Are Golf Launch Monitors Accurate

Are Golf Launch Monitors Accurate, Just a simple test to show you that launch monitors can help you understand what you are hitting and what numbers you can get from them. Using different golf balls with GC2 HMT and Trackman to show you how close these units can be for golfers looking to improve.

30 thoughts on “Are Golf Launch Monitors Accurate

  1. I totally understand what the guy was talking about. What you've shown is how well GC2 has done their homework. What I'd like to see is you hitting a ping pong ball (paint dimples on it) or a feathery and see how they compare.

  2. So, with a swing speed of 116, why am I not seeing the carry distances I should. Because I only get about 230 carry, but according to raw numbers, I should be getting around 260-270?

  3. Mark, love your media.. In ref to the question how accurate are the different monitors I can see the posters point but from a different perspective.. I have used trackmsn, gc2 and flightscope when I been fitted and had lessons.. one thing I find is common in that I never feel the distance given is accurate to my real life on course data.. for example I know on course in play I hit my 7 iron 170.. accurately and consistently yet 9/10 if I go onto a monitor it always measure further.. I would say on average around 10 yards.. I have spoke to numerous pros and fitters and all come up with varying responses.. I even had a pro friend bring his gc2 onto course and set it up at 170 from a pin in normal calm conditions and I've hit 7 iron to the pin yet monitors shows flight etc at further.. I think they are great for what they can show in comparing clubs like for like under the same conditions but always leave the true results to on course testing.. would love your thoughts..

  4. I've found with irons and fairway woods there's very little difference between all 3 launch monitors. Where I do find discrepancies is on indoor use. Shots hit with same ballspeed, launch and spin will produce quite different carry numbers on the 3 monitors based on their algorithms. This can be confusing. I'm not sure which one to believe! Find this discrepancy greater when the spin gets lower into the 1700 to 2200 bracket

  5. Hi Mark,

    Could you do a test on the new Skytrak? I'ts a very affordable golf simulator so I'm curious if you like it. They will send you as a YouTube celeberty a free one, I presume…

  6. I work in a golf shop with GC2 and i can't even count how many people walk in on a daily basis and argue with me about the accuracy of GC2 because they think they carry their driver 270 with an 85 mph club head speed…

  7. I think that the trackman got the longer distance on carry there in the start due to it tracking the ball and I think thats because your standing inside of the stall, meaning the ground is at a lower point than your floor, so your hitting downhill.
    I dont think that the gc2 is calculating that in as its closed data. Both launch mointors are great tho and i trust them both!
    Good video Mark.

  8. I would think it isn't that "is the monitor" right…but that reduced flight ball is going to launch different than a gamer and if you build your game by dialing in your distances on a launch monitor and then get to the course and start missing greens long because you have 10 yards+ more carry. Mygolfspy did a shoot out of the "consumer" devices vs. the GC2 as their reference and even these can be "reasonable" especially for the $$ most of these are scaled down trackman using doppler chips just smaller range and generally fewer so they have to do more calculation.

  9. Definitely an interesting vlog. Because prior to watching this i would WRONGLY assume that if two 'projectiles' were tracked (by a GC2) off the clubface and just the first yard of flight and both had identical speed & spin rates over this whole initial 1 yard then a top quality golf ball (e.g. proV1) would still go further. On the basis a high quality outer shell is more aerodynamic and cut through the air better, hence the reason why balls have different coatings and dimple patterns? But presumably its impossible for a crap ball to have identical speed & spin rate as a pro-v1 for the WHOLE of the first yard.

  10. Dead right Mark, my understanding is that the GC2 takes about 12 pictures over about a 2 inch area, and from that performs some clever maths to determine exactly how far the ball will go.
    Based on spin rates, how fast the ball is going and what angle the ball launches, its easy to determine how far the ball will go. Science rules 🙂
    the only thing it doesnt do is take wind into consideration.

  11. Could you please hit balls like this again but also have a guy down range with a laser range finder standing where your ball landed and laser you to see how close the numbers are. I haven't seen this done yet.

  12. Do a test of recycled/pond balls vs. new balls please. I feel like I lose a lot of distance with recycled balls but maybe it's in my head? Thanks Mark!

  13. Mr. Crossfield have we found your cryptonite? Dissing the golf tech! Most animated you have been for ages. Do these machines work with left handed balls and tee's?? I find ranges in general are much shorter for left handed golfers, the range I use has automated teeing system, there is only about 10 feet between the tee and a brick wall, yet behind me is a great big field with flags in! How stupid is whoever designed that? Also I find that there is only one shop near me that sells these left handed tee's and they are very expensive, also they have much less choice when it comes to left handed balls and they are again much more expensive. I tried the right handed ones but I slice them. Does anyone know where I can get these things at a fairer price? Thanks in advance for help. Also does the different lofts on sets of clubs make a difference? Surely a six iron is a six iron?

  14. This TM and GC2 head to head is exactly the comparison I've always wanted to see. Great vid Mark. You're answering the important questions out there.

  15. Some people just don't realize that the "range balls" are reduced-in-range by way of their bounce off the club face (COR = coefficient of restitution); they aren't aerodynamically different. The idea is that if you start a range ball and a real ball with the same spin and velocity, they will go the same distance. The difference only comes from how well one bounces off the club-face, which is information neither machine needs to determine distance.

  16. Based on a lot of people comparing LM distance to real-life, and more than a few seem to have at least used via rental the GC2+HMT, I thought I should make a comment. First, I own a GC2+HMT so I can speak in factual terms; I don't own the TM but I would bet the software has similar settings. In one of the Foresight configuration screens you can change "Shot Distance Boost". The lowest setting is "1.00" and the highest setting is "2.00". You can change this number in 100ths increments: 1.00, 1.01, 1.02, …, 1.98, 1.99, 2.00.

    This setting is supposed to be used to accommodate the altitude of the device, temperatures, etc. So for instance, if you live at sea level you would most likely set this to "1.00". I live at ~4300' above sea level so I have mine set to 1.08 during the hotter months and 1.04 during the winter months. I used the "trial & error" method to find these numbers based on the actual distances I get on a course.

    Incidentally, I know at least one golf shop locally that uses the GC2 (doesn't really make sense for a retailer to own the HMT because they don't usually give lessons), and sets this "boost" higher to give people the excitement of hitting driver farther, which may promote sales. I personally think this is a pretty low down thing to do, but to each their own I guess.

  17. I've found that distance measurements between "real life" and a launch monitor are fairly accurate, but my ball flight is completely different. When I hit driver in a GC2 simulator, the results are a hard slice to the right. When I play, or practice, my ball typically goes straight or slightly left (weak draw). I rarely hit the ball right in real life, but GC2 shows the ball going 40 yards right on every shot.

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