He Built a Launch Monitor at Home for $500 (And It Matches Trackman)

He Built a Launch Monitor at Home for $500 (And It Matches Trackman)

Ross is off the grid this week, so Colin holds the high handicap fort alone and brings in a guest who sits at the other end of the spectrum: Coleman Rollins, better known online as Coleman Golfs. Coleman is a near scratch software engineer who got so fed up with launch monitor prices that he did the only reasonable thing and built his own, an open source unit called OpenFlight. The two quickly discover a shared origin story of being used as moving targets on a driving range as kids, which sets the tone nicely. From there it becomes part golfing journey, part tech masterclass. Coleman talks through almost ten years of caddying and what it taught him about reading greens, course management and the classic amateur sin of not playing within your means. He covers the grip change that wrecked his game for a full year, the coach who finally rebuilt his swing, and then the good stuff: why a Trackman costs the price of a small car (it uses the same phased array radar that tracks missiles), how his three radar Doppler setup works, and why his whole rig comes in at around five hundred dollars. There is also a very enjoyable detour into reverse engineering commercial monitors from their publicly filed photos, which earned Coleman a distinctly unfriendly Instagram message from one red and white branded manufacturer. The back half turns practical. Coleman explains which numbers actually move the needle for an improving golfer, how handing data to a coach (human or AI) has helped him, and how dialling in his wedge distances on a Trackman paid off at his biggest tournament of the year just the day before. A quickfire round closes things out with some genuinely useful takes: the metric golfers underrate, the one they hopelessly overrate, a twenty quid putting hack borrowed from woodworking, and the golf marketing trick that makes him want to throw his phone. Colin, to his credit, resists buying a launch monitor on the spot. Just. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 The "playing within your means" lesson Coleman picked up caddying for everyone from Tuesday ladies' tournaments to single digit men, and why even near scratch players get this wrong 🟢 Why a thirty thousand pound Trackman is arguably fair value: a plain English explanation of phased array radar versus the Doppler tech in cheaper units like the Garmin R10 🟢 Coleman's Trackman wedge session the week of his state amateur qualifier, and how knowing his exact 50 to 120 yard numbers gave him a dozen confident shots on the day 🟢 The quickfire round: vertical launch angle being underrated, swing speed being wildly overrated, and a twenty dollar woodworking laser that doubles as a putting trainer the golf brands would sell you for a hundred quid GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 Coleman Rollins, the guest, on Instagram and TikTok as @colemangolfs 🟢 OpenFlight, Coleman's open source launch monitor, on GitHub at https://github.com/jewbetcha/openflight [https://github.com/jewbetcha/openflight] 🟢 OpenFlight project site and cloud (FlightWeb) at https://openflight.dev [https://openflight.dev] 🟢 Open Tracer, Coleman's free shot tracer web app for swing videos, on GitHub at https://github.com/jewbetcha/opentrace [https://github.com/jewbetcha/opentrace] (Colin mentioned a hosted "try it" page too, worth confirming the exact link before publishing) CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome, no Ross this week, meet Coleman and OpenFlight 00:56 Growing up in the game: caddying for almost ten years 03:57 What caddying really teaches you about golf 06:05 The biggest mistake amateurs make: not playing within your means 07:31 The grip change that broke his game, and finally getting a coach 11:18 Why he built his own launch monitor 13:13 The metrics that actually matter 16:24 What separates a thirty thousand pound Trackman from the rest 20:08 Inside OpenFlight: three radars and a Raspberry Pi 22:13 The parts list and building one yourself 25:56 Reverse engineering the competition (and an angry DM) 30:55 Keeping it open source and affordable 34:40 Using your data with a coach, and AI as a caddie 37:59 What's next: a DIY rangefinder 38:46 Open Tracer: free shot tracing for swing videos 40:29 The OpenFlight Discord community 42:01 Quickfire round: metrics, gadgets and marketing gripes 47:15 Where to find Coleman and everything he's building

Golf Chipping Practice Drills That Work on the Course (PLUS Scratch Heartbreak, Spider Putters & 5-Wood Bump-and-Runs)

