Golf Simulator sucks big time....

Went out to a local Tiger direct for a 4GB RAM addition (not sure if I need more than 4GB RAM that I have now)... BTW, stopped by GolfSmith to test different shafts... Took out Tit 905R (10.5* Aldila NV R-flex vs 9.5* Proforce V2 S-flex). The S-flex seems to be little bit stiffer when I waggled it but I could hit it as long as the NV R-flex. What interesting is the monitor told me that launch angle is about 17* for both. This caught me by surprise (1) 17* launch angle for a driver? (2) 9.5* head and stiff shaft won't decrease the launch angle? The guy at GS gave me a new Covert 8.5* Nike and yet I could not bring the launch angle down from 10.5* to 8.5*. The monitor sucks big time

It's not that 17* launch angle is not true, but from 10.5* to 8.5* and stiff shaft does not bring down the launch angle make data from simulator unreliable IMO

Guys/girls/AC-DC have any experience at checking out your launch angle?

Pky6471 wrote:Went out to a local Tiger direct for a 4GB RAM addition (not sure if I need more than 4GB RAM that I have now)... BTW, stopped by GolfSmith to test different shafts... Took out Tit 905R (10.5* Aldila NV R-flex vs 9.5* Proforce V2 S-flex). The S-flex seems to be little bit stiffer when I waggled it but I could hit it as long as the NV R-flex. What interesting is the monitor told me that launch angle is about 17* for both. This caught me by surprise (1) 17* launch angle for a driver? (2) 9.5* head and stiff shaft won't decrease the launch angle? The guy at GS gave me a new Covert 8.5* Nike and yet I could not bring the launch angle down from 10.5* to 8.5*. The monitor sucks big time

It's not that 17* launch angle is not true, but from 10.5* to 8.5* and stiff shaft does not bring down the launch angle make data from simulator unreliable IMO

Guys/girls/AC-DC have any experience at checking out your launch angle?

Of course you need more RAM. There is no such thing as too much RAM. I've got 6Gb in my laptop and 12Gb in my desktop. I'd add more but I'm fresh out of slots.

On the subject of launch angle, 17° sounds pretty good for your clubhead speed. You have to remember that the lower your swingspeed the less backspin you impart on the ball. To compensate for that you need to launch the ball higher, which is accomplished by adding loft. That helps to keep the ball in the air longer, and should produce longer drives.

I've never measured my launch angle on a simulator before, so I can't really comment on how accurate they are. I use good old fashioned trigonometry to calculate mine. You may remember from the swing videos I posted over on GR many years ago that I used to have a pretty substantial net and hitting area set up in the back yard. I simply measured how far I was teed up from the net, how far the ball hit up the net (minus tee height, of course), then did the math to get the angle. You could easily do the same if you don't trust what the simulator is telling you.

Pky6471 wrote:Went out to a local Tiger direct for a 4GB RAM addition (not sure if I need more than 4GB RAM that I have now)... BTW, stopped by GolfSmith to test different shafts... Took out Tit 905R (10.5* Aldila NV R-flex vs 9.5* Proforce V2 S-flex). The S-flex seems to be little bit stiffer when I waggled it but I could hit it as long as the NV R-flex. What interesting is the monitor told me that launch angle is about 17* for both. This caught me by surprise (1) 17* launch angle for a driver? (2) 9.5* head and stiff shaft won't decrease the launch angle? The guy at GS gave me a new Covert 8.5* Nike and yet I could not bring the launch angle down from 10.5* to 8.5*. The monitor sucks big time

It's not that 17* launch angle is not true, but from 10.5* to 8.5* and stiff shaft does not bring down the launch angle make data from simulator unreliable IMO

Guys/girls/AC-DC have any experience at checking out your launch angle?

Stiff shafts arent that stiff....Especially non-aftermarket shafts....I could launch my G20 over 20* if I wanted to with its x-stiff 169D tour shaft.

Shat, Ive launched my 5* driver xxx-stiff HoF shaft around 17* if I wanted to.

One Day When I grow up I will pay for a premium shaft.

A 17 degree launch angle with a 9.5* driver means you are either hitting way down on the ball causing it to shoot up off the face and spin like crazy or you are hitting it on the upswing (positve angle of attack) with a good deal less spin. The latter hit will give you a boatload more distance and is optimum. So besides launch angle, the spin number should be noted. Several years ago at Golf Galaxy, I underwent a driver shaft fitting. Lost the damn printout but what stood out was that I launced several of the fifty or so shots with a 16* launch angle and the machine indicated carries of 245-250 with a clubhead speed of 94-96. When the launch angle dropped into the 10-12 range, the carry dropped to 220-225. So the old adage "Tee it high and watch it fly" pertains.

how about using a higher lofted driver and teeing it lower? Will that give less spin and yeild the same distance?

Mostly German wrote:A 17 degree launch angle with a 9.5* driver means you are either hitting way down on the ball causing it to shoot up off the face and spin like crazy or you are hitting it on the upswing (positve angle of attack) with a good deal less spin. The latter hit will give you a boatload more distance and is optimum. So besides launch angle, the spin number should be noted. Several years ago at Golf Galaxy, I underwent a driver shaft fitting. Lost the damn printout but what stood out was that I launced several of the fifty or so shots with a 16* launch angle and the machine indicated carries of 245-250 with a clubhead speed of 94-96. When the launch angle dropped into the 10-12 range, the carry dropped to 220-225. So the old adage "Tee it high and watch it fly" pertains.

According to these websites, 17* launch angle is optimum for my depressing 82+/- mph SS. The spin number is also in the good range of 2500-2700 ... From the (internet) scientific standpoint , optimum launch angle + spin number = max distance. Launch too high or too low would result in loss of distance


http://www.tutelman.com/golf/ballflight/launchOptimize.php
http://www.golfsmith.com/display?page=cm_spin_launch
http://webgolfer.com/aug00/longdrive.html