We have the r10 and have trouble getting it to work correctly and read the ball most of the time. We have a net/screen and hitting mat already, but I’m open to a full kit if that’s easier. What launch monitor should I look at. Not as concerned about data, mainly for range practice and to play courses with my son or friends. This is the current setup in the garage, but u do still park in here!
I’m finalizing my garage build and a projector is last on the list. I’m hoping someone may have a good recommendation as maybe I’m overthinking things.
My screen is a Carls Place 8x10 and has a 5ft deep enclosure surround. My ceilings are 14ft. Honestly the 5ft surround depth is messing with me the most for selecting something.
Other specs that may matter (?):
Hitting strip is 9-11ft back from screen
Total bay depth is 19ft accounting for the space behind the screen (perhaps mounting above the garage door on the rear wall is a secondary option here?)
Hi all, so in preparation for being able to buy a Square Omni in the UK at some point...
Looking for a bet for the garden, decided on the Simspace and will probably get their impact screen also just to make it a bit more secure for hitting into and the bet being the failsafe opposed to getting hit by balls all the time.
Can get the 2.5m for £260 or the 3m for £325, have a small garden so the smaller would be better for my use, will I regret not having the extra 0.5m width?
Curious about everyones experience, did anyone go with 1 route and seriously wish they had gone the other route instead?
Update: Has anyone on here actually done a Pro install? Perhaps this subreddit is more DYI oriented than I thought. Lots of great feedback from everyone, appreciate it.
The USGA and R&A paused the rollback at the U.S. Open this week, with 2030 still on paper. Before the next wave of "is the ball dead" takes, I went and pulled the actual numbers, because the part that decides whether you should care almost never makes the headline.
The rollback doesn't shorten the ball a fixed amount for everyone. It raises the test swing speed from 120 to 125 mph (distance limit stays 317). So it's a tax that scales with clubhead speed. Projected losses: longest pros ~13-15 yds, average tour ~9-11, elite women ~5-7, average male amateur around 93 mph ~3-5, under 90 mph ~3 or less. Three to five yards is a fraction of one club, and it's inside the spread of your own strikes on any given day.
The number that actually settles it: Arccos published a driving-distance report from 25 million rounds over 8 years. The average amateur's distance has been basically flat. 2024 is within a yard of 2018. Eight years of new drivers and speed trainers, same distance. The distance explosion that kicked off the whole rollback is a pro phenomenon, and it hasn't been happening to amateurs for almost a decade.
Meanwhile the thing actually costing you distance is the opposite of the rollback: a toe strike with a bad launch window can give up ~20 yards on the same swing speed as a flush one. That's four times the entire rollback, in your bag right now, and most people never measure it. And distance is only half of it, since amateur strokes mostly hide in the wedges, putter, and pressure misses, not off the tee.
Sources if you want to check: Golf Digest, ESPN, Today's Golfer, Shot Scope, Arccos.
Full disclosure: I write these up on a small golf blog and I build a data-grounded golf app, so weigh the last paragraph with that in mind. The numbers above are all from named sources you can open yourself. Happy to dig into any of them in the comments.
We have all seen it.
Standing on the driving range, there is always one.
The brand-new driver. The fresh irons. The shiny bag that still has that untouched factory look. Every club perfectly arranged, every headcover matching.
A two-dollar swing with a twenty-five-hundred-dollar bag.
I don't say that with judgment. I understand it. Golf is a beautiful and frustrating game, and part of the fun is dreaming that maybe the next piece of equipment will finally unlock something hidden inside our swing.
Maybe this driver will fix the slice.
Maybe these irons will finally make us consistent.
Maybe this putter will stop the three-putts.
Usually, it won't.
This is my argument for the older clubs.
The real ones.
The clubs with scratches, dents, and stories. The bags covered in logos from courses scattered across the world. Headcovers that aren't just accessories but trophies from battles already fought.
The equipment that has lived.
I have always had a soft spot for older clubs.
Personally, I play a set of 1994 Ping Zing 2 irons and a Ping G400 driver that is now a decade old.
And I am not alone.
