Garmin Approach R10 Portable Golf Launch Monitor

[CHM 12]

On 1/11/2023 at 10:33 AM, rlefig said:

CHM12, you do not have any fans, heating devices or any other potential interference happening. I had to move my heater around to be "out of sight" from the Garmin

 No I don’t, and I have moved it to multiple locations. I just shipped it back to them today to exchange it for a working one. Two of my neighbors have an r10 and love theirs. I hope I eventually have the same experience. 

[jjschafe]

On 1/12/2023 at 6:45 PM, CHM 12 said:

 No I don’t, and I have moved it to multiple locations. I just shipped it back to them today to exchange it for a working one. Two of my neighbors have an r10 and love theirs. I hope I eventually have the same experience. 

Glad they took care of you and exchanged it.  I had my defective unit exchanged during the height of them being out of stock, customer service was top notch.

[Z1ggy16]

Hi,  sorry I didn't really read thru this entire thread but I came here to ask just opinions about how good this is as a simulator and also for better players working on their swing (being able to see club path and face to path mostly). 

 

I'm having a hard time deciding between something like this or going a bit more pricey and camera based with Skytrak. As a lefty, going camera based is a pain because my daughter and or friends are going to be right handed and moving that unit every time would be a PITA. 

 

Primary use will be indoors in my garage. I have enough space to use it with out much problem. They main thing I worry about here is accuracy but I'm hearing maybe RCT balls could help? 

[LeftDot]

On 1/14/2023 at 8:37 PM, Z1ggy16 said:

Hi,  sorry I didn't really read thru this entire thread but I came here to ask just opinions about how good this is as a simulator and also for better players working on their swing (being able to see club path and face to path mostly). 

 

I'm having a hard time deciding between something like this or going a bit more pricey and camera based with Skytrak. As a lefty, going camera based is a pain because my daughter and or friends are going to be right handed and moving that unit every time would be a PITA. 

 

Primary use will be indoors in my garage. I have enough space to use it with out much problem. They main thing I worry about here is accuracy but I'm hearing maybe RCT balls could help? 

 

The answer is basically "you get what you pay for." 

 

Personally - if I was in a financial position where I would be choosing between the R10 ($500) and a camera based setup ($2K +++) for a simulator I wouldn't pick the R10.

 

That said I do enjoy it as a tool at the range and it gives 90% of the functionality/accuracy at 1/4 the cost of something more expensive.

Edited January 16, 2023 by LeftDot

[Z1ggy16]

2 hours ago, LeftDot said:

 

The answer is basically "you get what you pay for." 

 

Personally - if I was in a financial position where I would be choosing between the R10 ($500) and a camera based setup ($2K +++) for a simulator I wouldn't pick the R10.

 

That said I do enjoy it as a tool at the range and it gives 90% of the functionality/accuracy at 1/4 the cost of something more expensive.

My biggest concern based off of all of the reviews I've been seeing so far is that the Garmin really can't directly measure the spin axis and therefore it seems to really under account for ball curvature. 

 

Recently watched a video from someone on YouTube comparing SkyTrak versus the R10 versus overhead systems and while it showed him hitting a massive slice from the overhead system, which he did, the R10 basically showed it as just a tiny little fade. 

 

I know this is the Garmin thread but for my needs where I do want some decent accuracy when it comes to real flight path, would skytrak be better?

[betarhoalphadelta]

6 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My biggest concern based off of all of the reviews I've been seeing so far is that the Garmin really can't directly measure the spin axis and therefore it seems to really under account for ball curvature. 

 

Recently watched a video from someone on YouTube comparing SkyTrak versus the R10 versus overhead systems and while it showed him hitting a massive slice from the overhead system, which he did, the R10 basically showed it as just a tiny little fade. 

 

I know this is the Garmin thread but for my needs where I do want some decent accuracy when it comes to real flight path, would skytrak be better?

 

When was the video made? Were they using RCT balls (or metal dots) with the updated firmware? Were they using Garmin software or Awesome Golf (or other)?

 

Prior to ~5-6 months ago, the R10 couldn't measure spin indoors or into a net. It had to estimate spin based on club measurements (AoA, etc) and initial ball data. With the firmware update and RCT (or metal dot) balls, it can directly measure spin. So first and foremost, if any video wasn't made after that and using appropriate balls, then it's no longer applicable to the R10. 

