Philbleasy
Club Champion
Hi guys thinking of getting a cheap or cheaper launch monitor. Something like a Garmin G80, Swing Caddie SC200, SC300 or Mevo. Has anyone got any experience of them and which is the best?
Launch monitors
- Thread starter Philbleasy
- Start date
chasf
Assistant Pro
I have the sc200 and now the sc300. The sc300 is a big improvement as it can pick up wedges where as the sc200 did not .
Testing at the range the carry numbers seem pretty accurate and that's all I realy use. It gives total distance as well, but I do not think that is very accurate.
The same applies to the other data points such as ,launch angle , and peak height .
The swing speed and smash factor seem reasonable .
They are are a decent practice tool, and I enjoy using mine at the range.
The garmin is decent too eith the bonus of having a GPS function as well. And also has a decent function of playing a virtual round on courses on the unit.
Testing at the range the carry numbers seem pretty accurate and that's all I realy use. It gives total distance as well, but I do not think that is very accurate.
The same applies to the other data points such as ,launch angle , and peak height .
The swing speed and smash factor seem reasonable .
They are are a decent practice tool, and I enjoy using mine at the range.
The garmin is decent too eith the bonus of having a GPS function as well. And also has a decent function of playing a virtual round on courses on the unit.
harpo_72
Journeyman Pro
I have posted in the review section about the G80. It’s very good, just knock the roll off and use pure carry. The virtual games are great fun and a sly practice aid ... you actually improve massively because you start thinking about getting it into the 2 putt range minimum and start taking clubs that will get you there or just beyond.
I have also got phi golf, I am still looking at this, I had some inaccuracies but I think that was a user error. I wanted something to play or practice at home and then take to the range and use. So time will tell.
Neither give spin rates, phi assumes a perfect connection, G80 measures ball and club speed
I have also got phi golf, I am still looking at this, I had some inaccuracies but I think that was a user error. I wanted something to play or practice at home and then take to the range and use. So time will tell.
Neither give spin rates, phi assumes a perfect connection, G80 measures ball and club speed
Philbleasy
Club Champion
Thanks guys. Probably between the SC300 and the G80. I do like the benefit of the GPS with G80. I have thought of getting phi golf for at home before for a bit of fun and practice but was very unsure about what it would be like and weather if would help with the swing.
Albo
Well-known member
Garmin R10 is worth a look acts as a sim as well as a LM
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Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
I spent a lot of time reviewing these earlier in the year, the r10 seems the be for accuracy and also features. I’ll be pulling the trigger on one soon
Springveldt
Well-known member
I’ve got a Rapsodo MLM and to be honest I rarely use it as I don’t get the time. When I have used it on the practice area before a round the numbers are pretty much what I expected them to be. I’ve never used it on net mode so I’ve no idea how accurate it is then.
Reason why I went for the Rapsodo was MyGolfSpy rated it the most accurate under £500 for 2 years in a row.
https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guide-best-personal-launch-monitors-2022/
They have just released an update to the software to have a skills challenge type game but you need to buy a subscription for it and I don’t use it enough to justify it.
Albo
Well-known member
I had the Mevo and now the R10.
Like others have said, I don’t use it enough in all honesty to justify the outlay, I don’t have a net at home and taking it to the driving range often feels like overkill, setting it up having an iPad etc. though nobody has ever said anything I do feel self conscious.
It helps most when you are working on new swings as you get feedback in the form of numbers rather than just seeing the ball fly out there.
I’d def take the R10 over the Mevo having had both due to functionality, both were accurate when it came to yardages (though range balls don’t go like normal balls so watch this), the pro at my course had his trackman out one day and we sit it up next to the Mevo and it was ridiculously accurate against the trackman numbers for the dozen numbers within 1 or 2 yards for carry, spin numbers were within 50rpm etc) or so shots I hit, so confidence in the numbers for that is high, the R10 is showing the same sort of numbers so again feel accuracy is spot on. The R10 sometimes struggles with shots of the toe or heel, you can see the ball curve left or right but it won’t always pick that up. Both units miss the occasional shot but for the price versus trackman both are excellent.
