ILMgolfnut’s and IndyBonzo’s Garage Sim Sagas

[ILMgolfnut]

32 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

Get that garage cleaned out and you are ready to go!  

Truck reserved Saturday morning to remove that pile of cardboard and whatever is underneath it. Hoping it will only take one trip to the landfill. I don't get home until like 7:30 tomorrow night anyway.

[Nick_D]

On 2/20/2024 at 9:21 AM, ILMgolfnut said:

Had a golf lesson last night in which the instructor gave me stuff to work on, specifically swing path and angle of attack for the driver. It will be so nice to be able to work on it at night, when it's raining, whenever I can squeeze in 20 minutes or so, instead of having to drive to the range during daylight hours!

Since I ordered the Garmin, for some reason my phone is getting bombarded by ads for the Bushnell Launch Pro. Which looks really good at a not-too-terrible price. I could see upgrading from the Garmin to the Bushnell or Mevo+ or something in a year or two.

 

On 2/20/2024 at 9:54 AM, Rob Person said:

I'm sitting over here in the corner,  like a kid drooling on a window watching the candy maker roll out sugary goodness that mommy won't let me have!!

(Anyone else have those memories? )

Looking forward to see the completion for you both!

 

On 2/20/2024 at 10:07 AM, IndyBonzo said:

There are so many good options out there.  Pricing with all the different subscription plans is tough to figure out too.  I predict you will love the Garmin.  The reviews I read give it great ratings. 

Pretty much every option out there now is a pretty good choice, but welcome to the gateway drugs gentlemen! In my experience if you're going to be using your launch monitor exclusively inside camera based units shine with short game and putting. Most launch monitors are pretty darn accurate on full shots. I'm super happy with my Bushnell Launch Pro as an upgrade from a Mevo+ just for ease of setup and the short game/putting. Radar based units can sometimes be a bit finicky with setup and if you have environment issues (metal garage door or heater/ac). Anything to get you swinging in the off season or when the weather is bad is a great option!

[ILMgolfnut]

33 minutes ago, IndyBonzo said:

I will gladly trade sim time for more hands. 

I should be inviting NC Spies like @Tom the Golf Nut and @Willie T. Only partially kidding, guys, if you want to show up Saturday around 11 I would definitely take the help.

[ILMgolfnut]

1 minute ago, Nick_D said:

if you're going to be using your launch monitor exclusively inside camera based units shine

I'll be using mine outdoors (already took it outside for a session) and inside. Another plus for the Garmin: Extremely portable. I could easily put it in a pocket of my golf bag for a trip to the range.

[StrokerAce]

I know this is a bit old but did you guys use any of the equipment in this article?

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/all/best-golf-practice-setup/

[ILMgolfnut]

7 minutes ago, StrokerAce said:

I know this is a bit old but did you guys use any of the equipment in this article?

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/all/best-golf-practice-setup/

I bought the Garmin and the Spornia SPG-7, which is slightly smaller than the SPG-8 in the article. The SPG-8 was just a little too tall for my garage. My mat is the Spornia ProStrike Commercial model, 5 x 5 feet dimensions. You can actually put tees in it, it's supposed to be easy on the wrists, and the feel is supposed to be close to real turf. I have not bought anything for putting practice yet. The nearby resort course has a very nice practice green, and I can't practice putting for more than about 30 minutes anyway before my back starts barking.

Edited February 22 by ILMgolfnut

[StrokerAce]

1 minute ago, ILMgolfnut said:

I bought the Garmin and the Spornia SPG-7, which is slightly smaller than the SPG-8 in the article. The SPG-8 was just a little too tall for my garage. My mat is the Spornia ProStrike Commercial model, 5 x 5 feet dimensions. You can actually put tees in it, it's supposed to be easy on the wrists, and the feel is supposed to be close to real turf.

very intrigued by the Garmin. looking forward to reading how it goes.
I have a mat and net for outside. 

[ILMgolfnut]

8 minutes ago, StrokerAce said:

looking forward to reading how it goes.

