AboutGolf Algorithms Way Off?

[GMR]

Hi Guys,

I recently joined an indoor golf club near my office to give me a place to get in a little practice during the weeks (I work long hours so going to a range before or after work not really an option). The simulator they use is AboutGolf.

My question is while the measured inputs for my shots seem reasonably correct, the resulting flight path seems very much at odds with what I might expect, and so I'm just wondering how their algorithms could be so wrong?

Example:
INPUTS
161.4 ball speed
12.8* vertical launch
2389 backspin
9L sidespin (one of the straighter shots I have ever hit)

OUTPUTS
56.4 yards shot height (!!!)
8.2 seconds hang time
277.8 yards carry

I put the same inputs into the Flightscope Trajectory Optimiser (http://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/) and got the following

29.7 yards shot height
274.2 yards carry


For this particular shot the carry distance didn't end up too different (though for some it seemed unrealistic) but how in the world can the shot height be so different in these two calculations? I tend to personally trust the Flightscope calculation much more, particularly because I was under the impression the average shot height on tour for each club was around 30yds, which is bang in line with the number the FS algo produced, and 170ft of shot height seems prodigious!

If anyone has any thoughts on this I would love to hear them!

[goatbarn]

I've seen others, on GolfWRX, post results from aG studio sessions at PGA Superstores and their shot heights were insane....

Like 60+ yards in the air, which is ridiculous. But it's also hard to believe that About Golf could be so off, being a major contender in simulation.

My opinion, I would trust the Flightscope numbers.

[GMR]

Yes, the shot height is clearly wrong, and it confuses me quite a bit. I hear frequently that aG is one of the more accurate camera-based systems on the market, and how they could be so off in something so key as shot height seems very odd.

I do find that throughout the bag the carry distance numbers I get out of the system are pretty accurate (although perhaps a bit inflated with the long irons, though that could be because I'm using the no-spin marked rocks they force you to use as balls to get spin readings...), so the modeled trajectory of the shot must be significantly off in order to get to the same "final answer."

Makes you wonder how accurate things like shot curvature could possibly be when they trying to apply those spin figures to moonballs...