Author

Ryan Gager

Launch Monitor

Why SkyTrak?

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

There’s been a giant shift in golf over the past couple of years. Statistics show that off-course golf has become increasingly popular, meaning more and more golfers are buying launch monitors, playing simulator golf and visiting places like Topgolf. With the on-course game still popular as ever as well, SkyTrak is the perfect launch monitor for everyone – those who want to use it as a tool to improve their on-course game, and those who want to play simulated golf from the comforts of their home.

Keep Your Game Sharp All Year

SkyTrak provides the ultimate experience in simulated golf

SkyTrak is the perfect tool to keep your game sharp year-round, especially if you live in an area where fall and winter months shut down courses. We know how hard it is to let go of the desire to play golf when cold winter weather makes an appearance. SkyTrak also comes in handy when you’ve been planning a round, and you can’t get on the course because of rain or bad weather. In these instances, SkyTrak makes it possible to continue to play and work on your swing. Like many golfers, every year you try to play as much golf as possible, and you probably have noticed that the more frequently you play, the better your game gets. However, if winter months prevent play your golf game takes a hit. Instead of having your golf game start back at square one each year, grab a SkyTrak and keep improving throughout the year.

Play On Short Time

Another reason SkyTrak is great for golfers, you can play on short time. A golf outing can take several hours, and often your entire day is planned around it, which is great if you have that time. However, sometimes, it’s nice to jump on the SkyTrak and play a quick round on the simulator or get a 30 minute range session in to keep working on your game. For times when you just want to practice or play for a short period of time, it’s nice to be able to stay home and golf in your most comfortable clothes. Lastly, and I think some amateur golfers can relate to this, sometimes you’re a little too embarrassed to practice or play in front of other people on the driving range or course. Maybe you’re just starting to play or maybe you just had a bad round and you’d like to work out the kinks before taking your game out in public again.

The bottom line is, whether you are an avid golfer, just starting, have lots of time to play rounds of golf or have limited time – SkyTrak is for everyone! Making SkyTrak a part of your golf repertoire will help you play better golf and have more fun.

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Simulator Tips

A Club Tinkerer’s Guide To Using SkyTrak

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

Like most golfers, I like to change the clubs in my bag frequently. It may be to see a different ball flight, or because I like the shot shape of one club over another. Regardless, I always make sure I put clubs in the bag that address my distance gaps. In addition to those gaps, I’m also looking at dispersion. If my dispersion is all over the place, I will have to reassess what goes in the bag.

Shot Optimizer and Bag Mapping

To know that my clubs are properly fit for me, I use the Shot Optimizer. If any of my clubs are out of optimal spin, launch or descent angle ranges, I will first get the loft and lie of the club checked. If that doesn’t change anything, I’ll then look at adding a different club.

In my bag, there are two areas where gaps are present depending on what club I put in or take out. I tend to see gaps in my wedges and near the top of my bag. Using the Bag Mapping feature allows me to see those distance gaps and my dispersion with each club. When testing different clubs, the Bap Mapping feature is a great tool for knowing the clubs in my bag will perform. Not having any surprises allows me to play golf comfortably and stress free. Too often, I play with golfers who don’t know their distances. They base it off of one shot they hit and they assume that’s how far they hit it. How can you play your best golf without knowing your distances?

Going through each of these features has allowed me to take charge of my game. Over time, I have gradually stopped the constant tinkering with my bag. Knowing that my clubs are fit to me allows me to play my best golf. I challenge you to go through your golf bag, using the Bag Mapping feature to dial in your distances and dispersion with each club. You will be surprised how consistent your ball striking and scores will become.

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Improvement

Know Your Tendencies

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

For four years as a college player, I recorded my stats after each round. As a result, I knew my strengths and my weaknesses. Afterwards, as a team we would have a game plan going into our practice sessions — knowing exactly what we need to be working on. As I’ve transitioned out of being able to play every day, I’ve looked to SkyTrak to help me streamline my practice sessions because I simply don’t get to practice as much as I used to. In my opinion, the most underrated feature of SkyTrak is the Skills Assessment. Why? Because I use it multiple times a month to help address those weaknesses I see in my stats.

Skills Assessment

Completing a Skills Assessment and learning your tendencies will help you during your practice sessions and on the golf course. After going through my personal Skills Assessment my tendency is a short left miss. I found that my strengths are from 7 iron to my wedges. Knowing my tendencies allows me to game plan for any course I play. Knowing I have a short left miss allows me to make minor adjustments out on the course to fix my miss. By aiming right and taking more club I fixed the issue. Seeing my strengths are from my 7 iron down allows me to take a more aggressive approach to make birdies.

When you complete a Skills Assessment, keep a record of your Dynamic Handicap and set a goal to see how many strokes you want to lower your handicap throughout the month. This allows you to practice with a purpose! Having a clear goal in mind during your practice sessions will allow you to focus on what you are working on. 

Skills Assessment Results Screen

During the Skills Assessment you can choose which clubs and distances you want to use. To get the most out of my sessions I pick out the clubs in my bag that I struggle with the most. In my bag I know I tend to have issues with the long irons. So, when I use the Skills Assessment I like to use the Randomizer feature. I set my distances from 180 – 225 yards. I will hit a variety of shots from those distances with each club using different swing lengths. This helps when I have this distances on the course. I don’t feel tense or anxious when I get a long iron in my hand because I know how to plan for my tendencies.

To get the most out of your practice sessions use the Randomizer feature at least once a month! You will see big improvements in your game after seeing what your tendencies are and how to fix them!

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Launch Monitor

Skills Assessment – Practice With A Purpose

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

As golfers, we have all experienced hitting the ball great on the range, but then it doesn’t seem to transfer to the course. When that happens, we tend to try and find a fix by hitting more balls, but instead it leads to more problems and the score is nowhere near where it should be. I definitely struggled with this issue, as I would hit 50 – 100 balls before a round, causing my head to spin with too many swing thoughts as I approached the first tee. When I did have a good range session, my ball striking was not being transferred from the range to the course. However, with SkyTrak I have started implementing a new approach to my practice.

Setting Up a Skills Assessment

Set up Skills Assessments of varying lengths ensuring you practice with different clubs

So, what do we mean by ‘Practice with a Purpose’? We are talking about setting an expectation for each session. Having a clear goal in mind while practicing will help you transition your range sessions to the course. 

Recently, I’ve struggled with my wedge game from 75 – 100 yards. Also, over the past couple of months, I have been struggling with excessive curvature with my irons and driver. So, my initial goal was to work on my 75 – 100 yard shots and hit about 50 balls each day. My secondary goal was to work on my overall shot shaping. 

We understand that life might be very different now than it was when we were younger. In years past, I could practice whenever I want. Now, making it to the range is more difficult, and will become much harder as you advance your career, start a family, etc. But, this is where it’s beneficial to have a SkyTrak. Even using it over a lunch break or at night before bed can have lasting results. Utilizing the Practice Randomizer feature, I started hitting 50 shots daily to my problem yardage – 75  to 100 yards – while also working on my shot shaping with longer clubs.

As you keep working on Skills Assessments day after day, you will start seeing your proximity to the hole decrease and your overall confidence in your wedges and irons will grow. These Skills Assessment practices will help you play stress-free golf on the course because you put in the work with your SkyTrak. Having a clear goal while you practice will lead to better results. Going to the range and hitting shots just to hit them will only go so far. The phrase ​‘practice smarter not harder’ is one to take to heart, and SkyTrak will help you do just that. 

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Improvement

Improve Your Shots Off The Tee

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

There’s one club most recreational golfers struggle with more than any other – driver. Most recreational players tend to think they can hit “perfect” drives where it sails 300 yards right down the middle, but instead end up trying to hit it too hard, and are not able to keep the ball in the fairway, sometimes not even in play. Take one of the best drivers of the golf ball in the world, Rory McIlroy, who during a typical round, might hit one or two “perfect” drives. In reality, golfers need more playable drives during a round. Here’s how you can use your SkyTrak to hit better drives and shot lower scores. A good place to start is with a proper setup, so you eliminate having to manipulate the club from a bad position to a good one to make proper contact.

Practice Range and the Long Drive Feature

Most players have three common issues with tee shots:

  1. Ball Position
  2. Attack Angle
  3. Club Selection

More times than not, recreational players place their ball position in the middle of their stance; like they would hit an iron. A driver swing and an iron swing are not the same swing. With an iron, you are swinging the club on a downward attack angle. With a driver you are doing the exact opposite with an upward attack angle. Ball position can solve this issue. Moving the ball up in your stance — toward the inside of your lead foot — will encourage swinging up on a driver. To test this out, use the Practice Range or Long Drive feature. Notice the difference in spin, launch, and carry when you swing down versus the numbers when you swing up with a driver. Having a steeper attack angle will cause the ball to spin more and carry less. 

Use Practice Range and Long Drive to help improve your tee shots

Another way to change your attack angle is by tee height. Top 100 Instructor Joe Hallett gives us an example on how to improve your tee shots when using the Long Drive feature. By adjusting your tee height, you can change your attack angle with a driver.

