P3pro swing speed/distance too low

[ZMax]

If you feel that the P3pro's reading of your swing speed is too low(even if it's just 5% off), resulting in a shorter distant compared to real life, then please post when you bought it and whether it's serial or USB.

I'm trying to figure out whether this problem affects all or just some P3pro sensors. New or old etc....

Mine is a 2005 serial and the swing speed was about 15-18% too low.

Thanks,

Btw, PM me if you're interested in the fix for the distance.

[mmlincon]

I had an older serial version, but I only had the distance problem when using the GSA courses. If you hit a club longer than the set distances in GSA the ball would go only that distance and not what P3 reported.

[ZMax]

I had an older serial version, but I only had the distance problem when using the GSA courses. If you hit a club longer than the set distances in GSA the ball would go only that distance and not what P3 reported.

Thanks for the info mmlincon. So, your P3 reported the correct swing speed?

[mmlincon]

From what I can remember it was pretty close yes. I ended up have a bunch of lighting issue which we ( p3 support ) couldn't figure out so I gave up on the system.

[ZMax]

From what I can remember it was pretty close yes. I ended up have a bunch of lighting issue which we ( p3 support ) couldn't figure out so I gave up on the system.

From what I can tell, unless you have a spot light shinning on it or it's being used outdoors, it ain't the lighting.

As for your distance problem with the GSA courses, that is strange. With my fix, I can hit 350-400 yards.

Thanks again mmlincon.

[mmlincon]

Yeah, I don't know what the issue was and neither did they. I'd sent the unit in and it worked fine for them and it used to work in my garage. I'm not sure what changed, but it was frustrating.

The issue with the GSA courses was a year or two ago, so they may have fixed it.

[Bruce Balog]

I would say my distances are about 15-18% short as well. With the 10% adjustment, I am about 5-8% short. I would love to hear how you fixed this Zmax. My unit is 2 months old and I have the GSA courses.

[ZMax]

I would say my distances are about 15-18% short as well. With the 10% adjustment, I am about 5-8% short. I would love to hear how you fixed this Zmax. My unit is 2 months old and I have the GSA courses.

Thanks for the info Bruce. You got a PM.

[chasiv]

It does not take a spotlight shining down on your sensor to have lighting and/or reflection issues. Nor can you simply turn off the lights to eliminate a reflection issue.

I would recommend you start by reading this tutorial on Erroneous readings. It will give you a better understanding of how your sensor works:
http://www.proswingsupport.com/Golf/...20Readings.htm

If you're unable to identify your issue, after reviewing that, then send some digital images of the area you are using your sensor in to tech@p3proswing.com for review.

It will likely take a little time and effort to resolve the issue, but we can usually get it done.

[SDL]

If you feel that the P3pro's reading of your swing speed is too low(even if it's just 5% off), resulting in a shorter distant compared to real life, then please post when you bought it and whether it's serial or USB.

I'm trying to figure out whether this problem affects all or just some P3pro sensors. New or old etc....

Mine is a 2005 serial and the swing speed was about 15-18% too low.

Thanks,

Btw, PM me if you're interested in the fix for the distance.

ZMax,

My P3Pro sensors read clubhead speed quite a bit slower (at least 10-20%) than with other launch monitors. In the 1990's, my swingspeed was measured around 100 mph at a Callaway Performance Center using their high-end system that measured both clubhead and ball speed. About five years ago, around the time I got my P3Pro system, I was measured at a driver swingspeed of around 95 mph using a Vector camera-based system. Despite that fact, my P3Pro was never able to measure my swingspeed above the low 80's (and that was with "overswinging"). At more typical tempo, I struggled to get the speed to the high 70's.

At the time, I called P3Pro about the problem and they wondered if there was something wrong with my sensor unit. They were great about sending me a new sensor unit to try out, but it didn't perform any better than my original unit so I sent it back. I recently had my unit checked out as part of an upgrade to a grass top, and it has the same problems with slow swingspeed that it has always had. In fact, the speed is slow enough that I can't adjust the program sufficiently to give me my typical on-course distances through the software adjustments.

My sensor unit is an older one that uses a serial connection, though I now have it adapted to use a USB link to my current computer. I had swingspeed problems when it was serial only, and these problems were not fixed with the switch to the USB connection. The problems have also been present while using several different computers.

I know that my swingspeed is slowing down a bit as I get older, but the P3Pro has never matched my real-world swingspeeds -- even when the unit was new and I had accurate launch monitor results to compare it with. I'd be willing to settle for the ability to make larger adjustments in my distances with the P3Pro (and then just ignore the mph readings).

