Zelocity PureContact

[Gapwedge]

I bought one of these from Don Irving a few days back and I am finding it rather useful - thought I would let others know.

http://www.zelocity.com/golf/purecontact.shtml

Real easy to use - no fancy settings to adjsut for club, lie, tee, etc. Just place it on the ground (8 inches ahead and 8 inches parallel right of the ball - I'm a RH) and it determines the carry distance for each shot using doppler radar.

I tested it in Don's shop with his higher-level units (used for club fitting) and it was within 1-2 yards. Most impressive.

Perhaps the more intersting thing is, aside from giving me my (new) carry distances after a winter at the OAC, I find it helps me get away from the 'hit reflex'. It lets you know right away that swinging harder / faster does NOT translate into longer distances. I get more consistent contact (and therefore better distance) with a shorter, slower backswing. I find my time on the range is much more useful.
________
Extreme Q

[Section Thirty One]

Looks interesting! How much?

[Gapwedge]

Looks interesting! How much?

From Don $319. Or you can go to Golf Works and get one for $375.
________
New mexico dispensary

[Section Thirty One]

Wow, that is actually reasonable. Do you find it to be accurate?

[Gapwedge]

Wow, that is actually reasonable. Do you find it to be accurate?

I am impressed by it's accuracy. It is very close to what I see on the range and is consistent even when when I miss-hit (thin / chunky). Again, this is expected as it bases carry on the ball velocity and trajectory for about the first 8 yards (or so). I was also impressed with how close it was to the larger unit Don uses in the shop.

The only time the accuracy has been off is with my 60* lob wedge on a windy day. The spin really lifted the ball up and the wind knocked it short. To be sure - the unit does not have any ability to measure face angle, swing plane or angle of attack, so if your looking for ball flight info, you're gonna have to turn your head and look down range for that.

One of the unintentional findings is I can also now measure the relative quality of range balls. I found the ones at the OAC to be awful compared to the ones at the range on Mer Bleu. Example: At the OAC my average 8 Iron was 131, compared to 148 at the range. Using the (higher quality) balls at Don's shop I was at 155.
________
SATIVA STRAINS

[dan_670_12]

That looks very usefull. Would you say that its worth the money.

[Gapwedge]

That looks very usefull. Would you say that its worth the money.

Without a doubt. I wish I got one sooner.

I have been looking for some time for some way to measure my carry. Short of pacing off each shot at the range (which is frowned upon at best - unsafe at worst) the only other option seemed to be a GPS solution. The challenge was the GPS only gives you total distance - you still have to guess at the carry and you cannot store the data particular to the club you hit. Way too much to keep track of while trying to play golf.

Now I can get a sense of carry at the range. I also track my min / max (manually) such that I can manage risky shots (over / short of hazards) better as well as position my approach shot in that magic 80-120 yd range (to eliminate the partial-wedge shots).

In the short term, I like that fact that it confirms my carry distances. In the long term, I expect I will use it to keep my tempo in check.

To be sure - I am not a salesman. I am not compensated in any way in the promotion / distribution / sales of this device. I am merely an addicted golfer who found a tool that filled what I was looking for. It may not be right for everyone.
________
Canadian cooking

[langille5]

Good pick up. Sounds like it is exactly what you were looking for to help you with your game. I agree with you that different ranges have a different quality of balls for sure.

[The Saint]

You must remember some ranges have limited distance balls. I'm not sure how that would affect the reading.. Any thoughts?

Good pick up. Sounds like it is exactly what you were looking for to help you with your game. I agree with you that different ranges have a different quality of balls for sure.

[langille5]

I would think that you wouldn't want to use it at ranges that have limited flight balls. I guess a spin off to your question Chris would be what about range balls vs regular balls. A significant difference was found by Gapwedge at Artisan by using "good" balls. IMHO to get a true exact distance you would need to use the balls you would normally use during a round of play.

[Gapwedge]

You must remember some ranges have limited distance balls. I'm not sure how that would affect the reading.. Any thoughts?

This is a guess only: The easiest way to limit distance would be by reducing the initial ball speed after impact. As a result, the unit would indicate the limited distance.

IMHO to get a true exact distance you would need to use the balls you would normally use during a round of play.

Exactly what I was thinking. In fact, I might use it as a rough indicator of which ball works better for me. The challenge is finding a place where you can hit you own balls (and then go collect them).
________
BUY VAPOR GENIE

[ironmaster15213]

I have found that an indoor old range ball goes about 5 to 7 percent less than the balls you would be playing outdoors. If your talking about an outside range where the balls are really old I wouldn't be surprised to see a 9 to 12 percent drop on distance. I won two of these monitors on e-bay and averaged 165 dollars U.S. I think they're even better than the larger distance caddys for shorter distances such as 20 to 70 yards. They are usually within about 2 to 3 yards accuracy on these shots. By the way they really go thru the batteries, so I bought 32 nine volt batteries off of e-bay for about a dollar apiece. (Alkalines), that ought to hold me.

[langille5]

Gapwedge. Do you belong to a course? If you do, go out one evening before dark ; set up in a fairway and hit balls down it at a target(golf bag, towel). When you've hit all your balls go and collect them. That would be my solution. At that time of the evening you shouldnt be in anyones way. I know this would be possible at the course I play at.

[Gapwedge]

Gapwedge. Do you belong to a course? If you do, go out one evening before dark ; set up in a fairway and hit balls down it at a target(golf bag, towel). When you've hit all your balls go and collect them. That would be my solution. At that time of the evening you shouldnt be in anyones way. I know this would be possible at the course I play at.

Good idea - Greyhawk is normally barren on Sunday afternoons during the summer. I also though of going to some a simulator, but I need about 8-10 yards in front of the unit to get a good read.
________
FORD SYNUS