SkyTrak+ - 2024 Forum Review

[Swood1994]

On 10/6/2024 at 6:03 PM, TSauer said:

Oh, forgot to mention… during my mapping, when I got to my 54*, I accidentally hit one over my net and into the park behind my house. 

Shot looked great though

I’m in @cnosil position with the houses…  I moved my net so close that I just barely clear it in the follow through. The SPG-7 also has a front bill that helps catch any fliers but it’s still in the back of your head. 

let’s see the numbers on that shot!

[TSauer]

53 minutes ago, Swood1994 said:

I’m in @cnosil position with the houses…  I moved my net so close that I just barely clear it in the follow through. The SPG-7 also has a front bill that helps catch any fliers but it’s still in the back of your head. 

let’s see the numbers on that shot!

Lol! I was playing with fire. I kept noting where my PW and 50* were hitting and it was towards the top of the net and thought "Nah, I surely won't hit one over" and decided to keep the net where it was. Whoops.

Honestly, I don't even remember if the shot registered. I remember hitting it and not seeing the net move and then noticed my ball about 60 yards away sailing through the air

[Swood1994]

I am hoping the weather cooperates for the next couple of days so I can get some more driver swings in from the driveway. 

I also plan on testing the wedge matrix tool this week. Does anyone have any other questions requests they are looking for from the Skytrak+?

[Medfloat]

5 minutes ago, Swood1994 said:

I am hoping the weather cooperates for the next couple of days so I can get some more driver swings in from the driveway. 

I also plan on testing the wedge matrix tool this week. Does anyone have any other questions requests they are looking for from the Skytrak+?

Are you using the unit with a power chord or battery.  Have you used the battery power?  If so, how long does it last? When the battery gets lower in charge, are the shots still consistent or are there more irregular readings?

[Swood1994]

1 hour ago, Medfloat said:

Are you using the unit with a power chord or battery.  Have you used the battery power?  If so, how long does it last? When the battery gets lower in charge, are the shots still consistent or are there more irregular readings?

I typically run it off battery for the range sessions and it seems like I can get 3-4 1-hour long sessions out of it from full charge to dead. I have not noticed any loss in performance as the battery gets lower. if you have the power source its also just as easy to leave the unit plugged in while practicing

[Swood1994]

10.2.24 Indoor Range Session

This post is a little delayed as I was compiling my thoughts and unfortunately busy with work and life... aren't we all though!

I was able to spend about 1.5 hours on the Skytrak+ under the range and hit about 50 shots with 4 progressively longer clubs (54°, 9-iron, 7-iron, 4-hybrid). I will note I used an older 4-hybrid for fear of hitting the ceiling. Luckily that did not happen, but I ran out of time when I started to feel comfortable. Overall, I am getting really good feedback from the Skytrak+ plus and with practice and getting a more regular swing the data is right where I expect it to be. Now I do not claim to be an expert but having played the game for a long time (like others) I feel like I know my game pretty well. The only data point I'm still questioning is the spin which in turn effects the total distance.

The outputs available from the Skytrak+ are great and exactly what I would expect. the option for PDF and CSV exports are awesome for the data nuts like myself.

Now to compare to actual on course results the carry distances are pretty on point with the exception of the 4 Hybrid. I hit that club outside in my most recent session outdoors and the distance was back where I would expect (225-235 carry). Again, the total distance I think are off due to the spin calcs but are in line for those spin rates produced by the Skytrak+.

I did hit probably the purest 7-iron of my life which was amazing to see the Skytrak+ give me the feedback in multiple views

*Note the reason the range metrics are off until the end of the video is it was comparing against 54 expected results*

Too cap off a session everyone (and by everyone, I mean at least me) loves dispersion charts. The Skytrak+ makes it easy to turn circles on and off and select specific shot groups I took a screenshot of the full 50 shots and was surprised how clean the groupings were.

More sessions and notes to come from yesterday and today, Stay tuned!

[schooner44]

First of all, you guys are doing an outstanding job on the reviews so far. I look forward to checking this thread to see what new info you've put in here.

Secondly, the new software has been released for iOS. The original Skytrak is now referred to as "Skytrak Lite" and the new release is it's own app that has taken over the "Skytrak" name in the app store. I was excited to download it despite some very poor reviews however my excitement hit a screeching halt. As soon as I launched it, I immediately got a pup-up starting that I didn't have enough RAM. It requires 5 GB for course play and 3 GB just for the practice range. I have a 10th gen iPad which has 4 GB of RAM and I only use it for the Skytrak. I'm pretty disappointed that it's requiring so much RAM considering the older app has had no issues at all. I could better understand this if I had a much older version of the iPad but it's only a year old. Now I have to make the decision to stick with the "Lite" version and just use what I've been using or build out a gaming type PC. I'll likely stick with the Lite which means that Skytrak won't be getting any subscription money from me. All in all, I think they were very short-sighted on their plan.

[TSauer]

3 hours ago, schooner44 said:

First of all, you guys are doing an outstanding job on the reviews so far. I look forward to checking this thread to see what new info you've put in here.

Secondly, the new software has been released for iOS. The original Skytrak is now referred to as "Skytrak Lite" and the new release is it's own app that has taken over the "Skytrak" name in the app store. I was excited to download it despite some very poor reviews however my excitement hit a screeching halt. As soon as I launched it, I immediately got a pup-up starting that I didn't have enough RAM. It requires 5 GB for course play and 3 GB just for the practice range. I have a 10th gen iPad which has 4 GB of RAM and I only use it for the Skytrak. I'm pretty disappointed that it's requiring so much RAM considering the older app has had no issues at all. I could better understand this if I had a much older version of the iPad but it's only a year old. Now I have to make the decision to stick with the "Lite" version and just use what I've been using or build out a gaming type PC. I'll likely stick with the Lite which means that Skytrak won't be getting any subscription money from me. All in all, I think they were very short-sighted on their plan.

That's interesting. So do things still work as they do with the Lite app, you just won't be able to access the course play on the updated app? I haven't dove into that area yet, but will soon. I have the 5th gen iPad Pro and just downloaded the app to make sure it launched without any issues, fortunately it does. It looks like mine has 8gb. I hope they end up optimizing the app for those that are in a similar situation as yourself, that really stinks! I kinda prefer the iPad in some instances and I'm sure there are several others in the same boat.

[schooner44]

5 minutes ago, TSauer said:

That's interesting. So do things still work as they do with the Lite app, you just won't be able to access the course play on the updated app? I haven't dove into that area yet, but will soon. I have the 5th gen iPad Pro and just downloaded the app to make sure it launched without any issues, fortunately it does. It looks like mine has 8gb. I hope they end up optimizing the app for those that are in a similar situation as yourself, that really stinks! I kinda prefer the iPad in some instances and I'm sure there are several others in the same boat.

I can't do anything in the new app. I have 2.8 GB of RAM free so I can't even access the practice range.

[Swood1994]

1 hour ago, schooner44 said:

I can't do anything in the new app. I have 2.8 GB of RAM free so I can't even access the practice range.

 

1 hour ago, TSauer said:

I hope they end up optimizing the app for those that are in a similar situation as yourself, that really stinks! I kinda prefer the iPad in some instances and I'm sure there are several others in the same boat.

I was considering investing in an iPad and my father-in-law offered one of his older ones for quick outdoor practice. looks like that isn't an option anymore. I have to agree that is shortsighted on their part but I'm curious if any additions/upgrades have been made for graphics and UE that require the extra RAM.

[Swood1994]

10.11.24 Driver Session

I was able to get an hour or so in Friday evening before the sun set with the net and set up outside on the driveway on level ground to see if that made a difference for the driver metrics. I can say there was a drastic improvement, which I was expecting. My miss on the Skytrak+ was left but in real life I tend to favor the right side of the course. This could be trying to overswing or just adjusting to swinging into the net. 

The ball speed and swing speed data points were extremely accurate and what I am used to seeing. On Trackman (last season) I averaged 109.6mph club head speed, 162.4mph ball speed, with an average carry and total distance of 274 and 305, respectively.

On the Skytrak+ I was averaging 107mph club head speed & 156mph ball speed. Slightly less than track man but close enough all things considered. The ball flight and distances were off in my opinion though (232 carry/273 total averages). As I said above, I had a hard time getting the ball to fade and apparently getting the ball in the air with an average launch angle of 10°. I did hit some 4 Hybrid shots with this set up to see if I could get the distance corrected for that club and found it is definitely me and my swing indoors. I was able to hit my 235/240 carry average I am used to seeing

I tried different positions for the ball and angle for the Skytrak+ to read and noticed that what seemed to work best was at the base of the tee peg as if the ball would be on the ground for an iron shot. If any users have tips on this, I'm all ears. to me it seemed counteractive but makes sense when switching between driver and irons for the Simulator.

