What are you looking for in a launch monitor?

[ScottyCameron]

I am going to test the same driver in 10 different shaft combos to see which shaft I will benefit from the most.

The launch monitor gives so many numbers that all add up to the quality of the shot but its so confusing! What numbers should I look for when comparing different shafts? Thanks!

[Drennen13]

Swing speed, distance, consistency, the flex of the shaft, angle to the ball. All of it is very important.

[JGulkCG]

actually...swing speed is best not to be looked at usually. people get too aggressive and want to swing harder.

the best numbers to look at are ball speed, smash factor, spin rate, landing angle, attack angle.

[Drennen13]

actually...swing speed is best not to be looked at usually. people get too aggressive and want to swing harder.

I never said swing as hard as you can. I simply advised him to take a look at your swing speed (with a normal everyday swing) to determine which shaft fits his style. You dont want to be hitting a regular shaft if you have a 95 to 100 mph club speed.

[JGulkCG]

i know what you mean, but him being an 8.3 i'm pretty sure he has an idea of what flex shaft to be in. Just a matter of finding the right model shaft. From my experience doing demos, people want to know their swing speed and when they do find out, thinking its too low, want to swing harder. Which is why i dont tell them the swing speeds till after everything is done.

[Drennen13]

Thats a good point. I didnt intend that the guy was a dope, just trying to help a guy out.

[ScottyCameron]

actually...swing speed is best not to be looked at usually. people get too aggressive and want to swing harder.

Thanks for the advise, but I have a question- isnt all of those factors added up = distance? I mean, it a shaft provides all that stuff, it should go farther. I just think (besides the straightness of the shaft) a shaft with more distance will have those factors you talked about. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, it just seems like distance is all the factors added up.

[JGulkCG]

Thanks for the advise, but I have a question- isnt all of those factors added up = distance? I mean, it a shaft provides all that stuff, it should go farther. I just think (besides the straightness of the shaft) a shaft with more distance will have those factors you talked about. I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, it just seems like distance is all the factors added up.

Yea, thats what a launch monitor is for. To see all of those numbers and trying to get the optimal numbers. Getting the optimal numbers will get a more desired ball flight which will in turn give you more distance. While on one, thats the time to mess with combinations of driver heads and shaft combinations. Along with distance though you want to come to a happy medium of distance and dispersion. Is this going to be an indoor or outdoor launch monitor? Outdoor ones, like Trackman, will be give you a dispersion chart of all the balls you hit with the different clubs.

[ScottyCameron]

Yea, thats what a launch monitor is for. To see all of those numbers and trying to get the optimal numbers. Getting the optimal numbers will get a more desired ball flight which will in turn give you more distance. While on one, thats the time to mess with combinations of driver heads and shaft combinations. Along with distance though you want to come to a happy medium of distance and dispersion. Is this going to be an indoor or outdoor launch monitor? Outdoor ones, like Trackman, will be give you a dispersion chart of all the balls you hit with the different clubs.

Its inside, and it has a monitor that displays all the shots you have hit. So yeah, you definitely see the shot dispertion with that. It also gives averages for ball speed, spin, smash factor, launch angle, ect. So I can hit alot of shots for each shaft and find the averages to help see the best shaft.

What I am planning to do is to find the right shaft, then buy the club used on ebay and also buy the shaft I want. I would get a professional to pull the shaft the club came in and insert the shaft I choose to have the best driver for me. This is safe to do, right?

[JGulkCG]

Its inside, and it has a monitor that displays all the shots you have hit. So yeah, you definitely see the shot dispertion with that. It also gives averages for ball speed, spin, smash factor, launch angle, ect. So I can hit alot of shots for each shaft and find the averages to help see the best shaft.

Honestly, if you go through the work on the launch monitor, i would try and buy there and have them do it, instead of the alternate, ebay. First because there are counterfeits on ebay. It will be professionally done and you wont have any worry about the work getting done properly.

[ScottyCameron]

Honestly, if you go through the work on the launch monitor, i would try and buy there and have them do it, instead of the alternate, ebay. First because there are counterfeits on ebay. It will be professionally done and you wont have any worry about the work getting done properly.

I just wanted to do ebay because the driver I want costs more than I can afford. I dont have enough money saved to be spending $400 on a club plus the cash for the shaft, so ebay is my only option.

[JGulkCG]

so what club are you looking at getting anyway?

[ScottyCameron]

so what club are you looking at getting anyway?

I want to get a tileist 909 d3. I hit it really well and is a huge upgrade from my r5.

[pandp]

How accurate are launch monitors? Do they measure total distance (factor in roll)?

I ask because I went to the golf show in Louisville last week and had my first experience with a launch monitor. It seemed like total garbage to me. There was some long drive champion putting on a demonstration when I first got there, doing the old "hey watch I can hit the ball through plywood". Anyway, he had a launch monitor set up showing the supposed distance. First was 371, then it said 385, then 388...you get the point. Impressive. Then I saw the hourly long drive contest in a different area and decided to give it a whirl. First ball I hit felt pretty damn good - 274. Next ball I hit off the toe and it felt awful - 286. What? Hit one really sweet - 268. Um, ok? Ended up swinging harder than normal and hit one 289. This is confusing not only because a couple of the mishits went much farther than those that were sweet, but because I used to routinely drive the ball well over 300. I left and roamed around for about an hour. When I walked back by the long drive area, I saw the long drive champ hitting balls. His longest drive there was 303 and he said that was with one of his Pinnacles. His others were in the 290 range. I now disregard any launch monitor results.

[tweaky]

How accurate are launch monitors? Do they measure total distance (factor in roll)?

I had the same thing happen with three different launch monitors. Bad hits sometimes went further than solid ones. I always threw out the highs and lows and went with the averages.

[secret_dirt]

I'm looking for something that can tell me if my clubface is square at impact when i'm practice swinging at home. Would a launch monitor be the best for this? I'm not looking for any other feedback other than whether or not my clubface is square.

[andef]

I'm looking for something that can tell me if my clubface is square at impact when i'm practice swinging at home. Would a launch monitor be the best for this? I'm not looking for any other feedback other than whether or not my clubface is square.

I don't know whether a launch monitor would be the best idea. Trackman is the best launch monitor and just the system costs about 20,000 $ as i've seen a couple on ebay for that price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/TRACKMAN-Launch-...item4cef1464b2 I found some cheaper option on ebay as well but they least expensive ones are around 2,500$ or more.

[tweaky]

I'm looking for something that can tell me if my clubface is square at impact when i'm practice swinging at home. Would a launch monitor be the best for this? I'm not looking for any other feedback other than whether or not my clubface is square.

The Bengtson isn't a launch monitor but does read face angle. It's a pain to set up and take down but if you have a dedicated space for it then it's okay.

The Golf Achiever II reads face angle but, from lots of experience, does an inaccurate job of it. I watched as a friend intentionally hit several shots with the face slightly to completely open and closed and it was totally inconsistant. The Zelocity Pure Launch doesn't read face angle. The Vector Pro doesn't read face angle. I've owned all four and no longer use them. I still have the Bengtson, for sale. IMHO if you want to know your face angle learn how to read your ball flight. If you already know how to do that then you don't need a launch monitor. Spend the money on green fees or lessons.