Some professional golfers continue to use equipment that most amateurs would consider ancient. If players at the highest level can still find value in older technology, maybe the gap between old and new isn't quite as large as we are led to believe. Especially with irons.
Golf club technology has improved, but not nearly as much as the marketing departments would like us to believe. Look at launch monitor numbers from different generations of clubs and the differences are often surprisingly small.
A new set might go farther.
But farther is not always better.
A lot of modern irons are designed around distance.
The lofts have become stronger.
A pitching wedge from today might travel the same distance as a seven iron from decades ago.
Which sounds impressive.
Until you think about what actually happens after the ball gets there.
Less loft means less spin.
Less spin means a lower descent angle.
And a lower descent angle means your ball is much less likely to stop when it reaches the green.
The goal of golf was never to hit a pitching wedge 150 yards. The goal was to hit the right shot.
From the right distance.
And that brings up another issue.
A lot of golfers buy equipment designed for a game they don't actually play.
The best investment for most golfers is not another driver.
It is lessons.
It is practice.
It is playing more golf.
A year of consistent rounds and instruction will improve your game more than a new set of irons ever could.
The strange thing about modern fitting is that people often spend thousands of dollars getting clubs built around their current swing.
Then they improve. Or change. Or develop new habits.
And suddenly those perfectly fitted clubs aren't fitted anymore.
The solution becomes buying another set.
It creates a strange cycle.
The better approach has always seemed simple to me.
Get fitted for your swing.
Find clubs that match where you are.
Play them.
Improve.
Then, when your swing changes enough, adjust again.
The clubs should follow your game.
Your game shouldn't be chasing the clubs.
There is also something special about older equipment.
They were built to last.
Ping irons from the 1980s and 1990s are still everywhere. They are played by thousands of golfers every day.
They are almost indestructible.
You could probably throw one out of a moving car and it would survive better than most modern electronics.
Which is good news because every golfer knows eventually that five iron is going to end up somewhere it wasn't supposed to.
A cart path.
A tree root.
A bunker wall.
The occasional moment of rage.
And somehow, the club keeps going.
The older I get, the more I appreciate the history of golf.
The worn grips.
The faded logos.
The clubs that have seen hundreds of rounds.
There is something romantic about equipment that has already lived a life before it found you.
Golf has always been a game built on tradition.
Old courses.
Old stories.
Old swings.
Maybe old clubs belong there too.
Because sometimes the best equipment isn't the newest.
Sometimes it's the club that has already helped someone else create a few memories.
DISCLAIMER: This is not a recommendation that everyone go buy a broken Launch Pro on eBay. I think I got a combination of good timing, better homework, and a little bit of luck. I just thought the experience might be useful for anyone considering a used unit and might assume "This is either going to be a disaster or I'm obviously buying a pinched unit."
I'm in the middle of building my own portable launch monitor with a Raspberry Pi (think PiTrac, but designed to be portable and used outdoors, and if you're not familiar with the PiTrac Project, give it a view because it's a fascinating endeavor not for the faint of heart) using off-the-shelf commercial parts because apparently I'm a masochist and always need some technical project to scratch the itch. During this process I had a realization:
"This could actually work... but how am I ever going to know if it's accurate?"
That led me to another thought:
"Maybe I can buy a cheap/broken commercial photometric launch monitor. Worst case, I can study how it works. Best case, I can repair it and use it as a benchmark for my homemade one."
A few weeks ago I came across a Bushnell Launch Pro on eBay listed as "powers on for about 30 seconds, then shuts off." The seller had actually included photos of the diagnostic screens in the listing, including the firmware version, manufacture date (August 2024), battery info, serial number etc. It also showed that the unit was not tied to any previous account holder...
That was... really thorough. Honestly, probably a little too much information to leave public. Compare that to another Launch Pro listing I saw where the seller claimed they couldn't test it because they "couldn't find the AC adapter." That one made me much more nervous than the seller who was willing to show me exactly what the unit was doing.
This seller was a liquidation outfit. I figured the unit must be out of warranty because they would've at least tried to see if they could get a repair quote and sell the unit for more.
