Updated Info on SkyTrak

[Dewey]

Hey Everyone,

I am in the market for a launch monitor for a garage setup. From what I can tell, Skytrak is the best that fits in what I want to spend. I dont want to spend 4K so it seems that Skytrak is the best under that amount. I know there is some info on Skytrak users on this thread but to me, it seems outdated (comments from 2016, 2017, etc).

Two things that I worry about:

Some people have complained about the distances being off when they play a course.
Seems like a lot of folks are selling them. Maybe this is simply to upgrade, but I worry that the ST isnt fun/accurate or something.

Anyway, I am hoping for some info from you guys on what you think of the skytrak currently. Any warnings, positives things, etc would help me decide if I should do it. I am very wary of hitting my four iron and it reading 130 yards. That wont help me get better.

Also, do you think a used one would be a waste?

Thanks guys!

[968Cab]

Ive got one for sale now, but regardless, feel like I've got nothing but good things to say about ST. I did some in-depth comparison that is documented in other threads...I've only had it for a little over 4 months, so it's recent info. It's acceptably accurate, IMO, and by far the best solution at the price point. You won't be disappointed.

I'm selling because I wanted the club face camera...which meant upgrading.

[Bender96]

I just picked up the Skytrak so maybe my opinion is biased based on a honey moon stage, but I love it. Numbers are fairly accurate with all things considered. I find I am about a club short on it, but I think this has more to do with my mat then the simulator itself. When hitting off the tee the numbers are pretty much bang on with what I hit my driver, and off the mat I am creating more spin with irons, so I am having to hit one more club on most shots.

[Tonysmjc]

I’m using mine about a year
it’s a nice unit at its price point
and it fits in smaller rooms

over All a good bang for your $$$

that said if your room size and budget allowes save the upgrade and get something else now

its a starter unit if your serious

[Mearsy007]

I've had mine for just over 3 years.
Myself and 2 friends get together once a week for approx 4hr session.

Maybe I'm just lucky with the unit or it takes time to adjust to indoor swing, but all 3 of our distances match on ST and on the course. So much so that where once we would round our distances to the nearest 5yds, we now know our club yardages very precisely eg 9i 128yds, 8i 144yds etc.

None of us practiced under 150 yds before getting ST, we would just go to the range and smash driver! But now we do competitive wedge games our short games have improved massively. Our handicaps 3yrs ago were all 17-19 but we're down to 9, 11 and 14.

It baffles me when I see people claiming they're 1-2 clubs out on distance.
I cannot recommended it enough.

[CHAMOO]

I highly recommend you add on TGC 2019. The minimum PC specs to run it are heavily documented in this forum. I bought mine 9 months ago and have enjoyed every minute. If you want to go all in, a screen with projector would be the last step but you can do it all in stages.

[Dewey]

Thanks Chamoo, I think the projector will need to wait another year with all the additional cost of getting the software to play courses, but def in my future! Im curious why you like TGC 2019 more than say the Trugolf E6? I see they have a lot more courses....any other reasons? E6 seems to have some features that TGC doesnt.

[CHAMOO]

For me, here are the top reasons for TGC 2019.
- Sheer number of courses, including all the world famous ones.
- Phenomenal new courses, real and fictional, coming out all the time from the user group of designers
- The LIDAR revolution is a game changer for the above mentioned.
- Online societies with tournaments

[Burtgolf]

I have had mine since February this year, bought it used off of another member on here for an excellent price and have not had a single issue with it since I have had it. I use it at least 3 times a week with only the GIP on the SkyTrak range (Love the randomizer feature!) and it is very accurate with carry distance wise to my in real life numbers. Enough so that out on the course I am only concerning myself with 2 numbers whats my carry needed and whats the total to the pin!

The only negative I have about it is the ball flight for me has a tendency to be more of a draw basis, and the shots I see in real life are pretty straight. This seems to get worse the shorter the iron where say my gap wedge will almost always start left of target then hook more left like a pull hook. I have yet to see myself hit a pull hook on the course with a wedge and if I do hit a pull its just a pull no hook in it at all. That would be my only complaint about it!