 

I did have a handful of shots that I resembled the normalcy I am used too. I should preface these statements with I'm a very uncomfortable hitter indoors or into artificial targets such as nets. I am getting used to it and more comfortable as time goes on, but I'll hold onto that "excuse" for the time being to explain some of these bad shots.

Here was the best of the best of the session with a slight push

All in all, we are moving in the right direction with driver and feeling good for course play coming up!

[Swood1994]

Skytrak+ Wedge Matrix

How is everyone doing?!? Are we sick of the numbers yet? I sure hope not because this update is a doozy!

I got around to doing the wedge matrix tonight and 160 golf shots later... I got the results.

Starting from the top we enter the main menu and it's extremely easy to find the wedge matrix tool and the other Skill Assessments.

Setting Up the wedge matrix was a breeze. I made a couple of edits to the default settings. These included switching the output to focus on carry distance, which is more important for wedges, in my opinion. Next was selecting my clubs based off of loft with the exception of my 50° & 46° wedges as the only option I saw was "GW" and "PW". No issue as those are the spots those clubs fill in my bag regardless. I decided to raise the number of shots to 10 to ensure I had a good average of shots with the best 5 shots selected.

Each club has prompts after each shot type (Pitch, 1/2, 3/4, Full) which makes it very easy to follow along. It also gives you a 10 second interlude with options to go back and redo the last shot or redo the entire club. This is a nice touch if you felt you didn't hit good shots and need to go back.

160 shots later and the out puts were great! I was really excited for this part of the Skytrak+ as I have a hard time inside of 100 yards and having multiple shots for each club to cover a myriad of distances with certainly help my game. At the end of the assessment, it gives you the full matrix for both carry and total distances as well as dispersion circles for each shot type and club.

The distances are pretty close to what I expect. I was most surprised by some of the shot metrics for the full swings on GW & PW. I think the data tells me that the wedgeflex shafts are not fit for me as I am launching too high and spinning the ball too much based on the preset ranges provided by the Skytrak+ range. This is a key insight that may help me in the future as I get new wedges where these clubs would benefit more from a shaft that more closely aligns to my other irons as I typically only hit these clubs full, with the exceptional bump and runs around the greens. The second takeaway for me the shot dispersion for 3/4 shots. The wedge matrix identified that is my most variable shot type and where I struggle most to control my distance. I think after getting this baseline, I will go back with a smaller shot grouping and focus more on distance gaps for a specific distance to hit with each shot type.

I also want to mention that going back to the session is extremely easy as well and looking at specific shots is just as easy as well. This has been really helpful, in general, for when I want to go back and look at some of my old sessions and see if I am making improvements or re-export the data sets in PDF or CSV formats.

I hope you all enjoyed this update. This was probably my favorite feature thus far and one I was looking forward to since the announcement of the test, Skytrak did a great job with the skill assessments section of the Skytrak+ and something that can be a huge benefit during the off season.

[TSauer]

2 hours ago, Swood1994 said:

Skytrak+ Wedge Matrix

How is everyone doing?!? Are we sick of the numbers yet? I sure hope not because this update is a doozy!

I got around to doing the wedge matrix tonight and 160 golf shots later... I got the results.

Starting from the top we enter the main menu and it's extremely easy to find the wedge matrix tool and the other Skill Assessments.

Setting Up the wedge matrix was a breeze. I made a couple of edits to the default settings. These included switching the output to focus on carry distance, which is more important for wedges, in my opinion. Next was selecting my clubs based off of loft with the exception of my 50° & 46° wedges as the only option I saw was "GW" and "PW". No issue as those are the spots those clubs fill in my bag regardless. I decided to raise the number of shots to 10 to ensure I had a good average of shots with the best 5 shots selected.

Each club has prompts after each shot type (Pitch, 1/2, 3/4, Full) which makes it very easy to follow along. It also gives you a 10 second interlude with options to go back and redo the last shot or redo the entire club. This is a nice touch if you felt you didn't hit good shots and need to go back.

160 shots later and the out puts were great! I was really excited for this part of the Skytrak+ as I have a hard time inside of 100 yards and having multiple shots for each club to cover a myriad of distances with certainly help my game. At the end of the assessment, it gives you the full matrix for both carry and total distances as well as dispersion circles for each shot type and club.

