FlightScope Progression Series: 2023 Forum Member Review

[Luisddavila]

57 minutes ago, Byrnzee said:

Last weekend when I was visiting my in-laws in Bonita Springs, FL, I was able to bring the Mevo along and pop it behind me on the grass range before our round. I think having a device like this that is super portable and easy to set up really can change how people warmup or hit balls on a driving range.

My pre-round routine is pretty set at this point: I typically hit 10 or so shots with my 54º wedge, 10 or so shots with my 8 iron, 5 shots with my 5 iron and 3 or so drives with my driver. 

Starting with sand wedge (54º), I hit a shot and noticed that some of the datapoints didn't actually load. However, I was somewhat expecting this as I wasn't using RCT balls or the metallic stickers on the range balls. 

I was mostly using the Mevo before this round to see how the data compared to what I've seen in the indoor simulator setup as well as get my distances dialed in before playing.

On my second shot with the sand wedge you can see that all of the datapoints are available and that the data points are all similar to the first shot. Except for the spin rate, which was way lower than normal on the first shot.

The data remained fairly consistent between shots that were well struck, and I was impressed by how well the Mevo did at retrieving this data outdoors without RCT balls or metallic stickers.

As I started warming up more, I could tell that the Mevo was almost getting more dialed in as well. I definitely think that the better you strike the ball, the more accurate the data is (makes sense). The reason I mention this is because I think this device would definitely better suit someone who is a more seasoned golfer versus someone just starting out. 

If you are very inconsistent in your ball striking, the Mevo can give you misleading data that you might interpret the wrong way. For example, if you thin an 8 iron, it may go 150 yards but only reach a height of 40 feet compared to an "ideal" trajectory (of 65 feet for example shown below). You may think "wow, I hit my 8 iron 150 yards," when in actuality a well struck 8 iron might only go 135-140 yards.

This 8 iron shot above was very well struck and gave me all of the data I needed for my round that day. I knew that if I struck my 8 iron well out of the fairway, it was going to go about 155-160 yards. To have that information available to me is something I never would have fathomed before this test. It definitely gave me an advantage and I was hitting nearly every green in regulation. Even the ones I was missing I was pin-high because I was very confident in my distances.

I continued to be impressed with the Mevo as I moved to my longer clubs. I hit four 5-iron shots and received data that was in line with what I would expect:

The first and fourth shots were well struck, while the second and third weren't as solid. For the first and fourth shots, you can see that Carry, Ball Speed, Spin, Smash and Launch Angle were all very similar. Something else to note is that for all four shots, the club speed was very consistent. 

I also hit 3 drives in my warmup:

My third drive was the best of the three and I liked seeing the side view of the trajectory in comparison to the first two. You may notice that the third drive (orange line in graph above) started out on a lower trajectory than the first drive. However, with nearly 10mph of additional ball speed (154.6mph vs. 145.1mph), the carry was 13 yards further. 

All in all, I was extremely pleased with my first outdoor experience with the Mevo. I will absolutely be using it on the outdoor driving range when practicing as well as when warming up before a round of golf. The simplicity of setup, consistency of data (on well-struck shots) and portability are everything you could ever want in a personal launch monitor. 

@Byrnzee great info! I want to compare my indoor data with how hitting the ball at tue range or at the course would change. Hopefully the weather gets better here in Kentucky.

[Cfhandyman]

41 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

If the data is that skewed from factual numbers, is there a concern there?

Just take someone like me, as example, who would rely on that data to mark my yardages for each club.  then I would be over shooting yardages on a real course. 

There will be small differences in both clubhead/ball speed as well as carry distance of anywhere between 1-4% depending on the unit compared to either Foresight GCquad or Trackman 4.  See below from MGS testing.  

Even between Trackman and GCquad there are subtle differences and this is due to how they measure. GC quad uses infrared object tracking in conjunction with 4 high speed, high resolution camera system and measures at the face of the club, whereas Trackman, measures centre of mass (centre of gravity).  This is most notable in the driver where club head speed/ball speed will be less than seen on GCquad by about 1-3 mph, where 1 mph difference equates to about 3 yards.