Finally, driver is not always the most prudent play. Notice the trouble areas off the tee and make your club selection based on how the course is laid out. Sometimes it’s best to take less club, keep the ball in play, and not force the issue with your driver. 

Taking into account ball position, attack angle, and club selection will dramatically improve your tee shots. The main takeaway is to play to your strengths. It’s important to know when to be aggressive and go after those birdies and when to play for the center of the green and ensure a par. Use your SkyTrak and its immense features to help you prepare for all scenarios. 

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Launch Monitor

The SkyTrak Experience 

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

When we first set out to define our approach to what would become the SkyTrak experience, we knew we had to start with a blank canvas. Our previous experience at the time, as with nearly every other launch monitor company in an overly-saturated niche market, was focused almost exclusively on the commercial account/professional user. Golf technology was progressing at an astounding rate and the amount of data becoming available to the end-user was staggering, if not completely overwhelming. We made the decision that, in order to connect with the average golfer and avoid what I call ​“data overload”, we had to implement KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid.

Hardware and Software Teams

We knew that nothing could gain traction without a solid piece of hardware, and thanks to some pretty auspicious timing, we were able to help develop the SkyTrak launch monitor. Not to diminish the hardware element of the entire experience because it is truly the foundation, but we knew that we also needed an elevated software experience. However, we had to reimagine what this offering was, as it had not been done before to this scale for the consumer.

We found a fantastic design team at Expand the Room. They were instrumental in helping us whittle down the UI/UX to make it more digestible for the average golfer. They worked with us to find what we liked and didn’t like about our competitors, and then merge that vision into one cohesive experience that we could truly call our own. They continue to help us remain fresh and relevant as we explore new features and offerings.

Equally critical to SkyTrak’s success has been our wonderful development team at Visartech. They are a one-stop-shop for anything development and not only work at lightning speed, but they go above and beyond continuing to explore new technologies, find ways to optimize the application and offer suggestions of ways to improve the overall experience.

Golf Simulators and Feedback

To round out the full experience, we also have a number of trusted golf simulation companies as partners to offer a variety of simulation options depending on customer need and budget. People have found that creating the elusive at-home golf experience is not quite as complicated nor expensive as it once was, and during this pandemic in particular, we have seen interest in golf simulation increase exponentially.

I mention our valued partners because in such a niche market, it’s exceedingly important to think outside the box, and what these partners bring to the table is always a breath of fresh air — stale is the last thing we can afford to be. I also find great value in monitoring and participating in golf forums (namely golf​sim​u​la​tor​fo​rum​.com). The more rapport we can establish with these customers (a community that represents the full scope of our user base, from the newbie to the power user) the more comfortable they are sharing honest feedback and requesting new features, and in turn, the more efficiently we can help them enjoy our product while executing on that feedback to make the product better.

We understand that golf is not a one-size-fits-all game, and thus the SkyTrak experience should be varied enough to accommodate golfers of all skill levels and interests. Some users just want to hit balls on the range, some want to play fun challenges with their friends and family and some want to take a deep dive in order to really improve their game. Regardless, we find ways to make sure that any activity you do in the SkyTrak app is actually making you a better golfer, whether you realize it or not.

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Simulator Tips

When You Can’t Go To The Course – Bring The Course To You

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

Let’s face it, winter golf is the worst time of the year. The weather is cold and unpredictable, often making it impossible to get out to the course. But, if you’re a SkyTrak owner, you can play golf anytime; on your terms! In fact, I spend most of my winter playing major championship courses and working on my short game. With our catalog of simulation options, championship golf is only a click away! Learn a little bit more about them below – and don’t forget to click the hyperlinks!

E6 Connect

With enhanced graphics and access to a growing network of golfers, E6 Connect offers multiple tee box options for players of all skill levels. Plus, an in-game practice mode that gives you the ability to hit multiple shots during the round. E6 Connect is PC and IOS compatible!

E6 Connect features Top 100 Golf Courses in the World

World Golf Tour (WGT)

World Golf Tour offers major championship courses from Pebble Beach to Bethpage Black. You can play a full 18-hole round or experience challenge options from different yardages around the course. You can also compete in the SkyTrak monthly tournament against other SkyTrak users on a variety of courses.

Bethpage Black Golf Course on WGT

The Golf Club 2019 (TGC 2019)

The options are endless! From user created courses to major championship venues, TGC 2019 has over 100,000 golf courses at your disposal. TGC 2019 has courses for golfers of all skill levels — from beginners to scratch handicaps. With the ability for in-game practice, you can work on your skills on any hole and hit an unlimited amount of shots.