Follow us at @bothsidesofpar [https://instagram.com/bothsidesofpar] and grab the newsletter here [https://graysgolf.beehiiv.com/]. EPISODE SUMMARY Ross very nearly gets to scratch this week - painfully nearly. He talks through a round where one missed short putt on the 18th left him sitting at 0.5, along with the classic golfer’s curse of knowing you should stick to process while your brain quietly screams, “go on then, make history.” Colin, naturally, offers sympathy while also enjoying the drama just a little bit. The pair then get into gear chat, with Colin trying to make sense of the new TaylorMade Spider putter range and the Cobra OPTM Max-K driver, while Ross brings the lower-handicap reality check on forgiveness, lie angle, workability and why most amateur golfers probably don’t need to be shaping it like prime Tiger. There’s a big short-game section too, covering Ross’s chipping experiments, looking away from the ball, cack-handed chips, landing-spot practice, ladder drills, using a putting stroke with different clubs, and even the mighty five-wood chip-and-run. They wrap up with Colin entering the Golspie open, Ross recommending Grantown-on-Spey, and a reminder to follow the show on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and Instagram. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 Ross misses a two-footer on the 18th that would have taken him to scratch - brutal, funny, and very golf. 🟢 Colin tries to decode the TaylorMade Spider putter family, from Tour and Tour X to the smaller V model and different hosel options. 🟢 Ross explains why looking away from the ball has helped free up his chipping stroke, borrowing the same idea from his putting. 🟢 The boys talk through practical chipping games, including landing drills, 15-yard stock shots, ladder practice and up-and-down challenges. 🟢 A deep chat on lie angle, flatter clubs, workability and why “standard” clubs might quietly be sending half of us left. GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 TaylorMade Spider Tour / Spider Tour X / Spider Tour F / Spider Tour V putters — discussed around forgiveness, MOI, True Path alignment and the White TPU Pure Roll insert. TaylorMade describes the White TPU Pure Roll insert as using 45-degree grooves to encourage forward roll and says the white insert works visually with True Path Alignment. (taylormadegolf.com [https://www.taylormadegolf.com/Spider-Tour-X-Double-Bend/DW-TC847.html?lang=en_US&utm_source=chatgpt.com]) 🟢 Cleveland Frontline putter — Colin’s current Spider-ish mallet putter, which he still seems dangerously close to replacing because golf equipment exists. 🟢 Cleveland wedges — Ross gives another glowing mention to his newer Cleveland wedges after a very tidy bunker shot on the 18th. 🟢 Scotty Cameron putter — Ross compares his current larger-headed Scotty Cameron setup with the stability he used to like in the Spider. 🟢 Cobra OPTM Max-K driver — Colin’s latest temptation in the “maybe this will fix my driver” category. Cobra says the OPTM driver line uses shaping and weight placement to reduce twisting, while Golf Monthly describes the OPTM Max-K as Cobra’s most stable model, with a combined MOI of 13K. (COBRA Golf [https://www.cobragolf.com/en-eu/products/optm-max-k-driver?srsltid=AfmBOorAwdOZ18FUAZque7vJ4HyLn4G0H2hZZbWQrATtqcGX6Z7dFXHP&utm_source=chatgpt.com]) 🟢 Scott Fawcett / DECADE Course Management — referenced again in Ross’s scratch-handicap journey, especially the idea of sticking with process and long-term averages rather than forcing one heroic outcome. 🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Colin has entered an open there and is looking forward to testing the game somewhere slightly more exciting than the garden lawn. The club’s open competition listings include the Millicent Bowl & Campbell Shield and the Golspie Open. (Golspie Golf Club [https://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk/competitions/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) 🟢 Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club - Ross’s weekly open recommendation, picked partly because it looks gorgeous, has heather, mountain views, and doesn’t cost the price of a new wedge. WEEKLY COMPETITIONS 🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Millicent Bowl & Campbell Shield, Golspie, Scottish Highlands. Saturday 13 June 2026. Gents singles strokeplay. Visitor entry listed at £35, members £25, with Golf Empire listing the handicap index limit as 28.0 for men. (BRS Golf [https://www.brsgolf.com/opencomps/club/detail/?id=2003&utm_source=chatgpt.com]) 🟢 Golspie Golf Club — Golspie Open, Golspie, Scottish Highlands. Saturday 25 July 2026. Gents singles strokeplay. Visitor entry listed at £35, members £25. The club describes this as its flagship competition on its James Braid-designed course. (BRS Golf [https://www.brsgolf.com/opencomps/club/detail/?id=2003&utm_source=chatgpt.com]) 🟢 Grantown-on-Spey Golf Club — Gents “McCulloch Cup” Strokeplay, Grantown-on-Spey, Scottish Highlands. Sunday 6 September 2026. Ross mentions a handicap limit of 24 and an entry cost of £27 per person in the episode; I found a Golf in Scotland post confirming Grantown-on-Spey’s 2026 open schedule includes the Gents McCulloch Cup Strokeplay on 6 September, but the visible search result did not confirm the £27 price. (Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/Golfinscotland/posts/%EF%B8%8F%EF%B8%8F-grantown-on-spey-golf-club-opens-2026-%EF%B8%8F%EF%B8%8Four-2026-open-competition-schedule-is/1780326913292279/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome back, intro duties, and Ross taking four shots to start the podcast 02:51 Ross hits the crossbar on his scratch-handicap attempt 08:30 TaylorMade Spider putters and Colin trying to understand the range 12:12 Mallet putters, forgiveness, Rory, Scottie and off-centre strikes 17:00 Ross’s chipping practice update and balance work 20:13 Switching chipping grips during a round 24:20 Chipping games, landing drills and target practice 25:40 Why the 15-yard chip is such a useful stock shot 26:53 Using a putting stroke for chip-and-run shots 27:29 The five-wood chip-and-run enters the chat 30:28 Colin enters the Golspie open 32:02 Cobra OPTM Max-K driver and the search for more forgiveness 35:35 Workability, shot shaping and whether average golfers really need it 37:46 Lie angle, flatter clubs and why standard might not suit everyone 41:58 Why getting your lie angles checked could make a huge difference 43:31 Ross recommends the Grantown-on-Spey open