The distances are pretty close to what I expect. I was most surprised by some of the shot metrics for the full swings on GW & PW. I think the data tells me that the wedgeflex shafts are not fit for me as I am launching too high and spinning the ball too much based on the preset ranges provided by the Skytrak+ range. This is a key insight that may help me in the future as I get new wedges where these clubs would benefit more from a shaft that more closely aligns to my other irons as I typically only hit these clubs full, with the exceptional bump and runs around the greens. The second takeaway for me the shot dispersion for 3/4 shots. The wedge matrix identified that is my most variable shot type and where I struggle most to control my distance. I think after getting this baseline, I will go back with a smaller shot grouping and focus more on distance gaps for a specific distance to hit with each shot type.

I also want to mention that going back to the session is extremely easy as well and looking at specific shots is just as easy as well. This has been really helpful, in general, for when I want to go back and look at some of my old sessions and see if I am making improvements or re-export the data sets in PDF or CSV formats.

 

I hope you all enjoyed this update. This was probably my favorite feature thus far and one I was looking forward to since the announcement of the test, Skytrak did a great job with the skill assessments section of the Skytrak+ and something that can be a huge benefit during the off season.

The wedge matrix looks sick! Cannot wait to give it a shot. Wedges are probably the worst part of my game, so this is gonna be huge, I feel.

[Medfloat]

The more information that is posted about the features of the SkyTrak+ the more likely I am to get it next year.  A couple reason; a camera based system not needing all the extra space behind the ball, loaded with features, easy to connect to any device, and fairly inexpensive for all the features.  A big factor is not needing the extra space behind the ball, except for the swing arc.

[MattF]

I spent most of yesterday setting up my projector and screen for the upgraded system. I have to move the screen some more and play around with the projector settings but I should be hitting balls today, into a screen that's in front of me.

[Medfloat]

33 minutes ago, MattF said:

I spent most of yesterday setting up my projector and screen for the upgraded system. I have to move the screen some more and play around with the projector settings but I should be hitting balls today, into a screen that's in front of me.

Can you share the details of the projector and screen?

[Jean D]

Catching up on the thread- apologies if I missed this somewhere already...  Are any of the testers planning on integrating their LM with GSPro and has anyone tested the putting accuracy?  I am using the MLM2 Pro for my sim, going through GSPro, but it being radar-based (with camera for spin if you use dotted balls), it doesn't allow putting.  Trying to narrow down my options for the next upgrade come Black Friday sales you so kindly have down in the US for the rest of us to enjoy!  

[MattF]

On 10/13/2024 at 7:51 AM, Medfloat said:

Can you share the details of the projector and screen?

I tried to reply this morning but the update made that impossible.

The projector is a BenQ MW632ST. The short throw projectors are the ones you want with a sim because of the distances being close.

The screen is from Spectrum Golf. It's the Poly Blend 95 in this link: https://www.virtual-golf-simulator.com/poly-blend-95-hanging-screen/ I got the hanging one so that I could suspend it from the ceiling of the garage and then just roll it up and hook it there out of the way.

Is it perfect, no, but it works for me and it's a tool, not a show piece.

Edited Wednesday at 09:21 AM by MattF

[TSauer]

3 hours ago, Jean D said:

Catching up on the thread- apologies if I missed this somewhere already...  Are any of the testers planning on integrating their LM with GSPro and has anyone tested the putting accuracy?  I am using the MLM2 Pro for my sim, going through GSPro, but it being radar-based (with camera for spin if you use dotted balls), it doesn't allow putting.  Trying to narrow down my options for the next upgrade come Black Friday sales you so kindly have down in the US for the rest of us to enjoy!  

I plan on setting up GSPro in the future, I love the GSPro system. I was reading through some stuff about it and I thought someone mentioned putting doesn’t work with it on the ST? I could be wrong, as I didn’t go too in depth, I just thought I saw those comments previously. Could have also been the OG SkyTrak as well. 

[Jean D]

1 hour ago, TSauer said:

I plan on setting up GSPro in the future, I love the GSPro system. I was reading through some stuff about it and I thought someone mentioned putting doesn’t work with it on the ST? I could be wrong, as I didn’t go too in depth, I just thought I saw those comments previously. Could have also been the OG SkyTrak as well. 

OG SkyTrak didn't do putting (AFAIK), but the ST+ does.  I just don't know of anyone who uses GSPro and the ST+... really hoping someone in the testers does try it out.  So far the Uneekor Eye Mini Lite and the new LaunchBox by TruGolf (it is E6 only, no GSPro integration- just found that out...so it's out.  Ugh) are candidates along with the ST+. But GSPro integration + putting is a must. Sorry, wasn't trying to hijack the conversation!!!

