Missed Driver Shots

There are several potential reasons for the high rate of missed driver shots.  They have a common root cause.  Something in the camera's field of view interferes with the ball tracking.   The cameras operate in the near infrared (NIR) light spectrum, and depending upon the pigment and materials of objects in the scene, they may appear white to the camera.  Similar intensity to the white of the golf ball.

They can be grouped into three categories:

1. Color of the driver's head.  Some drivers are white, and some are silver, producing a reflective spot in NIR that can confuse the cameras.  Notice how the driver head appears in a similar color to the golf ball.

2. The plastic tee upon which the golf ball rests for a driver may appear white in NIR. During a driver shot, these plastic tees can pop up into the air.  If they appear white in NIR, then the camera may be confused and incorrectly track the tumbling tee instead of the golf ball.  Producing either incorrect results or missing the shot entirely.  Here is what a light colored basket tee looks like in the NIR spectrum.   

The solution is to use the black plastic tee, as shown below:

3. Natural Sunlight contains significant NIR content.  If natural sunlight is shining into the tee area, it can interfere with tracking.  This is unlikely to be your issue because your irons are performing well.  It's only the driver who is missing shots.  For reference, here is what the field of view looks like when there is natural sunlight.  Notice the white noise around the golf ball, making it difficult to identify the location.

This is what the scene should look like, with only the ball appearing as white: