Why is my golf simulator not tracking shots?

Start with the symptom

"It's not tracking" can mean four different problems, and each has different causes. Work out which one you have, then go to that section. Every fix below comes from the makers' own manuals and support pages. For each brand's support, manual and firmware links in one place, see launch monitor troubleshooting and care.

• No shots at all: nothing appears on screen whatever you hit.
• Missed shots: most register, but some don't.
• Wrong numbers: shots register, but distances, spin or direction look wrong.
• Delay: the shot registers, but seconds late.

It also helps to know which kind of launch monitor you have. A radar unit sits behind you and tracks the ball with radio waves (Mevo Gen2, Garmin R10, Full Swing KIT, Rapsodo MLM2PRO, Golfzon WAVE). A camera unit, also called photometric, sits beside the ball and photographs it at impact (Garmin R50, Foresight GC3, Uneekor, SkyTrak+, LaunchBox). Some camera units use infrared light, which matters for lighting (Square Golf, NVisage NEO-E). The glossary explains any term you're not sure of.

No shots at all

This is almost always a connection or setup step, not a fault. Work down the list in order.

1. Check the unit is on, charged and showing its ready light. The Garmin R50 waits for a solid green light. The Square Golf OMNI needs 30 seconds after power-on before it will connect.
2. Check the software is connected to the launch monitor, not just open. In GSPro or E6, the connector or device status should show it's connected.
3. Restart in this order: launch monitor, then the PC or tablet, then the software.
4. Update the firmware and the app. Uneekor and Square Golf both list out-of-date firmware as a cause of missed shots.
5. Check the plan. On a Foresight GC3, third-party software such as GSPro needs Foresight+ Gold. On Uneekor, it needs Uneekor Pro or above. Without the plan, the unit reads shots in its own app but sends nothing to GSPro.
6. On a GC3, check it has been online in the last 45 days. If it hasn't, Foresight blocks USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth until it reconnects.
7. On a Uneekor, plug the Ethernet cable straight into the PC, not through a router or switch.

Missed shots

If some shots read and others don't, something is changing between shots. The cause depends on the type of unit.

Camera units

• Ball position. Each unit has a hitting zone. The R50 sits 0.5m to the side of the ball, the GC3 about 0.6m, and the LaunchBox reads a ball about 44cm from its front. Mark the spot on the mat.
• Height and level. Camera units should sit level with the top of the mat. The GC3, Square Golf, SkyTrak and R50 manuals all say so.
• Reflections. Garmin lists polished garage floors and reflective trainers as causes of missed shots on the R50. Keep mirrors, glass and shiny floors out of view.
• Contrast. Garmin and Square Golf both say a mat the same colour as the ball causes misses. Use a clean white ball on a green mat.
• Light. Keep sunlight and strong lamps out of the lenses. Square Golf and NVisage use infrared, so some lamps and direct sun upset them.

Radar units

• Distance behind the ball. Use the manual's figure: Mevo Gen2 2.4m, Full Swing KIT 3.05m, Garmin R10 1.8m to 2.4m, Rapsodo MLM2PRO 2.0m to 2.6m. Too close and it misses the launch.
• Line. Radar must sit in line with the target. Don't stand between the unit and the ball.
• Interference. Garmin and FlightScope warn that fans, heaters, air conditioning, fluorescent lights and metal near the radar cause missed shots.
• Ball flight. The Mevo Gen2 and MLM2PRO both want at least 2.4m of ball flight in front, so a radar unit can miss shots in a short room.

Double reads

Square Golf links double reads to a screen set too close: the ball bounces back into view and the unit counts it again. We use 2.5m from ball to screen, and Golfzon asks for 3.5m for the WAVE.

Wrong numbers

• Spin missing or low indoors on radar. The Mevo Gen2 needs an aluminium sticker on the ball, facing the target, to measure spin indoors. The MLM2PRO only measures spin with Rapsodo's RPT balls.
• Foam or plastic balls. Garmin, Rapsodo and PRGR all say these give wrong numbers or none. Use real golf balls.
• Club data missing. The R50, Uneekor EYE MINI and Square Golf need club stickers for club data. Replace them when worn or dirty.
• Direction off. Re-align the unit parallel to the target line. Foresight says the GC3's target alignment resets every time you turn it off. Uneekor says to recalibrate after the unit is moved or knocked, after the turf insert changes, and after a month out of use.
• Distances off on radar. Calibrate where the maker asks for it. Garmin says to calibrate the R10 in the Garmin Golf app on a surface you've checked with a spirit level.
• Settings. Check handedness, altitude and the ball type in the software before blaming the unit.

Delay between shot and screen

None of the makers I checked publishes a figure for normal delay, so this is what I'd check, in order.

1. Use a wired link where the maker offers one. The GC3 connects by USB-C, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and the EYE MINI connects by Ethernet only.
2. On Wi-Fi, keep the unit close to the router or access point and use the band the maker asks for. The R50's radio is 2.4GHz only.
3. Close other programs on the PC, and check it meets the software's published spec. For 1080p, GSPro lists an RTX 3060-class graphics card and 16GB of memory as its minimum, and an RTX 3060 Ti or 3070 as recommended. What PC you need has every maker's figures.
4. Restart the software and the launch monitor, then test with the maker's own app. If the maker's app is quick and the third-party software is slow, the problem is the connector or the PC, not the launch monitor.

If none of that fixes it

Note the symptom, the firmware and app versions and your serial number, then contact the maker through the links in launch monitor troubleshooting and care. If you bought the unit from us, message me as well and I'll help with the claim.