Launch Monitors

[HRC99]

I popped into AG to look at an Ogio bag (which they didn't have) and spotted they had a couple of 9 degree Ping Rapture driver for £99, so I asked to have a bash with one of them and an I15 9.5 degree.

They set it up in the bay and put the launch monitor on. I've never used one of these before so I'm not entirely sure about all the numbers.

I didn't swing brilliantly but not that well.

My average swing speed was 104mph and was told I definitely wanted a stiff shaft at that speed.

Launch angle around 12.5 degrees which I was told was good for a 9 degree driver.

Side spin was around 900-1300 slice and back spin 2200.

Distances were around a 260 carry and 275 overall.

The main problem was that I was pushing everything 7 degrees so everything was going right according to the launch monitor.

I wasn't entirely happy and, as I said, I didn't feel I was swinging that well. So, I thought it would be a good idea to go and hit a full bucket of balls at the range (course still closed) and take my existing driver in to compare it on the launch monitor.

I was just looking for some feedback on those numbers and whether the launch monitor was accurate as hitting in one of AG's nets doesn't give me the greatest confidence.

 

[JustOne]

From those figures I'd look at trying a 10 or 10.5° driver with the same spec to get a touch more backspin (2400) and reduce that sidespin, keeping it in play more often.

(Added: I had a fitting for a Callaway FTiQ and despite lashing at a few and losing them right I was only getting 600rpm sidespin on the bad ones)

Good distances there, and yes 104 would mean stiff although stiff can vary on different shafts.

If you weren't hitting well then you're going to have to go back again anyway before parting with your cash

My 2 cents of course.

 

[USER1999]

260 is a heck of a carry, esp with a slice. Are you on tour?

You obviously do need a stiff shaft. And your side spin is going to need fixing. More loft might fix this anyway.

I don't see the back spin as such a problem if you are carrying 260. At 2200 rpm it should roll out way more than 15 yards.

 

[HRC99]

260 is a heck of a carry, esp with a slice. Are you on tour?

Sadly, no. Distance not a problem, control definitely!

You obviously do need a stiff shaft. And your side spin is going to need fixing. More loft might fix this anyway.

I don't see the back spin as such a problem if you are carrying 260. At 2200 rpm it should roll out way more than 15 yards.

I'd hope so too but obviously the launch monitor is in Winter mode.

What sort of figure should the side spin be?

The guy in AG said anything under 1500 isn't that much of a problem but that my 7 degree push would affect the shape of the shot much more.

I don't think I was swinging particularly well so I'd be hoping that after a bucket or two of balls I'd be swinging better which hopefully should reflect in the figures.

 

[viscount17]

The guy in AG said anything under 1500 isn't that much of a problem

that's not what the guy in my AG said when I was on the monitor. he was talking under 500 and 'as low as possible'.

(I was a bit variable too, backspin/launch angle too low (de-lofting the club head), sidespin best 200 worst 1200)

 

[USER1999]

Certainly under 500 is not going to put you in trouble. Unless you always play for the big fade?

 

[SharkAttack]

I went to the local AG which is attached to a golf range. It has a bay in the shop that opens onto the range. I tried the Rapture 9* and i15 9* also.

I had very similar results to you, just slightly less side spin and 2700 backspin. This resulted in pretty much the same distance. By hitting out into a range I could see the results of the shot against the launch monitor results. I can tell you they were spot on. When it said I hit a draw it was right and fade also correct. It even detected a wild hook I hit on one of the shots when I was trying to knock the cover off the ball, and guess what the swing speed was- only up 3mph. That even proved to me that controlled aggression was better than out and out aggression.

 

[HRC99]

that's not what the guy in my AG said when I was on the monitor. he was talking under 500 and 'as low as possible'.

(I was a bit variable too, backspin/launch angle too low (de-lofting the club head), sidespin best 200 worst 1200)

I thought it was a bit high but, to be fair to him, he wasn't pressurising me at all.

Certainly under 500 is not going to put you in trouble. Unless you always play for the big fade?

Under 500? Oops, work to do. I did have a go with a 10 degree Nike SQ (something or other) with a regular shaft and that performed worse than the Ping Rapture. Less distance, higher spin rates too. It was a horrible light thing, hated it.

Roll on tomorrow.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have said it before but I think it needs reiterating that a lot of the guys that work in AG simply don't have the techical nous to dissect the findings off the monitor and give you a qualified answer. Many are no more than sales assistants and often with limited golf experience.

In my opinion unless you are using one with a PGA pro attached or being dealt with by the store manager who have to undergo a training course on the monitor as part of their AG development then I think you'd be better of going to a range that offers a custom fitting service or has a launch monitor and getting a pro to look at your numbers.

 

[Ethan]

Don't rely on anything AG tells you.

Go to a good pro and get him to repeat the test. It has been known for shops to turn the monitor up to 11 to impress the punters. I hit a ball 300 yards once on a monitor in an AG shop. When I challenged the guy that it was inflated, he confessed. Reading around, I think they adjust the altitude so the machine thinks you are up in the Alps where the ball flies a lot further.

 

[GB72]

Agree with that, the in store putting greens all slope to the hole as well so as you feel like you are holing everything

 

[HRC99]

Don't rely on anything AG tells you.

Go to a good pro and get him to repeat the test. It has been known for shops to turn the monitor up to 11 to impress the punters. I hit a ball 300 yards once on a monitor in an AG shop. When I challenged the guy that it was inflated, he confessed. Reading around, I think they adjust the altitude so the machine thinks you are up in the Alps where the ball flies a lot further.

