Launch Monitor

Without wanting to be a handicap snob, I just don't see why anyone that's not at least cat 1 or below would want a launch monitor (other than to use in the warm).

Surely the lack of consistency would rule it largely redundant outside of knowing distances?

im happy to be corrected but I just don't see it at the moment
 
MendieGK said:
Without wanting to be a handicap snob, I just don't see why anyone that's not at least cat 1 or below would want a launch monitor (other than to use in the warm).

Surely the lack of consistency would rule it largely redundant outside of knowing distances?

im happy to be corrected but I just don't see it at the moment
Click to expand...

I have to agree which is why I think I'm just gonna get voice caddie sc200 as will give a ballpark distance for various length wedge shots and full shots.

Perhaps spin numbers tho would be handy with driver but would need to go with these to a pro to explain and get the advice to get suitable numbers
 
Whatever happened to range work where you got a club, hit 15-20 balls go and take out the anomalies (shortest/furthest) stand in the centre of the group and pace off your yardage?
 
3565 said:
Whatever happened to range work where you got a club, hit 15-20 balls go and take out the anomalies (shortest/furthest) stand in the centre of the group and pace off your yardage?
Click to expand...

A few things spring to mind;

- Other people using the range
- Reduced flight range balls
- How do you know which balls are yours after hitting 20 into a field filled with hundreds?
 
Grieve14 said:
A few things spring to mind;

- Other people using the range
- Reduced flight range balls
- How do you know which balls are yours after hitting 20 into a field filled with hundreds?
Click to expand...

All of these plus

- Far quicker.
- You don't have to guess where balls landed before they rolled out.
 
MendieGK said:
Without wanting to be a handicap snob, I just don't see why anyone that's not at least cat 1 or below would want a launch monitor (other than to use in the warm).

Surely the lack of consistency would rule it largely redundant outside of knowing distances?

im happy to be corrected but I just don't see it at the moment
Click to expand...


ok.... and all that changes when you get consistent then ye? and then what? what is its use then?
 
turkish said:
I have to agree which is why I think I'm just gonna get voice caddie sc200 as will give a ballpark distance for various length wedge shots and full shots.

Perhaps spin numbers tho would be handy with driver but would need to go with these to a pro to explain and get the advice to get suitable numbers
Click to expand...

my dad has an SC100 he'd sell fairly cheap (now has a skytrak) if you'd be interested
 
I have SC200 - brilliant for doing x10 shot scoring tests with wedge particularly.
It's fairly accurate from 150 and in with normal range balls.
Using this for tests would help anyone wanting to improve in that area by making practice more meaningful and under pressure which helps on the course.
 
MendieGK said:
Without wanting to be a handicap snob, I just don't see why anyone that's not at least cat 1 or below would want a launch monitor (other than to use in the warm).

Surely the lack of consistency would rule it largely redundant outside of knowing distances?

im happy to be corrected but I just don't see it at the moment
Click to expand...

I do not see why anyone that is not a plus golfer with aspirations of playing pro golf would need one tbh, launch monitors are for fine tuning issues you see when hitting balls in real conditions.

I spent a lot of time on launch monitors and sims in the past when i was trying to hit further, but i had a very defined goal that could be easily tracked on sims and monitors which was to get my ballspeed to 339kph (Joe Millers record at the time), i do not think they massively help in golf, they are something to benchmark on then go practise real golf, OFF GRASS.

I know for me my golf massively improved when i stopped going to the range all the time and took the time to walk to the grass practise range... no substitute for hitting 6 irons of the grass with real wind coming over your shoulder
 
Last edited:
MendieGK said:
Course it changes a lot!!
Click to expand...

I'm totally lost with your comment. If your not a cat 1 golfer you don't need to know what your trends are? You can't really think that?

I'm not cat 1 and I could show you pages and pages of my data where launch and spin are entirely consistent. Surly you then use other data points to work on accuracy or to prove or disprove changes you are working on.

A launch monitor has nothing to do with standard. Its simply a set of data. Another way to collect data is to look at ball flight but you can't put a figure on that or can't always see it. The data is as useful or useless to any standard of golfer.
 
Alex1975 said:
I'm totally lost with your comment. If your not a cat 1 golfer you don't need to know what your trends are? You can't really think that?

I'm not cat 1 and I could show you pages and pages of my data where launch and spin are entirely consistent. Surly you then use other data points to work on accuracy or to prove or disprove changes you are working on.

A launch monitor has nothing to do with standard. Its simply a set of data. Another way to collect data is to look at ball flight but you can't put a figure on that or can't always see it. The data is as useful or useless to any standard of golfer.
Click to expand...
.

I'm not for a second suggesting a launch monitor cannot help people of a 'worse' standard. im saying that owning one And the financial commitment associated with it is not a 'smart' choice for most people. Used with a coach etc they can be great.

Without guidance You'll end up Manipulating your swing to achieve a certain number without knowing Why.

if you think owning a GC2 without having a pro watching over you is going to improve your game, I think your wrong. It might help with your distances but it's not going to stop that pull hook or block.

However, if its for the pure pleasure of hitting balls indoors etc, i get it. I'd love to have one indoors

£6k on a GC2 (before other costs) is approximately 120lessons with a good pro. It's fairly obvious which would help your game the most

Its very clear that spending money on the game isn't a concern for you (expensive shafts Etc) and that's fine - but I'm pretty sure your handicap hasn't tumbled as a result of this?

