, however driver distance is spot on around the 250-270yds range.
Haven't been able to work it out, have adjusted the altitude (we are at sea level), so just mentally remember that the on course distances are a bit off, makes it tricky to do a bag fitting

[nicklas]

are you refering to carry or total lenght? total lenght depends on the firmnes of the ground you choose.

[Andy_Golfer]

Referring to Carry only. Carry is on avg 10-18yrds longer for all clubs hitting off the mat. However, carry distance is accurate as long as hitting off the tee.
My guess is that SkyTrak is detecting the extra spring/bounce effects hitting off the hard/firm surface such as off the mat on the concrete floor.
Would it be right?

[Clevited]

So carry seems accurate when hitting an iron off the tee as well as the driver, or have you only tried hitting driver off of the tee?

[Clevited]

I would ask you to post a screen shot of a good shot with one club, the numbers should tell all. I would also suggest verifying where the ball is contacting on the clubface if you haven't already just to rule out any issues there. I don't see any way how the mat would be contributing any speed or anything to the ball, but depending on how good of a ball striker you are, or how used to hitting indoors you are, the following could be true...

I suspect, that off of the mat, the ball might be catching the club a bit high on the face, or the ball or club is dirty, thus lowering the spin substantially and raising your launch angle. For an example, on Skytrak, I can carry a certain iron ~200 yards with ~7k spin and ~16 degree launch, or I can carry it ~220 yards with ~4k spin and 23 degree launch depending on my strike (high on face or center), and or the cleanliness of the club and ball (I get residue from my net that gets on the ball and then my club, SUPER slippery, like silicone spraying my clubface, ball slides up the club face and launches high with low spin).

You would not see the above happen with lower lofted clubs like your driver so easily, you would see it very well with, I'd think, 6 iron on down.

Edit: Interesting read at the below link. They don't get into the why really well though.

https://blog.trackmangolf.com/mats-vs-grass-whats-difference/

[shimonko]

When you say the driver readings are very accurate, what are you judging it againstr? Same with the other clubs.

[Andy_Golfer]

"Driver readings are accurate" is judged against the carry distances measured on the golf course using the same model and maker of the golf balls. Same applied across all other club distances. My concern is the carry distance. As per the photo, I am expecting 105-7meters carry but getting more from SkyTrak. When measured, clubs and balls are all very clean. I get even more distance off the mat by SkyTrak, if hit slightly fat and feeling full bounce off the mat. I would agree with MATS VS GRASS article. Firm fairways alway give more distance off wedges and irons. Perhaps mat off the concrete floor gives even more distance. If so, how does SkyTrak account for this effect in indoor setting off the mat?

[shimonko]

As long as you're comfortable with the distances you're measuring on course. Practically it's hard to measure - GPS has errors on start position and end position, wind, temp, humidity... Averaging over a season gets invalidated by swing improvement/degradation, elevation. It's hard to see where a ball lands and is that a few yards difference in elevation. Was the hitting position on a slight slope, ... just so many variables.

[inorkuo]

hey Andy_Golfer, have a read through this thread. https://golfsimulatorforum.com/forum...-never-be-real

I think it comes down to the stiffer mats giving too perfect a lie and the ball comes off of the face a groove or two high. I got some of this turf to put over gel and it seems to be more realistic.

http://turfavenue.com/proddetail.asp?prod=52NDN

[Clevited]

What club is that if I may ask? Just by launch angle, I would expect that to be a 7 iron that is launching highish and with fairly low spin.

I typed your data (shot 3) into trajectory optimizer and it jives quite well (see the pic). (116 meters ~ 126 yards). I think you are just running into the mat changing strike and launch conditions. What I think happens is, the mat is squishy, the club tends to depress the mat some just before the ball (if hit even the tiniest bit fat), or even when hitting the ball first and it causes the ball to hit higher up on the club face than what one could expect off a tight grass lie.

I visualize a bar of soap being stepped on as being similar to what happens when a ball is hit off a nice grass lie with good ground firmess, and a birdie being hit underhand with a racket when the ball is hit off of a mat. Our mats, to me, act like a really fluffy lie. Easy to get under the ball a tad, make it launch high and fly too far. That is what I feel is happening to you, and happens to many of us playing off squishy mats.

Edit: To answer your question as to how Skytrak can account for this, it unfortunately cannot. It just cares what the ball is doing. Only thing you can do is try and always get ball first, pick the ball clean or just remember that your swing type, off a mat, makes for longer than real carries with irons. You could also only hit irons off a low tee, I get much more typical numbers that way.

[zamundan]

I'm having the opposite problem.

I just updated the software, my driver distance is fine, but my 7i, 8i, 9i, etc. distances have dropped way down.

Let me know if you find a fix for your issue. It might be (in some odd way) related to mine.