You hear the terms “golf simulator” and “launch monitor” everywhere now, and these terms seem to apply to everything from full-simulation golf centers to your buddy Dave hitting balls into a net in his garage.

But what do you really need to create a golf experience in your home or capture data while swinging the sticks at the range? Ernest Sports now delivers two solutions to help you better your game with the ES Tour Plus and ESB1 launch monitors.

I’ve used these two products over the past year to understand the benefits they can bring to my game and yours, and I’ve found that it all comes down to two factors: Entertainment and Data.

Do I need a launch monitor?

While there are many components involved in building a home “simulator,” the main element needs to be the launch monitor.

If you are interested in more recommendations for building a home simulator, by the way, check out these two articles:

Before reading any further you may already be asking yourself a few questions, such as:

1. Do I really need a launch monitor?
2. What are the benefits?
3. Do I want to simulate playing courses or just hit practice balls?
4. Can I figure out how to use it?
5. How much do I want to spend?

Don’t forget to consider the space in which you will use the launch monitor, too, and consider:

1. Is it for indoor or outdoor use?
2. Will this be a temporary or permanent space?
3. How much room do I have to set up a unit behind or to the side of me?
4. Do I want to be able to transport the unit?

All of these questions may create a lot of swirl, but they are all important when deciding on the solution that’s right for you. With your answers locked in… it’s time to go for it.

So, lets figure out what the right Ernest Sports solution is for you: The ES Tour Plus or the ESB1.

The Ernest Sports ES Tour Plus

If you are looking for an experience that provides the flexibility to play courses, get reliable practice data and have fun with your friends then the ES Tour Plus is what you’ll need.

The thought of even getting started with a launch monitor such as the ES Tour Plus may prevent some people from considering it as an option. You may feel like you are not an IT wizard and don’t own a $2,000 computer to run the software on so a simulator is out of the question. The good news is that Ernest Sports makes it really simple to set up the ES Tour Plus and get started. All you need to run this simulator is a basic Windows computer or even an iPad.

Out of the box the ES Tour Plus will need to be calibrated. This calibration is critical as it ensures you’ll have accurate readings both indoor and out. The detailed instructions provided were simple enough to follow and took me under 10 minutes to complete.

As part of the calibration you will need to navigate the top menu of the unit. This display uses a combination of letters and numbers to signify settings and is not very intuitive, in my opinion. I found this to be one major drawback of the unit as I frequently had to reference the instruction manual to understand the modes or settings I was in.

I ended up taping my manual to the back of the unit so I always knew where it was for quick reference. Luckily, you will only really need to use the menu navigation when calibrating and switching from indoor to outdoor modes. Everything else on the unit can be controlled from your connected device.

As you finalize calibration and move on to hitting, a key component to accurate data on the ES Tour Plus is using a ball with a straight logo (eg: TaylorMade or Titleist, not Callaway). This is due to the fact that indoors the ES Tour Plus needs a straight logo facing the unit in order to accurately collect some of the data. A curved logo will provide inaccurate data.

How does it work?

The ES Tour Plus combines two front cameras and two side Doppler radar readers to collect all the necessary data points (the new ES Tour 2.0 has four Doppler radar sensors to increase accuracy). When practicing indoors the unit uses all four sensors to capture and interpret ball data. Outdoors, direct sunlight prevents the use of the two cameras. This means that you will not have a ball tracer as part of your data output. This should not be a concern as you will be able to visually see your ball path.

All of this camera and internal technology come together to provide you with 20 different data points, including:

Carry Distance, Total Distance, Club Speed, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Launch Direction, Spin Rate, Spin Axis, Ball Height, Hang Time, Attack Angle, Land Angle, Dynamic Loft, Spin Loft, Club Path, Club Face, Club Face-to-Path, Side Carry and Side Total

Software

The ES Tour Plus uses a few different applications to deliver the overall experience including the ES Range, ES Golf and E6 Connect. The first two applications are Ernest’s propriety software and provide a basic but satisfying practice experience when using the ES Tour Plus. This Ernest Sports software is included at no charge, which gives the ES Tour Plus huge bonus marks in my opinion. Many competitors in the market charge monthly or yearly subscriptions to access these basic features.

The E6 Connect software is well known across the golf simulator portfolio and is used on many systems. Subscriptions to the E6 software range from $300-$600 per year depending on the features, courses and extras you want. I’ve found a basic subscription including 27 courses to have plenty of variety to keep my interest.

Entertainment

You may choose to invest in a “golf simulator” for the entertainment factor. Maybe you want to play golf with your buddies casually, for example, and have a man cave with some space and see it as a great way to bring friends together to sip on cocktails.

The ES Tour Plus is a great unit for getting that golf experience without breaking the bank, and the options in E6 Connect give you a good variety of courses, games and online leagues. Playing with friends is fun and easy to do with the software.

There is a bit of tweaking to get the right clubs in the system and the overall distances, but once you’re set up play goes quite smoothly.