Golf Trolley Roundup (Push or Self-Driving?) PLUS pick the Yellow Tee on your Next Medal?

This week, Ross takes us through the highlights of playing the iconic Wentworth West Course, diving into his five favorite holes and what makes the experience special. The boys also tackle a deep dive into modern golf trolleys, sharing tips and insights for anyone considering an upgrade. Then they discuss whether you should take advantage of the WHS rules around using whatever tee suits you in competitions, and how that makes sense for smart golf. Plus, hear about an incredible value open competition on the Isle of Arran and get an update on Ross's Cleveland wedges, featuring a new tip that could improve your short game instantly. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, this episode is packed with stories, advice, and practical gear talk to help you enjoy your next round even more. Love the show? Help us grow! * Follow @BothSidesOfPar on Instagram for exclusive videos and tips. * Follow @theshedisback and @mcgraygolf on instagram, too * Subscribe on your podcast app - Spotify, Apple, wherever you listen. * Reviews and ratings make a huge difference - drop us a few stars and say hi! Thanks for listening and supporting us. Got feedback or questions? Shoot us a DM or reply to this email! Until next time—play smart, have fun, and see you on the fairways. — Colin & Ross

A £5 Golf Drill, a 1-Under Round, and an Amazing Scottish Links Nobody Talks About

