Optishot at the (real) driving range

Just for fun I took the Optishot out to the driving range today in order to compare the simulation with the actual shots in realtime as I hit them.

My driver swing speed varied between 100-105 and agreed within a couple mph with my radar gun. Occasionally there were silly readings of 85 mph or equally silly ones of 115mph but not too often. Distances were reasonably close if I hit the ball well and optimistic otherwise.

I tried a variety of shots, from dead straight to draws and hooks and fades and slices. Also expiremented with in to out and vice versus with various face angles. Of the actual shots, I'd say about 75% matched the general left-right flight pattern and direction. The biggest variance was the amount of draw or fade where the amount of draw tended to be over-shown while a fade was under-reported.

About 10% were just plain wrong for some reason and bore little resemblance to the actual flight pattern. They were not mis-hits just messed up in the simulator.

The remaining were more subtle and one wouldn't know for sure from their swing. Typically it was a dead straight shot that showed as a small fade or slice. Occasionally it was a draw that was shown as a fade. Or more often the reverse. Or a draw that is shown left of target but in fact it started right and came back to exactly target etc.

Of course, mis-hit or extreme shots didn't registor correctly. Even some that weren't mis-hit per se but I was trying to put a wicked slice on the ball and succeeded but the sim showed it as dead straight etc. Varying the launch angle of course has a big effect in real life and none in the simulator.

All in all, about what I expected. Not great, maybe not even good...but decent and good enough to work on the gross faults in a swing and have fun in the simulator!

For $400. The results aren't so bad. Myself and others found out what you have just seen a while back and have since moved on to better simulators.

The DD's tolerances are big and the ball does not get measured. The placement of the ball in relationship to the face angle sensors is also a factor.

It's amazing that you were able to get it to work outdoors, much less show any consistency.

Yes. Just what I would expect. Now some would say that the dd outdoors may not be as accurate due to lighting etc., but your results are exactly what I would have expected. In fact your results are probably slightly better than what I would expect. The tolerances for the DD are high as Z said and not measuring the ball launch etc is huge. Having said that, it is a pretty darn good deal for $400.

Yes, I didn't really expect it to work outdoors but it worked fine. Not really any noticeable difference from my garage. Perhaps the covered range on a dull, dreary, rainy day was the reason.