I didn't think it was a shonky reading but I would have expected to get around that kind of carry with a driver. That's partly why I wanted to get my current driver measured so I have something to compare it with.

 

[RGDave]

I didn't swing brilliantly.

My average swing speed was 104mph and was told I definitely wanted a stiff shaft at that speed.

Launch angle around 12.5 degrees which I was told was good for a 9 degree driver.

Side spin was around 900-1300 slice and back spin 2200.

Distances were around a 260 carry and 275 overall.

9 degree driver. 12-13 degrees launch. 104 mph. 260 carry.

You are a walking god.....

Shame about the push!!

 

[HRC99]

I didn't swing brilliantly.

My average swing speed was 104mph and was told I definitely wanted a stiff shaft at that speed.

Launch angle around 12.5 degrees which I was told was good for a 9 degree driver.

Side spin was around 900-1300 slice and back spin 2200.

Distances were around a 260 carry and 275 overall.

9 degree driver. 12-13 degrees launch. 104 mph. 260 carry.

You are a walking god.....

Shame about the push!!

Very kind of you. I reckon I could be quite handy if I could hit it straight.

Off 18, I can be quite tough to beat when I do hit it straight.

 

[RGDave]

I didn't swing brilliantly.

My average swing speed was 104mph and was told I definitely wanted a stiff shaft at that speed.

Launch angle around 12.5 degrees which I was told was good for a 9 degree driver.

Side spin was around 900-1300 slice and back spin 2200.

Distances were around a 260 carry and 275 overall.

9 degree driver. 12-13 degrees launch. 104 mph. 260 carry.

You are a walking god.....

Shame about the push!!

Very kind of you. I reckon I could be quite handy if I could hit it straight.

Off 18, I can be quite tough to beat when I do hit it straight.

Did you get a read of the face angle at any time?

7 degrees (from the inside) is quite a bit but a few degrees with an almost square face could be awesome!

 

[HRC99]

Did you get a read of the face angle at any time?

7 degrees (from the inside) is quite a bit but a few degrees with an almost square face could be awesome!

[/QUOTE]

I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Sorry, probably being thick!

 

[JustOne]

I think he's saying that if you were hitting straighter your launch figures would have been outta-this-world.

I have seen a pro hit a shot on a launch monitor that only had ONE rpm of sidespin and it went MILES (299yd carry) we were both pretty impressed, as we also were when I hit driver with a smash factor of 1.52 beating his 1.51 (not bad seeing as 1.50 is the maximum!!!)

 

[viscount17]

I have said it before but I think it needs reiterating that a lot of the guys that work in AG simply don't have the techical nous to dissect the findings off the monitor and give you a qualified answer. Many are no more than sales assistants and often with limited golf experience.

In my opinion unless you are using one with a PGA pro attached or being dealt with by the store manager who have to undergo a training course on the monitor as part of their AG development then I think you'd be better of going to a range that offers a custom fitting service or has a launch monitor and getting a pro to look at your numbers.

The guy using the launch monitor in my case was one of the pro's, who recommended a top end driver.
That said a pro elsewhere (the one who said it's not the club, it's you!) reckons the Vector Monitors are very basic.
Apparently it compares two/three images of the ball taken within a couple of inches of the tee, then runs this against a software model - how good the model is? Now the Trackman, that's a different story.

So it comes down to three things,
- they have to be trained to use the equipment
- they have to have the right equipment
- they have to be prepared to tell like it is and offer you what you <u>need</u>, even if this be a course of lessons.

after that it's down to you. I still wanted a new toy but at least got the lesson I needed with it.

 

[Ethan]

Don't rely on anything AG tells you.

Go to a good pro and get him to repeat the test. It has been known for shops to turn the monitor up to 11 to impress the punters. I hit a ball 300 yards once on a monitor in an AG shop. When I challenged the guy that it was inflated, he confessed. Reading around, I think they adjust the altitude so the machine thinks you are up in the Alps where the ball flies a lot further.

I didn't think it was a shonky reading but I would have expected to get around that kind of carry with a driver. That's partly why I wanted to get my current driver measured so I have something to compare it with.

260 carry off 104 mph driver swing speed is very very very good, suggesting either 100% optimal launch conditions and smash factor ...

.. or that the machine was amped up.

AG may have wanted to give you a reading that was flattering but still credible to you.

According to Aldila, 100 mph gives 240 carry, and 110 mph 265 yards.

 

[HRC99]

Don't rely on anything AG tells you.

Go to a good pro and get him to repeat the test. It has been known for shops to turn the monitor up to 11 to impress the punters. I hit a ball 300 yards once on a monitor in an AG shop. When I challenged the guy that it was inflated, he confessed. Reading around, I think they adjust the altitude so the machine thinks you are up in the Alps where the ball flies a lot further.

I didn't think it was a shonky reading but I would have expected to get around that kind of carry with a driver. That's partly why I wanted to get my current driver measured so I have something to compare it with.

260 carry off 104 mph driver swing speed is very very very good, suggesting either 100% optimal launch conditions and smash factor ...

.. or that the machine was amped up.

AG may have wanted to give you a reading that was flattering but still credible to you.

According to Aldila, 100 mph gives 240 carry, and 110 mph 265 yards.

Off down there in a bit so we'll see when I compare it to my G2. I get about a 250 carry with that so we'll shall see whether they've been cheeky!