Do you trust launch monitors?

[shortys408]

Today I decided to go check out some new drivers. My current driver is my 1st driver that I learned to hit with and thought it was time to see what else was out there. I went to an edwin watts and brought my driver with me to compare. On the launch monitor it said i was carrying my taylormade r7 regular flex, 10.5 degree driver 220 and 235 total. I than tried a 12 degree which was not better. Than I tried an adams speedline fast 10, regular flex, 10.5 degree and the shaft was an inch longer. I carried it 250, and total 267. Im having trouble believing there could be that drastic of a change. I took the club to demo, and hopefully can try it out tomorrow. But does anyone think this is feasible or could it be the employee messing with the launch monitor?

[Fourputt]

I would say that it depends on the employee. If he gets paid a commission, then I wouldn't take anything on faith. Take your suspicions to the course or range with you and do a side by side comparison with your old driver. That's about all you can do to be sure.

[colin007]

if nobody messed with the machine, i would think that any differences would be well represented - its not like theyre pumping up the #s for the new driver as opposed to your original that you brought with you.

[Fourputt]

if nobody messed with the machine, i would think that any differences would be well represented - its not like theyre pumping up the #s for the new driver as opposed to your original that you brought with you.

The thing is, unless he was watching, he has no way of knowing that none of the settings were changed. 30 yards is a big gain for just a different driver.... not saying it isn't possible, and the Adams did have a longer shaft, but that usually just increases the chance of miss hits for most of us. It only results in a longer drive when good timing is combined with nailing the sweet spot.... rare in a 17 handicapper.... even rare for me at 11.5

[shortys408]

i dont actually keep a handicap. 17 is just an estimate. I shot an 81 last week on a course with a slope rating of 69.8

[shortys408]

hoping for good weather tomorrow and I can't find out for sure. I really hope its true though, id love to be able to hit this long with driver :)

[etlreams]

I have always been skeptical of launch monitors. Earlier this summer I went in to Golfsmith to get "fitted" for a driver (which simply went trying a bunch of different ones and what gave me the best numbers). The sales person I met with I trust and is a friend. He told me the numbers should be accurate, as the machine had just been calibrated. The distance and directionality I was getting on the monitor ended up being pretty accurate to how I drive the ball on the course. So.....my opinion is...... the machines are accurate if they are calibrated regularly and correctly.

[golfro]

I take it with a grain of salt. If no sales person is watching or playing around with the machine, then the machine itself has no idea of knowing what driver you're hitting.

I have heard in certain instances where the sales person will tweak the stats to sell more expensive clubs, etc.

Now when I hit a number of balls with irons and drivers at the launch monitor, I would actually say the numbers are fairly accurate. Very similar as far as distance goes to my real shots.

[chilly]

I've had instances where it seems a monitor will really "like" some launch parameter, and it will change distances a inordinate amount. For instance, a changing launch angle by 1.5* will seem to increase distance 30yds...or I've been on one that only came close to my "normal" distance if it showed 16* launch angle.

I like to take a known combo and hit it, then if the numbers look feasible, I'll trust the monitor to some extent.

[WUTiger]

Launch monitor is only as good as its calibration and settings. At the Golf Galaxy I go to, the launch monitor 6-iron distance is usually a few yards less than how far I hit that club ball on the course.

Any chance some shops juice up the monitor so you will think you've found the Wonder Club?

[DarkPrince]

Even though it's the end of the season, I'm 80% sure I just want to trade in my S2 and do a live outdoor fitting with a Trackman at a shop a bit further away than the GG I went to initially. I purchased my S2 after comparing it to a few others with someone who told me the #'s worked the best with it. It wasn't the most expensive of the few I tried, but I think I just didn't trust the opinion fully and was stupid enough to still buy it. 4 months later I hate this thing, I can't hit it. Something stuck out in my mind the entire time i was doing the "fitting" too. Every single shot was a draw, which I never hit. I opened my stance, opened the face, held it open at impact....and it still said I was drawing the ball 10'sh yards...and as someone who for the longest time (and still does) have issues with doing a nice big push fade...it's not like I don't know how to do it on purpose haha. I just feel like such an idiot for believing it and dropping $300 on something I'm not going to get even 1/2 the price in trade in if I go with another. The only other thing I remember is that the first person who was helping me didn't really know anything about how to work the machine, and another girl had to come over and kind of show her what to do/eventually take over :P

[TourSpoon]

I went to an Edwin Watts and hit a new Callaway and the carry was 230ish. Then I brought in my current Cally and carried it over 250. The guy told me to keep hitting my driver. I couldn't believe it. He said it was all in the shaft that I was playing and to save my money. I should have tipped him!

[DarkPrince]

I wish someone wouldve told me that :( I'm pretty sure I hit my old Cobra SS 380 better/further :(

[Blades4me]

Today I decided to go check out some new drivers. My current driver is my 1st driver that I learned to hit with and thought it was time to see what else was out there. I went to an edwin watts and brought my driver with me to compare. On the launch monitor it said i was carrying my taylormade r7 regular flex, 10.5 degree driver 220 and 235 total. I than tried a 12 degree which was not better. Than I tried an adams speedline fast 10, regular flex, 10.5 degree and the shaft was an inch longer. I carried it 250, and total 267. Im having trouble believing there could be that drastic of a change. I took the club to demo, and hopefully can try it out tomorrow. But does anyone think this is feasible or could it be the employee messing with the launch monitor?

The only numbers I take serious on a launch monitor are club head speed, launch angle, ball rpm and smash factor. The range is what the rest is for, i.e. trajectory, distance, fade/draw/straight.

[design]

To answer your question.

Not unless I'm on a range where I can see the ball flight myself.

[CrazyXGolfer]

Yes. Good qulity launch mointers that have been setup corectly are fantasic! And everyone should trust them.

Only reason not to trust them, if it is sombody selling somthing to you in a golf shop and the resaults are comming out to good to be true, it;s very very easy to tamper with these to make shots look alot better then they are. Try to buy clubs off the same person if you found that last club worked and fitted you well.

But if you own one and it was set up well. Then you should def be trusting it!

[TourSpoon]

I wish someone wouldve told me that :( I'm pretty sure I hit my old Cobra SS 380 better/further :(

That's the thing, DarkPrince, sometimes new is not better. The faces are maxed out so if you get the right shaft it makes all the difference.

[DarkPrince]

That's the thing, DarkPrince, sometimes new is not better. The faces are maxed out so if you get the right shaft it makes all the difference.

The problem is I have absolutely no idea how to or where to go to get fit for just a shaft. Golf Galaxy doesn't exactly keep 63 versions of the same driver in stock :/ I know some companies have fitting "carts" where they've got like 15 shafts, 12 heads and you just screw them on until the fitter gets the right one. My coworking/manager who is scratch talks about how he's got like a $200 shaft in his driver that just broke (which is why I can't switch back to the SS380 cuz I'm letting him borrow it until he gets his new one fixed as he's the previous owner :P) but I don't know if I can justify dropping a ton on a shaft after I already paid 300 lol. Since it's adjustable I also thought there would be less options....but apparently I was wrong...I just don't understand how someone can pick the right one out of all of

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