Launch Monitor at our range

**Hollister** · September 10, 2010

Today I hit a couple of balls being monitored by a brand new TrackMan installation (above and infront of me). I hit a 8i and got the following

Carry: 104m (114y)
Roll: 114m (125y)
Ball speed: 86mph
Degr.: 28 (ooops, not sure)
Spin: 4836rpm

The monitor displayed the flight of the ball. I hit their soft range balls - I have about 10 to 20% more carry with regular balls on the golf course (for irons). That thing has a range mode or you can play "18 holes in 18 minutes".

I am not quite sure of what to make of that device - especially with those soft range balls?

Any ideas?

**golfro** · September 10, 2010

i dont get it, what is your question? how reliable is the Trackman? The Trackman doesn't know what ball you hit. So range ball or not, it's giving you an estimate depending on the way it measures your ball launch.

Of course range balls will react very differently off the club face than normal balls...so I'd say to be 100%, you should use a normal ball.

**Harmonious** · September 10, 2010

I would love to have access to a Trackman for just an hour. I would compare my ballstriking stats to the best players, to see if there are areas that I could come closer to their data.

For example, with a 8 iron, your launch angle is 28 degrees, if I'm reading your data correctly. For the average PGA tour pro, their launch angle is 18 degrees. http://thesandtrap.com/forum/threads...-Tour-vs.-LPGA

I would suggest you could work on delofting your club more, a lot more. Even with a slow swing speed, it will increase your distance and accuracy.

**Hollister** · September 10, 2010

@golfro

I trust that it is accurate.

To rephrase my question:
Does it make sense to use the launch monitor with soft range balls?
If so, what would be to best use for it?
Is is safe working on launch angle and spin with the driver despite the range balls?

No, I am not going to hit many regular balls at that range.

@Harmonious

I am not quite sure if it was 28 degr., but I am exactly not hitting down on the ball anyways. I know where the flaw is and I am working on it.

I am not really sure if I really can transfer the results with the soft range balls to normal balls. I try to ask the rep from TrackMan, if I can get hold of him - or I'll mail the company. Moreover, I try to get a test access. The system allow you to review your stats (even seesions?) via a web site.

***iacas*** · September 10, 2010

For example, with a 8 iron, your launch angle is 28 degrees, if I'm reading your data correctly. For the average PGA tour pro, their launch angle is 18 degrees.

Just a quick bit here... Let's say the loft of an 8-iron is around 39 degrees. Pros do not "de-loft" the club 21 degrees. There's a lot more that goes into a ball's launch angle, and a good part of it is speed and the fact that the club is moving downward.

**Blades4me** · September 11, 2010

This of course is just my opinion, but what I've found is that if one isn't at least a 12 hc, and I use 12 hc b/c that is when one's swing is starting to get consistent, then launch monitor numbers can change drastically from day to day. So if one doesn't have at least a somewhat consistent swing launch monitor numbers aren't all that benefical. As for distance and type of shot, no way I'm believing their "kool aid", thats what the range is for. However, again IMO, ss, ball rpm and launch angle and maybe smash factor are the only numbers I really pay attention to. The rest is what the range is for.

I also agree with others that using range balls for this isn't all that good of an idea.

**Harmonious** · September 11, 2010

Just a quick bit here... Let's say the loft of an 8-iron is around 39 degrees. Pros do not "de-loft" the club 21 degrees. There's a lot more that goes into a ball's launch angle, and a good part of it is speed and the fact that the club is moving downward.

Agreed. But if the launch angle is 10 degrees higher than a tour pro, that would be something tangible to work on, to get that gap narrowed as much as possible. I wish I knew what my 8 iron launch angle was. Shoot, maybe mine's that high, too.

dtb300 · September 30, 2010

I just had my session with the teacher and using the launch monitor for my driver hitting 20-30 shots.