This week Colin and Ross catch up on a productive stretch of golf, with both of them quietly sliding down the handicap charts. Colin is dropping into the low twenties and threatening more cuts, while Ross casually drops in a one under round that takes him to 0.7, the sort of update only a low handicapper can deliver with a straight face 😆 Before any scorecards come out, there's a proper gear nerd-out: Colin has ditched fiddly towels and dropped gloves for a £5 figure-eight power band to keep his arms connected and rein in his flying elbows, and the pair compare notes on connection ball drills that mostly gather dust in the garage. From there it's wedges and wisdom. Ross talks through his new cavity-back Cleveland wedges, the tighter gapping he's noticed, and a round that finished with two birdies in the last three holes, alongside an honest confession about misjudging a yardage because the front of an angled green sits closer than it looks. There's a genuinely useful run through formats too: why Ross loves match play while Colin shelters behind Stableford, how to actually use your shots rather than trying to beat better players off scratch, and a plain-English explainer of foursomes, four-balls and greensomes ahead of Colin and his brother Bruce teeing it up in the Royal Dornoch foursomes. Add a neat tip on cutting down a graphite shaft without shredding it and you've got a tidy little improvement toolkit. The back half is a love letter to underrated Scottish golf. Colin reports back from Buckpool on the Moray Coast, a links he'd never heard of that served up blue skies, revetted bunkers, a couple of ugly early numbers, and the highlight of his comeback: team twos on the same par three. They land on a lovely point about value, namely that the gap between a hidden gem and a famous name is far smaller than the green fee suggests, with cracking courses going for £35 to £50. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 The £5 fix for flying elbows: Colin's figure-eight power band that finally beat the towel and the dropped gloves 🟢 Ross shoots one under to reach 0.7, and explains how his new cavity-back Cleveland wedges tightened up his gapping 🟢 The angled-green yardage trap that cost Ross a shot, and why you should laser the pin rather than the front edge 🟢 Match play psychology: how to win by using your shots instead of trying to beat better players off scratch 🟢 Buckpool on the Moray Coast: back-to-back twos, revetted bunkers and proper links golf from as little as £35 GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 Power band connection trainer (figure-eight arm band), around £5, search "golf power band" on Amazon 🟢 Cleveland wedges (cavity-back 48, 54 and 58 degree) - https://www.clevelandgolf.com [https://www.clevelandgolf.com] 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth driver and adapter shaft, with cheaper replacement shafts found on eBay - https://www.ebay.co.uk [https://www.ebay.co.uk] 🟢 Scott Fawcett and DECADE course management, referenced on lag putting and the 50-foot three-putt - https://decadegolf.com [https://decadegolf.com] 🟢 Buckpool Golf Club, Barhill Road, Buckie, Moray Coast - https://www.buckpoolgolf.com [https://www.buckpoolgolf.com] 🟢 Leven Thistle Golf Club at Leven Links, Fife - https://www.leventhistlegc.co.uk [https://www.leventhistlegc.co.uk] 🟢 Royal Dornoch Golf Club (the foursomes tournament) - https://www.royaldornoch.com [https://www.royaldornoch.com] 🟢 Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club, East Course, mentioned as a Solheim Cup venue with cut-price evening tee times 🟢 Both Sides of Par on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar [https://www.instagram.com/bothsidesofpar] 🟢 Colin on TikTok and YouTube as Golfing Gray, search "Colin Gray golf" WEEKLY COMPETITIONS Leven Thistle Gents Open Course: Leven Thistle Golf Club, played over Leven Links Location: Leven, Fife, Scotland Date: Saturday 8th August Format: Gents individual singles stroke play, 18 holes Cost: £40 for visitors, with coffee and a bacon roll included on arrival Worth knowing: a former Open qualifying links with famously fast greens at this time of year, and early tee times around 7:30am were still showing as available. Entry is via the Leven Links booking site. The club also runs other well-priced opens through the season, including Four Ball Better Ball and Texas Scramble formats. CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome and handicap updates 00:01:41 Connection drills and the £5 power band 00:08:00 Ross's new Cleveland wedges and a one under round 00:12:09 The angled-green lesson: why the front number fools you 00:15:24 Weekly competition: Leven Thistle open 00:16:57 Favourite formats: match play, Stableford and scrambles 00:19:19 Match play psychology: play the shots, not the player 00:23:57 Foursomes, four-balls and greensomes explained 00:28:33 Driver control and cutting down a graphite shaft 00:31:50 Buckpool golf course report 00:36:48 Back-to-back twos: the highlight of the day 00:39:22 Hidden-gem value: brilliant golf for £35 to £50 00:43:04 Wrap-up and where to follow the show

How to Play the Old Course at St Andrews (Plus new tour balls & Machrahanish)

