Alignment issues

[Wev]

If "the better shots at higher ballspeeds" is a driver shot and you use a peg. Then you can't have the ball behind the laser dot, assuming the target is in front of the laser dot. (I know Seth said right of the laser but I don't want to discriminate the lefties)
Read post #10 in the Technical FAQ thread. That explains why.
You also don't want to have the ball positioned closer to you and away from the unit farther than the laser dot. The farther away the smaller the ball will appear in the camera view and the readings will be of lower quality and less accuracy. Especially if it's a high pull shot, then it gets even worse because I suspect the light is not as bright over there in the corner as if it's a straight shot.
Now just because of that don't start placing the ball closer to the unit vs. the laser dot. That will create other problems. I can explain why some other time if anybody is interested.

Nope, think you've misunderstood me. By better shot I mean a better strike (with an 8I for example, as that's what I was initially using), which would up the ballspeed, ie the difference between a centre strike and one slightly in the heel for example. I don't bother using it for the driver, even off a peg/ tee as it doesn't seem accurate enough. I've not tested this with the driver outside on the range so I can monitor the ball flight (as my range uses yellow balls), so I can't be certain on that, but it seems like the carry was 10% short on the ST compared to the course. That was in one of the old software versions though.
My unit doesn't work often enough with the ball on the dot (with any club), it's as simple as that, and neither does it for quite a few other guys form the countless posts I've read over the last five month. It's been mentioned a few times to position slightly diagonally further away, even some of the guys with a lot of experience (and even the skytrack guys have said the same). I literally meant only about 10-15mm diagonally towards my right foot (away form the unit). It could be something to do with the particularly high launch on some of the shots but we're only talking 35-40 degrees but I'll try it closer to the "curtain"(left of the dot) as you mention. It's missed quite a few 6i shots today also, but they only launch about 18-25 degrees, that could be something to do with the swing speed and shaft lean though, so I'll try it 20mm back like Seth mentions and see how it goes.
I certainly won't be trying closer to the unit, it's close enough as it is (without some kind of protection).

[luv2golf]

My range uses yellow balls and they work just fine. I position the ball about 1/2" to 1" behind the laser.
Not diagonally but along my target line behind the laser (the laser does show on the mat).

I also do the same at home too and my course (we just have hitting nets).

[davray666]

OK, got it. Yeah, 10-15mm closer towards you will not make a huge difference in quality and accuracy and it widens the field of view in the ball path plane. Slightly.
"My unit doesn't work often enough with the ball on the dot (with any club), it's as simple as that"
That is strange. I have had mine for 7 months now and done probably more than 10k shots on it. The only shot that will trigger but not register from a "on the dot laser" position is very high VLA wedge shots.
Trigger but not register is.
The top light goes RED for a while and then returns to GREEN with no action on the iPad. That means (and I am just guessing here) the unit detected a shot but could not find a ball in both of the 2 images. E.g. it does not tell the iPad about it, it just goes back to ready state.

What I have seen quite a few times is the top light goes RED and stays RED. E.g. Valid shot was detected and the unit told the iPad about it. But due to network communication issues the data gets corrupted and the 2 units get in to some limbo mode where both are waiting for the other to do something. This has also happened in direct mode. I can explain why I think that is but the explanation is very looooong.
A variant of that but due to the same problem is the top light goes RED and middle light goes YELLOW for no apparent reason and then both turn GREEN again after a few seconds. If that happens you know you have communication issues between the ST and iPad.

So when your shot does not register, is it?
1. RED -> GREEN, no action on iPad or
2. RED -> stays RED until you reset the system or push the render shot again button on the screen.

[Wev]

As far as I'm aware it's like nothing has even happened, but I'll keep an eye out for the lights or any flickering.

[SkyTrak_Seth]

If "the better shots at higher ballspeeds" is a driver shot and you use a peg. Then you can't have the ball behind the laser dot, assuming the target is in front of the laser dot. (I know Seth said right of the laser but I don't want to discriminate the lefties)
Read post #10 in the Technical FAQ thread. That explains why.

You can absolutely put the ball further away from the target than the red laser dot, even if hitting off a tee, provided your tee nor launch angle is not too high. But yes, those need to be taken into consideration. What that does in some cases is lets the ball get into the image as it accelerates off the club face, but the face/head (if a white driver) doesn't make it into the picture.