I think why you are not seeing any recent comments is there has not been any updates to SkyTrak for a long time now. If anything that should be the most comments your seeing is when is the updates coming

If your budget is topped at 4K you cant go wrong with the SkyTrak as your going to be spending close to 500-1000 on impact screen and enclosure, 500-1000 on a good hitting mat, 500-1000 on gaming computer if your going to get TGC 2019 or another sim software and then 1000 on the sim software which leaves you 1500 on the SkyTrak if your able to get the others at the 500 price point.

Good luck with your new addiction!

[Dewey]

Hey Burt, I pretty much already have an enclosure/mat where I currently hit balls in my garage. I have a laptop I already own in which I would assume would handle running the software. At this point, its just a launch monitor and the software to play courses left (maybe a projector next winter). From what I can find, the ST is about $2,000 plus the software to play stuff. Seems to me the price then jumps to at least double for the next upgrade up. ST seems to be alone in the $1500 - $3,000 price range.

[GungHoGolf]

We took an owner happiness poll on our SkyTrak Users FB group (over 3,000 members) a couple months ago:

https://gunghogolf.com/blog/skytrak-owners-happy-poll

[Dewey]

Wow, that is great insight. Seems pretty positive

[FURY]

There is also one possible wildcard, which has been bantered about here...maaaybe an update/new piece for the Jan 2020 show. I am waiting for the show, in any case, but your needs may supervene the two month hold.

Thank you very much

FURY

[Dewey]

Thanks for the insight FURY, did you see the post below about a camera being added?

[Dave Eddie]

Only had a couple off days cant fault it to be honest,set up in garage can only hit to my hybrid as only just over 7ft wide,have the net return which is great,takes 5mins to put up and is 7ft wide.
when the weather brightens up can transfer to my garden or decking and also fits perfect in the kitchen for full driver swings but that will only be for simulator days not bothered with projector or hitting screen as connects perfect to my 50inch tv.

[Dewey]

There is also one possible wildcard, which has been bantered about here...maaaybe an update/new piece for the Jan 2020 show. I am waiting for the show, in any case, but your needs may supervene the two month hold.

Thank you very much

FURY

What is the Jan 2020 show? are you saying there might be a new device coming out?

[968Cab]

PGA merchandise show, every January

[jrz]

There a lot of rumors swirling around about what is going on at Skytrak, mainly bc they haven't updated their software in a long time and they have gone completely dark here in the forums. I used to think that the change in ST behavior was due to new hardware pending release. My new and current guess is that they are being acquired, and the process was disrupted by the problem in their software related to GDPR which caused a delay, and in the meantime they have gone silent on purpose or been forced to by the new parent company. They've been quiet too long for it to be due to new hardware.
This is 100% speculation, btw.

[trumb1mj]

It's as good a guess as any. When the secret is finally public it will be entertaining to read the old posts defending SkyTrak for the 18 month roll out of "GDPR security fixes". Again, these changes just do not take this long especially when you consider how close 3.4 seemed to be and the ball speed fix being robot tested.

[Dewey]

If you are right, I guess there is nothing big to wait for with skytrak. Waiting to get one may have no real benefit.

[Dan McWhirter]

Well...just got an email from SkyTrak announcing a camera system to record your swing...not contact...with a 150 fps camera for almost two grand. Of course it requires your SkyTrak is subscribed to game improvement and also to an "update and support" service for the camera system. The software looks impressive. But Really!? Is this where all the time and effort has been spent.

[Dewey]

So Dan, in your opinion, Skytrak will be announcing a new unit with a camera on it to record swings? That will be the big news?

[Dan McWhirter]

No Dewey, not that, a separate camera to be set behind or to the side of you to record a swing, and, some way to sync the two, and, perhaps save your ball flight data with the swing video. Meanwhile the third party software enables scribbling on your video frames, and, sending to your instructor for review. It's not for me.

[kokoskorpen]

I only use the range feature and i love the ST. I have a driving range at home and can hit the same balls as i use on the course. Thats more than enough for me.