So far so good with the Garmin. I was impressed by the data I got from my outdoor session at the elementary school playground. The real test is when I start using it for sim rounds. Which I will Chromecast to a 43-inch TV bought solely for that purpose (for $179). @StrokerAceyou could absolutely use the Garmin with your outdoor setup, as long as the piece of ground is reasonably level and you have 6 to 8 feet of room to put the Garmin behind the ball.

Edited February 22 by ILMgolfnut

[Willie T]

8 hours ago, ILMgolfnut said:

I should be inviting NC Spies like @Tom the Golf Nut and @Willie T. Only partially kidding, guys, if you want to show up Saturday around 11 I would definitely take the help.

Weeeellllll, let’s see…grandson has b’ball game at 11,  great nephew has b’day party 12 - 2, there’s a concert we’re headed to Sat night….hmmmm, may have to pass this Sat due to several prior commitments….will be following the journey, as I need to get my Garmin R-10 up and going. 

[ILMgolfnut]

16 minutes ago, Willie T said:

Weeeellllll, let’s see…grandson has b’ball game at 11,  great nephew has b’day party 12 - 2, there’s a concert we’re headed to Sat night….hmmmm, may have to pass this Sat due to several prior commitments….will be following the journey, as I need to get my Garmin R-10 up and going. 

Completely understand. Tom may or may not come over.

[ILMgolfnut]

Oops. Best laid plans dept.: GF told me tonight she needs a break and wants to postpone the garage cleanout on Saturday. I said OK, but I want to get it done and the next two weeks are booked. So she said how about Sunday? I said okay, let me check the landfill hours. Landfill is closed on Sunday. It is also closed on Saturday afternoon so my plan wasn't going to work anyway. Will have to figure out another time, maybe next week if I don't get roped into more than one day of jury duty.

[ILMgolfnut]

Before and after on the garage cleanout; actually the first one does not fully reflect what I encountered this morning, it was worse than that. Needs a serious sweeping afterward and go through those boxes in the background to see if we can get rid of some of that. According to the scales at the landfill, we got 860 pounds of stuff out of the garage, which means I loaded it and unloaded it, with a bit of assistance from GF. I'm guessing I probably moved 1500 pounds today and my back is barking (or my bark is backing). Further cleaning has to happen before the sim goes in, but you can see the floor anyway.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

16 minutes ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Before and after on the garage cleanout; actually the first one does not fully reflect what I encountered this morning, it was worse than that. Needs a serious sweeping afterward and go through those boxes in the background to see if we can get rid of some of that. According to the scales at the landfill, we got 860 pounds of stuff out of the garage, which means I loaded it and unloaded it, with a bit of assistance from GF. I'm guessing I probably moved 1500 pounds today and my back is barking (or my bark is backing). Further cleaning has to happen before the sim goes in, but you can see the floor anyway.

I can see it coming together. Good save on the couch and tables. Good man cave material.

I’ll actually be in your neck of the woods tomorrow. My daughter has a track meet at UNC Wilmington. I’ll be there all day. I hope the weather clears up.

[Rob Person]

5 hours ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Before and after on the garage cleanout; actually the first one does not fully reflect what I encountered this morning, it was worse than that. Needs a serious sweeping afterward and go through those boxes in the background to see if we can get rid of some of that. According to the scales at the landfill, we got 860 pounds of stuff out of the garage, which means I loaded it and unloaded it, with a bit of assistance from GF. I'm guessing I probably moved 1500 pounds today and my back is barking (or my bark is backing). Further cleaning has to happen before the sim goes in, but you can see the floor anyway.

Getting there!

[ILMgolfnut]

Further update: I'm out of town for work (again), but GF asked me to diagram how I want the garage setup to look, which I did, and she said she'll have it set up for me when I get home. She's like a guy in that she doesn't read instructions, so I doubt she'll be able to get the Spornia set up, but if everything is in the right place Friday night I'll be more than satisfied. Debating when to pull the trigger on a box of RCT balls to get a more accurate spin rate; the Garmin will estimate it from other parameters but the readout is much better with the fancy balls. No road trip next week so I'll have time to get everything how I want it, hopefully.

