Real World Resuts

[Point280]

I lurk and rarely post unless I can't find the answer I'm looking for. I apparently even stumped some of the more experienced members with my last post. Kinda gave me a warm fuzzy feeling when folks who have a ton of experience, don't respond to a legitimate question... I've read a ton of threads. I've enjoyed the banter. I've come to a couple of very personal conclusions: There's a vocal minority on this forum who've received bad units. There are a ton of folks who's egos need a small reality check. I was one of those people! I took my girlfriend's brother (she refers to him as my "brother-in-law") to the range a few weeks back. Open range. Arizona. Grass; not mat. Forgot to set the elevation to 1480'. Left at stock 500' settings. Range balls. This boy can hit the ball. He was using MY clubs. We made some club adjustments throughout the session. Driver was a Ping G25. Stock stiff shaft, then the I25 stock stiff shaft with the G25 head. He got dialed in a bit with the shorter shaft, but he' s still probably an xstiff. His best drive totaled 300 yds. Miss was -50 yds off-line to boot! All yardages were verified with a Leupold GX-3i laser range finder; then range staff. Numbers looked really impressive and lay waste to the rumors that skytrak units lack in the driver department. Not a question about those who've had quality control issues. No doubt they exist. But this thing is the real deal, when it's manufactured correctly. Money saved & well spent for my intentions. I soooooo wish I could claim these stats:

[#gcw]

whats up with the launch angles there - 19 degrees on a driver? also wild variations, a driver should be launching around 9-10 degree

[aja]

What's so surprising about 19 degrees with a driver? You're not going to launch the ball with carry of 270 with a 9 degree launch unless you have Bubba Watson's club speed. Look at the data.

[MrHogan]

agree with aja u need high launch, if theres 1 thing that launch monitors have taught the world of golf its to launch the ball high. I might post the perfect launch angles by ball speed if I can find it.

[Gamble Gamble]

My best drives are 16-18 LA with <2000 spin.

Which is the reason I switched from a g30 to the m1

[Point280]

Read the post sir. I clearly stated we were changing shafts. Didn't mention that we adjusted lofts, as well. Ping Driver. Two shafts. Several club head loft angles. Wild but real. Bunch of skeptics. That's why I posted. Dialed in there at the end. There's a really cool article by Adam Young that defies conventional wisdom. It is what it is. If you don't like your swing; change it

[Point280]

My dad used to say that about my life... "If you don't like it, change it!" Good stuff

[Point280]

And please support your statement that 9-10* is an optimal launch angle for every person, driver, shaft, ball, etc., Pokin it out there 300 yds is incomprehensible huh? That' made me smile. I was there. Sawr it with mine own two eyes 👀

[goatbarn]

Yeah a bit silly to think that a 9-10* is optimal for everyone, now a days I think most people know it depends on ball speed and spin and playing conditions.

More and more threads on people coming to the light regarding the accuracy of their skytrak...good for all skytrak owners and skytrak themselves. Good stuff.

[wbond]

Point280 nice to hear another confirming skytrak with real world tests using another device. Also, 17LA with 2.2k spin would seem pretty ideal.

I think a 9-10 launch angle would be in the extreme minority when you consider the entire golfing population. As stated it's all about LA and spin optimization based on your swing.
Example
150 ball speed, 17LA, 0 HLA, Sea Level, 2k spin=256 carry
Same settings at 9 LA=219 carry
I guess if you play in the wind and have no forced carries and firm fairways, than 9 to 10 work well.
Great link to start testing your theory and it's free.

https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

[hks8888]

Nice job, Point280!! I guess some people sometimes think in their own shell. I admit I do as a human being, but I try not to or I try to get out of it quick.
I agree that there is not one single optimal launch angle for every one. A word 'optimal' was not stated, but the statement, "a driver should be launching around 9-10 degree", is simply wrong. It may be correct only for his (or her) swing characters.

[Point280]

I'll add that this was prior to the 4% update! If we were to do the math, that puts total distance at 310 and 312 respectively, not to mention the 1000' in elevation that I robbed him of. He's no pro. Short game lacks just a little. But I knew I could rely on him to put it to the test. And with my clubs, not his.

[Point280]

I appreciate your comments guys!!! Loving my Skytrak! Now, if we can just get some sims going!!!

[coz]

That's awesome. I will add that skytrak does a great job with my irons and not so with my hybrid up. Last season 2 hybrid chases to 240yds wgt normally 205. That makes for some long golf courses since I'm only comfortable hitting hybrid with height restrictions. I hope i have a good unit.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[MrHogan]

whats you height restriction coz? I hit driver and I only have 8ft. I have hit the rafters on the rare occasion, I don't know how much clearance I have spare, perhaps I even swing higher than 8ft but it just happens to be between the rafters? I used to hit an old Ping G2 just incase but now I use my shiney M1.