If my speed problems are related to lighting issues, I'd appreciate suggestions in addition to those on the P3Pro website. I am able to get solid readings on the red "signal strength" meter on the right side of the display using only the light from the projected image on my impact screen, but mph is still low. Adding a bit more room light doesn't seem to make things any worse. I do have some large uncovered windows in the room, but the speed readings don't change when comparing daytime use (with natural light but not direct sunlight coming through the windows) to nighttime use (with no light coming through the windows). I may need to take a more elaborate look at eliminating all possible reflections, but I'd like to have some confidence that this would actually solve the problem if I have to go to all that trouble.

I'd appreciate any suggestions that might help!

SDL

[ZMax]

I'd be willing to settle for the ability to make larger adjustments in my distances with the P3Pro (and then just ignore the mph readings).

Santa will have a Christmas gift for you soon.

If my speed problems are related to lighting issues, I'd appreciate suggestions in addition to those on the P3Pro website. I am able to get solid readings on the red "signal strength" meter on the right side of the display using only the light from the projected image on my impact screen, but mph is still low. Adding a bit more room light doesn't seem to make things any worse. I do have some large uncovered windows in the room, but the speed readings don't change when comparing daytime use (with natural light but not direct sunlight coming through the windows) to nighttime use (with no light coming through the windows). I may need to take a more elaborate look at eliminating all possible reflections, but I'd like to have some confidence that this would actually solve the problem if I have to go to all that trouble.

I'd appreciate any suggestions that might help!

SDL

If the rest of your readings such as club face, angle of attack, and swing path, are consistent then I can't see how it's a reflection issue. Especially if your swing speed is consistently low.

Most people don't know about this site and most don't report their problems online.

If you're one of the lucky ones who's readings are +/-2mph of your real swing speed, please say something.

This problem is affecting too many people to be a reflection issue.

If I had to guess, the problem is probably in the sensors. Perhaps the clocking for the microchip is running a little too fast? I wonder what an RS232 analyzer will show on the P3pro's serial port?

[SDL]

Santa will have a Christmas gift for you soon.

I like gifts!!!

[chasiv]

ZMax - there are over 9000 P3ProSwing sensor units out there. Do you HONESTLY beleive that there would be that many if the club head speed was wrong on all of them???

Do you believe The Sports Authority would have these in most of thier stores if the were not accurate?

Ask Cory if the club head speed is accurate if you don't believe the 'so-called expert'

It is a lighting/reflection issue. Club head speed is record as the the time the sensor is triggered (thinking the club has gone over the trigger row) until the time the sensor picks up the club going over the exit row of sensors. Because this is a fixed distance - it calculates the time over distance (which is what speed is). If the sensor is triggered early -- then the time is extended and thus club head speed is reduced.

There are times the reflection issue will display wide-open club head readings (above 18 degrees), but just because you're not getting that does not mean it is not a reflection issue.

There have been units sent back and tested for this issue and we have not (at least in my 2.5 years at P3ProSwing) found a sensor that has had an issue with recording this properly (tested with swing radar). We have also not had this issue ever reported by someone using our Ace Package. If it was a sensor issue, as you keep insisting -- it would happen regardless of environmental conditions (including in our enclosures).

Also -- I wouldn't suggest making modifications to the system. You don't improve your gain if you don't get HONEST results

[dvshx]

my distances are pretty darn close to actual (1.06 multiplier) when I play a normal shot. Play around with tee heights to make sure it is perfect. You will be penalized for off center hits when this option is enabled.

The only thing I wish they would fix is:
In GSA, the tee box selection will influence the default drive loft. When I tee off championship, the driver loft is 9.5 deg.
In the whites, driver loft is 12.5.

Here is an example:

My normal shot with 6i is 165 carry and 6 yard roll. P3Pro is dead on

I can play it in back of stance and throw my hips hard to get my hands way in front of the ball and carry it 190. In actual, this ball is launching like a normal 4 iron, but P3Pro will still be pretty close to the real carry distance but the roll will be off.

[ZMax]

my distances are pretty darn close to actual (1.06 multiplier) when I play a normal shot. Play around with tee heights to make sure it is perfect. You will be penalized for off center hits when this option is enabled.

What about your swing speed?

[SDL]

It is a lighting/reflection issue. Club head speed is record as the the time the sensor is triggered (thinking the club has gone over the trigger row) until the time the sensor picks up the club going over the exit row of sensors. Because this is a fixed distance - it calculates the time over distance (which is what speed is). If the sensor is triggered early -- then the time is extended and thus club head speed is reduced.