 

My understanding is that no radar-based tool measures spin axis. So quite frankly the R10 will have to calculate spin axis based on all the club/launch data on club path, launch direction (to calculate face angle), and spin rate to calculate spin axis. The more the path and launch direction deviate, the more the spin axis deviates. But it's not measured. 

 

Finally, there were some early reviews where Garmin Golf seemed to have some various differences in calculated flight vs Awesome Golf, which mostly existed BEFORE the firmware update and use of RCT balls. Garmin Golf seems to be a lot more accurate once it can measure rather than estimate spin rate. David Maxfield did a video on this if you really want to look at it. 

 

All that said, I bought the R10 as a practice tool for use hitting into a net into my backyard, not as a simulator. Basically the only reason I want it is so that I can hit in an area that I can't see ballflight, to ensure that I'm not ingraining horrible things like a club path or face angle that will screw me when I go to the course. For that, I don't need the level of accuracy I'd probably want in a simulator. Close enough is good enough. I wasn't going to budget $2K+ for a practice tool, because I can just go to the range (and year-round based on where I live) for practice. 

 

If you want a real simulator, and you have the budget, I agree with @LeftDot that "you get what you pay for". If this is a laugher for your daughter and her friends to be able to "play" courses, and ultimately it's a practice tool for you? Probably fine. If you really want it to simulate real golf? Probably need to spend up for that. 

[Frankensteins Monster]

10 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My biggest concern based off of all of the reviews I've been seeing so far is that the Garmin really can't directly measure the spin axis and therefore it seems to really under account for ball curvature. 

 

Recently watched a video from someone on YouTube comparing SkyTrak versus the R10 versus overhead systems and while it showed him hitting a massive slice from the overhead system, which he did, the R10 basically showed it as just a tiny little fade. 

 

I know this is the Garmin thread but for my needs where I do want some decent accuracy when it comes to real flight path, would skytrak be better?

Skytrak is 10+ year old technology. Buying it now isn’t prudent. It’s a dinosaur. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Frankensteins Monster

[Z1ggy16]

2 hours ago, betarhoalphadelta said:

 

When was the video made? Were they using RCT balls (or metal dots) with the updated firmware? Were they using Garmin software or Awesome Golf (or other)?

 

Prior to ~5-6 months ago, the R10 couldn't measure spin indoors or into a net. It had to estimate spin based on club measurements (AoA, etc) and initial ball data. With the firmware update and RCT (or metal dot) balls, it can directly measure spin. So first and foremost, if any video wasn't made after that and using appropriate balls, then it's no longer applicable to the R10. 

 

My understanding is that no radar-based tool measures spin axis. So quite frankly the R10 will have to calculate spin axis based on all the club/launch data on club path, launch direction (to calculate face angle), and spin rate to calculate spin axis. The more the path and launch direction deviate, the more the spin axis deviates. But it's not measured. 

 

Finally, there were some early reviews where Garmin Golf seemed to have some various differences in calculated flight vs Awesome Golf, which mostly existed BEFORE the firmware update and use of RCT balls. Garmin Golf seems to be a lot more accurate once it can measure rather than estimate spin rate. David Maxfield did a video on this if you really want to look at it. 

 

All that said, I bought the R10 as a practice tool for use hitting into a net into my backyard, not as a simulator. Basically the only reason I want it is so that I can hit in an area that I can't see ballflight, to ensure that I'm not ingraining horrible things like a club path or face angle that will screw me when I go to the course. For that, I don't need the level of accuracy I'd probably want in a simulator. Close enough is good enough. I wasn't going to budget $2K+ for a practice tool, because I can just go to the range (and year-round based on where I live) for practice. 

 

If you want a real simulator, and you have the budget, I agree with @LeftDot that "you get what you pay for". If this is a laugher for your daughter and her friends to be able to "play" courses, and ultimately it's a practice tool for you? Probably fine. If you really want it to simulate real golf? Probably need to spend up for that. 

Here's the video, posted 3 months ago. Unknown when it was filmed. Doesn't look like a metal dot and I can't recall but I don't think he'd mentioned RCT ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKtlYsUTUqU

 

Not to pick on this guy but he seems to have a very obvious over the top move with open face. Several shots he hits on the other sims a very strong slice but R10 showed just a little fade or push.