 

 

 

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, Byrnzee said:

Last weekend when I was visiting my in-laws in Bonita Springs, FL, I was able to bring the Mevo along and pop it behind me on the grass range before our round. I think having a device like this that is super portable and easy to set up really can change how people warmup or hit balls on a driving range.

My pre-round routine is pretty set at this point: I typically hit 10 or so shots with my 54º wedge, 10 or so shots with my 8 iron, 5 shots with my 5 iron and 3 or so drives with my driver. 

Starting with sand wedge (54º), I hit a shot and noticed that some of the datapoints didn't actually load. However, I was somewhat expecting this as I wasn't using RCT balls or the metallic stickers on the range balls. 

I was mostly using the Mevo before this round to see how the data compared to what I've seen in the indoor simulator setup as well as get my distances dialed in before playing.

On my second shot with the sand wedge you can see that all of the datapoints are available and that the data points are all similar to the first shot. Except for the spin rate, which was way lower than normal on the first shot.

The data remained fairly consistent between shots that were well struck, and I was impressed by how well the Mevo did at retrieving this data outdoors without RCT balls or metallic stickers.

As I started warming up more, I could tell that the Mevo was almost getting more dialed in as well. I definitely think that the better you strike the ball, the more accurate the data is (makes sense). The reason I mention this is because I think this device would definitely better suit someone who is a more seasoned golfer versus someone just starting out. 

If you are very inconsistent in your ball striking, the Mevo can give you misleading data that you might interpret the wrong way. For example, if you thin an 8 iron, it may go 150 yards but only reach a height of 40 feet compared to an "ideal" trajectory (of 65 feet for example shown below). You may think "wow, I hit my 8 iron 150 yards," when in actuality a well struck 8 iron might only go 135-140 yards.

This 8 iron shot above was very well struck and gave me all of the data I needed for my round that day. I knew that if I struck my 8 iron well out of the fairway, it was going to go about 155-160 yards. To have that information available to me is something I never would have fathomed before this test. It definitely gave me an advantage and I was hitting nearly every green in regulation. Even the ones I was missing I was pin-high because I was very confident in my distances.

I continued to be impressed with the Mevo as I moved to my longer clubs. I hit four 5-iron shots and received data that was in line with what I would expect:

The first and fourth shots were well struck, while the second and third weren't as solid. For the first and fourth shots, you can see that Carry, Ball Speed, Spin, Smash and Launch Angle were all very similar. Something else to note is that for all four shots, the club speed was very consistent. 

I also hit 3 drives in my warmup:

My third drive was the best of the three and I liked seeing the side view of the trajectory in comparison to the first two. You may notice that the third drive (orange line in graph above) started out on a lower trajectory than the first drive. However, with nearly 10mph of additional ball speed (154.6mph vs. 145.1mph), the carry was 13 yards further. 

All in all, I was extremely pleased with my first outdoor experience with the Mevo. I will absolutely be using it on the outdoor driving range when practicing as well as when warming up before a round of golf. The simplicity of setup, consistency of data (on well-struck shots) and portability are everything you could ever want in a personal launch monitor. 

Great info!  Love seeing all the data.

48 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

Had a good quick 9 hole session. I have not had any missed shots outside of the putting practice group. Very nice to see. My brother played with me and overall was coming across really accurately and we dove into some of the things going on with his swing path and club face. He worked in his swing after our 9 holes on the range….really good tool to have.

only thing I had an issue with today was shutting the unit off. The power button is in top and you hold it down for a few seconds until it beeps to shut it off or turn it on. Well it wasn’t shutting off for some reason. Have not found much online yet and it’s still doing it. Going to let it run out of juice and charge it.

 

So mine does this for shutting down and you have to hold it down until the lights go off. It will beep 4 or 5 times before lights go off. Just keep holding down. 

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

8 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Great info!  Love seeing all the data.

So mine does this for shutting down and you have to hold it down until the lights go off. It will beep 4 or 5 times before lights go off. Just keep holding down. 

And this is why I post these things. She’s off boys! Call the goons off.

[Josh Parker]

5 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

And this is why I post these things. She’s off boys! Call the goons off.

Haha. It happened to me the first time I used it and the wife figured it out!  Haha

Directions don't tell you to hold down until lights turn off. 

[ILMgolfnut]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

Still unsure why everything shows a left to right ball flight when I normally play a draw.