[kevin1889]

I've had to do this with my fairway woods off the mat. I'm not sure if it's a result of the launch angle being too low or the white head on my hybrid/fairway woods, but when I start the ball 4 inches or so behind (to the right when your are addressing the ball) the red dot I get much more consistent results. I'm still working on the proper set up and positioning for my driver.

[ryanoneill1]

So I have written a couple post above about how my Skytrak was not tracking the ball correctly causing push hooks. As we all are all golfers it has to be the equipment not the user . After working with Skytrak they/we found out that it wasn't the unit, but me. My issue I believe is that my Skytrak App is on my impact screen in front of me and when I was adding the center line I was swinging towards that line(not on purpose) causing my path issue. Once I removed that line and put an alignment rod out my shots were straighten out.

[SkyTrak_Seth]

Glad we got it resolved. Thanks for being so quick on the responses! As I suggested above (and someone else pointed out), the very natural inclination is to swing toward the center of your screen. Obviously, having a room big enough to be able to do so with the SkyTrak unit in the middle sure helps things

This video still capture really shows the ball being pulled relative to the alignment stick. (please ignore the SkyTrak unit placement during this one)

[ryanoneill1]

Yea, just went through all my clubs and now that I am not swinging towards the center of the screen my draw is back. Numbers on Skytrak and exactly what I see outside. My issue was between the mat and the golf club.

[goodmatt78]

I also have a big left draw bias and I hit a fade. I just got mine last night and will look into alignment today. It definitely seems less user friendly than gc2, which will make this a pia at the range.

[davray666]

When talking alignment you have 3 different axis of rotation to consider. According to Skytrak they take care of 2 of them by using an accelerometer to measure and compensate for when the unit is leaning away or towards the player or target. That is by the way exactly the same with GC2 with the difference that GC2 firmware allows you to calibrate the accelerometer (That is by the way really important).
Again according to Skytrak that will also be possible with the next app update.
As for the horizontal launch angle (e.g. left / right) alignment it's again same as GC2. You need to do that.
In my case I use a laser pointer that is integrated in the protection and a marking on my screen. Very easy to double check alignment after the unit has moved.
That being said, you need to keep in mind that the specified accuracy is +/- 2 degrees. On a 250 yard shot that is +/- 8.7y.
If you want to know what the real accuracy is for various shot types, you will need to read some of the other posts or test it your self.

[goodmatt78]

Thanks....I build a support riser that got it level and level with my mat. I aligned it using an alignment rod and the lasers and pointed it a bit left towards middle of my net.....much much better.

[Godfather]

Just found this thread... For the archives, mine came with a bubble level and the unit and lasers have to aimed pretty dramatically left of the target line. Very annoying.

[Alienator]

I get more accurate readings when I use the case of the skytrak to align it over the lasers. The lasers have a few issues and the fact that they are shooting onto an uneven surface like a mat is one of them but I also find the aim of them to not be square with the unit even when used on a flat surface such as my kitchen counter tops.

[coz]

I concur. My units target line seems more in line with hitting parallel to my unit. Alignment mode, i feel is left of actual target line.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Swarm99]

Interesting. So in order for your Skytrak to be center, if you set a laser pointer on top of the Skytrak it would point a foot to the right from the center of the target you are aiming on the net/screen? Or do you need to aim the Skytrak to the center of your target and therefore the laser would point straight at it?

[bennyg211]

I must admit, this one has always baffled me a little. I figured I would get to it when I have a permanent home setup. Certainly the unit alignment lasers are about 1/2" different (distance from the Skytrak when placed on my level wooden floor). If I align to them it definitely has a left bias. If I try to eyeball parallel to the face of the Skytrak I generally get a better result. I sometimes get the odd exaggerated read for hook (in most cases) and sometimes draw spin. But I can't rule out crap range balls and the unit not being isolated from the hitting mat at this point. I'm trying to work out the best way to buy a 5'x3' Country Club Elite Real Feel mat in the UK and then I will be all set to hit at home and I can permanently set the unit up and use decent balls.

[Swarm99]

Doing a quick and dirty test today, it looked like it was parallel. So the target would be in parallel to the unit (basically 1 ft away). We aimed a laser pointer down the center line of the case and then aimed a parallel like down where we set the ball. Ball flight horizontal launch angle seemed correct most of the time.

[goodmatt78]

Mine seems to be the opposite. If I align to the case, my unit points right a little bit and everything has a draw bias. Alignment to lasers seems better.

SkyTrak_Seth Can you confirm if the lasers are calibrated to a specific alignment position?

[SkyTrak_Seth]

Yes, it's part of the QA process to measure this.