Experiences with Golf Launchpad Simulator

[finitesoup]

First snow of the season here...and no heated ranges or domes to feed my golf need.

I am considering buying a Golf Launchpad simulator, that can be hooked up to a computer or game console.

Does anyone have one? What has your experience been? Is it something you continually use after the novelty wares off?

[Lefty-Golfer]

personally i think you would be better buying tiger woods 2010 for the wie!!!

[glebert]

I have one of the old models and it is fun, but I think it is something that should be used sparingly. I made the mistake of using mine a lot earlier this year. We had just had our 2nd kid so there was no time for golf or driving range, so I would play on the sim instead. The problem was that I started making swing changes that worked well on the sim and didn't work so well in real life. I still use it sometimes, but not too often.

BTW, I don't use the tethered ball, I don't think it feels very real. I just swing over the sensors. If you setup in a garage you can hit real or practice balls into a net, the sim doesn't care. I also found that mine works best with using a 6i for every shot, for FW and driver the roundness of the sole throws it off, as do the wider soles on wedges.

On my version with TW06 the putting is just terrible. I would probably use this more if the putting was more realistic or if I could just skip putting altogether. Also, I make my character Natalie Gulbis, mostly because her club distances are actually very close to mine. I also find it a little hilarious.

There were a few of us who got these about this time last year, here is a thread reviewing them.

http://thesandtrap.com/forum/showthr...ight=launchpad

[SquareIT]

BTW, I don't use the tethered ball, I don't think it feels very real. I just swing over the sensors. If you setup in a garage you can hit real or practice balls into a net, the sim doesn't care. I also found that mine works best with using a 6i for every shot, for FW and driver the roundness of the sole throws it off, as do the wider soles on wedges.

On my version with TW06 the putting is just terrible. I would probably use this more if the putting was more realistic or if I could just skip putting altogether.

I'll second these two points. The teathered ball broke off on me when playing. Their support was good though and sent me free replacement parts. But I just hit real or foam/plastic balls into a net off the Launch Pad, then you can better tell if you hit it fat/thin, etc. And putting stinks with it, I just play Tiger Woods in practice mode with it as the swing analyzer in that game does pretty well of telling you swing path, and straight/fade/draw/etc. Overall its a nice alternative when the snow starts flying, but I always hit balls outside over this if I can.