 

I don't struggle with that myself but if I wanted to work on intentional big hooks or cuts, I'm not sure that would show up. It seems like maybe R10 masks the true nature of ball flight, especially because indoors it can't catch gearing. But, not sure if this hardware they use is most up to date or not.

[Z1ggy16]

5 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

Skytrak is 150+ year old technology. Buying it now isn’t prudent. It’s a dinosaur. 

All I can afford is ST, r10 or M+. I can't get gc3 or uneekor.

 

[Frankensteins Monster]

1 minute ago, Z1ggy16 said:

All I can afford is ST, r10 or M+. I can't get gc3 or uneekor.

 

Having had the Mevo+, Skytrak, Rapsodo MLM, Mevo regular, M+ is your best bet, or wait and see what the new Rapsodo MLM 2 is going to offer. Stay as far away from Skytrak as possible. It’s seriously dated technology.

[Z1ggy16]

50 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

Having had the Mevo+, Skytrak, Rapsodo MLM, Mevo regular, M+ is your best bet, or wait and see what the new Rapsodo MLM 2 is going to offer. Stay as far away from Skytrak as possible. It’s seriously dated technology.

I really know nothing about it other than it's camera based. What makes it different compared to GC3/q?

[Frankensteins Monster]

8 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

I really know nothing about it other than it's camera based. What makes it different compared to GC3/q?

The innards are archaic compared to what’s out there now. They were using dated innards when they brought it to market. It’s COMPLETELY unusable outside. It’s an indoor only machine using terribly dated technology. Steer clear. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by Frankensteins Monster

[Z1ggy16]

15 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

The innards are archaic compared to what’s out there now. They were using dated innards when they brought it to market. It’s COMPLETELY unusable outside. It’s an indoor only machine using terribly dated technology. Steer clear. 

Not trying to be difficult but... what about the innards? Bad camera technology, slow CPU... something else? Is it like trying to run the latest Call of Duty on a PC from 1995? I'm a bit lost, sorry.

Don't plan to use it outside, the guy I see in person has Trackman.

[LeftDot]

11 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

All I can afford is ST, r10 or M+. I can't get gc3 or uneekor.

 

 

Relevant to this discussion:

 

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=kj37CgzvwM98hC9WPrIQm5

 

Quote

Radar Accuracy

Measured by Radar

• Club head speed accuracy: +/- 3 mph
• Ball speed accuracy: +/- 1 mph
• Launch angle accuracy: +/- 1 degree
• Launch direction accuracy: +/- 1 degree

Calculated by Algorithm

• Club face angle accuracy: +/- 2 degrees
• Apex height accuracy: +/- 5 feet
• Carry distance accuracy: +/- 5 yards

 

Important Information About Ball Spin Rate Calculation 
Ball Spin is calculated differently depending if you are outdoors or indoors. 

Indoors

• Calculated using a machine-learned model that uses measured radar metrics as inputs.

Outdoors

• Calculated by one of the following:
  • Observed ball trajectory by the radar
  • Measured by the radar 

 

This means that the only things directly measured on the R10 are the first 4 bullet points. Everything else is calculated - explaining the occasional weird shot shape etc. 

 

You may want to check with the knowledgeable folks over in the Mevo thread, but some googleing suggests that the M+ directly measures some of the more important metrics for simulation, and if you're able to afford the Pro Package you'll get more/better data.

 

Obviously almost everyone's got to work within a budget, but from the daydream research I've done on simulators you're going to be stuck with some compromises until you can get up to something like a Uneekor. Have you thought about looking for a Bushnell Launch Pro or a GC3 secondhand?

[Bubbtubbs]

13 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

Skytrak is 10+ year old technology. Buying it now isn’t prudent. It’s a dinosaur. 

I'm constantly surprised that people are still buying these new. It's a good unit but Jesus, there's so many used ones out there for nearly half the price.

[tezzlacoil]

11 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Not trying to be difficult but... what about the innards? Bad camera technology, slow CPU... something else? Is it like trying to run the latest Call of Duty on a PC from 1995? I'm a bit lost, sorry.

Don't plan to use it outside, the guy I see in person has Trackman.

I was tossing up between skytrak and r10. From what I read (so take with a pinch of salt)

- Skytrak operates at around 300fps vs gc2 etc at 10,000fps

- It seems unreliable at very high ball speeds - people report issues and alot of inconsistency with driver, but don't have the same issue with irons etc. May or may not impact you depending on your swing speed?

