Winter practice: simulator

Practice
#1

My club has built the space for a simulator, but hasn’t installed one… I’m still hopeful! I’ve been thinking about different things I want to do with a simulator and figured I’d share with the group… I’d love to hear what others are doing, ideas for things to try or anything else.

  1. This is my own personal windmill, but I really want to find and hone a neutral path with driver. Not necessarily to take to the course but more to know what neutral feels like… the instant feedback on a good monitor would definitely help for this… I’m also interested in getting a better feel for angle of attack.

  2. Iron dispersion. I want to map out how far I hit irons and what my 80% dispersion looks like… I have no idea right now. Seems like a good data point to have.

  3. Test the full swing vs half swing dispersion… what do I look like at 50 yards vs 120? How does my dispersion change

  4. Build better half swings… figure out what different speeds at impact feel like and help make them repeatable.

  5. Figure out stepping on vs stepping off irons and what happens. Know when to pick which shot.

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#2

I think it would be neat to practice on a simulator all winter.

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#3

Me too! I’m not confident I’ll have the option, but we will see…

I’ll hopefully at least have the space to hit at the club, and my pro has a launch monitor…

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#4

There’s always Florida. :grinning:

#5

I would love to have a simulator for the winter. Last winter was really mild and I was actually able to play some golf, but many times us New Englanders can go 5-6 months without playing. I used a Rukkett net in my garage this winter to try to keep some form for our winter golf trip and it did seem to help. I’d like to add a launch monitor this year. Unfortunately I don’t have the space for a simulator unless I convert my garage.

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#6

I also have a net set up in the garage (Spornia - very highly recommended!) and splurged on a SkyTrak last Winter … use it mostly for working on wedge distances.

I’m using only the basic (non-subscription) practice range but you still get still the impact data points - which are great, but not as extensive as Trackman, GC Quad, etc high-end LMs. But for things like club distances / dispersions or how far do I hit 1/2 swings it can be very helpful.

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#7

I’m ready to pull the trigger, but been going back and forth between skytrak and Mevo+ only because the Mevo+ can be used indoors and outdoors.

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#8

^ That’s a big plus on the Mevo, but … I’ve read that stickers on the ball are required to get accurate spin numbers (and so, other data points) … But double-check that.

The updated Mevo is a compelling buy!

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#9

Skytrak seems like the best way to go. $2K for the monitor. The skies (pun intended) the limit on how pimped out you want to go. Net, mat, projector or monitor. I’ve gotten by with an Optishot past 2 winters. 1 word review, wonky. I hit foam or wiffle balls into a a 10’x10’ white tarp in the garage. Using the laptop’s 14" monitor is ok. Much more enjoyable if I plug into an old 32" tv . The local place with a sim is $20 per ½ hour and has Trugolf. Way more expensive & way more accurate version of Optishot. Read 'em & weep gals/fellas …

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#10

I’m with you. I question how much I’d really use it outside anyway. I use my eyes and feel to tell me how a shot went on course or on the range. I don’t really need the data feedback.

I’m 90/10 leaning toward Skytrak. Just so bummed I won’t have it til midwinter at this point.

#11

I have a SkyTrak and a mat/net set up in my garage. My plan is to warm up for a few and then figure out my yardages once and for all. Plan is with each club to hit 20 shots, measure longest, shortest and average. Then shortest is useful for “must carry” situations and average for the majority of the time.

Then practicing wedge distances. I’m thinking pick a yardage and try to hit it there, then before looking see if I think I was short or long. I think that will get it pretty much down. Right now I don’t know how hard to hit it to make it go 60 yards or 70 yards. I’m basically just guessing.

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#12

Glad you posted it, I can see getting an Optishot and I have a 32" monitor on my computer. Indoor golf at home!

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#13

I just got my SkyTrak and I’m in the process of finishing off a room in the garage to isolate and heat. So far, the SkyTrak is really awesome, way better than the OptiShot (by a long way) and the Mevo, both of which I sold to help pay for the SkyTrak.

Optishot
The Optishot has cameras before and after, built into the mat, and picks up on basic club data only. If you hit down on the ball it will sense a slower transition from rear to front camera. If you swing fast, it is really bad. I had several “400 yard drives” that hooked 150 yards. Also, if your room isn’t dim with a light shining directly down on the cameras and a shiny club sole, you may see inaccuracies or missed shots.

Mevo
The Mevo is really a decent device. It is doppler, so you put it 6’ behind you and hit balls. Works really well at the range and does a decent job for wedge distance practice too. I had trouble aligning it (I’m thinking the doppler pattern is pretty tight compared to a wide Trackman or Flightscope) and it wasn’t consistent with picking up my drives. It works decent indoors but you don’t get a lot of ways to use the numbers.

Mevo+
I have never owned a Mevo+ but I went with SkyTrak simply because the Mevo+ needs to be placed 15’ behind the ball. I don’t have that kind of room after I account for a net, a mat, etc.

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My SkyTrak Journey
#14

This is the exact set up I WANT. Hard to get a hold of a Skytrak right now, though. How has this setup been for you? Do you feel like you’re missing out by not having a screen and projector?

#15

I know you replied to @Ty_Webb but I can weigh in here too. I have a Spornia SPG net with a white target for my projector. At this point, I haven’t even turned the projector on yet since I am still building the room. That said, I am not sure I’ll hook up the projector or, if I do I may not use it consistently. Two reasons. First, for simulator use you’ll need to interact with your iPad or computer on a regular basis. Second, and more importantly, after each shot it is really convenient to just look straight forward at the screen rather than “left” and down the line to see the results.

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#16

Agreed! Also have a SkyTrak and a Spornia net (in an unfinished garage) - unit is hooked up to a basic PC with a large enough monitor atop a shelving unit placed in front of where I’m facing on the hitting mat.

Pretty convenient and fewer things to install and maintain. That said … Projector and screen would be nice if you want to use the sim / play / compete features (I don’t).

I recently downloaded and tried the SkyTrak smartphone app – I only used it on the practice range but if you’re just interested in seeing the numbers and the ball flight tracers it was pretty handy!

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#17

I don’t. Right now my side of the garage has turned into storage for my kids’ bikes, scooters and general stuff so I can’t use it easily. Planning to sort things out soon. I haven’t felt the need for a big screen. If I had unlimited funds I’d build out a room in my back yard and fit it out with a GC Quad, big white screen, projector and a putting area. Unfortunately I don’t. :frowning:

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#18

Same. Why’s it all have to be so expensive?

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#19

I have set up a simulator in my garage, and I’ve been part of another forum/Discord with a bunch of simulator junkies. A few thoughts on my end:

  1. There’s simply no better way to practice than with a launch monitor. I didn’t realize how blind my practice was until I started using one.
  2. Most the guys will say that SkyTrak is the gateway drug, but most look to upgrade to a Foresight GC2 if they can pull together a few extra bucks. That seems to be the LM of choice for folks. It’s a step up from SkyTrak: $2K for a new SkyTrak vs. $3-5K for a used/CPO GC2. Key thing is that you don’t have to move all the way up to GCQ or Trackman ($15K+) to get a quality experience.
  3. For those who have to pack up the clubs for the winter, there are very active simulator leagues that are a lot of fun. Good group of guys (yes, pretty much all guys) with some good infield chatter.
  4. I’ve found that my simulator play has translated really well to my outdoor play. Since COVID started, I’ve gained 2 strokes from improved driver play and better distance control with my wedges and putter.
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#20

Any suggestions on where to find a good used GC2? And do you have any experience with it or what feedback have you seen?