There are times the reflection issue will display wide-open club head readings (above 18 degrees), but just because you're not getting that does not mean it is not a reflection issue.

There have been units sent back and tested for this issue and we have not (at least in my 2.5 years at P3ProSwing) found a sensor that has had an issue with recording this properly (tested with swing radar). We have also not had this issue ever reported by someone using our Ace Package. If it was a sensor issue, as you keep insisting -- it would happen regardless of environmental conditions (including in our enclosures).

Also -- I wouldn't suggest making modifications to the system. You don't improve your gain if you don't get HONEST results

Chasiv,

Thanks for your input on this. I understand your points about reflection problems, but it's not quite as simple as just saying that the sensors are always right because they measure speed as the time for the clubhead to travel between 2 rows of sensors. For the P3Pro, that appears to be correct only if the lighting is perfect. Apparently, unless you have an Ace Package, a lot of us are likely to get incorrect readings due to the sensors picking up stray reflections (or perhaps being influenced by shadows). That still leaves many of us with a problem to fix, and I'd appreciate a little more help in figuring out how to do that.

I've looked at the design of the Ace Package, and it looks like there is dark fabric on three sides of the hitting area. (As you face the screen, that would be on the left, right, and above.) The back is open to ambient room light, and the front screen reflects the image from the projector. (I am assuming that the Ace doesn't use any light inside the fabric frame -- other than the projector.) Does that mean that light from the back is not a big problem in fooling the sensors? Are reflections from above the main problem or can reflections from the left or right sides also affect sensor readings significantly?

If I have to build curtains to surround my hitting area, I will, but it would help to know if I can get by with a few window treatments and some fabric on the ceiling.

Thanks for any additional advice you can provide.

SDL

[chasiv]

SDL - you are correct in that there is no additional lighting within the Ace Package. We have never (at least in the almost 3 years I've worked for P3ProSwing) had a customer with an Ace Package report reduced club head speeds nor have they reported wide open readings (another sign of 'environmental issues').

Now, I'm not saying everyone should purchase an Ace Package. But, made this point to back the statements regarding lighting & reflection issues. What I recommend to folks it to try taking sheets of cardboard around their sensor area if they are having issues. Then, once you have eliminated the issue, you can begin to remove the sheets of cardboard, one at a time, until you have identified which side the issue(s) are coming from. This will help to reduce the area you need to work on to resolve the issue.

As always -- you can also send images of your swing area to tech@p3proswing.com for evaluation. When taking pictures, be sure it is in the same conditions (lighting) that you are having issues with.

I've seen things as simply as 'cases of waterbottles', heating vents, etc. cause these types of issues.

[bubba22]

Once again, thank you for your efforts chasiv.

[SDL]

SDL - you are correct in that there is no additional lighting within the Ace Package. We have never (at least in the almost 3 years I've worked for P3ProSwing) had a customer with an Ace Package report reduced club head speeds nor have they reported wide open readings (another sign of 'environmental issues').

Now, I'm not saying everyone should purchase an Ace Package. But, made this point to back the statements regarding lighting & reflection issues. What I recommend to folks it to try taking sheets of cardboard around their sensor area if they are having issues. Then, once you have eliminated the issue, you can begin to remove the sheets of cardboard, one at a time, until you have identified which side the issue(s) are coming from. This will help to reduce the area you need to work on to resolve the issue.

As always -- you can also send images of your swing area to tech@p3proswing.com for evaluation. When taking pictures, be sure it is in the same conditions (lighting) that you are having issues with.

I've seen things as simply as 'cases of waterbottles', heating vents, etc. cause these types of issues.

Chasiv,

Thanks for the useful advice! If heating vents or water bottles can cause problems, I've got some serious troubleshooting to do. From your comments, it appears that problem reflections may come from any direction -- even though the Ace Package has a wide-open back end (opposite the screen) and doesn't seem to have reflection problems from that direction. I think I will start with coverings on the ceiling and then try some cardboard or curtains on the sides. If I can't pin it down, I'll send some pictures to P3ProSwing for more help.

With regard to particular lighting, I get about the same clubhead speed loss whether I have lots of side and overhead lights on or when all room lights are off and I am using only the projected light from the screen. About the only time I get really open face readings is when I'm using an untaped game-improvement iron with a very wide sole.

