Skytrak+, have I just wasted just short of £3k?

[David Williams 'Chips']

I had it delivered on the weekend and it's now had a proper test on both skytrak app and TGCG2019. I'm very unimpressed to say the least. My early impressions are that it's no better than the original. Biggest gripe is the backspin is still shocking and tested different/new balls too. I tend to carry a PW 110 in reality but on the st+, carrying around 130 with a backspin less than I'd expect with driver (1,800 for example); absolutely ridiculous. To make it worse, I moved from PW to 5i and start getting 4,500 with the 5i. It's also given more misreads than I used to get on the original st so it's arguably worse. Somebody please convince me, I've not wasted just under £3k on this unit.
Thanks
Dave

[StalefishFS3]

I won't try and convince you about a mistake.

But a used GC2 is miles better than any Skytrak or Skytrak+

[David Williams 'Chips']

Now hitting pitch shots through the green with around 2,300 backspin

[sorensen]

it's almost funny :-(

[SkyTrak_Jordan]

Normally, when users observe super low spin numbers, the mat tends to be the issue. Test by hitting shots off a small tee and see if the spin numbers return to normal. Also, just to make sure, are you testing with fresh golf balls and trying different ball placements around the laser dot? Is the issue primarily in TGC2019 or in the SkyTrak app as well?

[David Williams 'Chips']

I'm using new Bridgestone e6 and Srixon AD333 and just tested with a tee, with the same outcome. Hitting 8i with a small tee and carried 30 yards further than it should, with around 2300 backspin.

[David Williams 'Chips']

... and to take the piss, I've thinned an 8i and got 5,800 backspin

[David Williams 'Chips']

I've alternated between higher lofted (pw to 8i) and then the lower lofted 6i and 5i and I'm getting twice the backspin on the less lofted clubs. Getting around 2,300 with pw/9i/8i and 4,600 with 6i/5i. Something very wrong here.

[kirkemg]

Granted I only have the original, and I mean this with all due respect, but your posts read as someone who doesnt have the kind of consistency in their game for a proper assessment days into owning a ST+.

[David Williams 'Chips']

Granted I only have the original, and I mean this with all due respect, but your posts read as someone who doesnt have the kind of consistency in their game for a proper assessment days into owning a ST+.

Thanks for your input, but you're talking nonsense. I'm not a pro and capable of bad shots yes but I've hit thousands of balls on the original Skytrak and have put in under par scores. Have you ever hit a bad shot using your Skytrak? If not, why are you not playing on tour?

[David Williams 'Chips']

Well, well, well, it seems my skytrak+ likes pro v1 balls. Gave the grooves a good clean (I tend to use foot spray on them) and shifted to a pro v1 and the spin has shot up and the numbers are now more realistic. Using a PW and in both skytrak app and TGC2019. I'm happy now

[wildcatfan9698]

so you spent 24 hours throwing ST+ under the bus and it's all on you. Moron.

[David Williams 'Chips']

'Throwing ST+ under the bus'. Erm, no, not exactly. I was experiencing unexpected/poor performance from a unit that cost £1,000s and had reason to be concerned. I sought assurance from others that the unit was great and I needed to find ways of making it work. The result was exactly that. p.s. GFY!!!

[wildcatfan9698]

GFY idiot, it was all on you

[CAPDAK]

This is slightly off topic, but may be relevant. Skytrak has the swing optimization feature where it measures parameters with your strike and rates it against optimal numbers such as backspin etc. Every time I use it, I wonder what Skytrak software thinks a 9 iron is. Is it a 43 degree lofted 9 iron, like what came with my 1994 Lynx Black Cat irons? Is it a 40 degree iron like the 9 iron in my 2011 Taylor Made Burner 2.0 set that is designed for distance and purposefully reduces backspin? Or is it a 37 degree 9 iron, like the Taylor Made Stealth version? Are all these clubs expected to have the same spin rates despite a 6 degree spread in loft rates?

With my Black Cat irons, I would have figured a PW was 100-110 yards. My Burner 2.0 distance is more like 120-130. I would assume the Stealth would be even longer with the more aggressive loft.

Do you have irons designed to reduce spin, combined with hitting off a mat?

[David Williams 'Chips']

It's a good point CAPDAK and I take them with a bit of a 'pinch of salt' really. I have a high launch with my irons and the skytrak will give me red/amber for dynamic loft for example. I can't remember the 'ideal' launch for PW but around 26-28. I'm more like 32-34. Whenever I've tried (and believe me I've tried) to bring the launch down, it messes my swing up. I've now decided that there are merits with a high launch and I'm at peace with it and embrace it now. I think it would be better if we could set our own parameters of red/amber/green, based on what we want to see. Like you say, it's not 'one size fits all'.

[OttawaP]

Being a little handsy and flippy with the wedges will lower spin and raise launch. Kind of like throwing the ball up with an underhand pitch. Keep working at it, it's sort of the point of having a launch monitor. I was the same but with lessons and patience Ive gotten it down to 25-27 launch with 8500-9000 spin. Much more controllable especially on windy days, it won't float around nearly as much as it did.

[David Williams 'Chips']

What things did you work on, to lower your flight OttawaP?