I watched a YouTube video today by LetsPlayThru; he was comparing the Garmin to Bushnell for accuracy (it was really close with the RCT balls). But at one point the Garmin said he was pushing it and the Bushnell said he was pulling it (and he said it felt like a pull). He made a very minor adjustment in the position of the Garmin and after that they agreed on left vs. right.

My commentary on this: He had started out the video hitting a 9-iron, went to another club, and it was then that the push vs pull discrepancy came up. My thought as I was watching was that the issue was probably that he had moved his impact point slightly when he changed clubs. He fixed it by moving the Garmin, but he also could have fixed it by moving his impact point.

Edited January 27 by ILMgolfnut

[GolfSpy_BNG]

3 hours ago, Rob Person said:

If the data is that skewed from factual numbers, is there a concern there?

Just take someone like me, as example, who would rely on that data to mark my yardages for each club.  then I would be over shooting yardages on a real course. 

 

1 hour ago, ILMgolfnut said:

I watched a YouTube video today by LetsPlayThru; he was comparing the Garmin to Bushnell for accuracy (it was really close with the RCT balls). But at one point the Garmin said he was pushing it and the Bushnell said he was pulling it (and he said it felt like a pull). He made a very minor adjustment in the position of the Garmin and after that they agreed on left vs. right.

My commentary on this: He had started out the video hitting a 9-iron, went to another club, and it was then that the push vs pull discrepancy came up. My thought as I was watching was that the issue was probably that he had moved his impact point slightly when he changed clubs. He fixed it by moving the Garmin, but he also could have fixed it by moving his impact point.

There are a ton of factors that weigh into the accuracy of the numbers and direction. Lighting, other electronics nearby, type of LM(camera or radar), etc.

I have a couple things to try tomorrow to see if I can straighten things out. When you look at the directions for simulator use it shows +/- 6” left for the hitting area and +/- 9” left for the putting strip. I also heard from FS CS that the MAX indoor distance for the screen/target should be 13’.  I also read somewhere that sitting the mevo plus at 7’ from the ball but setting the distance in the app at 8’ helped a few guys. 
 

Im sure it’s something simple as I do get a good 40% of shots that seem just right.  
 

@Rob Person for distance being off it could be as simple as it’s reading spin slightly high for me. @Lacassem mentioned to me in our staff slack channel that his irons seem true. 

[Josh Parker]

7 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

 

There are a ton of factors that weigh into the accuracy of the numbers and direction. Lighting, other electronics nearby, type of LM(camera or radar), etc.

I have a couple things to try tomorrow to see if I can straighten things out. When you look at the directions for simulator use it shows +/- 6” left for the hitting area and +/- 9” left for the putting strip. I also heard from FS CS that the MAX indoor distance for the screen/target should be 13’.  I also read somewhere that sitting the mevo plus at 7’ from the ball but setting the distance in the app at 8’ helped a few guys. 
 

Im sure it’s something simple as I do get a good 40% of shots that seem just right.  
 

@Rob Person for distance being off it could be as simple as it’s reading spin slightly high for me. @Lacassem mentioned to me in our staff slack channel that his irons seem true. 

What I find interesting is at the range numbers are almost identical to what I hit on the course. Hitting into the net and I'm getting 6-10yds shorter.  Again it may just be an adjustment or alignment issue and hitting into a net the accuracy will be slightly off from what I have seen. 

[Clayton]

Is the hitting zone a trapezoid like on Trackman with it becoming narrower as you move back? Seems like as long as it's within that area, the numbers should be OK or the official hitting zone should be smaller.

Edited January 28 by Clayton

[Josh Parker]

1 minute ago, Clayton said:

Is the hitting zone a trapezoid like on Trackman with it becoming narrower as you move forward? Seems like as long as it's within that area, the numbers should be OK or the official hitting zone should be smaller.

I'll take a photo tomorrow of the setup screen. I use an iPad so can snap a pic from the phone. 

I really think it's the setup. You can select tee height but if you switch to an iron does it need changing?

[GolfSpy_BNG]

1 minute ago, Clayton said:

Is the hitting zone a trapezoid like on Trackman with it becoming narrower as you move forward? Seems like as long as it's within that area, the numbers should be OK or the official hitting zone should be smaller.