From tee to green the unit is adequately responsive with a minor one- or two-second delay when displaying shot information. I found the shot shape and distances to be pretty accurate as I tried to hit draws and fades, too.

There were times I scratched my head and said “how did it think the shot looked like that?” You could argue this happens with any simulator, but high-end units do tend to misread less. I found the ES Tour Plus to give “questionable” shot data or miss my shot once every 20 times or so. I think this is on average for units in this price range.

I have never been a big fan of putting on simulators regardless if it is a $100 unit or $100,000 unit. Putting on the ES Tour Plus is decent, meaning you will get an accurate measurement, but the feel of hitting to a real target hole is just not there. I often choose to just skip putting on simulator play and focus on my other shots, instead.

The fact that the unit is set up on the side and not behind you is a major benefit. This allows you to easily access the hitting area if you are in a confined simulator space in your house. Units that require setup behind the ball become tripping hazards when switching players.

Data

I have done several club fittings in the past two years and am relatively familiar with my measurement averages when it comes to distances, spin rates, smash factor and launch angles.

While there are 20 data points provided by the ES Tour Plus, I would focus your attention on just four or five for improvement. As I started to compare my numbers to previous results I found the data to be within 5-6% percent of what I expected. I compared about 100 data points from the ES Tour Plus to get this percentage.

For launch monitors in this price range, spin rate is a feature many players are sure to want. The data spin rate provides gives insight into dialing in the right loft and shaft characteristics for clubs. Although there are some quirks with the alignment of the ball logo to help get the spin, I think the data output from the unit is solid.

At the Range

With the Ernest Pro’s built-in battery it’s possible to take the unit with you to the range. Pair it with a tablet like an iPad and you’ve got a powerful practice partner.

While outdoors you can get spin information without aligning a logo and I’ve found the data accuracy of the unit as a whole much improved. Switching from indoor to outdoor mode can be a bit tricky, so have that manual handy, but once you’re set up then it works beautifully.

You will obviously need to manually update the club you are hitting in order to get accurate data, but that’s easy to do via the connected device or on-unit menu.

The Ernest SPorts ESB1

Like its big brother, the ESB1 provides excellent data in a convenient package, and it’s been designed to transport easily between the range, course and your home.

This budget launch monitor has some great features that really impressed me.

The easy-to-read display allows you to use the ESB1 without any other device connected, though it can be paired easily with your phone. You will need to manually change the club selection to have accurate data, but the controls are very straightforward.

Technical

• 3D Doppler radar technology
• Six data points: Ball speed, club speed, distance (total/carry), smash factor, spin rate, launch angle
• Integrated visual display screen
• Battery that allows for up to 20 hours of continuous run time
• Free ES Range app

The six data points the ESB1 provides are typical for units in this price range with the exception of spin. Many golfers use spin rate now to help make adjustments to their clubs and shafts. While it may not be as accurate as high-end professional systems the spin measurements provide a “reasonable” idea of what your ball is doing.

At the Range

I primarily use the ESB1 at an outdoor range. While it is possible to use this launch monitor indoors I don’t think the data will be as accurate as other models and some of the features and benefits are lost. When trying this indoors you will need about eight feet of space behind you for the monitor.

The ESB1’s built-in battery will give you 20 hours of continuous use so you shouldn’t have to worry about charging it between range sessions. Bluetooth connection to the phone was very easy to set up and the ES Range app found the device instantly.

The ES Range App

When combining the ESB1 with a phone or tablet the free ES Range app opens up a lot of great features including skills games, settings adjustments and video recording.

The ability for the ESB1 to record videos with your connected device’s camera and sync with the launch monitor data make this unit stand out above others in the category. I learn by seeing and the ability to match data with an actual video of my swing has proven invaluable.

Another great feature I’ve found in the ES Range app is the Personal Adjustment Setting.  This allows you to adjust the distance output of the ESB1. For example, if you see your 8-iron is carrying 150 yards at the range but the ESB1 reports 158 then you can tell the app to adjust 5% on future output. After my first couple range sessions of tweaking I ultimately adjusted about 3-4% on most of my clubs and have since found the data to be right on.

Data Accuracy

With budget launch monitors like the ESB1 there is always a concern for accuracy. As with anything, you get what you pay for when it comes to precise data.

If you are someone who lives and dies by knowing exactly what is happening to your golf ball then this may not be the best option for you. If you are a player trying to understand average distances, club head speed and a general idea of spin rate, though, then the ESB1 will do fine.

I’ve felt that over the course of my testing the distance measurement is the most accurate while the spin rate remains somewhat questionable at times.

Ready for “Launch”?

Getting simple, effective data from a portable solution like the ESB1 or adding in the great entertainment factor of the ES Tour Plus make a launch monitor from Ernest Sports a worthwhile investment for most golf enthusiasts.

Anyone from a scratch player to a weekend hacker will find value in using a launch monitor to better their game, and Ernest Sports, in my earnest opinion, has certainly secured a nice niche in the launch monitor marketplace with their product line and I would recommend them.

Get discounted pricing on Ernest Sports launch monitors from Rock Bottom Golf

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