- It has lag when calculating the shot, which some ppl find annoying

- some users find it has consistent misreads (anecdotally anywhere between 1 in 10 to 1 in 25 seems to be the general consensus)

- is sensitive to setup especially being level and aligned, and supposedly this makes a huge diff in his it calculates ball flight. So if you don't have a perm setup it might perform poorly or be super annoying to setup

 

The r10 also needs a bit of fine tuning with setup but once I had a play around, for me, it now takes a few minutes to get it aligned properly.

 

Btw anyone with real Skytrak experience feel free to comment or correct me as the above is just my own research, I got the r10 although I was mighty tempted by the Skytrak.

[Z1ggy16]

52 minutes ago, LeftDot said:

 

Relevant to this discussion:

 

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=kj37CgzvwM98hC9WPrIQm5

 

 

This means that the only things directly measured on the R10 are the first 4 bullet points. Everything else is calculated - explaining the occasional weird shot shape etc. 

 

You may want to check with the knowledgeable folks over in the Mevo thread, but some googleing suggests that the M+ directly measures some of the more important metrics for simulation, and if you're able to afford the Pro Package you'll get more/better data.

 

Obviously almost everyone's got to work within a budget, but from the daydream research I've done on simulators you're going to be stuck with some compromises until you can get up to something like a Uneekor. Have you thought about looking for a Bushnell Launch Pro or a GC3 secondhand?

Unless a gc3 used is $2k or less, no. Plus it needs a PC to run and a software package right? Also, does the fsx software run directly on the computer so that I could use something like Steam link to view and control the PC from a tablet while in my garage?

 

13 minutes ago, Bubbtubbs said:

I'm constantly surprised that people are still buying these new. It's a good unit but Jesus, there's so many used ones out there for nearly half the price.

Yeah I have seen a few for sale around $1k. I almost nothing new when it comes to golf stuff... Maybe shoes, sometimes balls. 

[Z1ggy16]

1 hour ago, LeftDot said:

 

Relevant to this discussion:

 

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=kj37CgzvwM98hC9WPrIQm5

 

 

This means that the only things directly measured on the R10 are the first 4 bullet points. Everything else is calculated - explaining the occasional weird shot shape etc. 

 

You may want to check with the knowledgeable folks over in the Mevo thread, but some googleing suggests that the M+ directly measures some of the more important metrics for simulation, and if you're able to afford the Pro Package you'll get more/better data.

 

Obviously almost everyone's got to work within a budget, but from the daydream research I've done on simulators you're going to be stuck with some compromises until you can get up to something like a Uneekor. Have you thought about looking for a Bushnell Launch Pro or a GC3 secondhand?

Yeah the calculations of face angle based on the directly measured inputs seems suspect. I can't have it guessing, as the main thing I'm actually trying to work on is improving path and face to path relationship. With driver I'm tending to hit big pulls that draw bc of closed face and my shoulders opening to early. If r10 shows that as just a straight balls that went 10-15 offline instead of the 30+ I know it's probably going... It's going to potentially reinforce bad habits. 

 

I need to check what m+ directly measures. Also, what about gc2 used? I know it's old but if it's got better fps than ST... Might be okay. I do have decent speed, 165-168 ball so not sure if that falls into the risky category for misreads. 

[Bubbtubbs]

7 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Yeah the calculations of face angle based on the directly measured inputs seems suspect. I can't have it guessing, as the main thing I'm actually trying to work on is improving path and face to path relationship. With driver I'm tending to hit big pulls that draw bc of closed face and my shoulders opening to early. If r10 shows that as just a straight balls that went 10-15 offline instead of the 30+ I know it's probably going... It's going to potentially reinforce bad habits. 

 

I need to check what m+ directly measures. Also, what about gc2 used? I know it's old but if it's got better fps than ST... Might be okay. I do have decent speed, 165-168 ball so not sure if that falls into the risky category for misreads. 

Used GC2 is amazing and can stand with anything current. Don't let its age fool you.

[LeftDot]

44 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Yeah the calculations of face angle based on the directly measured inputs seems suspect. I can't have it guessing, as the main thing I'm actually trying to work on is improving path and face to path relationship. With driver I'm tending to hit big pulls that draw bc of closed face and my shoulders opening to early. If r10 shows that as just a straight balls that went 10-15 offline instead of the 30+ I know it's probably going... It's going to potentially reinforce bad habits. 