[coz]

Just under 95 inches. Almost clear 7ft 11 inches from rafter to mat. If I follow through with a low flat finish im good. I have caught the support with a hybrid a couple of times. If im trying to hit a draw im alright but an intentional cut is a recipe for disaster. Im still using SLDR.

[MrHogan]

Attached ideal launch angle and spin. I find that I can hit even longer if I launch higher than these. Even launching upto 21 flys far. My ball speed would be 140mph good ones may be a touch over 145mph.

[Point280]

That's awesome! I hope I'm not violating any rules here, but I'm gonna attempt to post a link to the article I referred to earlier. Again, my apologies in advance...

http://www.golfwrx.com/289913/how-i-hit-drives-56-yards-farther-with-one-adjustment/

[#gcw]

I never said 9-10 was optimal for every player!!

I just remember looking at trackman averages for PGA Tour - and It was around ten degrees average launch angle with the driver.

18 degrees with an 8 iron!

If the guy is carrying 275 yarders then hes PGA Tour length - so I wrongly assumed he would be launching nearer the pros than us guys with 12 degree drivers.

Very sorry if I upset anybody with my observation - it seems I was wrong! was only an observation no need to take it personally.

[#gcw]

Another brilliant piece of information - thank you

Since I have began looking at purchasing a LM I have realised how little I really understood about launch characteristics - I now regularly spend far too long sitting at my computer tapping figures into flightscope FTO and getting excited - my wife thinks I'm crazy.

Anyway I quickly realised that my 150 ball speed carrying 235 is dreadful! - I have a 12 degree RBZ Driver with a stiff OZIK TM shaft.

Anyway this launch angle and flight data has really got me hooked at the moment and I am massively excited about getting those yards back this season - I have always thought I had a quick swing for someone who gets out driven by guys in their 50s (i'm 27) and then I hit my 8 iron 155 carry.

Getting set up with skytrak this season will be invaluable to me along with tools like FTO to really get dialed in.

[Alienator]

Just to shed a little info on the PGA tour length and launch angles. A lot of them hit down on the driver instead of up or are very close to zero on AOA. The reason for this is it adds accuracy. The other part to this is that they would be having much higher swing speeds for 275 carry with 9degree launch angle. If they were to launch the ball at 14-16 degrees they would get carries over 300 but lose some accuracy. Hope this makes sense, not trying to pick on you or anything just trying to shed a little light.

[#gcw]

Thanks bud, good info

[#gcw]

good stats Hogan

with my 150 ball speed I am not carrying near enough and my driver is 12 degree.

will be good when I get setup with my LM to maximise my ball speed.

[MrHogan]

Hey Tekbud I've found someone with the same thinking! I get strange looks at my club ball on a massive tee placed nearly outside my left foot with a closed stance and plenty of spine tilt. I don't feel such a weirdo now :-)

[Tekbud]

Yeah I haven't played a round with anyone since making these adjustments but I can't see going back. The numbers simply don't lie. I once stood behind Tiger on the 9th tee at East lake and saw him do the same thing. Set up very closed and hit the highest hardest pull I have ever seen. Thing of beauty.

[#gcw]

Yes I did the exact same thing chaps, back end of last season for the first time in me life I was hitting the odd 280 yard drive (with roll) with a draw left centre cut, what I focused on was getting that left shoulder angle and spine angle and closed stance, much better than those high Spinny 230 yard left to righters into the right rough. Another thing my pro got me working on in my lessons was getting my swing plane flattened out I had / have a steep swing which was causing issues. Also flightscoe is saying an ideal launch angle for me is 17 degrees, looking forward to dialling in on that , and also looking forward to battling you guys on the perfect golf/ skytrak tour

[hks8888]

I never said 9-10 was optimal for every player!!

I just remember looking at trackman averages for PGA Tour - and It was around ten degrees average launch angle with the driver.

18 degrees with an 8 iron!

If the guy is carrying 275 yarders then hes PGA Tour length - so I wrongly assumed he would be launching nearer the pros than us guys with 12 degree drivers.

Very sorry if I upset anybody with my observation - it seems I was wrong! was only an observation no need to take it personally.

Hi, Thanks for details on why saying '9 or 10' degrees. I had assumed that you meant it for PGA Tour standards,
I don't think you upset anybody here and I don't believe you intended to do so. (And vice versa). We all in this forum are just trying to get better information and learn something out of it. That's what a forum is about, I believe.
Thanks again!

[#gcw]

ok bud no worries