Skytrak Disappointment

[foggedz]

Cheap ball = hard ball = less spin = lower launch = goes further. You've also got spin loft to account for etc. 5000 rpm for an 8 iron is too low, which is giving you artificial long distance and probably too much roll (which isn't any good for hitting greens).

Also your "75%" swing 8I is probably carrying 140 on the course and rolling 20 yards on the greens when you hit them, nobody wants that.

The distances that I hit the ball are verified by laser, and no I don't get 20 yards of roll out.

I know for a fact that I do not see a 25 yard distance gap between a Titleist NXT ball or any ball for that matter, and a PROV real world on the course hitting an 8 iron. On Skytrak I do see the distance gap.

But what do I know...

[sorensen]

What type of ball are you using? I dont know if anyone else sees the same thing I do, but I think that the Skytack takes off too much distance for added spin. For example Im a 2-3 hdcp, and hit a stock 75% swing 8 iron 160 yards on the coarse with a PROV1X ball.

I usually practice indoors with my Skytrack and I dont usually use a PROV1X, but rather a mid quality $25-$30 a dzn type ball. With a 8 iron I usually see 111-113mph ball speeds with 5000 give or take RPM's. This is usually good for a ball that flys 155-160 with 5-10 yards of roll out.

If I use a PROV1X with Skytrack my ball speeds will be close to the same at 110-111mph but the RPM's will go up to 8000 give or take. With this RPM the flight of the ball on Skyrack looks completly different. The ball just climbs and climbs then falls out of the air. I will have trouble getting much more than 140 cards of carry, and the ball has little or no roll out.

Swap in my usual balls, and the distance comes right back. Granted the PROV will spin more and stop faster, but I know for a fact that in the real world a high quality ball is not 25 yards shorter than a mid quality ball with well struck shots.

I would say that 8000 spin is very normal for an 8 iron, more normal than 5000. with a pro v1

[sorensen]

this is from the range, with fs, an 8 iron club 80 mp ball 107 mp spin 8062 carry 131 yards. notes it is with onpice cheap plastic ball in a little headwind

[Wev]

The distances that I hit the ball are verified by laser, and no I don't get 20 yards of roll out.

I know for a fact that I do not see a 25 yard distance gap between a Titleist NXT ball or any ball for that matter, and a PROV real world on the course hitting an 8 iron. On Skytrak I do see the distance gap.

But what do I know...

It doesn't sound like you know a lot to be honest.

To get to a 20 yard carry gap (30 yard total) with something like your numbers:

113mph at 18-23 degrees launch with 4000 spin is about 165y carry (180 total) - which would be what something like an NXT would spin typically
108mph at 18-23 degrees launch with 8000 spin is about 145y carry (150 total) - which would be what something like a Pro V1 would spin typically

Put in some variation of strike with the variation in ball (an NXT tour is a rock compared to a Pro V1) and you can easily get to a 25 yard gap.

How can you verify where each ball carried by laser?

What I would say is strange is your 75% swing has on average a 5mph slower ball speed than a tour pro on a "normal" 8i shot, but carries further?

[Rcush88]

I wish they would make anything that is over 8,000 RPM to spin back like in real life or hit and stop.

[Wev]

I wish they would make anything that is over 8,000 RPM to spin back like in real life or hit and stop.

I don't think any launch monitor simulates backspin on the green well, from what I've seen. I've not seen it on SkyTrack yet (but I've been using it with E7's which don't spin much) and Flightscope certainly doesn't, even trying loads of different numbers you need to go to 115mph ball speed, 10000 rpm and 35 degree launch to get a hint of it.

[SkyTrak_Seth]

Glad the OP was able to get some improvement. For the record, I've been sweating my @@@ off for the last few hours range testing with a laser. Relaying numbers back to my partner, we were rarely more than 2-3 yards off, quite often spot on. It's probably the best session we've had to date. We were set up nicely on a mat in the shade of a large tree, which made for ideal image capture conditions. There were plenty of targets on the range we could use a guide, verified by laser. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to physically be in the range this time, but we all felt VERY good with the numbers.

Regarding the ball rolling backwards, it's not just the back spin - you need a fairly steep angle of descent (higher launch). Changing the ground conditions to soft will make it more like a green, and I have no problem spinning it backwards in the app using any type of wedge.

[foggedz]

How can you verify where each ball carried by laser?

I hit the flag with a laser from the point my ball is setting. Then when I get to the green look at the ball mark made on the green from my ball landing ( the carry distance ) then compare how far short or long my ball mark with the flag stick.

[Wev]

I hit the flag with a laser from the point my ball is setting. Then when I get to the green look at the ball mark made on the green from my ball landing ( the carry distance ) then compare how far short or long my ball mark with the flag stick.

Fair enough, that's how I do it. I thought you were trying to laser the balls on the deck.

[wilson]

I've gotten a yard of backspin with gap wedges before - 122 pulling back to 121.
So it's possible with "soft" ground setting.