 

I need to check what m+ directly measures. Also, what about gc2 used? I know it's old but if it's got better fps than ST... Might be okay. I do have decent speed, 165-168 ball so not sure if that falls into the risky category for misreads. 

 

If your primary concern is Path and F2P, it looks like you'll need to splash an additional 800-1K to get the Mevo Pro package. Otherwise it looks like the Mevo doesn't/won't show it, and the R10 only calculates it.

 

At that point you're shelling out $2800-$3000 and may be able to find a used GC2, GC3, or Launch Pro for that price.

 

I have definitely hit some pull hooks with the R10 and had them show up as baby draws.

 

 

53 minutes ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Unless a gc3 used is $2k or less, no. Plus it needs a PC to run and a software package right? Also, does the fsx software run directly on the computer so that I could use something like Steam link to view and control the PC from a tablet while in my garage?

 

If you are looking to make a simulator setup you're going to need a PC and sim software regardless of what launch monitor you're using, as I understand it. If you just want shot data and a calculated trajectory graphic, your phone/a tablet is sufficient.

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, Bubbtubbs said:

Used GC2 is amazing and can stand with anything current. Don't let its age fool you.

 

This may be the route you should explore.

 

==

 

Honestly at this point I'd suggest heading over to the Simulator subforum and seeing what those guys have to say, especially since you also have questions on software and hardware setups. To me it sounds like your priorities would rule out the R10. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by LeftDot

[Dan13]

1 hour ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Yeah the calculations of face angle based on the directly measured inputs seems suspect. I can't have it guessing, as the main thing I'm actually trying to work on is improving path and face to path relationship. With driver I'm tending to hit big pulls that draw bc of closed face and my shoulders opening to early. If r10 shows that as just a straight balls that went 10-15 offline instead of the 30+ I know it's probably going... It's going to potentially reinforce bad habits. 

 

I need to check what m+ directly measures. Also, what about gc2 used? I know it's old but if it's got better fps than ST... Might be okay. I do have decent speed, 165-168 ball so not sure if that falls into the risky category for misreads. 

M+ measures path directly but calculates face angle based on other measured data - H launch and path being the primary. I believe all radar units do it this way. The accuracy of the face angle is tied directly to the accuracy of the other data points used in the calculation (and assumes no gear effect).  R10 doesn’t have the same measured data or tolerances as M+ or certainly Trackman so its club data reflects that. 

 

[Frankensteins Monster]

3 hours ago, tezzlacoil said:

I was tossing up between skytrak and r10. From what I read (so take with a pinch of salt)

- Skytrak operates at around 300fps vs gc2 etc at 10,000fps

- It seems unreliable at very high ball speeds - people report issues and alot of inconsistency with driver, but don't have the same issue with irons etc. May or may not impact you depending on your swing speed?

- It has lag when calculating the shot, which some ppl find annoying

- some users find it has consistent misreads (anecdotally anywhere between 1 in 10 to 1 in 25 seems to be the general consensus)

- is sensitive to setup especially being level and aligned, and supposedly this makes a huge diff in his it calculates ball flight. So if you don't have a perm setup it might perform poorly or be super annoying to setup

 

The r10 also needs a bit of fine tuning with setup but once I had a play around, for me, it now takes a few minutes to get it aligned properly.

 

Btw anyone with real Skytrak experience feel free to comment or correct me as the above is just my own research, I got the r10 although I was mighty tempted by the Skytrak.

Nailed it. Also, it has MASSIVE left misreads. 

[Z1ggy16]

2 hours ago, LeftDot said:

 

If your primary concern is Path and F2P, it looks like you'll need to splash an additional 800-1K to get the Mevo Pro package. Otherwise it looks like the Mevo doesn't/won't show it, and the R10 only calculates it.

 

At that point you're shelling out $2800-$3000 and may be able to find a used GC2, GC3, or Launch Pro for that price.

 

I have definitely hit some pull hooks with the R10 and had them show up as baby draws.

 

 

 

If you are looking to make a simulator setup you're going to need a PC and sim software regardless of what launch monitor you're using, as I understand it. If you just want shot data and a calculated trajectory graphic, your phone/a tablet is sufficient.

 

 

 

 

This may be the route you should explore.

 

==

 

Honestly at this point I'd suggest heading over to the Simulator subforum and seeing what those guys have to say, especially since you also have questions on software and hardware setups. To me it sounds like your priorities would rule out the R10. 

