Possible Causes of Distances and Shot Shapes Unexpected

Question: 

Why are my distances and shot shapes unexpected?

Response: 

There are several factors that can affect your distances and your shot shape.

Elevation
I recommend making note of the "elevation" when on the range or when playing a round on a course.  Differences in elevation will extend/shorten the carry and total distance.  We recommend starting with an elevation of 0, and try the results.   You can increase the elevation by increments of 500 feet for a modest increase in carry and total distances.
 
Hitting from the rough or sand
The ball velocity is penalized when you are hitting out of the rough or sand, which will  shorten carry and total distances.
 
Choice of golf ball - measured vs. estimated spin
When using a Taylormade TP5 or TP5x ball, the system will measure the spin of the ball.  If you are using a different ball, without the markings, the spin will be estimated instead of measured.  The spin estimate relies upon the club selection to estimate spin within an appropriate range.  If you are using an unmarked ball (not the Taylormade TP5) and you are hitting a driver, the expected spin range is generally between 2,000 and 3,000 RPM.  However, if your club selection is set to PW (Pitching Wedge) in this scenario, we will estimate the spin to be over 9,000 RPM.  This will produce incorrect distances and shot shapes.
 

Here is the Taylormade TP5 pattern that allows us to read spin on the golf ball.

Please note, there are Taylormade TP5 variants with a variety of logos, and colors with a similar pattern around the ball.   Different pigments will vary with the camera’s ability to read them in the infrared spectrum.  These patterns are not recommended and are not as accurate or reliable as the standard TP5 shown above.