[ILMgolfnut]

Got it done, sorta. Need one more side net attachment and the net leans a little but otherwise...

[BallsLeon]

@ILMgolfnut unsure how willing you are to anchor into ceiling or walls, but anchoring the top helped my Spornia net tighten up

[ILMgolfnut]

1 hour ago, BallsLeon said:

@ILMgolfnut unsure how willing you are to anchor into ceiling or walls, but anchoring the top helped my Spornia net tighten up

That's an idea. I'm not overly fond of putting more holes in a ceiling I don't own, but I'll consider it.

Spent the last half hour trying to get the Garmin app to cast to the TV, and now

Edited March 22 by ILMgolfnut

[berkeleybob]

Just catching up on this thread. The OPs just got a few reaction notifications from me. Sorry, but I love a good home DIY buildout.

@IndyBonzo is it me, or is your garage ceiling pretty high?

@ILMgolfnut Do you have a net on right side as well? Were it me, I’d open the washing machine lid so that I’d at least get points for landing my shanks.

Great job, you two! Don’t forget to set up a place to sit down and have a cold drink nearby.

[ILMgolfnut]

16 hours ago, berkeleybob said:

 Do you have a net on right side as well?

I do not; I thought I was ordering a pair of nets, but I didn't. I ordered the second one last night. I bought some sand today, filled four sandbags to hold it down and tether the net out wide to keep it up straight. Which is sorta working. May still wind up tethering it to the wall or ceiling.

Just tried the net out for the first time. I'm still having issues letting my swing rip inside; the garage feels too confined even though I can't possibly hit the 9-foot ceiling. GF wanted another golf lesson, but whatever I tell her to do, she pretty much does the opposite. Which extends to every other part of our relationship... I tell her right hand below left, let the markings on the grip show her where to put her hands for a neutral grip, bend her knees at address, turn her shoulders, and the next thing I know it's left hand low, grip incredibly weak, knees straight, shoulders don't turn at all and her "swing" is pretty much flipping her wrists. Which only contacts the ball once in every 4 or 5 tries. So she got frustrated, again. It will take time. She really wants to play sim golf with me but she's gotta hit the ball first. And I've gotta get comfortable swinging inside before I play sim myself.

Edited March 23 by ILMgolfnut

[ILMgolfnut]

On 3/23/2024 at 3:13 AM, berkeleybob said:

Don’t forget to set up a place to sit down and have a cold drink nearby.

Not shown in the photo is a round coffee table where GF set a box fan to get some air movement (it will get rather warm in that garage in a few weeks) and is where I set my phone to connect between the Garmin and the TV. Cold drinks can go there. And the red leather loveseat is still out there to the left.

[ILMgolfnut]

Proof that I'm not as smart as I think I am, part infinity: Once I realized that I'd only ordered one side net attachment for my Spornia, I ordered a second one for the other side. Or so I thought. It arrived yesterday, I unpacked it today and put it on, and immediately realized it wasn't the same size as the side net on the other side. So I dug up my emailed invoice: The side net I ordered was for the SPG-5, which is considerably smaller than my SPG-7. No wonder it didn't match. I emailed Spornia to see what we can do but I'm probably stuck with it, or will have to spend another $30 getting the right one.

[ILMgolfnut]

Played my first sim round tonight, sorta. GF had unplugged the TV in the garage, thus wiping out the mirroring link to the Garmin app on my phone, and after about 10 minutes of trying to fix it, I said screw it and played on the phone only. But the problem with accurate distances remains, even though I felt like I was swinging harder. My drives were going 75 yards, stuff like that. I'm short but not THAT short. It liked my short game though; twice I pitched close enough from well off the green to be given a 1-putt on the sim software. But given that I was 1-putting for a double every time, I stopped after six holes. Clearly I have to do some more tinkering to figure out why the distances are so wacked inside; the Garmin seems to be accurate outside.

