SkyTrak Distances vs Real Life

[BogeyMonster]

I wanted to share the distances the SkyTrak tells me vs what happens in reality:

CLUB	REAL DIST.	ST Dist.
1W	280	270
3W	250	250
3H	225	230
4I	190	230
5I	180	215
6I	170	205
7I	160	185
8I	150	155
9I	140	145
PW	130	130
AW	115	115
SW	90	95
LW	80	85

So basically, the SkyTrak is acceptably accurate with everything except my 4-7 irons, which it exaggerates by 15%-20%. It does this whether I am playing TGC2019 or if I am using the SkyTrak PC App. I assume this is normal, but who knows. It makes playing TGC2019 frustrating because there is ~30 yard gap between my 7 and 8 iron. Not to mention the ridiculous overlap between my 4I and 3H.

For reference, my driver is an M6, 3W and hybrid are M2, 4-AW irons are Apex CF16, and wedges are MD3s. For testing I used ProV1 balls on a CCE hitting mat. I don't know if I have a defective unit, or if the ST just does a poor job reading CF16 iron distances. Whatever the case, it is terribly inaccurate

[DannyMRICS]

Weird. What are your ball speeds, launch angle and back spin numbers for the various clubs?

Danny

[Wizard of Coz]

Im sure glad my skytrak was nothing like yours.
are those carry distances? Carry is what you should compare.

[BogeyMonster]

It is total distance with roll. The carry distances are all approximately in proportion, i.e. about 15%-20% too far. The ST generally says I'm carrying my 4 iron ~205yds, which is quite a bit further than the ~182 it carries in real life.

[Dan King]

Interesting match up regarding distances. I find my mid-iron distances are fairly accurate in comparison.

[blitz12]

Mine is very accurate for all of my clubs. I wonder if your mat is affecting the spin rates and giving you some decreased spin in those long irons leading to more distance.

[BogeyMonster]

This seems to be the most likely case. I'm using a CCE mat, and will be testing a fiberbuilt mat in a few days. We shall see.

[GungHoGolf]

My carry numbers are true to real life through the bag. Roll-out is going to vary a LOT depending on how you have your turf speed configured in SkyTrak and what kind of mat you’re using (some mats kill spin more than others) and whether you land on the green or rough (more roll out on rough than green).

Also, your IRL numbers are all nice round numbers. How did you get to those?

[BogeyMonster]

Those are the numbers I generally see out on the course and range. I can always adjust my shots in few yards in shorter or longer, but in general, yes, those are my numbers unless I do something to intentionally alter my shot.

[mikestuewe]

are you sure you real life distances are accurate? if those are carry numbers, you carry your driver 5 yards further than tour average and your 4 iron 13 yards less than tour average. numbers seem funky to me. so either your real life distances are too general and not accurate and the skytrak is right, or your irons are horribly fit for you

[Paul Logue]

Our yardges are pretty similar and only inconsistency that I see between Skytrak and real life is Driver carry is about 10 yards shorter on Skytrak. Everything else is spot on. I use the CCE, and play ProV1X.

Do you use it indoors or outdoors?

[BogeyMonster]

Almost the same here, CCE with ProV1. I play indoors. I'll be testing a fiberbuilt mat in a couple days, maybe that will solve the problem.

[Gazpacho]

My carry numbers are scary accurate. I use a fiberbuilt mat and pro v 1x. When playing real golf I shake my head at how accurate Skytrak is.

[Wizard of Coz]

Bogie monster is a ghost?

[BogeyMonster]

Nope still here, just been busy

[Wizard of Coz]

Ihad cce b4 fiberbuilt. More no reads but st was accurate with both mats for me.

[Trickle007]

My st carry numbers spot on from rl.

[Whiskeyjack]

I find my yardages are about 5% shorter in total but my carry distances are pretty close.

[BogeyMonster]

Thank you for the input. I'll post back after I test out my new fiberbuilt mat. Right now I'm using a CCE, which is a little too dense for its own good. That damn mat is tearing my wrists to shreds, and it is likely to be the the reason my distances are wonky. I should have researched that purchase a little more before committing.

[Whiskeyjack]

Same thing happened to me. I had a CCE strip and switched to a fiberbuilt strip. The CCE was causing me all kinds of pain in the wrists and elbows.

[Dan King]

Thank you for the input. I'll post back after I test out my new fiberbuilt mat. Right now I'm using a CCE, which is a little too dense for its own good. That damn mat is tearing my wrists to shreds, and it is likely to be the the reason my distances are wonky. I should have researched that purchase a little more before committing.

I have a thicker mat myself (holds regular tees) but I do wonder if I lose a little distance when I don't hit an absolute clean shots. Doesn't matter of course when hitting from a tee because the balls off the mat but the iron shots could make a difference. Only reason I'm not going right out to buy a fiberbuilt is I believe my ST numbers are in the ballpark with real life conditions from a carry standpoint.

[BogeyMonster]

The new fiberbuilt mat is a huge improvement in regards to wrist, elbow, & shoulder discomfort. Those CCE mats feel like they just grab the club face at impact and refuse to let the face slide through the "grass". So, that was a nice upgrade and will allow me to use the ST without injuring myself

However, the fiberbuilt mat did not produce any new results in my distances. The carry distances are fairly accurate, but the total distance is way too long on mid and long irons. My 4-iron rolls out ~25 yards on the ST, which is the root cause of the distances getting inflated.

At least my wrists are happier.

[Wizard of Coz]

I agree fiberbuilt is awesome. No tendinitis since switching.
You need to pay attention to carry distances not roll out. Total distance depends on course conditions. If you want to cut down on roll out simply soften the skytrak range.

[BogeyMonster]

If I soften the range or TGC, then my drives and short irons will be shorter too. So, yes, it might fix the distances problems with my mid/long irons, but will likely cause problems with the clubs that are currently registering the correct distance.

[Wizard of Coz]

Im not sure what to tell you.
I work on carry distances on the range. I don't care about total distance.
When I go to the course I have to adapt to the course conditions. Somedays a 70 yard wedge can land on 70 yards and other days it might need to land on 55 etc.....