Customer satisfaction and providing quality golf balls is of extreme importance to SmartOne. As an additional quality control on our products and to ensure that our customers are using the best golf balls around, SmartOne conducts regular testing at the equipment-testing firm Golf Laboratories in San Diego, CA.
THE ROBOT
Golf Laboratories’ robots have become the standard for machine testing amongst the biggest names in golf.
The high performance Golf Laboratories 4 Pt. Servo Robot is driven by an Open Loop Servo Control System, is extremely versatile allowing for a broad range of testing options. The Robot can swing at speeds as low as 0.1mph for putter testing and with 79Nm of torque, it can achieve driver-club-head speeds of 120mph at just 50% of its maximum power.
PARAMETER
Specific launch monitor software is used in tandem with the Robot to capture all information related to swing, impact and ball flight. All key parameters, including swing velocity, release angle and acceleration, can be adjusted to our specifications. Golf Laboratories even state weather conditions such as air temperature and humidity, to provide greatest insight possible into the performance of our golf balls.
GOLF BALL TEST
Our SmartOne balls are tested in two stages at the extremes of a golfer's game. First, they are tested with a driver with particularly interested in launch angle, spin rate, ball speed, and total distance data. Secondly, they are tested with a 56° wedge to establish performance in terms of height, spin rate and carry distance.Additional data recorded, such as attack angle, swing plane, club-head speed and side spin of the golf ball, don't necessarily reveal how our balls perform but do give us insight into the conditions with which they were tested.
THE CONTROL CENTER
There are eight main command units that the robot can be programmed for - these range in complexity from backswing speed to wrist position and velocity at impact. This is all of vital importance given the broad spectrum of golfing abilities and the unique characteristics of each individual golfer’s movements. The control center documents all of this information for later analysis.
The key benefit of robot testing is the ability to isolate and control for multiple variables in the golf swing. The operator is able to dial in these variables to achieve any profile SmartOne might like to test. When testing, the robot´s motor runs with 3000rpm, which yields approximately 400,000 counter values which refresh every five milliseconds.
THE DRIVER TEST
Golf Laboratories used a TaylorMade RBZ 10.5°, Matrix Ozik Xcon, regular-flex driver, swung at a typical amateur club-head speed of 94mph, to test our products. With all parameters set, our SmartOne ball achieved ball speeds of 133 mph and spin rates of 3083rpm for a total carry distance of 196 yards. The total distance measured was 221 yards on average.
THE WEDGE TEST
The wedge test was conducted using a 52° Callaway True Temper at 82mph. For many golfers this test provides an important insight into short-game performance. The SmartOne averaged spin rates of just under 12,000 rpm and with peak height of 28.3 yards and a total carry averaged around 91 yards.
