Hey Dr K

I've had my ES12 for almost two years.  I would recommend this product to anyone looking to learn their club distances.  It may not be 100% accurate but its close.  I spend quite a lot of time hitting balls into a net in my backyard, the ES12 is within a couple of yards for most shots.  It helped me dial in my distances much better than the driving range.  At the range I tend to swing slightly faster/ harder and on longer distances there are no markers to indicate distance.   I've learned what my honest average distance is for each club and have also gained one full club longer by learning what feel or mechanics generate a faster ball speed.   The unit also has practice modes which select random distances for you to hit.  I thought this would be gimmicky but It taught me better  distance control.  you do have to manually select the desired club but it measures ball speed for calculating distance.  I now feel more confident when I'm hitting shot that are not full swings.  I use the range for practicing accuracy  , trajectory, and shot shaping, and the ES12 for distance control.  I have often brought it to the range for confirmation when applicable. 

I hope this helped, steve

Hi,  I purchased an ES14 several months ago at the TPI World Summit and have found it quite useful.  As with all these launch monitors, it helps to have a good eye for true launch and spin so that you can see when the numbers are clearly off.  I  usually use it in conjunction with another launch monitor just to double check numbers. On occasion with faster ball speeds 160+, it has not been quite as accurate as it is with speeds below 160. It is still a new toy, so we are figuring it all out. 

Thanks for the info Cathi & Steve.

I'm a sucker for technology stuff...I can see purchasing an ES14 in the future.

Cheers,

Dr. K

I received one of these as a tee gift in a tournament this fall and it is pretty cool.  I have taken it out on the range and it appeared to work pretty well, but before I place any reliance on it I wanted to hit it side by side with a Trackman for confirmation.  I just have not had the time to do so at the range yet.

At the tournament, they had two folks from Ernest there discussing the launch monitor with us.  What I was able to ascertain is that the unit actually measures your club head speed and your ball flight speed and that the remainder of the numbers are calculated based upon formulas.  You input the specs of your clubs (various lofts) and you set the angle of the machine into one of three positions based on which club you are hitting (i.e., the length of the club).  That being said, my takeaway is that your club head and ball speed (plus the corresponding smash factor) and the actual distance should be relatively accurate.  I tend to play the ball back a bit in my stance which de-lofts the club so I would expect my distance numbers to be a little off once I actually set it up and hit it side by side with the Trackman.

Anyway, this seems to be a pretty good tool for the actual cost of the unit and to be honest, it is really just another toy that is fun to have.  Since it was a tee gift, I'm glad to have received it.  Not sure if I would have actually gone out an purchased this as I have access to a Trackman if I really want to dial in the numbers.  I can see where it would be a great tool to have in your back yard if you were practicing hitting into a net.  I attached a picture of the box since it is sitting right here in my office.  All in all, a pretty cool gadget.

Hi Mike,

It was great to see you at Maderas!  When you have a chance to match it against Trackman, let us know what happens with the spin numbers. 

Thanks!

Looks interesting...for $600 approx. it seems like a reasonable value for basic data assuming it is accurate.

My instructor has one and we've used it a couple of times during lessons.  I was impressed with its accuracy and how helpful it is in learning more about your stats.

I agree with you, I'd love to buy one and set it up in my basement along with mat and net to practice and improve my game.  And it could certainly use a lot of improvement.

I have an ES14 and find it pretty useful. I do not use it for absolute distance numbers but for shot to shot consistancy. I find that the ball speed, launch angle and smash factor numbers are what I look at the most. If you see improvements in the consistancy of these numbers then your ball striking is getting better.