Equipment
SkyTrak+ launch monitor: Affordable tour-level accuracy
How does the No. 1-selling consumer launch monitor offer even more to golfers? Today, we found out the answer to that question: SkyTrak+.
For a refresher on the OG SkyTrak unit, check out our review. Interestingly, the “cons” we identified were “slight delay between contact and seeing the ball flight. Only tracks the golf ball, and not your club path.” Not to put the cart before the horse, but those are no longer cons with SkyTrak+.
Of foremost interest for GolfWRXers: Complementing SkyTrak’s existing camera-derived ball flight data, SkyTrak+ features a new dual doppler radar with an integrated machine learning algorithm to give users a wealth of club data for the first time at this price point. Also exciting: It does so without any stickers or special balls.
Sky Trak+’s club data includes:
- Club head speed
- Smash factor
- Club path
- Face angle
And it does all this at a price point under $3,000.
- GolfWRXers have the unique opportunity to post questions to the SkyTrak team in the forums. Head over to this thread to submit your question.
More on SkyTrak+
With respect to the camera, SkyTrak engineers didn’t rest on their laurels. SkyTrak+’s new improved photometric camera system delivers improved ball tracking. And unlike exclusively radar-based units, there are no space limitations/distances from the unit for indoor use. Additionally, the camera system functions well on mats allowing users to practice outdoors, according to SkyTrak.
And regarding the company’s accuracy claims — within one degree on face and path at launch — it’s not just marketing speak and chest-beating. SkyTrak retained the services of the Sport Science Academy/Rocky Mountain Consortium for Sports Research to investigate the degree of agreement between SkyTrak+ and a leading launch monitor on tour.
The study found, in part, that “all golf impact parameters were highly correlated (all P<.001) and linearly related (all P<.001). Ball speed demonstrated the highest correlation (R=.998) and tilt axis the lowest (R=.853).”
Again, an impressive level of accuracy for $2,995. Game-changing stuff, really.
Jeff Foster, SkyTrak CEO, had this to say about SkyTrak+:
“Our goal is to bring the ability to practice, play, and compete to golfers everywhere. We think it’ll be a game changer, bringing this level of accuracy to a price point that makes it a golf simulator attainable to the masses.”
SkyTrak Shot Optimizer
SkyTrak’s Shot Optimizer is new and improved for SkyTrak+. To better understand their progress and improvement, users can measure their results against a database of millions of golf shots. Bag mapping, skill assessment, a wedge matrix, randomized practice, and more, are all included in the Game Improvement Package.
New and improved Shot Optimizer interface
The shot optimizer shows a user his/her club and ball data in comparison to optimal launch conditions. SkyTrak+’s red, yellow, and green scoring system allows golfers to see how they stack up against the best players in the world.
A picture is worth a thousand words to showcase how this function works:
And while it’s an easy-to-understand interface, users are also able to access informational tutorials featuring Golf Digest No. 22 teacher in the world, Nick Clearwater.
As you can see below, the SkyTrak+ interface displays carry, total distance, face-to-target, and club path data overlaying the driving range — additionally, previous shots are displayed with a heat map rather than plotted inside an ellipse. Launch angle, spin, and descent angle are displayed alongside suggested optimal ranges based on club head data, along will all the other metrics you’d expect to see in a top-tier launch monitor.
Shot Scoring
Another exciting feature is Shot Scoring, by which users hit 20 shots with any club (displayed in the bottom right corner of the image above). SkyTrak runs the numbers and figures out a user’s “expected distance” by determining the best-hit shots. This creates a benchmark for future shots and allows a user to be given a Shot Score, which is, essentially, a projection of what a player hitting said shots would be expected to shoot in an 18-hole round. It’s a novel, and pretty fun, approach to shot evaluation and one that SkyTrak feels is more relevant and significant to the average golfer than strokes gained data.
Other improvements in SkyTrak+
- Roughly 40 percent larger hitting area to give golfers more flexibility to capture a full range of shots — unit can be positioned 1.5 inches farther from ball
- New on-board processor for faster shot-to-show ability as well as easy and secure connectivity to a wide range of PC and mobile devices — “shot-to-show” time of just over two seconds
- Added 5Ghz Wi-Fi capabilities for faster and more stable connectivity
- USB Type C Charging options for port stability and rapid charging
- No special balls needed
- No stickers on clubs needed
Over 100,000 golf courses
Not to be overlooked on the sim golf side, leveraging industry best gameplay simulation, SkyTrak+ maintains partnerships with e6 Connect, WGT, TGC 2019, and more, offering golfers more than 100,000 courses to choose from, including:
- Pebble Beach Golf Links
- Bandon Dunes
- Torrey Pines – South
- St. Andrews
- Bethpage Black
The GolfTec factor
As a reminder, SkyTrak was acquired by GolfTec in August of 2022, which has allowed resource sharing and collaboration between the two companies. SkyTrak says GolfTec teachers and students will eventually be able to utilize the shared data for practice routine development. The future possibilities here are exciting, to say the least.
Availability and pricing
SkyTrak+ is available for pre-order now through SkyTrakgolf.com and will be available for sale at an assortment of partners across the globe.
Price: $2,995 USD
Shipments begin in late May.
- GolfWRXers have the unique opportunity to post questions to the SkyTrak team in the forums. Head over to this thread to submit your question.
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Equipment
Rickie Fowler’s new putter: Standard-length Odyssey Jailbird 380 in custom orange
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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Whats in the Bag
Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)
- Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS (9 degrees @7.2, 2 grams lead tape heel, 4 grams toe)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (44 7/8 inches, tipped 1 inch)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 degrees @13.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X (43 inches, tipped 1.5)
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype (19 degrees @17.8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S @49, 54-10S, 60-08C @61)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Grips: Iomic
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
More photos of Akshay Bhatia’s WITB in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)
- Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.
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Rich
May 5, 2023 at 8:48 pm
The problem with outdoor (range) use is that range balls are horrible and will give you lousy results.
At a local range they have Trackman. It offers nothing on swing data (speed, clubface, etc.) or spin. It measures direction, height, carry, total distance, and ball speed. If you choose, you can have it compensate for the range ball, too, so the numbers are a bit more accurate. (Mainly because it doesn’t try to measure spin.)
If this device offers that level of compensation, it would be valuable on the range. Otherwise, you have to have an indoor/backyard set up.