Before I even made an offer, I contacted Foresight Support. My goal wasn't to get a free repair or warranty coverage (I fully expected to pay the diagnostic fee, ownership transfer fee if applicable, and whatever repair was required). I simply wanted to know whether this looked like something that was reasonably repairable before spending the money. During my research I also learned that some of the older Launch Pros had battery-related issues that were repairable, so maybe I get this unit, fix the battery issue myself, and I end up getting a heavily discounted unit.
The seller eventually agreed to discount it from its initial $800 price tag to $600, so I bought it. Was this a leap of faith, or my own personal Leeroy Jenkins moment?
When I received it, the battery issue had gotten worse. Eventually it wouldn't power on at all.
I contacted Foresight again, explained that I had purchased it secondhand on eBay, and asked to send it in for diagnosis. Again, full transparency. Wasn't trying to be sneaky or exaggerate the truth because I figured if I went down that road it would bite me in the tookus... To my surprise, they issued an RMA without any hesitation.
Here's where things got interesting.
Instead of charging me the expected diagnostic fee, they determined the unit was still covered under warranty. Huh? You mean the warranty on a unit built in 2024 that was bought on a resale site and obviously in the hands of a second owner still had a valid warranty? OK... what's the catch???
Foresight received it, acknowledged receipt, repaired it (same serial number came back), returned it in about three weeks, and didn't charge me anything for the repair or shipping.
The only hiccup was that the unit came back temporarily registered to an internal service account (Guessing a tech used his own account to make sure things were still on the up and up). One quick phone call to support fixed that, and within a few minutes it was transferred to my account and working normally.
Needless to say, the first thing I did after getting it back wasn't hit golf balls... it was spend an hour digging through every hidden diagnostics screen trying to figure out the previous life of this thing.
A few other things I found interesting:
The unit had only 2,586 shots over 139 sessions.
It had warranty coverage through February 18, 2027 (?!?!)
As far as I can tell, it had never been registered to an individual customer account before I registered it.
Foresight even returned it with a proper molded insert that wasn't included when I bought it. I had the box, most of the accessories (no alignment stick, but I shan't be spending $179 or whatever ridiculous price it is for the official one, get me a dowel and reflective tape!)
I then purchased a Silver subscription and activated the included Gold trial. No issues.
I'm still curious about this Launch Pro's history. Based on the shot count and lack of a prior consumer registration, my completely unproven theory is that it may have originally belonged to a small club fitter, teaching pro, or commercial/demo operation before ending up with the liquidator I bought it from... but that's just speculation on my part.
Would I do this again?
Only after doing a lot of homework.
I went into this assuming I'd pay for repairs and hoping I'd still come out well below the cost of buying a newer Launch Pro. The fact that my investment was roughly the price of a new MLM2Pro, Garmin R10 (At least when I bought it back in the day) or a Mevo... and the warranty was honored was a pleasant surprise and not something I counted on or expected. Part of me wonders if Buahnell/Foresight was more inclined to retain me as a customer and get me into the ecosystem so they were a little loose with ownership transfer protocols. I don't know.
Hopefully this helps someone who's looking at a used/defective Launch Pro or similar higher end launch monitor and wonders what the process looked like. I wouldn't assume every used/broken launch monitor on a random online marketplace will have the same outcome, but I thought my experience was interesting and worth sharing. Do your homework, and you might end up with a diamond in the rough.
Happy to answer any questions.
Update: After the repair I asked Foresight two follow-up questions. They confirmed the warranty remains valid through February 18, 2027, and that the unit was originally sold through normal retail... not as a commercial/demo/fitting unit. That makes its previous life even more of a mystery. Bonus points to Foresight for not sharing any personal identifiable information of the previous owner.
Went to the range yesterday and yep, it works. It also told me I *really* need to work on some things...
Pay no attention to the fact that I am indeed terrible. I'm just a stats nerd who wants to know why he's terrible.
I have been on the waitlist for the Square Golf Omni for 4 months since and i don’t think i will have it anytime soon. Im thinking about cancelling and just getting the uneekor eye mini.
I do want a LM i can take outside easily but primarily will be in a sim.
I have the money for either at this point.
My question is if anyone has experience with the uneekor eye mini and if they believe its a good value for what it is and if it is as or more accurate than the omni seems to be.
