"Indoor Swing Syndrome" is a common problem with new SkyTrak owners
Last Updated:New SkyTrak owners frequently complain about SkyTrak not reading their shot shape or distances correctly. It's so common that the community has coined a term for it, called "Indoor Swing Syndrome."
Here's the Deal
When you first start hitting balls indoors, there are many factors that can make you swing differently from how you swing at an outdoor range or on the course. Here is a short, and probably incomplete, list of the potential factors at play (note that all of these factors can be conscious or subconscious):
- Your ceiling, walls, or other objects in the room are close enough to you to make you concerned about hitting them with your club
- Your perceived alignment to your target line only 8-10 feet in front of you is far different from seeing a target 100-300 yards in front of you outdoors
- You're worried about breaking something or hurting someone in the room with your ball, should it bounce back off the screen or go sideways with a shank
- Your swing gets flatter (very likely with your longer clubs and a ceiling height of 9 feet or lower), causing a draw bias to your shot shape
- Your mat is too firm or too grabby, causing you to pick the ball cleaner with a shallow angle of attack (also can cause a draw bias to your shot shape)
- You're hitting slightly fat, which goes unnoticed by many when hitting off a mat (the club will often just "skip" into the ball). The high clubface contact takes off significant ball speed, launches the ball higher, and if you also catch the heel of the club on the mat first, that can close the clubface, leading to pulls and over-draws. Use some white foot powder spray on your clubface to double-check ball impact position, which should be no more than 3/4" or so from the bottom edge of your irons.
- There's a chance you don't actually know your average carry distances, especially if you've never hit regularly on a launch monitor before. This is true especially with driver, where we can never see where the ball first hit the ground, and run-out is highly variable in real life. We tend to remember only our best shots when playing in real life, not the average, so owning a launch monitor can be an eye-opening revelation (but will also lower your handicap once you know your averages).
- You're worried about that $2,000 electronic box only 12 inches away opposite the ball, and tug shots to the left, away from it
The good news is that, given adequate room dimensions and a good mat, most golfers get over Indoor Swing Syndrome within a few days to weeks, and then realize that SkyTrak is showing very realistic ball flights and distances (and has been all along).
Below is a screenshot from a recent thread that is a great example of what can go wrong, and what can solve it.
Note that this guy has a 2.9 index and drives the ball 290 yards. If he can be affected by "Indoor Swing Syndrome," anybody can!
Here's a great video with some additional thoughts on the problem:
Did this article help you?
If so, please take a moment to show your appreciation by leaving a quick 5-star rating and review (optional) for us on Google Reviews: Yes, I'll do that!
Click here for more great articles!
If you haven't yet purchased a launch monitor, or have questions with anything golf sim-related, text us at 512-861-4151 or email hello@gunghogolf.com with questions.
We know the golf sim market can be overwhelming to newcomers. We can work with any budget, and our goal is to get you set up with the best possible equipment and software at the lowest possible price. We love to talk about golf sims, and love helping folks out however we can!
Ron Hornbaker, Founder & CEO