SDL

[wagolfpro]

Swing speeds I've found for myself and students I measured outside this summer are all pretty accurate on the P3P. For a few, I may have to adjust to a 1.03, but that is as high as I've had to adjust for them. The most common problems I have had is with reflection off of clubs, such as the game improvement clubs you mentioned. When a student has a wide-sole club, I always tape it right away and have not experienced any problems then. Also, one of my students has the new Adams forged, which are black. In that case, we tried with just a reflective strip, but it still gave us issues, so I taped it like normal, and the problem was gone. My set-up is in a separate room within a gym, and even with the high (25') flourescent lighting, it can periodically give a bad reading, so I cut the lights off. I now only have the lights on when I video,and things work fine. All in all, I've found it very accurate for speed and distance, and agree that most issues are from reflection more than simply lighting.
I know most of you already look at this, but for some of you new to the system, pay attention to attack angle when measuring speed/distance: it can make the difference that some of you are seeing in your distance issues when speed is the same as normal.

[bubba22]

I continue to have lower swing speeds despite all the lighting, reflection, taping checking. I am not convinced I will ever have normal swing speeds with my setup. The GSA issues course are more of an issue than my swing speeds.

[northgolf]

I have just started using my P3Pro, and the swing speeds I am seeing are right on the mark. It matches what I see with my swing speed radar, and the distances match what I get on the course (I use a gps to measure my on course distances - I find people greatly over estimate shot distances).

[bubba22]

I agree with you that we all tend to overestimate our distances. My swing speed with the p3pro is consistently 10 lower han on the dd or my accusport cobra monitor. It is also 10 lower than any monitor I have ever tried. Again it may be a reflection/lighting issue but it exists. I think I will order a swing speed radar.

[RetiredGuy01]

ZMax
I just got a P3proswing with usb..... My distance seems way off as in Driver going 120 yds. Plus face angle seems always open.
Any suggestions?

[ZMax]

Sounds like you have reflection issues. Makes sure the only light in the room is a CFL or LED light. Turn everything else off. Block out windows. No sun light. Tape your clubs.

[roach5539]

ZMax
I just got a P3proswing with usb..... My distance seems way off as in Driver going 120 yds. Plus face angle seems always open.
Any suggestions?

RetiredGuy,
I have had my P3Pro for about nine months now.. At first I had issues with swing speed (distance) and open face readings.. I found that it took considerable time for me to get use to swinging freely inside my house (a relatively small area), I also found that unless I hit a ball, my face would be left wide open.. Can't seem to make good swings (Square face) without a ball sitting in front of me. Regardless, over time my swing speed on the unit increased and I am very happy with it now. I have recently been able to compare my 6 iron and driver swing speed and carry distances on a GC2 sim at Golfland and they matched what I see on my P3Pro (with distance slider on 1.05) While I do have a rather controlled area when it comes to lighting and reflective surfaces, I have not had any significant issues with lighting/shadows/reflections.. I would reach out to P3Pro support and ask for their help.. Good luck...

[chasiv]

Retired Guy,

Lighting and reflections will cause these issues. Simply turning the lights off does not necessarily remove reflection issues. If you cannot easily identify the issue, I would suggest that you send images to tech@p3proswing.com so they can look at the area you are using your sensor unit in. The more angles around the sensor unit, the better they can help.

Chasiv

[Kev83]

Hey zmax,

I've just purchased the P3swingpro on December 4th, 2015. the unit connects with USB - I am told that it has the newest chipboard and grass top, and was the third unit off the factory floor.

I've gone so far as surrounding the unit with blackout curtains, yet the swing speed reads around 60 mph. I'm a scratch player, hit my 7i 170 yards , yet it reads only 100 and comes through more that 18 degrees open. Taping the clubs does not affect results (have shiny mizunos)

I'd love to hear you're fix, as the company claims it is still my environment. Though I'm within the 30 day return period, I'd love to avoid that and have the unit running properly by xmas.

Thank you!

Kev

[Stonebattle]

I've had a P3proswing for several year. I'm not a scratch player, but am a low single digit handicap player. I find my 7 iron reads 5% to 6% low on my P3proswing sensor when comparing numbers to Trackman or other swing analyzers, but no where near what you are getting.

I had my P3proswing setup in a room with a large window with the blinds closed and it worked fine most of the time. Reflections can have an impact on readings. Get down such that your eye is about at the level of the grass top and close to the center strip of sensors. Look around to see if there are any reflections or direct light impinging on the sensors. This happened several times with my room when the readings were off. For example, I found there was a light reflection coming off of the glass from a picture I put up. Also, one time I found a lamp shade had been moved and the lamp had a direct path to the sensors on the unit.

Placing a small CFL over the unit seems to improve consistency with the newer sensor units.

[wbond]

Make sure you have no light (even daylight) coming from behind you when you're hitting as well. I had it this way originally and had issues, when i got rid of all the light from behind it made a huge improvement.