My plan was to build in stages, mainly due to budget concerns, and also concern for my life, since if my wife catches me spending $7k for pretty much anything, my posts here will suddenly stop 🙂

 

So stage 1 is range only to see flight data. Primary data (other than realistic flight shown) I want is face to path and path, even AoA could be useful if I'm using driver to make sure it's staying in a healthy range. Ball/swing speed, spin, distance etc are all secondary because I already know my numbers pretty well on nicely struck shots. Stage 2 would be a more full simulator where I'm playing courses and what not, but that's purely entertainment for myself, friends and daughter and I consider that to be a true luxury. I already have a PC that can run the software but I'd need to buy said software ($1000 for lifetime FSX?) and make sure I can connect and control everything as needed. Stage3, if I ever did it, would be a full hitting enclosure with projector.

 

I'll head to that subforum to see what they say. Sounds like Im being swayed away from R10, it's just not going to be accurate enough for real game improvement.

[LeftDot]

1 hour ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My plan was to build in stages, mainly due to budget concerns, and also concern for my life, since if my wife catches me spending $7k for pretty much anything, my posts here will suddenly stop 🙂

 

So stage 1 is range only to see flight data. Primary data (other than realistic flight shown) I want is face to path and path, even AoA could be useful if I'm using driver to make sure it's staying in a healthy range. Ball/swing speed, spin, distance etc are all secondary because I already know my numbers pretty well on nicely struck shots. Stage 2 would be a more full simulator where I'm playing courses and what not, but that's purely entertainment for myself, friends and daughter and I consider that to be a true luxury. I already have a PC that can run the software but I'd need to buy said software ($1000 for lifetime FSX?) and make sure I can connect and control everything as needed. Stage3, if I ever did it, would be a full hitting enclosure with projector.

 

I'll head to that subforum to see what they say. Sounds like Im being swayed away from R10, it's just not going to be accurate enough for real game improvement.

 

Big 10-4 on the happy wife, happy life budgetary limits.

 

Sounds like a used GC2 would fit the bill for you. We're back where we started! The R10 is a great unit at its pricepoint but ultimately you get what you pay for, and in an indoor setup (even with RCT balls) it sounds like you are looking for greater accuracy than it can give (let alone measure) on the metrics most important to you.

 

Now start squirreling away a Uneekor XO fund to kick off stages 2 and 3!

 

Edited January 17, 2023 by LeftDot

[Z1ggy16]

31 minutes ago, LeftDot said:

 

Big 10-4 on the happy wife, happy life budgetary limits.

 

Sounds like a used GC2 would fit the bill for you. We're back where we started! The R10 is a great unit at its pricepoint but ultimately you get what you pay for, and in an indoor setup (even with RCT balls) it sounds like you are looking for greater accuracy than it can give (let alone measure) on the metrics most important to you.

 

Now start squirreling away a Uneekor XO fund to kick off stages 2 and 3!

 

Yeah doing my best to squirrel away what I can... Tough with young kids and all. I made a thread about general simulator advice in the right section so we'll see what others say. It's tough because some data is maybe better than none but golf is a game of inches and misses, so to get my handicap to where I want it this year I think I need to know exactly how much my misses are missing with some certainty. 

 

 

[mgoblue83]

2 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

My plan was to build in stages, mainly due to budget concerns, and also concern for my life, since if my wife catches me spending $7k for pretty much anything, my posts here will suddenly stop 🙂

 

So stage 1 is range only to see flight data. Primary data (other than realistic flight shown) I want is face to path and path, even AoA could be useful if I'm using driver to make sure it's staying in a healthy range. Ball/swing speed, spin, distance etc are all secondary because I already know my numbers pretty well on nicely struck shots. Stage 2 would be a more full simulator where I'm playing courses and what not, but that's purely entertainment for myself, friends and daughter and I consider that to be a true luxury. I already have a PC that can run the software but I'd need to buy said software ($1000 for lifetime FSX?) and make sure I can connect and control everything as needed. Stage3, if I ever did it, would be a full hitting enclosure with projector.

 

I'll head to that subforum to see what they say. Sounds like Im being swayed away from R10, it's just not going to be accurate enough for real game improvement.

 

 

I went with Mevo+ and have no regrets. It's more expensive but after using my friends R10 it's not even close. IMO Mevo+ is much closer to Trackman than the R10 is to Mevo+.

