The shock, though, was devastating to old Iron Butt. We want to hit balls in the same spot every time, and so we use a calibrated tee height. I will say, however, that players are the final judge of whether a club is successful. We do find a lot of similarity between robot testing and player testing. If the robot hits the ball high, players tend to hit it high.
Most companies use both test methods.
Despite the reliability of Ping Man, Karsten Manufacturing ultimately relies on flesh over steel. The machine cannot feel the swing or feel the impact. We pay a lot of attention to how golfers are able to work the ball. Too many manufacturers have robot results that show their clubs to be the longest and strongest and the best of any test. You walk the PGA Show, and if you add up all the verified, stamped tests that have been done, you can hit the ball 500 yards, because there's 30 to 40 yards everywhere.