Not sure what ya mean by hitting zone. I did have CS tell me it is better to set the Mevo Plus on the ground and adjust the height difference than setting the Mevo on something so that’s my first adjustment tomorrow along with the 3-5” left of target line for tee placement. 

[Clayton]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

Not sure what ya mean by hitting zone. I did have CS tell me it is better to set the Mevo Plus on the ground and adjust the height difference than setting the Mevo on something so that’s my first adjustment tomorrow along with the 3-5” left of target line for tee placement. 

This one is floating in the air instead of on the hitting mat but the area looks like this. I would imagine that is what the Mevo+ one looks like. I'm curious how big it is, or how you tell where it is. I used to like to put 4 pegs in the mat at the TM place I worked so I could know exactly what part of the hitting area I was in. You guys were adjusting your Mevo+ and getting different information back... 

[GolfSpy_BNG]

6 hours ago, Clayton said:

This one is floating in the air instead of on the hitting mat but the area looks like this. I would imagine that is what the Mevo+ one looks like. I'm curious how big it is, or how you tell where it is. I used to like to put 4 pegs in the mat at the TM place I worked so I could know exactly what part of the hitting area I was in. You guys were adjusting your Mevo+ and getting different information back... 

I see what ya mean now. The Mevo plus is a yellow rectangle that you can adjust the height of to match your hitting surface.  It’s roughly 15” wide for the Mevo plus. 

[Byrnzee]

18 hours ago, Luisddavila said:

I want to compare my indoor data with how hitting the ball at tue range or at the course would change. Hopefully the weather gets better here in Kentucky.

I'm definitely tempted to go to the outdoor range in Chicago as it's been creeping into the 40s lately. However, I'd still be hitting off mats, so it's hard to convince myself to brace the elements when I can stay warm inside and hit the simulator 

[GolfSpy_BNG]

Played 18 at Bay Hill today on the Plus. Managed a +1.  Didnt figure anything out on the distance side of things but believe I have the fade situation down to my swing.  If I really slowed myself down and was deliberate in making a draw swing I could get a straight to very slight Draw. If I over exaggerated it to hit a hook I could get the bigger draw. 
 

Distance is still a solid 10-15 yards short but I wonder if I stumbled onto an issue causing it.  It appears that the mevo is reading my impact location below my mat. I thought it would just read ball and club but maybe it sees my shots as fat

[Byrnzee]

16 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

What I find interesting is at the range numbers are almost identical to what I hit on the course. Hitting into the net and I'm getting 6-10yds shorter. 

This is really interesting as I felt like hitting with the Mevo on the grass range was very accurate to what I was seeing/expecting on the course vs. hitting on an indoor simulator and seeing some discrepancies between Mevo and Trackman data.

I wonder if the Mevo data is more accurate with more space to hit (i.e., longer flight to track) as opposed to hitting into a screen or net 

[Byrnzee]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

It appears that the mevo is reading my impact location below my mat. I thought it would just read ball and club but maybe it sees my shots as fat

You may have mentioned already, but is your Mevo+ sitting directly on the ground or do you have it placed on something? With the mat being about an inch or so thick, it may read more accurate being level with the mat or even above the mat compared to below it.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

1 minute ago, Byrnzee said:

This is really interesting as I felt like hitting with the Mevo on the grass range was very accurate to what I was seeing/expecting on the course vs. hitting on an indoor simulator and seeing some discrepancies between Mevo and Trackman data.

I wonder if the Mevo data is more accurate with more space to hit (i.e., longer flight to track) as opposed to hitting into a screen or net 

According to FS CS my 15’ is too much flight for indoor use. 13’ max which is weird since the app shows up to 44 yards for indoor use

[GolfSpy_BNG]

Just now, Byrnzee said:

You may have mentioned already, but is your Mevo+ sitting directly on the ground or do you have it placed on something? With the mat being about an inch or so thick, it may read more accurate being level with the mat or even above the mat compared to below it.