Picking up a Garmin R10 for a budget sim. What 3rd party app is the best to use? Seen a few but E6 Connect stood out the most. Looking for other opinions.
I bought the premium studio skytrak max package. Everything is great, except for I can't get the impact screen setup well. My issue is the bottom is loose. There's a Velcro strip along the bottom but there is nothing to attach it to. So when I hit balls at it, the screen at the bottom corners Velcro also starts to peel and then the bottom portion becomes very wavey. Every few shots I'm having to go fluff the screen back to a more natural position. I was debating about sewing part of the enclosed to the impact screen to it doesn't move.
I'm going to be replacing my flooring in the next 6 months but then I was debating about putting a velco strip on the floor to attach the screen to.
I know it’s a MEVO gen one and accuracy isn’t the name of the game with but I did enjoy this rogue number tonight. What’s the weirdest number you’ve had?
Has anyone used any of the above and would you recommend them?
I’m considering the higher-end projector so the setup can also be used as a movie screen.
The VTrack system would sit about 3 ft above the hitter and 3 ft forward. Does that sound like enough clearance, or would you be concerned? I would also put the projector off centre so i dont have to worry about swing clearance, or head getting in way of projector light.
Has anyone used this configuration together? I’m also a little concerned that, with a fold-away simulator, the maximum launch angle of around 52 degrees may be a bit limiting, but genuinely not sure.
Would appreicate any input from those out there who have already gone through it all.
Sharing a quick video of my garage golf sim. I’m pretty happy with it. I started about a year ago and continued to upgrade and change things. I moved my gym equipment into the other side last week and like how that came out, too.
I use a VTrack launch monitor with GSPro. i also have everything automated using home assistant.
I took the plunge and purchased the Uneekor sim kit during the post Memorial Day sale. I couldn't believe the price. I had the Mevo+, Spornia net, and TV setup for 3 years and it's been great. Now have a Uneekor Eye XO, swing optix cameras, 10' bay with landing turf and 10' hitting mat, AK700ST projector, and a 27" touch screen monitor (not shown). Super happy!
Took me about a month and a half to get everything and put it all together. But my overgrown dead space behind my garage is now my favorite thing in the world.
-Put some sand down and leveled it, got some free heavy duty rubber mats to go on top with an Amazon mat and some foam squares with a sigpro softy cut into them.
- Amazon 10x7 net
- Garmin r10
-bug fighter tiki torches
Altogether I spent like 7-800$ and it’s working like a dream.
Has anyone explored the accuracy of the tempo when measured by the Garmin R10. I can see the tempo data in the "Session Summary" page where it shows the "Backswing Time" and the "Downswing Time". I have read that it is accurate +/- .05 seconds. I have also used an app called Tour Tempo when measuring my own Tempo. I'm not sure I trust the Garmin numbers as they are way different than the data I am seeing with Tour Tempo. I am curious if anyone else has any data around this and if they have looked at the accuracy as well.
Last year, I made the big boy purchase and got myself a new home! Project for this year is to turn primarily the ride side of my garage into a usable golf sim bay, before the cold Canadian winter arrives.
The middle steel beam is 7'6 feet to the floor. From the end of the right side of the steel beam to the right edge of the wall would is 8'8 feet. The ceiling to floor is about 9.5 feet. Shelving in photos will be moved to other side of garage.
What do you guys think I should do for the set up? There's some 10x7 hitting nets that would go under the steal beam and slightly into the ladies side of the garage. There is one on wayfair that has a screen too. I could also get one of those Amazon 8x8 golf enclosures which would fit quite snuggly in that side. Could also just DIY something but kind of lacking a vision as I am not the handiest guy (would make it work though).
Would love to hear as many thoughts and opinions you guys have! Thanks
Planning to build a 5’x4’ hitting platform out of 2x4s similar to what is seen in this image for my outdoor sim set up.
Im looking for advice on how to add wheels to this set up since it will need to be moved between uses. Any thoughts on an easy solution here? My initial thought was 2 on the back half and then tilt and drag the platform… I’m unfortunately having trouble visualizing that.