Its all relative.

A launch monitor for most people (much like an expensive car) is a luxury, but it won't get your where you want to go faster.
 
MendieGK said:
.

I'm not for a second suggesting a launch monitor cannot help people of a 'worse' standard. im saying that owning one And the financial commitment associated with it is not a 'smart' choice for most people. Used with a coach etc they can be great.

Without guidance You'll end up Manipulating your swing to achieve a certain number without knowing Why.

if you think owning a GC2 without having a pro watching over you is going to improve your game, I think your wrong. It might help with your distances but it's not going to stop that pull hook or block.

However, if its for the pure pleasure of hitting balls indoors etc, i get it. I'd love to have one indoors

£6k on a GC2 (before other costs) is approximately 120lessons with a good pro. It's fairly obvious which would help your game the most

Its very clear that spending money on the game isn't a concern for you (expensive shafts Etc) and that's fine - but I'm pretty sure your handicap hasn't tumbled as a result of this?

Its all relative.

A launch monitor for most people (much like an expensive car) is a luxury, but it won't get your where you want to go faster.
Click to expand...

Ahh I see, point taken and understood. That said there is a big difference between understanding and doing. Many people you will come across in golf do understand their issues but changing them physically is the tough part.

Likely I will buy a launch monitor. That I have not yet is that it might make my daily practice/messing about/unwinding too contrived. However, I don't need my numbers per se, I know them, they don't change much. What I think I would like is a graphical representation of what I feel and see from strike to net. Also money is relative, I used to motor race, it burns more fun bucks than golf ever could.
 
Alex1975 said:
Ahh I see, point taken and understood. That said there is a big difference between understanding and doing. Many people you will come across in golf do understand their issues but changing them physically is the tough part.

Likely I will buy a launch monitor. That I have not yet is that it might make my daily practice/messing about/unwinding too contrived. However, I don't need my numbers per se, I know them, they don't change much. What I think I would like is a graphical representation of what I feel and see from strike to net. Also money is relative, I used to motor race, it burns more fun bucks than golf ever could.
Click to expand...

Oh I can imagine!! A pre-requisite of my next house is that the garage is pitched high enough for a simulator. I'm pretty good with my numbers as I am taught with trackman and have always been a stat geek, but I'd be lying if I wasn't getting it just for the fun element
 
To be honest this thread has made my mind up and if I want to use a monitor for a practice session I can go to the range and hire it out and hit balls. It'll give me what I need. My pro uses it once in a while but is more than capable of using his eye and experience to make changes. I would get too bogged down if I used one regularly
 
MendieGK said:
Without wanting to be a handicap snob, I just don't see why anyone that's not at least cat 1 or below would want a launch monitor (other than to use in the warm).

Surely the lack of consistency would rule it largely redundant outside of knowing distances?

im happy to be corrected but I just don't see it at the moment
Click to expand...
You have given two very good reasons yourself. Indoor anytime of the day or night practice in any weather and knowing your distances.
My nearest decent range is 30 mins away at best. An hour travelling there and back plus an hour there is 2 hours out of my day. In theory that's just about OK. In reality it doesn't happen. I was hitting into a net using an ES12 for distance but had no idea of shot shape or what I could do better. Skytrak revolutionised my practice. I see shot shape. I researched spin rates and learned how to control them better. Yes, there are numbers I don't need and I ignore, but all in all it mostly useful. I provide the info to my pro and he uses it when I have a lesson.
I think it's easy to over estimate the difference between mid handicappers and the low guys. I will never be a low handicapper mainly because I throw in a couple of bad holes per round and my play around the greens, but I enjoy trying to get as low as I can and the right information in the right doses is very useful indeed.
 
Last edited:
Sweep said:
You have given two very good reasons yourself. Indoor anytime of the day or night practice in any weather and knowing your distances.
My nearest decent range is 30 mins away at best. An hour travelling there and back plus an hour there is 2 hours out of my day. In theory that's just about OK. In reality it doesn't happen. I was hitting into a net using an ES12 for distance but had no idea of shot shape or what I could do better. Skytrak revolutionised my practice. I see shot shape. I researched spin rates and learned how to control them better. Yes, there are numbers I don't need and I ignore, but all in all it mostly useful. I provide the info to my pro and he uses it when I have a lesson.
I think it's easy to over estimate the difference between mid handicappers and the low guys. I will never be a low handicapper mainly because I throw in a couple of bad holes per round and my play around the greens, but I enjoy trying to get as low as I can and the right information in the right doses is very useful indeed.
Click to expand...


But you've also clarified my point i made around the fact you'd need to be working with a pro in addition - which you are
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

P
Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society
Replies
7
Views
2K
Rlburnside
Rlburnside
VVega
High Launch angle
Replies
16
Views
4K
Hxck
H
BigJC_H4H
Charity Golf Day in South East England
Replies
8
Views
2K
BigJC_H4H
BigJC_H4H
D
New golfer wanting to invest...
2
Replies
25
Views
5K
Deleted member 29109
D
Robster59
Shot Scope V3 Charger Cable
Replies
5
Views
2K
Robster59
Robster59
Top