The SkyTrak personal launch monitor provides golfers with invaluable feedback and insight into their game at an affordable price

Golf clubs, golf balls and GPS-outfitted rangefinders are merely three of the areas where technology has helped to revolutionize the game. All have long been available for golfers to purchase and take home.

That hasn’t always been the case with another technological marvel – the launch monitor. The first ones, which began appearing in the 1990s, were high-tech wonders able to measure every detail of what occurs when a golf club strikes the ball. They were also very sophisticated machines that cost a great deal of money, and few non-professional golfers could afford to have one of their own.

But SkyTrak is helping to change that.

Since October 2014, the company has offered commercial launch monitors that have “access to the same launch monitor technology found in other high-end systems, but at a fraction of the cost,” said Andy Allen, SkyTrak’s Managing Director of Golf.

Similar to the kind of launch monitors you’ll find at an equipment manufacturer’s club fitting headquarters, SkyTrak provides feedback and accurately displays the ball flight and distances golfers would get on the practice range or golf course.

“It’s easy to use, and the software is intuitive and provides the opportunity for any golfer to identify strengths and weaknesses in their game as well as tools to continue to improve through ‘fun’ practice,” Allen said.

But it wasn’t easy figuring how to make such an expensive and useful golf device       affordable for anyone outside the one percent. SkyTrak is now offering its device, which weighs less than two pounds, for under $2,000.

While affordability and entertainment are important parts of SkyTrak’s allure, Allen says what users will appreciate most is the device’s accuracy  in terms of displaying their golf shot’s shape, distance and trajectory.

“SkyTrak helps golfers better understand on average how far they hit every club in their bag,” he said. “The software provides club comparison tools, bag mapping, stat tracking and the ability to benchmark and track performance over time. SkyTrak reflects a golfer’s real game, real shot shapes, real distances and real direction. All this from the comfort of the home or office, so golfers can use SkyTrak to practice and play on their own terms and time.”

And, that practice comes with direct feedback on everything from ball and club head speed to spin rate, flight time and smash factor.

“Practice without feedback can lead to poor swing habits,” Allen said. “SkyTrak provides detailed ball flight information as well as an accurate rendering of ball flight and carry, total and offline distances for any shot. All data is easily tracked over time so golfers can see their improvement and identify areas that may need additional work.”

In fact, practice can take place soon after SkyTrak is taken out of the box as the Basic Package includes the practice driving range.

SkyTrak also offers a Game Improvement Package that includes other benefits such as long-drive competition, closest-to-the-pin, target practice and skills assessment for $99.95 a year. SkyTrak has partnered with four Golf Simulation companies for simulated realistic full-course play on courses such as Pinehurst, Bethpage Black, Merion Golf Club and more.
Allen said that so far the response and feedback from golfers who have used SkyTrak has been outstanding.

“Our customers are seeing their handicaps decrease and improvement in many aspects of their golf game,” he said. “The responses come from scratch golfers, higher handicap players and even beginning golfers who are using the system to improve and enjoy the game even more.”