Personal Launch Monitors - Doppler Radar

Alex1975

Alex1975

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It seems its starting to happen....

I made a post about a year ago about the fact that whoever could make the doppler radar type systems cheap enough for personal launch monitors would be onto a great thing and be able to exploit the extreme golfers lust for knowledge.

The Swing Caddy SC100 is a doppler radar system for around $300, it offers:
http://voicecaddie.com/2013/product_sc100_01.php
• Carry Distance
• Swing Speed
• Ball Speed
• Smash Factor

So no launch angle or spin rate... for the money its good but for me there simply has to be launch and spin to believe the carry distance.

Now the Ernest Sports ES14.... This thing really does look good!! There is no enough info just yet but it looks a lot better than the ES12!!!:
http://www.ernestsports.com/es14/

Ball Speed
Spin Rate
Smash Factor
Club Speed
Distance


At around $450... I am very keen to see how this looks going forwards.


Any thoughts? Something you would like?
 
ive been after something like this for a while. did um and ah about a vector pro but just want to take an ipad to the range really..

The ES12 looked ok, but it was only distances. I'm interested in the other stuff. So maybe the ES14 could be a goer, but need some review videos. nothing on the website.
 
Off to the states in September so I might have a look around whilst I am there. Butch Harmon is not going to put his name to anything if it is just a gimmick. (Unless he gets half of the profits of course).
 
srixon 1 said:
Off to the states in September so I might have a look around whilst I am there. Butch Harmon is not going to put his name to anything if it is just a gimmick. (Unless he gets half of the profits of course).
Click to expand...


Oh I am thinking Butch will do whatever he is paid to do and he is linked to the ES12 there that is a so so device but I feel like the ES14 is a large step up.
 
Tempted to get one of these, as I'm looking to put a cage up in the back garden. I worked out that by buying the poles and netting and building the thing myself, my outlay for the kit would pay for itself within 4 months.

Now if I factored in a launch monitor and a decent mat the whole setup would be paid for in under 9 months.

Found this on youtube

[video=youtube;QxxP2HRCCmw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxxP2HRCCmw&feature=player_detailpage[/video]
 
Last edited:
Alex1975 said:
Now the Ernest Sports ES14.... This thing really does look good!! There is no enough info just yet but it looks a lot better than the ES12!!!:
http://www.ernestsports.com/es14/

Ball Speed
Spin Rate
Smash Factor
Club Speed
Distance

At around $450... I am very keen to see how this looks going forwards.

Any thoughts? Something you would like?
Click to expand...


Guys - be careful with this before you part with your hard earned.

I've followed Ernest Sports progress in recent times and the ES14 looks great, until you dig a little deeper. In short, it does not measure spin rate.

Ernest Sports have gathered a vast amount of swing data and, as I understand it, based on the other stats it can measure... it essentially looks up spin rates from that database.

For me, that's not quite what I'm looking for. I'm waiting for the $450 GC2 but I think I'll be waiting for some time...
 
mab said:
Guys - be careful with this before you part with your hard earned.

I've followed Ernest Sports progress in recent times and the ES14 looks great, until you dig a little deeper. In short, it does not measure spin rate.

Ernest Sports have gathered a vast amount of swing data and, as I understand it, based on the other stats it can measure... it essentially looks up spin rates from that database.

For me, that's not quite what I'm looking for. I'm waiting for the $450 GC2 but I think I'll be waiting for some time...
Click to expand...


Does it measure launch angle? If it measures Launch, club and ball speed I think I could live with simulated spin.
 
Alex1975 said:
Does it measure launch angle? If it measures Launch, club and ball speed I think I could live with simulated spin.
Click to expand...

I don't believe it measures launch angle either.

You must tell the machine which club you are using and I understand it measures both clubhead speed and ball speed. From those three pieces of information (and maybe others), I believe it uses some computer wizardry and the huge database of launch stats to 'calculate' both launch angle and spin rate.

Hence, I believe both launch angle and spin rate are calculated, not measured.
 
