SkyTrak Driver Carry Distance (Again)

[3on3putt]

Have you ever tried using your Skytrak indoors? If it really is coming up short, it's likely due to the outdoor environment.

Just out of curiosity ... what's your handicap?

[3on3putt]

At the end of the day, Skytrak is not 15 yards short. It just plain isn't. If it were, they wouldn't have been in business as long as they have. And if it were, then theoretically all Skytraks units should be just as short. Mine is very accurate. So if it's a Skytrak thing, then why is mine accurate but yours isn't?

There's something else at play here.

[Morini]

No, there is 8+ mph ball speed missing, that is the issue. Hopefully he will figure it out. Any one unit can have issues, but in the vast majority of cases, ST is accurate within stated margin of error. Anthony, if you manage to hit one in the middle of the face with launch about two degrees above static loft, mid 2K spin, and negligible spin axis, please give us the ball speed. If it is not up, I will eat an old headcover.

[AnthonyZ]

Thank you both for your thoughts! I am comforted knowing that SkyTrak is pretty accurate. Morini as to my scientific mindset -- my wife would tell you that I have OCD ;-). Her take is - "maybe you don't hit the ball as far as you think -- isn't that common amongst men?"

Hopefully I get my unit sorted out. Other than carry distance -- the more I learn about the functionality of SkyTrak the more I like it. I quite like the skill improvement add on where you can set up pin distances by club. Using it groove a swing to draw or fade a ball, hit high or low 50-70 yard spinners and test different brands of golf balls -- all kind of fun!

I will report back over the weekend with updated results.

[AnthonyZ]

I may be eating a bit of “crow”, I took another crack at seeing if my Driver – Ball Speed might improve, doing the following:

• Set SkyTrak at 500’ elevation, used the “spin axis” setting (as suggest by @Morini);
• Same PING G400 SFT Driver set at 10-degrees loft;
• Switched out my Regular Flex - Aldila X-Torsion Copper for a Regular Flex - PING Tour 65 (which is a stiffer lower launch shaft); and
• Brand new Snell MTX-B balls (very Pro V1x like).

I picked-up 4 mph of Ball Speed (133 mph) and 15-yards of Carry Distance (228-yard) with the same 19.3-degree Launch Angle, but with 339 rpm less back spin (2191 rpm). The PING chart that was recommended by DS12 puts 130 mph ball speed, 19.2 degrees launch angle with 2000 rpm of spin at 225-yards of carry which suggests SkyTrak is pretty darn close.

I will be playing my first round on Wednesday (courses opened on the 16^th here in Ontario). My Motocaddy M5-Connect power trolley/cart integrates with MotoCaddy’s APP which can measure total distance, hopefully I hit some good drives 😊 in the plus 250-yards total distance.

Here are the results:

SHOT	HAND	BALL	LAUNCH	BACK	SIDE	SIDE	OFFLINE	CARRY
#	L/R	MPH	DEG	RPM	RPM	DEG	YD	YD
DRIVER
1	R	133	17.8	1942	-570	1.7	-21	226
2	R	129	19.4	2167	31	-1.8	-7	222
3	R	135	16.8	2728	-234	-3.8	-27	227
4	R	132	22.4	2020	-116	3.3	9	235
5	R	136	17.3	2038	-662	0	-34	230
6	R	131	20.2	1983	-402	-3.6	-38	227
7	R	131	20.9	2341	168	0	8	227
8	R	133	16.6	2738	-53	-1.8	-10	223
9	R	130	22.2	2013	202	0	11	230
10	R	136	19	1942	-570	-3.8	-49	236
AVG		133	19.3	2191	-221	-1.0	-16	228

[Burtgolf]

This last group of shots .. these are showing much more consistent strike than your first chart. Even though these 10 were better than your other ones just quickly looking at 3 and 8 those were probably low on the face, 4 and 7 were high on the face. There is still some room for you to get that strike more centered. Which would give you much better results in the end!

I would still be interested to see if you tried the powdered foot spray. I find when you do that and check it for a few shots it really helps you focus on your strike. Wipe it off after a few hits, spray it again, let it dry and try another set of 5. I would not even look at the SkyTrak numbers until you get one center in the face.

[Morini]

Happy to hear about the improvement. Have fun out on the course.

Now please hit one with 14 launch angle so you can pick up the other 4 mph so I don't have to eat that headcover.

[3on3putt]

So in other words ... skytrak was right all along? Lol glad you got it figured out.

[AnthonyZ]

Thank you Gents!

@Burtgolf – you right about #3 & 8. #3 & #8 would have optimally had a spin rate of 2300 rpm and 4 & 7 optimally around 1850 (I really like the PING Optimal Launch & Spin Chart). I have not tried footspray yet but ordered LongShot Golf Standard Wood Roll from Amazon (it shouldn’t affect spin like tape would on an iron).

@Morini – I will try my best, I need a bit more practice with my driver before I start hitting the club face just above centre with any consistency. I routinely address the ball with my Driver with a backward (or negative) shaft lean, I will try with a more neutral shaft angle.

@3on3putt – the shots above were about the best carry distances I have hit yet with my SkyTrak! I wonder if it had much to do with using the Axis setting that Morini suggested or I simply had a better go at it? We will see what happens on the course tomorrow. (As an aside, the shots above, I warmed up first with an 8-iron and generated about 98 mph of ball speed and 138 yards of carry which I would be happy with on the course).

[Morini]

Hi Anthony,

Please don't mess with your swing to accommodate me. I just wanted to see where your missing ball speed went.

Changing to spin axis won't change the ball speed. It just makes it a bit easier to see what kind of contact you made. I could use your side spin and back spin to calculate spin axis and spin if I had to.

[LeadZeppelin]

I’m experiencing the exact same thing although my numbers are different the percentage is the same. Thanks for all the hard work and hopefully the algorithm will be corrected. Until then I am adding 5k to my altitude

LeadZeppelin