If you go Mevo you also need little silver dots on the ball for accurate spin numbers, they don’t affect carry distance or other measurements, just spin, so again something to watch if you are using it at the range as you’ll have to put silver dots on the range balls to get backspin numbers. You may not care for the backspin numbers enough to put the dots on range balls but worth a thought before you buy
Like others have said, I don’t use it enough in all honesty to justify the outlay, I don’t have a net at home and taking it to the driving range often feels like overkill, setting it up having an iPad etc. though nobody has ever said anything I do feel self conscious.
It helps most when you are working on new swings as you get feedback in the form of numbers rather than just seeing the ball fly out there.
I’d def take the R10 over the Mevo having had both due to functionality, both were accurate when it came to yardages (though range balls don’t go like normal balls so watch this), the pro at my course had his trackman out one day and we sit it up next to the Mevo and it was ridiculously accurate against the trackman numbers for the dozen numbers within 1 or 2 yards for carry, spin numbers were within 50rpm etc) or so shots I hit, so confidence in the numbers for that is high, the R10 is showing the same sort of numbers so again feel accuracy is spot on. The R10 sometimes struggles with shots of the toe or heel, you can see the ball curve left or right but it won’t always pick that up. Both units miss the occasional shot but for the price versus trackman both are excellent.
If you go Mevo you also need little silver dots on the ball for accurate spin numbers, they don’t affect carry distance or other measurements, just spin, so again something to watch if you are using it at the range as you’ll have to put silver dots on the range balls to get backspin numbers. You may not care for the backspin numbers enough to put the dots on range balls but worth a thought before you buy
funkycoldmedina
Newbie
I have the r10 and a net at home and use it a lot. My local range closed down so it's been great for bedding some new stuff I've done with my pro.
The numbers seem pretty accurate but I'm bothered about path and flight
The numbers seem pretty accurate but I'm bothered about path and flight
Springveldt
Well-known member
I've got a net at home as well but haven't set it up in ages. With the Rapsodo you get a shot tracer when using outdoors (your iPhone records the swing and ball flight) and I've never seen it get the ball flight wrong with hooks or slices. I'm not sure how accurate it would be hitting into a net though as it only gets to follow a few feet of flight, I might set my net up to try it out. I'd be worried about working on something and not seeing the full ball flight. The latest MyGolfSpy review would suggest that the Rapsodo is accurate in net mode as well so maybe I should give it a try.
Only problem when I set the net up after work is that the kids want a go and then it's dark before I even get to hit a shot.
peld
Active member
I have an SC200. Once the novelty wears off it sits in the garage.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
None of you noticed a spambot bumped a two-year old topic? Haha.
Oddsocks
Ryder Cup Winner
Isn’t that the truth, especially with a lot of ranges now having tracer bays. I used the sc100 a lot for short game practice on an open air range that had no targets, it was useful but the novelty wore off quickly.
Springveldt
Well-known member
Nah, I hadn't even had my morning coffee when I replied.
bradleywedge
Active member
Gonna upset a few here.
Absolute waste of time and money, overpriced not totally 100% accurate.
Do they REALLY improve your game?
Absolute waste of time and money, overpriced not totally 100% accurate.
Do they REALLY improve your game?
Albo
Well-known member
You won’t upset me certainly and I’m a fan of the LMs.
I won’t argue the overpriced point as that’s subjective to each person.
Not totally 100% accurate, again I’d not disagree, however, I’d equally level that at all LMs not just the lower end ones, trackman and the like, none of them are 100% accurate and the cheaper end LMs as being discussed here don’t even claim to be, however, they are accurate enough, in my opinion, for the people who these are aimed at. As a mid handicap player my consistency of strike isn’t good enough to demand 100% accuracy, do I carry my 8i 140 or 137 or 143, that will depend on the strike on each shot and that strike will be inconsistent enough for the 6y difference not to actually matter.
As for the last question does it really improve my game, for me, it’s hard to fully quantify, but I’d say no, no more than time at the driving range, but it does give me a good idea of my real carry distances and if I am working on a new swing it gives me a good indication of how that work is going and if things are improving as a result.
They are an extravagance and most certainly not for everyone and I’d agree that you can improve well enough without one, but they can be fun and can offer a different outlook on practice.