I had it sitting on a mat at the same height yesterday but the FS CS told me to sit it in the ground and adjust the hitting zone to the mat height.  Didn’t see any real difference between the 2

[Byrnzee]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

According to FS CS my 15’ is too much flight for indoor use. 13’ max which is weird since the app shows up to 44 yards for indoor use

Funny how I felt the outdoor use was very accurate with no RCT balls or metallic stickers and endless range, while the indoor simulator setup was maybe not as accurate.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

Once it warms up a little here I’m hoping to get outside to see how it goes. I will say the regular Mevo wasn’t 10 yards short compared to the full swing simulator I compared it too before sending it to you. I’m gonna do the same with the plus this week as long as I remember to take it with me this time lol

[Josh Parker]

I got the hitting area finished up at the house and will be hitting and working on the adjustments to see if I can get it more in line with the range and on the course.  

I really think it's a setting issue (user issue) more than a Mevo+ issue.  

[GolfSpy_BNG]

31 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

I got the hitting area finished up at the house and will be hitting and working on the adjustments to see if I can get it more in line with the range and on the course.  

I really think it's a setting issue (user issue) more than a Mevo+ issue.  

I agree with ya Josh it has to be a set up issue not a hardware issue.  

[ILMgolfnut]

38 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

I got the hitting area finished up at the house and will be hitting and working on the adjustments to see if I can get it more in line with the range and on the course.  

I really think it's a setting issue (user issue) more than a Mevo+ issue.  

Nice setup!

GF is after me to get the garage cleaned out so we have room for the sim, and/or her new car she plans to buy. My net will be portable and can be set up indoors or out, so dual use is doable. Problem is I will have to rent a truck to haul all that crap to the local landfill.

[Josh Parker]

2 minutes ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Nice setup!

GF is after me to get the garage cleaned out so we have room for the sim, and/or her new car she plans to buy. My net will be portable and can be set up indoors or out, so dual use is doable. Problem is I will have to rent a truck to haul all that crap to the local landfill.

Hasn't she offered to buy the whole set-up?  

Time to get that garage cleaned out!  

[ILMgolfnut]

3 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Hasn't she offered to buy the whole set-up?

Sort of. She's waffling a bit. And her experience with the simulator on her birthday has soured her a bit on that. Also, since she offered to pay for the sim, she's decided to buy a used car and pay cash. Which is fine; her car is a hunk of junk. But it limits the amount of available cash. I may end up buying the monitor, the net and a mat, and filling in later with more bells and whistles.

[Cfhandyman]

3 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

I got the hitting area finished up at the house and will be hitting and working on the adjustments to see if I can get it more in line with the range and on the course.  

I really think it's a setting issue (user issue) more than a Mevo+ issue.  

Nice setup Josh.  I particularly like the mini construction vehicles. 

[edingc]

Finally caught up on this. Great read so far.

Regarding distance ... in the 2+ years I've had the Mevo+ I've found it to be the most conservative of any indoor launch monitor I've been on. Irons tend to be the most similar to others (versus say a Trackman), but it definitely has always seemed a bit short with longer clubs. My personal opinion is also that once you get past 140 MPH ball speed with any club it begins to struggle a little if your conditions are not ideal. 

@GolfSpy_BNG did support say anything about the metal on the walls in the shop? I know the simulator forums say a metal garage door should not effect the radar signal, but perhaps there's some interference from the walls?

Also, how are you liking the Matzilla? I've used it as my stance mat the past couple of winters but switched to using it full time this winter for balls, too. I previously used the Fiberbuilt FlightDeck. I like the Matzilla, and it seems to be OK on the joints.

I have noticed lately with the Mevo+ that spin seems a bit excessive for me. I'm usually a lower spin player, and while I'm definitely getting more neutral than in the past and playing the ProV1x RCT, I was seeing 6 irons with a slightly closed face-to-path ratio still spinning over 6000 RPM yesterday. Not sure if that's the Matzilla vs FlightDeck or just the latest firmware of the Mevo+.

[Josh Parker]

3 hours ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Sort of. She's waffling a bit. And her experience with the simulator on her birthday has soured her a bit on that. Also, since she offered to pay for the sim, she's decided to buy a used car and pay cash. Which is fine; her car is a hunk of junk. But it limits the amount of available cash. I may end up buying the monitor, the net and a mat, and filling in later with more bells and whistles.

That will get you started and be plenty of opportunity to change things later on.

[Josh Parker]

2 hours ago, Cfhandyman said:

Nice setup Josh.  I particularly like the mini construction vehicles. 

Haha.  My kids were moving dirt around.