Pro's Launch Monitors

[SVB]

A quick question out of interest really - I just watched a YT video on one of the YT pros (Pete Finch) who has just purchased a Flightscope launch monitor to support his training / lessons.

This made me think, do any of the monitors pros have offer any difference / advantage etc etc or are they all pretty much the same. I know of GC2, Flightscope & trackman.

I cant find any non-partisan comparison on line. Does anyone know of one or have pesonal knowledge?

S

 

[Sybez]

There is slight variation in the software, but certainly doplar radars measure in a very similar way. Gc2 is a bit different but gets to the same point in a round about way.

I think Finch and Sheils are going to do a video on the two machines side by side soon to show the differences.

 

[Piece]

Flightscope and trackman are radar based systems. GC2 is camera. Loosely speaking, the outdoor radar ones tell you where your ball has gone and uses that info to reverse calculate some of the ball data (e.g. spin), whereas the camera one tells what your ball has done immediately and then extrapolates some data (e.g. distance). When it's windy, club fitting is difficult with radar as it can't definitively tell whether you've snap hooked it or the wind has blown it... .

The GC2 with HMT is probably the best LM around, IMHO. The HMT can tell you what's happening with the ball and club at impact by directly measuring it, whereas the radar can't 'see' the club-ball interaction and has to second guess what it thinks is happening based on ball flight.

In all, they are pretty much on the money. My personal preference is GC2 HMT hitting outdoors, with the least favourite indoor Flightscope.

IMHO.

 

[DaveyG]

It blows my mind how they can offer to do your club distances on these machines at the range... With range balls??? Surely its going to be inaccurate?

 

[ManinBlack]

It blows my mind how they can offer to do your club distances on these machines at the range... With range balls??? Surely its going to be inaccurate?

When I go on my local indoor launch monitor I take my own balls. It's the only way to get a realistic result.

 

[Imurg]

It blows my mind how they can offer to do your club distances on these machines at the range... With range balls??? Surely its going to be inaccurate?

I guess they know the %ge difference between range and real balls and re-calibrate to take that into account.
But it's not going to be as accurate as using the real thing.
Crossfield might be shown hitting range balls but all his figures come from using real balls.

If you're being fitted with range balls I can't see how it can be right. Approximate, but not right.

 

[Alex1975]

Flightscope and trackman are radar based systems. GC2 is camera. Loosely speaking, the outdoor radar ones tell you where your ball has gone and uses that info to reverse calculate some of the ball data (e.g. spin), whereas the camera one tells what your ball has done immediately and then extrapolates some data (e.g. distance). When it's windy, club fitting is difficult with radar as it can't definitively tell whether you've snap hooked it or the wind has blown it... .

The GC2 with HMT is probably the best LM around, IMHO. The HMT can tell you what's happening with the ball and club at impact by directly measuring it, whereas the radar can't 'see' the club-ball interaction and has to second guess what it thinks is happening based on ball flight.

In all, they are pretty much on the money. My personal preference is GC2 HMT hitting outdoors, with the least favourite indoor Flightscope.

IMHO.

This is pretty much spot on. Flightscope and Trackman tell you exactly what the ball has done and the others use a bit of information and work the rest of the flight out.

Trackman is the best for me... its just the real deal with really great info. What is a Trackman £20-30k? and a GC2 is £6k, GC2 HMT is £12k.

 

[SVB]

Trackman is the best for me... its just the real deal with really great info. What is a Trackman £20-30k? and a GC2 is £6k, GC2 HMT is £12k.

I did not realise there was such a difference. Does anyone know that actual prices incl Flightscope? If FS and TM are essentially the same, how can they survive with such different costs?

 

[garyinderry]

On a golf course a range ball goes about the same distance as a pro v1. I've tested ones I've found on the course. Pro v1, scrapper balls and range balls, all within 5yards of each other depending on strike.

 

[Alex1975]

I did not realise there was such a difference. Does anyone know that actual prices incl Flightscope? If FS and TM are essentially the same, how can they survive with such different costs?

The costs I have mentioned are about (ballpark) right. It will depend on spec, indoor version and outdoor version, software and so on. BMW and Audi are about the same and they survive...

Its a military grade dopla radar, not cheap. The camera style systems like GC2 are awesome bits of kit too though.

 

[Alex1975]

On a golf course a range ball goes about the same distance as a pro v1. I've tested ones I've found on the course. Pro v1, scrapper balls and range balls, all within 5yards of each other depending on strike.

Totally depends on on the range ball, some are 100% some designed to only be 60% for shorter ranges.

 

[Piece]

I did not realise there was such a difference. Does anyone know that actual prices incl Flightscope? If FS and TM are essentially the same, how can they survive with such different costs?

A quick Google shows TM prices are coming down. I guess due to competition and maturing technology. When they first appeared on the market, there were essentially one offerings from each. Now they have different flavours to meet different needs.

FS and TM are currently surviving as they were/are targeting different market areas, whilst essentially doing the same thing. TM have more long term contracts in place with major manufacturers, but that's under challenge from GC2 now.

 

[CMAC]

On a golf course a range ball goes about the same distance as a pro v1. I've tested ones I've found on the course. Pro v1, scrapper balls and range balls, all within 5yards of each other depending on strike.

prov1 £4.00
range ball £0.07p


thats my annual ball supply sorted for 2015:thup:

 

[CMAC]

a forum member here has his own trackman :clap:

 

[Alex1975]

a forum member here has his own trackman :clap:

Can an I have a go?!:lol:

 

[garyinderry]

Totally depends on on the range ball, some are 100% some designed to only be 60% for shorter ranges.

Most are 100%. it would be pretty noticeable if your ball was only going 60%. personally I would go somewhere else.

 

[mashleyR7]

Silvermere golf club had different balls for their fitting bays, proper srixons, these aren't the same as they use on the their open range.

 

[SVB]

Silvermere golf club had different balls for their fitting bays, proper srixons, these aren't the same as they use on the their open range.

It was the same when I did my fitting at PING, Gainsbourgh - range balls for warm up and then Srixon AD333 for fitting. Interestingly, PING seem to have a hybrid approch. IIRC they used trackman to follow the ball from the first part of the flight, then their software took over and worked out the remainder to give carry, total distance etc assuming level fairway and no wind (in practive their range is significantly down hill and the wind was blowing strongly across the range from the left).

 

[SVB]

Most are 100%. it would be pretty noticeable if your ball was only going 60%. personally I would go somewhere else.

I'm not sure this is the case, I think most are 90% ish - good enough to get proper feedback and not feel like foam (our range balls are Srixon but the pro told me are rated to 90% distance yet you (well I) can't tell the difference to feel or strike. )Also, at 100% I'm sure you'd find many more on the coarse due to people nicking them where in practice this does not happen.S

 

[Alex1975]

It was the same when I did my fitting at PING, Gainsbourgh - range balls for warm up and then Srixon AD333 for fitting. Interestingly, PING seem to have a hybrid approch. IIRC they used trackman to follow the ball from the first part of the flight, then their software took over and worked out the remainder to give carry, total distance etc assuming level fairway and no wind (in practive their range is significantly down hill and the wind was blowing strongly across the range from the left).

nFlight software or something innit?