SkyTrak Alignment, Spin and Distance Woes? This Might Help.

[Marcus Schantz]

I bought my SkyTrak in July, and have on several occasions believed something was wrong with the unit. The first issue was excessive side spin. The most recent issue was a sudden decrease in distance. I read any posts I could find on these issues but found no answers. I called SkyTrak customer service a few times and they were helpful.

This is what I learned: the excessive side spin was caused by how my unit was setup relative to where I was aiming and the unit's height relative to my mat. The sudden decrease in distance was all on me. I wasn't hitting well, though I thought I was.

The unit alignment issue was at first very tricky. I was able to make it work if I turned the unit at a certain angle but it was a constant battle keeping it aligned properly. Many people have written that the alignment mode (the two laser dots) don't work. And initially it appeared to me that this was correct.

I finally got my unit to function properly, so that the alignment mode is spot on. First, I made sure the roll and tilt numbers were at 0. Customer service turned me on to this, and it's a big deal. My unit is in the metal case and I made sure that the base of the unit (not the lip on the front) is the same height as my mat, using an alignment stick that runs across the mat and the case base. It's very easy to tell when they are the same. Then I checked again roll and tilt and made small necessary adjustments. I put my unit right next to and parallel with my mat. Then I turned on the alignment mode and measured the distance from the edge of the mat to each laser dot. Any adjustments were very small.

I use a 54 wedge to test the unit alignment along with my target line, and it's always spot on. My target line is parallel to the edge of the mat and the unit. I put an alignment stick on the mat to have a visual cue to keep me aimed properly. I have also noticed that my 4' x 5' mat turns a little to the left over several days of use, and this will cause problems because the SkyTrak is no longer properly aligned to the mat. Pretty obvious.

Now I know that any issues are all on me, and knowing this has really helped me improve; along with an improved understanding of how mishits are caused (I recently worked with an exceptional swing coach who pumped me full of knowledge on top of giving me a fundamentally solid swing). I also regularly use a Garmin TruSwing for the club data, which always supports the shot direction and spin from the SkyTrak. Using both together has made incredible improvements. I believe my SkyTrak purchase was money very well spent.

I think for the money this unit costs SkyTrak's documentation is wholly inadequate. We shouldn't have to comb through forums to learn how to set it up properly. They should have a YouTube channel with appropriate videos. It's unbelievable to me that they do not, and I find it inexcusable. I fear many have given up on it out of frustration. I almost did.

I don't know how many of you have called their customer service line, but I recommend it. The people on the phones are knowledgeable and have helped me. They will also ask you to send them photos of your setup if your problem isn't resolved easily.

Not coincidentally, my SkyTrak satisfaction drastically improved when I started hitting better shots.

[Morini]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Fully agree that documentations should be better.The good news is that most people (at least those who post about their experience) eventually have a satisfactory resolution. But why put people through the frustration? And maybe a large number don't go through the efforts, and simply return the product. An official troubleshooting guide that goes deep enough to resolve these problems is what is needed.

This is what I learned: the excessive side spin was caused by how my unit was setup relative to where I was aiming

My views are based on a superficial understanding of the ST technology, what others have reported, and my own experimentation, so take it for what it is worth. I can't see how misalignment can affect side spin. If this is truly the case, it should be impossible to hit intentional pushes and pulls, no? As far as ST is concerned, a shot dead on the target line with misaligned unit is identical to push or pull on perfectly aligned unit. It would be great if somebody from ST can pipe in and put this one to rest.

First, I made sure the roll and tilt numbers were at 0. Customer service turned me on to this, and it's a big deal.

There is no dispute about this. It will affect VLA for sure, and probably increase no reads.. I used to think that it would affect side spin, but no longer sure. Spin axis increases when the ball has rotated in the y axis (up or down) between the two images. I can't visualize how misalignment, tilt or roll will falsely indicate this. Again, official word from ST on this would be much appreciated.

I put my unit right next to and parallel with my mat. Then I turned on the alignment mode and measured the distance from the edge of the mat to each laser dot. Any adjustments were very small.