Based on my average numbers and the numbers posted for the PGA and LPGA stats:

http://mytrackman.com/TrackMan.Onlin...GANumbers.html

I would fit right into the LPGA tour!!!! :)

I had an average clubhead speed of 95, ball speed of 140, launch angle of 15, and spin rate of 2300, with average distance of 245. The best thing about these numbers is most of my shots were pretty straight with side spin being mostly a hook spin.

Interesting information, but results I see on shots are more important too me. I was thinking about purchasing another driver but after this session and trying out some other drivers/shafts, I have a pretty good fit for me now.

**Hollister** · September 30, 2010

Good girl :D

I am waiting for new range balls before having another Trackman session. The current range balls have so little dimples left, some fly S-curves. They even documented on Trackman... Now I know what the gadget is good for, too.

Since my distances decrease constantly, I get a little frustrated. Its the balls, stupid! Bought a couple boxes of Penta's today, will take em to the range and out drive everybody :D

Trackman, The Game

**James_Black** · September 30, 2010

I was hitting 6i's at the range before.

I was getting 7000 RPM of backspin on my shots! i think those numbers were a bit off.

carry distances were spot on though.

**kpaulhus** · September 30, 2010

Its the balls, stupid! Bought a couple boxes of Penta's today, will take em to the range and out drive everybody :D

Your going to hit $4 golf balls on a range?

**Hollister** · September 30, 2010

Yeah, wicked Europeans do stupid things :D

4$? Oh, they are that cheap over there? We usually have to pay 4.80 Euros which are around 7$. Bought some for 4.10$ - a bargain. The ones I picked up came with Ryder Cup 2018 advertising - see my new avatar. Couldn't resist buying them.

Guess I try a few Topflites or found balls with the Trackman next spring. Will play the Pentas next year rewarding myself for eager winter practice and hopefully the desired consistency.

**basscat348** · October 1, 2010

Never heard of range balls being refered to as soft,they are anything but soft IMO.

**bkoguy07** · October 1, 2010

I don't know if I trust launch monitors sometimes.. I was hitting into a golf simulator today, and my usual 6i is about 180's.. I was hitting it probably on the low end of the avg today most of my 6i shots were 190+. Along with the fact that when I would hit a hard driver in there right center of screen the simulator wouldn't pick it up.. But if I swung pretty soft it hit the same spot and still flew 250. Weird.. (I can hit it long and am a long player, but this was just suspect)

**James_Black** · October 1, 2010

I don't know if I trust launch monitors sometimes.. I was hitting into a golf simulator today, and my usual 6i is about 180's.. I was hitting it probably on the low end of the avg today most of my 6i shots were 190+. Along with the fact that when I would hit a hard driver in there right center of screen the simulator wouldn't pick it up.. But if I swung pretty soft it hit the same spot and still flew 250. Weird.. (I can hit it long and am a long player, but this was just suspect)

At our range we have an open launch monitor.

You see the flight of your ball at the range but you get info on SS, spin, launch angle and distance.

**Hollister** · October 1, 2010

Never heard of range balls being refered to as soft,they are anything but soft IMO.

My range, located right in a 2 mio. inhabitants city is too short for the ususal range stones, pardon, balls. So they use softer balls. After one hit your clubface retains a lot of the ball cover layer. So I know where I hit the balls on the clubface. The distance with new rangeballs is say 10 to 20 percent shorter, the worn balls travel about 15 to 30 percent less far and tend to curve unnaturally. Less distance, inaccurate spin/spin axis (horizontal ball flight), what else not right? Is to launch angle and therefore the vertical ball flight OK?

That why I asked on what to make of the Trackman results initially. The launch angle is interesting for me. Currently I train hitting down on the ball monitoring impact with a high-speed cam. I could easily measure it on a computer... For now I think that Trackman The Game might be the only use for the $10k+ installation. Accuracy and consistency.

At our range we have an open launch monitor.

Is that a Trackman unit?

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Launch Monitor at our range

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