[Jean D]

Late to this party as well.  Enjoyed reading the posts from start to finish.  @ILMgolfnut, did you have a chance to look at your R10 setup?  I just helped a good friend setup a net/R10 in his garage and the furnace was in front of the net (where the R10 was pointing).  It caused some serious issues with his R10's distances- to the point we had to flip the whole thing around.  Once we did that, R10 behaved as expected.  My 8 iron was 125-130yds with a slight draw , spin, club and ball numbers were all consistent with what I get on mine and on the ION/FullSwing LM at my local indoor sim place.

[ILMgolfnut]

1 hour ago, Jean D said:

Late to this party as well.  Enjoyed reading the posts from start to finish.  @ILMgolfnut, did you have a chance to look at your R10 setup?  I just helped a good friend setup a net/R10 in his garage and the furnace was in front of the net (where the R10 was pointing).  It caused some serious issues with his R10's distances- to the point we had to flip the whole thing around.  Once we did that, R10 behaved as expected.  My 8 iron was 125-130yds with a slight draw , spin, club and ball numbers were all consistent with what I get on mine and on the ION/FullSwing LM at my local indoor sim place.

I'm on the road at the moment until Friday. There's nothing but wall behind my net, so that isn't it. I ordered a cheap rug this evening to cover the floor in front of the net in case all that bare concrete is the issue, and I'll try hitting with daylight instead of the fluorescent lights overhead; both were identified on Garmin forums as potential factors. Hopefully the rug arrives before I leave town again Sunday morning.

Edited April 17 by ILMgolfnut

[Nick_D]

12 hours ago, ILMgolfnut said:

I'm on the road at the moment until Friday. There's nothing but wall behind my net, so that isn't it. I ordered a cheap rug this evening to cover the floor in front of the net in case all that bare concrete is the issue, and I'll try hitting with daylight instead of the fluorescent lights overhead; both were identified on Garmin forums as potential factors. Hopefully the rug arrives before I leave town again Sunday morning.

Back when I had my Flightscope Mevo+ anything metal was a concern as well. I was hitting towards my garage door and ended up flipping my entire setup around to hit away from the garage door. Looks like you're already doing that, but not sure if there's anything metal on either side of your setup you could look at too!

[ILMgolfnut]

Two updates:

One, the cheap rug has arrived and is on the floor under/in front of my hitting mat. Haven't tried it out yet.

Two, what I have tried is to play a sim round outdoors at the range using Home Tee Hero. That didn't work any better than playing it in the garage, and I can't blame fluorescent lights, a bare concrete floor or stuff on the back wall for this one. I had read HTH wasn't very accurate, and now I believe it. Looks like I'll be purchasing Awesome Golf or E6 or something at some point, but that will wait a while, possibly until the fall.

Edited May 1 by ILMgolfnut

[Nick_D]

16 hours ago, ILMgolfnut said:

Two updates:

One, the cheap rug has arrived and is on the floor under/in front of my hitting mat. Haven't tried it out yet.

Two, what I have tried is to play a sim round outdoors at the range using Home Tee Hero. That didn't work any better than playing it in the garage, and I can't blame fluorescent lights or stuff on the back wall for this one. I had read HTH wasn't very accurate, and now I believe it. Looks like I'll be purchasing Awesome Golf or E6 or something at some point, but that will wait a while, possibly until the fall.

Look into GSPro as well! Definitely one of the best values in software

[ILMgolfnut]

21 minutes ago, Nick_D said:

Look into GSPro as well! Definitely one of the best values in software

According to both Garmin and GSPro, GSPro is not currently compatible with the R10.

[Nick_D]

21 minutes ago, ILMgolfnut said:

According to both Garmin and GSPro, GSPro is not currently compatible with the R10.

It isn't officially supported, but GSPro offers an openAPI connector option and many people are using it with the R10. May be slightly less user friendly than if it were officially supported, but something to look into!