Play Major Championship Courses on TGC 2019

Golfisimo & Creative Golf

Not only do you have the ability to play world class European courses through Creative Golf you now have the ability to take your practice to the next level with Golfisimo. With a variety of challenges (from Barrels to Darts), you can test your short game skills. Get competitive or participate in some family fun with Creative Golf.

Golfisimo includes fun games like Darts

Fitness Golf

Can’t make it to the gym or the course during the winter? Get a full aerobic exercise while playing world class courses with Fitness Golf. Add accessories like a treadmill or stationary bike to get a workout during your round. Experience 160 courses with different modes of play from stroke play to match play.

Run or Bike while playing golf with Fitness Golf
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Improvement

My Favorite Feature – The Wedge Matrix

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

Growing up I was never the longest hitter. I rarely missed fairways but I would be very lucky to hit a driver over 260 yards. It would frustrate me to be outdriven by 20 – 30 yards on average, but it was something I grew accustomed to. However, the one advantage I had was my short game. That is where I could make up shots over the longer hitters. Inside of 120 yards I could give myself a very good look at birdie or save par when I would miss the green.

When I got to college, my coach would have us work on our wedges daily. He would setup targets from 100 yards and in for us to hit. The goal was not only to hit the target, but to see where your dispersion was with each club. He would tell us ​“it doesn’t matter how good your good shots are. It matters how good the bad ones are. That separates the good wedge players from the great ones.”

Using the Wedge Matrix

Fast forward to now, I don’t have access to the golf course like I did in college but I’m always looking for ways to improve my short game. The SkyTrak Wedge Matrix feature allows me to hit all my wedges from a variety of swing lengths. I always focus on my carry distances and spin rates to see If anything needs to be changed in my equipment. Being able to see my exact carry numbers gives me confidence out on the course from those delicate 30 – 50 yard shots.

Practice Pitches, Half Shots, 3/4 Swings and Full Wedges using the Wedge Matrix

After I get through with my weekly Wedge Matrix session, I open the SkyTrak range and set the green to different distances to see how my Wedge Matrix session paid off.

The Wedge Matrix has helped me save countless strokes on the course. It has allowed me to take the pressure off of not knowing how far my wedges go. I highly recommend every player regardless if you are a beginner golfer to a scratch handicap use the Wedge Matrix. You will not only gain confidence, but you will give yourself more opportunities to make birdies and save par. 

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Simulator Tips

Use Your SkyTrak to Prep for a PGA Tour Course – Harbour Town

by Ryan Gager
written by Ryan Gager

From tee to green, Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, South Carolina is regarded as one of the tougher golf courses on the PGA Tour, consistently ranked inside the top 20. When I played Harbour Town for the first time, the caddie said, ​“even if you hit it in the fairway you might be blocked out by trees.” He wasn’t wrong! Harbor Town is a demanding golf course with very narrow fairways, and the greens are some of the smallest on the PGA Tour. Using your SkyTrak, you can gain some insight into how demanding this course really is!

SkyTrak Practice Fairway Feature

Use Practice Fairway feature to dial in your tee shots on tight doglegs

Several tee shots around Harbour Town are very narrow doglegs. Off the tee precision is crucial in order to have a clear view for your approach shot into the green. With trees being just a couple yards off the rough, staying focused and swinging committed is how you will be successful around Harbour Town. To prepare for these types of tee shots, use the SkyTrak Practice Fairway Feature. This will allow you to get a glimpse of how difficult it is to hit fairways around this course. Set the Fairway Difficulty to hard and change your distance to the bend manually. After five shots change the direction of the dogleg, because you’ll need to work the ball both ways!

Practice Green and Randomizer Features

The average golfer tends to aim at flags regardless of where it’s located on the green. As a result, they completely neglect the trouble areas around the green. At Harbour Town, if you miss greens you are looking at very difficult up and downs. The green complexes are just as difficult as the fairways. The greens have a lot of slope, so playing conservative will give you the best chance to shoot the lowest score possible. For any given golf course, aiming for the middle of the green is your best option. Even if you mishit your shot you could still be on or around the green. To prepare for Harbour Town, change the Practice Green feature to hard. Also, change the size and distance of the greens for each shot using the Randomizer feature. 

To really prepare for different types of shots of around Harbour Town, use the WGT closest to the pin challenge. Every shot will give you a different distance from a different location. You will see how precise you will have to be on your approach and pitch shots around the green!

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