 

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

21 hours ago, Z1ggy16 said:

Here's the video, posted 3 months ago. Unknown when it was filmed. Doesn't look like a metal dot and I can't recall but I don't think he'd mentioned RCT ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKtlYsUTUqU

 

Not to pick on this guy but he seems to have a very obvious over the top move with open face. Several shots he hits on the other sims a very strong slice but R10 showed just a little fade or push.

 

I don't struggle with that myself but if I wanted to work on intentional big hooks or cuts, I'm not sure that would show up. It seems like maybe R10 masks the true nature of ball flight, especially because indoors it can't catch gearing. But, not sure if this hardware they use is most up to date or not.

 

What I can tell from that video is that the launch direction seems to be consistently farther left on the R10, which is an alignment issue. 

 

The R10 can't measure spin axis. It will be based on launch direction and club path. In this case if you're out-to-in but launch direction (incorrectly) thinks you're pulling the ball, it will calculate that the spin axis is less severe than it actually is. Hence the predicted ballflight won't curve as much. But if it's aligned properly, then it should be fine.

 

The Skytrak (from googling) can measure spin axis directly, but cannot actually measure club path. Therefore it can't actually tell you face-to-path. But if it's accurately measuring horizontal launch direction and spin axis, it should show you a more accurate ballflight and then you can work backwards to face-to-path based on ballflight (i.e. if it fades--even a pull fade, you're more out to in relative to face angle, and if it draws, even a push draw, you're more in to out relative to face angle).

 

But I think if the R10 was properly aligned, it wouldn't be an issue. 

 

 

[FlashinLeather]

RCT balls are a game changer.

 

I had a lot of issues with my first R10 - which Garmin replaced - and still didn't think that this unit was very good indoors. With the recent update and RCT golf balls the indoor accuracy is very close to what I see on course when hitting it well. Very impressed. 

[JordanAllaman]

Interesting; I've got an R10 setup in my garage and didn't know if the RCT balls were worth it.  I usually fudge the altitude to get the flight what I expect to see on the course; but if they've made an update, I might need to give them a try.

[Triple Lindy]

On 1/17/2023 at 8:25 AM, tezzlacoil said:

Btw anyone with real Skytrak experience feel free to comment or correct me as the above is just my own research, I got the r10 although I was mighty tempted by the Skytrak.

I had a Skytrak for the 30 day trial from Playbetter. Setup and alignment were non-issues. It comes with a small bubble level that sticks to the top. I’d have to set it up every time I used it and it took all of a couple of minutes. I just made sure it was close to level using the adjustable feet and never had an issue. I could easily move it around, which I did often when switching from driver to short irons or wedges. I hit into a net outdoors with a hitting mat on a concrete patio, so it was on a relatively level surface to begin with, other than a slight slope for drainage. I’m in Texas and had the unit for a month during the summer, hitting in full sunlight. Never once had an issue due to sunlight. I’ve read where Skytrak doesn’t work in the sunlight, but that wasn’t my experience at all. My swing/ball speed is average at best, so I can’t comment on any issue with high ball speeds.

 

Skytrak had an distinct advantage over radar units for me because I could position it as close to the net as I could get. Ball flight distance isn’t a concern and I could even hit my 60° with a full swing. Couldn’t do that with any radar based device without sending the ball into my neighbor’s yard. I also did a trial with the R10 and I wasn’t comfortable with a full swing with anything less than an 8i. Also didn’t have to mess with metal dots or special balls. 

 

Garmin has the advantage when it comes to simulation, at least from a price perspective. You get the limited E6 sim and the 40k+ Garmin courses for free (I think). If not free, it’s very inexpensive. I don’t know why Skytrak doesn’t offer at least the same limited E6 sim as Garmin. I think Mevo also provides it.

 

I didn’t keep either unit because I was facing shoulder surgery and didn’t know how long I’d be sidelined. Now that I’m swinging again, I’m back in the market, mostly because I prefer hitting into my net rather than going to the range. I’d like to confirm the ball flight and distance that I feel like I’m hitting. If SkyTrak’s pricing was anywhere close to Garmin’s, I’d buy Skytrak. I don’t care if the tech is old as long as it works. But $2200 (with the needed metal case) is steep for me. I’ll look at the used market again. When I last looked, used devices were in the $1500 range and that wasn’t enough of a discount to go the used route.