I have a vector pro with micro lens update, in my little room right now from an ex Pro wanting rid. I tried my damnedest with Vector to try and get it to run on my laptop but my spec just can't run it. But they did give me the latest software updates which includes the new range set up, where you can have a 300yd range, 150yd to green and then 100yd to green. Anyone interested then PM me.

But as to launch monitors, I'm waiting on my club fitter who's dealing with iTrainer that attaches below your grip, and he's tested it with a Vector Pro and numbers are very similar and gives loads of data and can be used for putting as well and be blue toothed to ipad. I have heard the price will be between £160-200. I'm just waiting on him to get back to me.

http://www.insight-sports.com/index_topic.php?did=22&didpath=/22
 
3565 said:
I have a vector pro with micro lens update, in my little room right now from an ex Pro wanting rid. I tried my damnedest with Vector to try and get it to run on my laptop but my spec just can't run it. But they did give me the latest software updates which includes the new range set up, where you can have a 300yd range, 150yd to green and then 100yd to green. Anyone interested then PM me.

But as to launch monitors, I'm waiting on my club fitter who's dealing with iTrainer that attaches below your grip, and he's tested it with a Vector Pro and numbers are very similar and gives loads of data and can be used for putting as well and be blue toothed to ipad. I have heard the price will be between £160-200. I'm just waiting on him to get back to me.

http://www.insight-sports.com/index_topic.php?did=22&didpath=/22
Click to expand...

Interesting...but I'm not sure if I could trust swinging with something attached to the shaft!
 
Wabinez said:
Interesting...but I'm not sure if I could trust swinging with something attached to the shaft!
Click to expand...

Yeah I can understand your reservation, a bit like the Mizuno DNA thing, but through trial and launch monitor I was fitted with lightweight shafts for a set, before the DNA came out and when I tried the DNA it suggested lightweight shafts for me?

But until like someone said earlier a $450 Gc2 comes along we are, unless your stinking rich, going to have to deal with these attachments or data based result launch monitors like this ES14. It's a bit like buying your first computer, when do you get one as technology is so fast that it's outdated as soon as you buy and bet your a** that next day something better more accurate and cheaper comes along.
 
These things are getting better and better all the time. I've just started using a Swingbyte and I really like it - great app and its simplicity is fantastic. Because of where it is attached on the shaft, it is absolutely not a factor in the swing that you can notice.

The ES14 looks like a big step forward - even if spin and LA are calculated. You need to bear in mind that a GC2 will set you back about £12,000 and a Trackman about £20,000 so at this price point - providing it is reasonably accurate and simple to use and stores data in the cloud without wires and manual intervention, I think it is great. I will wait for v2.0 though!! Swingbyte 1.0 promised a lot but 2.0 is much much better.

For all of this though, there are an increasing number of people that I speak to who are preferring to hit balls on a range and watch them fly, rather than into a screen and indoors. Case in point - my mate is a scratch golfer, lapsed pro and an ex long drive champion in the USA. Spent a morning last week testing a Callaway driver (5 degree loft!!!) and loved it in the net, loved all the stats from the GC2. Took it out on the course yesterday and hated it - simply couldn't control it. And this is a guy with a repeatable swing and still scored well overall yesterday so it wasn't like his swing was having an off day.

Some people just love their stats though.
 
MGL said:
The ES14 looks like a big step forward - even if spin and LA are calculated. You need to bear in mind that a GC2 will set you back about £12,000 and a Trackman about £20,000 so at this price point - providing it is reasonably accurate and simple to use and stores data in the cloud without wires and manual intervention, I think it is great. I will wait for v2.0 though!! Swingbyte 1.0 promised a lot but 2.0 is much much better.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was probably a little negative in my first post - I certainly didn't mean to be.

I think the product represents real progress. However, I don't like that the website infers launch and spin measurement - I'd prefer the specs of the product be clear and not open to easy misinterpretation.
 
Alex1975 said:
Ball Speed
Spin Rate
Smash Factor
Club Speed
Distance
Click to expand...

This looks interesting and is certainly a step forward but are these the most useful pieces of information to handicap golfers? I guess it would help hone your distances but otherwise what is the benefit? Far more useful would be AofA, face and path data. Until the tech can provide those then I'll hold on to my cash me thinks.
 
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