SkyTrak+ Launch Monitor Review
SkyTrak+ Launch Monitor Review
For most golfers having a home simulator set-up is a pipe dream, largely down to the space required as well as the overall cost. Typically in golf technology and launch monitors, you tend to get what you pay for, although with the new SkyTrak+ it appears you get a little more for your money - hence why we chose it for Editor's Choice 2023.
The original SkyTrak Launch Monitor was released way back in 2014 and has popular among consumers looking for a cost-effective way to track their ball flight and get data on their shots. In fact, it stood out among its competitors as one of the best cheap golf launch monitors, coming it at a considerably lower cost to other radar-based options like the Full Swing Kit and Trackman 4.
Nine years on, the SkyTrak+ is powered by Rapsodo and features a new dual doppler radar system, which provides the user with important information such as clubhead speed, smash factor (how efficiently the ball is struck), spin and launch angle among others. The SkyTrak+ now offers additional club data points, including path and face angle. It also applies proprietary machine-learning algorithms to the data for even greater accuracy, making it comparable with the very best golf launch monitors. All these metrics are vital to understand how you are delivering the club and help you access the information needed to change your swing in order to play better and more consistent golf.
The SkyTrak+ continues to use a laser that shines on to the hitting area to denote where the ball needs to be positioned for it to be tracked. This can cause issues when hitting off grass and having to move the device around, so it remains more suited to use hitting off mats although the hitting area has been made 40 percent larger. The main display screen is really easy to interpret. The numbers at the bottom stand out and are color coded by how close they are to what the SkyTrak+ deems as optimum. On the right hand side there is a nifty graphic that show's the club's interaction with the ball at impact as well as a heat map down range of where your shots have finished.
Not only is the SkyTrak+ extremely lightweight and easily portable, the new camera system allows this device to be as accurate at the driving range as it is when used hitting into a net at home. The SkyTrak+ software, when synced with a tablet or computer, allows for the user to play upwards of 100,000 golf courses virtually, making those monotonous range sessions more interactive and purposeful. World-renowned courses such as Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes and Torrey Pines are all available to play on the software, enabling you to make your practice sessions competitive with friends anywhere in the world.
Like with the prior model, access to the software does have to be purchased separately to the device if you want to reap the full benefits of the launch monitor, however the basic software is enough for those just using the device for fun. By paying the annual fee, which ranges from £89.95 to £179.95 depending on the plan, it would place the Sky Trak+ among some of the best golf simulator set-ups. Alongside playing virtual courses, there are various wedge tests and skills assessments that allow you to hit specific distances under pressure, emulating what it is like playing on a golf course by not hitting the same club or shot multiple times in a row.
The option of being able to work on your swing and game at home for a relatively affordable price is exactly what makes the SkyTrak+ launch monitor such an appealing prospect. Having crucial data as well as live ball flight on a tablet or even a projector really elevates the user experience and will certainly encourage more people to practise their game more regularly with the help of the latest technology. With a price tag of £3,095 or $2,005, the SkyTrak+ represents an appealing prospect given the level of features on offer and improvements made over the prior version.
