How does the No. 1-selling consumer launch monitor offer even more to golfers? Today, we found out the answer to that question: SkyTrak+.

For a refresher on the OG SkyTrak unit, check out our review. Interestingly, the “cons” we identified were “slight delay between contact and seeing the ball flight. Only tracks the golf ball, and not your club path.” Not to put the cart before the horse, but those are no longer cons with SkyTrak+.

Of foremost interest for GolfWRXers: Complementing SkyTrak’s existing camera-derived ball flight data, SkyTrak+ features a new dual doppler radar with an integrated machine learning algorithm to give users a wealth of club data for the first time at this price point. Also exciting: It does so without any stickers or special balls.

Sky Trak+’s club data includes:

• Club head speed
• Smash factor
• Club path
• Face angle

And it does all this at a price point under $3,000.

• GolfWRXers have the unique opportunity to post questions to the SkyTrak team in the forums. Head over to this thread to submit your question. 

More on SkyTrak+

With respect to the camera, SkyTrak engineers didn’t rest on their laurels. SkyTrak+’s new improved photometric camera system delivers improved ball tracking. And unlike exclusively radar-based units, there are no space limitations/distances from the unit for indoor use. Additionally, the camera system functions well on mats allowing users to practice outdoors, according to SkyTrak.

And regarding the company’s accuracy claims — within one degree on face and path at launch — it’s not just marketing speak and chest-beating. SkyTrak retained the services of the Sport Science Academy/Rocky Mountain Consortium for Sports Research to investigate the degree of agreement between SkyTrak+ and a leading launch monitor on tour.

The study found, in part, that “all golf impact parameters were highly correlated (all P<.001) and linearly related (all P<.001). Ball speed demonstrated the highest correlation (R=.998) and tilt axis the lowest (R=.853).”

Again, an impressive level of accuracy for $2,995. Game-changing stuff, really.

Jeff Foster, SkyTrak CEO, had this to say about SkyTrak+:

“Our goal is to bring the ability to practice, play, and compete to golfers everywhere. We think it’ll be a game changer, bringing this level of accuracy to a price point that makes it a golf simulator attainable to the masses.”

SkyTrak Shot Optimizer

SkyTrak’s Shot Optimizer is new and improved for SkyTrak+. To better understand their progress and improvement, users can measure their results against a database of millions of golf shots. Bag mapping, skill assessment, a wedge matrix, randomized practice, and more, are all included in the Game Improvement Package.

New and improved Shot Optimizer interface

The shot optimizer shows a user his/her club and ball data in comparison to optimal launch conditions. SkyTrak+’s red, yellow, and green scoring system allows golfers to see how they stack up against the best players in the world.

A picture is worth a thousand words to showcase how this function works:

Detail of SkyTrak+’s scoring system.

And while it’s an easy-to-understand interface, users are also able to access informational tutorials featuring Golf Digest No. 22 teacher in the world, Nick Clearwater.

As you can see below, the SkyTrak+ interface displays carry, total distance, face-to-target, and club path data overlaying the driving range — additionally, previous shots are displayed with a heat map rather than plotted inside an ellipse. Launch angle, spin, and descent angle are displayed alongside suggested optimal ranges based on club head data, along will all the other metrics you’d expect to see in a top-tier launch monitor.

Shot Scoring

Another exciting feature is Shot Scoring, by which users hit 20 shots with any club (displayed in the bottom right corner of the image above). SkyTrak runs the numbers and figures out a user’s “expected distance” by determining the best-hit shots. This creates a benchmark for future shots and allows a user to be given a Shot Score, which is, essentially, a projection of what a player hitting said shots would be expected to shoot in an 18-hole round. It’s a novel, and pretty fun, approach to shot evaluation and one that SkyTrak feels is more relevant and significant to the average golfer than strokes gained data.

Other improvements in SkyTrak+

• Roughly 40 percent larger hitting area to give golfers more flexibility to capture a full range of shots — unit can be positioned 1.5 inches farther from ball
• New on-board processor for faster shot-to-show ability as well as easy and secure connectivity to a wide range of PC and mobile devices — “shot-to-show” time of just over two seconds
• Added 5Ghz Wi-Fi capabilities for faster and more stable connectivity
• USB Type C Charging options for port stability and rapid charging
• No special balls needed
• No stickers on clubs needed

Over 100,000 golf courses

Not to be overlooked on the sim golf side, leveraging industry best gameplay simulation, SkyTrak+ maintains partnerships with e6 Connect, WGT, TGC 2019, and more, offering golfers more than 100,000 courses to choose from, including:

• Pebble Beach Golf Links
• Bandon Dunes
• Torrey Pines – South
• St. Andrews
• Bethpage Black

The GolfTec factor

As a reminder, SkyTrak was acquired by GolfTec in August of 2022, which has allowed resource sharing and collaboration between the two companies. SkyTrak says GolfTec teachers and students will eventually be able to utilize the shared data for practice routine development. The future possibilities here are exciting, to say the least.

Availability and pricing

SkyTrak+ is available for pre-order now through SkyTrakgolf.com and will be available for sale at an assortment of partners across the globe.

Price: $2,995 USD

Shipments begin in late May.

• GolfWRXers have the unique opportunity to post questions to the SkyTrak team in the forums. Head over to this thread to submit your question.