Just got a Garmin R10 - spin numbers seem way off. Help!
Hey everyone! Just set up my R10 last weekend and I'm really struggling with the spin readings. My 7 iron is showing like 2000 rpm backspin when I know it should be around 6000-7000. Driver spin seems somewhat reasonable but short irons are all over the place.
My setup:
- 10x12 garage bay
- Fiberbuilt 4x5 mat
- Good overhead LED lighting
- Ball about 6 feet from net
Anyone else have this issue? Is it a calibration thing or am I doing something wrong? Really frustrated because I bought this specifically to work on my spin control.
4 Replies
Had the exact same issue! For me it was a lighting problem. The R10 uses a camera system and needs good, consistent lighting to read spin properly.
I added two LED shop lights directly above my hitting area (about 5000 lumens total) and the spin readings got much more consistent. Not perfect, but way better than before.
Also make sure there are no shadows on the ball at address - that was messing with my readings too.
The R10 is known to underreport spin, especially on short irons. It's a limitation of the unit at this price point.
A few things that helped me:
- Make sure you're using the metallic sticker dots on the ball
- Position exactly 7 feet behind the ball
- Use premium balls (the R10 struggles with range balls)
Even with all that, I'd expect spin to be 10-20% lower than reality. If you need accurate spin for serious practice, you might need to look at a higher-end unit unfortunately.
What software are you using? I noticed my spin readings are very different between the Garmin Golf app and GSPro.
Try running a session with Garmin Golf app only and see if the numbers look better. Sometimes the software integration can cause issues.
Your mat might be the issue too. Cheaper mats can affect how the R10 reads the ball. I switched from an Amazon mat to a Fiberbuilt and saw a noticeable improvement in spin readings.
The Fiberbuilt has that special grass-like turf that the camera can read better apparently.