Edited Tuesday at 12:29 AM by Jean D

[Medfloat]

2 hours ago, MattF said:

I tried to reply this morning but the update made that impossible.

The projector is a BenQ MW632ST. The short throw projectors are the ones you want with a sim because of the distances being close.

The next is from Spectrum Golf. It the Poly Blend 95 in this link: https://www.virtual-golf-simulator.com/poly-blend-95-hanging-screen/ I got the hanging one so that I could suspend it from the ceiling of the garage and then just roll it up and hook it there out of the way.

Is it perfect, no, but it works for me and it's a tool, not a show piece.

That is the kind of setup I am looking for, thanks

[schooner44]

3 hours ago, Medfloat said:

That is the kind of setup I am looking for, thanks

There's a whole thread on home simulator builds. Mine is the link below but there's a ton of nice setups in the thread too. 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/61013-dyi-home-golf-simulator/?do=findComment&comment=1077731

[Medfloat]

6 hours ago, schooner44 said:

There's a whole thread on home simulator builds. Mine is the link below but there's a ton of nice setups in the thread too. 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/61013-dyi-home-golf-simulator/?do=findComment&comment=1077731

Thanks, just followed it so I can…uhhh…follow it

[Swood1994]

On 10/14/2024 at 8:00 PM, Jean D said:

OG SkyTrak didn't do putting (AFAIK), but the ST+ does.  I just don't know of anyone who uses GSPro and the ST+... really hoping someone in the testers does try it out.  So far the Uneekor Eye Mini Lite and the new LaunchBox by TruGolf (it is E6 only, no GSPro integration- just found that out...so it's out.  Ugh) are candidates along with the ST+. But GSPro integration + putting is a must. Sorry, wasn't trying to hijack the conversation!!!

I'm sure you've done your research but it looks like with the GSpro V2 there is an Open API option that would allow you to use the software on the Skytrak+ which would in turn allow putting through the GSpro software. THe GSpro subscription is $250/year while Skytrak course play is $220/year. I think you would still need the essential plan from skytrak to integrate with GSpro software so all in you would be spending $380/year on software ($250 GSpro+$130 ST Essential). For me personally putting on a sim is not fun, especially on at home setups. I will normally put auto putt on anyway so there isn't much of a draw to go after the 3rd party software unless it is a massive improvement over the ST course play.

[schooner44]

12 hours ago, Swood1994 said:

I'm sure you've done your research but it looks like with the GSpro V2 there is an Open API option that would allow you to use the software on the Skytrak+ which would in turn allow putting through the GSpro software. THe GSpro subscription is $250/year while Skytrak course play is $220/year. I think you would still need the essential plan from skytrak to integrate with GSpro software so all in you would be spending $380/year on software ($250 GSpro+$130 ST Essential). For me personally putting on a sim is not fun, especially on at home setups. I will normally put auto putt on anyway so there isn't much of a draw to go after the 3rd party software unless it is a massive improvement over the ST course play.

I would second the idea of auto putt for an at home sim. I tried doing putting and it was just way too unrealistic. I find that with the right settings, I get pretty much what I normally would on a course.

[Swood1994]

Next up on my testing agenda is working out the spin numbers indoors. I know they won’t be perfect but my plan this weekend is to test out a couple different types of golf balls and markings hitting each in a set of ten to get average spin number and compare. I know early on a MGS member posted a video about whic ball works best so I’ll be checking that out as well.

I plan on picking this up to see if the RPT pattern will help at all

 

I will also be testing the TP5 Pix and the Truvis callaway ball. The control in this test will be a regular plain white golf ball. I will try and keep the type of ball (tp5 vs prov1 vs chrome tour) as consistent as possible throughout. 

Updates to come!

[TSauer]

8 hours ago, Swood1994 said:

Next up on my testing agenda is working out the spin numbers indoors. I know they won’t be perfect but my plan this weekend is to test out a couple different types of golf balls and markings hitting each in a set of ten to get average spin number and compare. I know early on a MGS member posted a video about whic ball works best so I’ll be checking that out as well.

I plan on picking this up to see if the RPT pattern will help at all

 

I will also be testing the TP5 Pix and the Truvis callaway ball. The control in this test will be a regular plain white golf ball. I will try and keep the type of ball (tp5 vs prov1 vs chrome tour) as consistent as possible throughout. 

Updates to come!

Love this idea, man! You've inspired me to do something a little similar. I won't steal your idea, but I may play around with ball placement relevant to the dot and see if that changes anything. 

Looking forward to seeing your results from this.