When it comes to alignment, I can think of three ways:

1. Parallel to edge of case (using alignment sticks, ruler, etc)
2. Using laser dots
3. Trial and error

Trial and error is guaranteed to work, but requires some effort. Parallel will work if internals are aligned to edge of case. Laser dots will work if dots are aligned to internals. In the end, it doesn't matter how it is done, as long as straight shots read straight.

I use a 54 wedge to test the unit alignment along with my target line,

This. I think this is the true test. If you are doubting your hardware, hang a string or place tape on target line. Hit short shots.You can use a wedge, but I prefer 30 or so yard punch shot with 7 iron. If straight shots read straight, and side spin averages zero, your hardware will read the ball accurately for all shots. Any issues will be on you or your setup, whether it is indoor swing, grabby mat or something else.

I put an alignment stick on the mat to have a visual cue to keep me aimed properly

This. Hitting indoors in a confined space without a true distant target can mess with your sense of alignment, leading to all kinds of issues.

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[Marcus Schantz]

My views are based on a superficial understanding of the ST technology, what others have reported, and my own experimentation, so take it for what it is worth. I can't see how misalignment can affect side spin. If this is truly the case, it should be impossible to hit intentional pushes and pulls, no? As far as ST is concerned, a shot dead on the target line with misaligned unit is identical to push or pull on perfectly aligned unit. It would be great if somebody from ST can pipe in and put this one to rest.

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I apologize that this is lengthy.

Here is what was happening to me. I'd hit balls that took off with a banana curve, and I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. This was back in my first month with my ST. Finally, it occurred to me to hit some pitches and they also curved way off. That's when I realized there was something wrong with how my ST was setup. I understand conceptually that misalignment shouldn't cause side spin problems, but it did.

I came here and read all about alignment woes and how some had fixed their problems. Like so many others here the alignment dots didn't jibe with ball flight. That's when I started zeroing in my unit with a wedge. The sidespin problem was fixed but the alignment was quirky because it was rigged. At the time, I didn't know about the roll and tilt, and my unit wasn't precisely level with my mat. I didn't have the metal case at that time. I got the case but was still having problems. Then I finally learned about roll and tilt and all was well. The alignment dots line up perfectly.

The downside to all the problems I went through was that I made swing adjustments based on ST but when I went outside I couldn't hit anything where I wanted to, other than pitches and chips. This went on for at least two months until I finally stopped using it because I realized the problem. I already had a deficient swing but the ST worsened it and caused me a boat load of unneeded frustration. There were so many times in July and early August where I was out in my baking garage completely soaked in sweat and hitting balls to exhaustion, trying to make good shots while making all sorts of swing adjustments that in the end left me more frustrated and even feeling hopeless at times.

Then in mid-August I joined my club and soon started hitting on the range exclusively. I played some really good rounds but knew my swing was crap. During the month I spent working with a swing coach was about the time I finally got my ST setup properly. I would come home from a lesson and hit some balls in the garage to reinforce what I'd learned only the shots looked nothing like they did an hour prior. Again, more frustration. Then I finally called ST customer service who squared away my alignment. It was a lot of trial and error.

But suddenly my shots were coming up way short, and I believed it was a ST issue. I started a thread here. Someone tested their ST against a Track Man and put the results in the thread. I really thank the person who did this. I saw those numbers and realized that the ST was fine. It was me that wasn't functioning properly. I had a new swing but I wasn't compressing the ball at impact. That's why I was coming up short. I got that missing yardage back (and then some) after spending a couple of weeks working on lag and release.

Looking back at all those hours and the thousands of balls I hit and remembering all that frustration, I have mixed feelings. I have the satisfaction of knowing I've prevailed, but at the same time I'm generally unhappy with the company. They're selling an expensive, very complicated product and not showing us how to set it up. It's inexcusable. And if you go to their website and check out their support forum, the ST thread has NO posts. Support by ST here is intermittent at best. They absolutely need videos with detailed explanations and how to fix common problems, etc. My summer would have been much different if they did.

I hope what I've written helps someone.

[Gazpacho]

You make my point very well as to why these setups are not selling well. It takes a tone of work to get your setup to get close to the marketing pics. What is shown and what it really looks like is a lie by the company and those sellers the packages.