Colin's riding high this week after slashing his handicap from 28 down to 24, the result of a 19-over medal win at his home club. The secret? Putting the driver back in the bag, hitting five iron off every tee, and committing to the kind of smart, course-managed golf the lads have been preaching for months. Ross is on his own quiet roll too, knocking in four birdies across a casual nine-hole round by leaning into his countdown routine and pre-shot process. Both of them, somehow, playing better golf at the same time. Statistically suspicious. From there the conversation pivots to the eye-watering cost of British golf, courtesy of UK Golf Guy's annual summer green fees report. Turnberry has hit a thousand pounds. Sunningdale is two grand for a fourball. The lads work through the numbers, get appropriately outraged, and then highlight one of the rare bright spots: St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot, which is putting Old Course rounds in front of Scottish residents for £45 and the Eden Course for a tenner. Then it's gear time. Ross unboxes his new Cleveland RTZ and CBZ wedges with some interesting thinking on softer, lighter shafts. Ross then talks Colin through how to fill the gap between his pitching and sand wedge using a proper lob wedge and Dave Pelz's clock system, and they get into the disruptor brands shaking up iron and ball prices: Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Costco's Kirkland line, and Seed. There's a glowing review of the MotoCaddy M5 GPS trolley, a PGA Championship preview with the ball rollback debate fully unpacked, and a Machrihanish competition that's been on Colin's bucket list for years. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS 🟢 Colin's handicap cut from 28 to 24 after a 19-over medal win, all from ditching the driver and hitting five iron off every tee 🟢 The shocking math on UK green fees: the top 100 average has gone from £160 to £265 in five years, with Turnberry now £1,000 and Sunningdale £2,000 for a fourball 🟢 St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot, opening up Old Course rounds at £45 and the Eden Course at £10 for Scottish residents, a rare counterweight to soaring prices 🟢 Ross's deep dive on filling the wedge gap, including a proper breakdown of Dave Pelz's clock system and why pros take spin off rather than adding it 🟢 The disruptor brands worth knowing about, including Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Seed and Costco's Kirkland line, plus a tip on getting them custom fit after purchase GEAR & RESOURCES MENTIONED 🟢 UK Golf Guy summer green fees report: https://ukgolfguy.com [https://ukgolfguy.com] 🟢 St Andrews Links "The Drive" ballot scheme (Old Course £45, Eden £10, Castle £23.75, etc): https://www.standrews.com [https://www.standrews.com] 🟢 Scott Fawcett (referenced from last week's interview) 🟢 Cleveland RTZ wedge (58 degree) and Cleveland CBZ wedge (48 degree) 🟢 TaylorMade Stealth irons: https://www.taylormadegolf.com [https://www.taylormadegolf.com] 🟢 Dave Pelz, "The Short Game Bible" (book) 🟢 Takomo irons (101 MkII): https://takomogolf.com [https://takomogolf.com] 🟢 Vice Golf clubs and balls: https://www.vicegolf.com [https://www.vicegolf.com] 🟢 Kayleigh Golf (Scottish brand, assembled in Scotland): https://caleygolf.com/ 🟢 Decathlon golf irons: https://www.decathlon.co.uk [https://www.decathlon.co.uk] 🟢 Costco Kirkland Signature golf clubs and balls: https://www.costco.co.uk [https://www.costco.co.uk] 🟢 Seed Golf balls: https://www.seedgolf.co.uk [https://www.seedgolf.co.uk] 🟢 MotoCaddy M5 GPS electric trolley: https://www.motocaddy.com [https://www.motocaddy.com] 🟢 Royal Dornoch Pairs Tournament: https://royaldornoch.com [https://royaldornoch.com] 🟢 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow 🟢 R&A and USGA ball rollback (set for 2028) 🟢 Both Sides of Par newsletter: https://bothpar.com [https://bothpar.com] 🟢 Get in touch: hello@bothpar.com [hello@bothpar.com] WEEKLY COMPETITIONS Machrihanish Golf Club Texas Scramble Saturday 19th September Near Campbeltown, Argyll Texas Scramble format (teams of four) £80 per team (£20 per player) 36 handicap limit One of Scotland's most spectacular and remote courses, and on Colin's own bucket list. Worth the long drive west. CHAPTER LIST 00:00 Welcome and a shout-out to last week's Scott Fawcett interview 00:56 Colin cuts his handicap from 28 to 24 with a medal win 03:07 What worked: smart play, five iron off the tee, and consistent putting 05:55 The Texas wedge and lag putting from off the green 08:43 Ross's four-birdie nine holes and his countdown routine 12:33 UK Golf Guy's summer green fees report and the eye-watering numbers 18:33 St Andrews' "The Drive" ballot and affordable tee times 20:35 The Eden Course as a hidden gem and the aura of the Old Course 24:35 Colin's new Cleveland RTZ and CBZ wedges and the lighter shaft theory 28:06 Filling the wedge gap with a proper lob wedge 30:55 Dave Pelz's clock system and the case for three-quarter shots 34:43 Disruptor brands: Takomo, Vice, Kayleigh, Decathlon, Kirkland 39:53 Vice and Seed balls and the cost of losing Pro V1s 41:11 MotoCaddy M5 GPS trolley review 44:05 PGA Championship preview 45:14 The R&A and USGA ball rollback debate 47:41 Jordan Spieth's Grand Slam shot and Scheffler's US Open hunt 48:32 Weekly competition: Machrihanish Texas Scramble 49:31 Outro and how to get in touch