Hitting it long on vector pro launch monitors

[bunkerputt]

Do these things flat out lie?  Can you configure them to trick buyers?  I was trying out some different shafts on one of these and it's claim was 281 carry 296 roll total.  That seems a little long distance-wise, but not unreasonably long for me.  The last round, I GPS'ed several drives (wind into and helping), averaged them, and got somewhere around 285 carry+roll.  What shocked me was that it claimed the ball speed was 152 with a flight time of around 8.1 seconds.  I always thought it was BS to be able to hit it that far with a ball speed that low.  But it was extremely consistent.  The flight time, shot shape, launch angle and side-spin seemed pretty spot on for my swing.  The clubhead speed it measured was 98-102, when mine from other methods (radar, different brands, etc.) is typically between 109-115 with around 270 carry.  Either you can actually hit it that far without a huge wind, or the vector pros have a "bonus" built in to sucker you into buying a club.  What was equally confusing was that I hit a few intentionally thin and they carried about 235, which is what a thin drive will typically carry for me.  So it seemed to measure mis-hits pretty accurately, or I guess as accurately as it can.

[mkrolewski]

They are setup and adjusted to take into consideration the surroundings, etc. It is possible for them to be adjusted to be "hotter". It is highly unlikely for someone to change the performance setting between swings or between clubs.

I cannot recall exactly what this one is measuring, but I believe it is actually looking at the ball, and it's spin. It calculates distance down range and off line from this information. The physics make this possible. You are getting consistent but relative results.

When you are testing with them, your best bet is to compare what you know ( your current driver, wood ) to the different club(s). The relative measure of performance should be the same. As you stated, thin shots behave as you might expect ( a relative reduction in performance ). Your swing may (will) change when you move into the simulator. That may effect your performance.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by mkrolewski

They are setup and adjusted to take into consideration the surroundings, etc. It is possible for them to be adjusted to be "hotter". It is highly unlikely for someone to change the performance setting between swings or between clubs.

I cannot recall exactly what this one is measuring, but I believe it is actually looking at the ball, and it's spin. It calculates distance down range and off line from this information. The physics make this possible. You are getting consistent but relative results.

When you are testing with them, your best bet is to compare what you know ( your current driver, wood ) to the different club(s). The relative measure of performance should be the same. As you stated, thin shots behave as you might expect ( a relative reduction in performance ). Your swing may (will) change when you move into the simulator. That may effect your performance.

I'm starting to believe those numbers.  It's definitely a different swing for me because the mats are slippery with my tennis shoes.  It tends to be narrower stance to keep from slipping, and a lot of upper body action (similar to Ricky Barnes).  With spikes on (tested with and without), I can use my lower body effectively, make my normal swing and rhythm and my swing speed jumps by about 10mph on the vector.  I went in on Monday without spikes, I knew I wasn't swinging well and the yardages were completely different (240-250 vs. 280+ on Friday).  I think I probably swing a little harder on them too just to unconsciously see how hard I can hit it which is why good swings get about 15 more yards than a standard on the course driver swing.