My thanks to MGS and ShotScope for providing this testing opportunity. This is my first time testing a product for MGS and I'm excited to be included. My name is Bob and I'm from York, PA which is about 30 minutes south of Harrisburg and an hour north of Baltimore, MD. I've been golfing off and on since my early 20's (I'm 52 now) – and to show my age, my first set of clubs were Spaldings (yes, for those too young to remember they used to make more than just basketballs and volleyballs – lol). I spent most of the past 30 years as a few times a month golfer until 2019 when I joined a golf league with some friends from work and started playing weekly plus hitting the range about once a week as well. I'm still a high handicapper but working on it - basically I'm your local golf league hacker who looks like a scratch golfer on one hole and like it's my first time picking up a club on the next one – consistency has been my biggest hang up.
I really wanted to test the ShotScope ProLX+ as I love using data to see where I need to improve and I believe the shot tracking capability offers this plus more. I currently do some basic tracking by hand and with the Grint app which shows my short game and driving accuracy as 2 main culprits. I'm curious to see if the H4 shot tracking offers any other insights.
I really see this as 3 tests in one.
Rangefinder: I don't currently use one as I love my GPS but I have used my friend's unit on occasion and do see some advantages especially on par 3's and for slope. Currently when I need to check layup distances I use the GolfGPS Rangefinder app but it is cumbersome to pull my phone out each time. I see the H4 has layup distance calculations so I'm very interested to see how that works.
GPS: I've used a Bushnell Neo Ghost nearly every round since it first came out. When not using it (if I forgot to charge it), I use the iGolf app on my phone. I've always liked the simplicity of using a GPS to get front/middle/back distances but I do see the advantages of a range finder. My biggest issue with the Bushnell is the time it takes to start up, get a signal and find the course. Occasionally I have forgotten to turn it on before teeing off. When that happens it usually is not ready to use before hitting my next shot leaving me guessing on distance. I'll be putting the H4 head to head against the Bushnell for these tests. If the H4 starts up faster that will be a big selling point for me.
Shot Tracking: I have never used Arccos but I am really interested in the stats the shot tracking capability will provide. As I mentioned, I use Grint for some general stat tracking (Putts, Fairways hit, GIR, etc) so I love having data from my rounds and this will provide much more than I can currently track by hand. With changing my swing I have also been trying to track yardages to see if there is any change in club distances – this function will help a lot with that. My only concern is if I can adjust to tagging my club before every shot. We will find out soon!
That's the basics about me. My goal is to provide the MGS community with a fair and honest evaluation so those considering purchasing this item can make an educated decision.
Final Review (August 22, 2022)
First Impressions (4 out of 5 Stars)
Looking for a new rangefinder? Compact & accurate GPS? Want shot tracking and a full suite of performance statistics without paying a subscription? Shotscope Pro LX+ does all three which is why I was excited to try it out during practice and on the course.
First impressions the product is well packaged and comes with everything needed to get started including the battery (CR123) for the rangefinder.
One hang up for me right out of the box is the proprietary charging cable for the H4 which is why I gave 4 stars. This requires you to remember to take the cable with you if travelling or buy an extra cable from Shot Scope ($20 on their website) which I find unnecessary when most electronic devices have gone to USB type C or USB Micro for charging. Not sure if it would have increased the size of the H4 for a different port but it would have been worth it to eliminate the special charging cable.
Aesthetics (5 out of 5 Stars)
The Pro LX rangefinder weighs in at a little over 7 ounces so it's very lightweight, easy to carry and hold steady. My favorite feature is the ergonomic cutout on the bottom for your thumb which allows you to comfortably grip it. The size is ideal for the average hand size and the buttons are perfectly positioned on top to allow for easy function selection.
It has all the key features you could want in a range finder:
Rapid target detection
Target lock vibration
X7 magnification with adjustable eyepiece
Adaptive slope (with ability to turn off for tournament use)
Red or Black optics option
Water resistant
900 yard range (with option to display meters)
The H4 attaches securely to the ProLX in the designated cut out giving another option for carrying it if not worn on your belt. I didn't find this practical if using the shot tracking feature and needing to tag each club but it is a nice available option not found on other GPS devices.
Numbers (4 out of 5 Stars)
Both the ProLX and the H4 really stood out for measured accuracy. The ProLX when measured at a local driving range with known target yardages was within a yard on all measurements. It is nearly instantaneous to acquire the target and give a yardage reading. The H4 starts up fast (about a minute on average) and was within 2 yards on all middle of the green measurements compared to my Bushnell Neo Ghost. I checked the few front/back discrepancies that were greater than 2 yards with the rangefinder and found the H4 was usually more accurate than the Bushnell.
My one negative here is the battery life which is much lower than the 15 hours advertised. In actual use the battery life was closer to 10 hours which is 33% less than stated by the manufacturer. I found you can get 2 full rounds before needing a recharge so it still performs adequately but not as advertised so hence the 4 out of 5 rating.
On Course (5 out of 5 Stars)
The ProLX and H4 both perform as expected on course. The Shot Tracking also works great and is easy to edit shots if needed. Although the mobile phone app works for editing shots, it is much easier to do on a tablet or PC due to the screen size.
There is a full suite of stats tracked in the app - more than most people would ever use but that is the great thing about it - whatever stats are important to you will probably be available. The app tracks your stats for every club so you can measure your progress.
I did struggle with remembering to tag every shot and usually had a shot on every other hole that I needed to edit/add in particular chips/putts where it was not part of my preshot routine. I found the shot tagging to be a distraction during league play and actually stopped tracking my shots during those rounds and just use it during casual rounds. It's still beneficial to get my average yardages but without tracking all shots I'm not truly tracking my progress. I'm sure if I kept working it into my preshot routine it would become easier but for now it's too much of a distraction and I actually shoot worse during league play if I have to keep reminding myself to tag the shot. I didn't drop any stars for this issue as it's my own fault for missing shots but I mention it as I'm sure others may have the same experience.
The Good, The Bad, The In Between (3 out of 5 Stars)
There is one "bad" for the H4 that cannot be overlooked and was experienced by several testers including me. While the metal belt clip is strong to hold it on your belt, the magnet in the H4 is not strong enough to securely hold it in the holster clip and it will fall out if bumped during a shot or if not properly seated in the holster. I had it happen at least 5 times during the testing period. Twice I couldn't find it right away and had to back track to my last shot to look for it. That's an issue for pace of play not to mention the huge risk of losing it. I was actually lucky to find it each time as the device is very small and the black case is not easy to find in the grass. If you lose the H4 you also can no longer track shots so 2/3 of what you paid for is gone.
This is a design flaw that should be easy for ShotScope to fix. Hopefully future versions will have a redesigned clip to hold it more securely. I would actually buy a replacement clip if they did as I no longer carry it on my belt and keep it in my pocket for fear of losing it during a round. Since this issue is changing how I use the device and risks the H4 being lost I had to drop 2 stars.
Play It or Trade It (4 out of 5 Stars)
The ProLX rangefinder is in my bag to stay. I love how lightweight and easy it is to use. In less than 10 seconds I can pull it out of my bag, acquire the target and have a distance. I highly recommend it as a solo purchase or with the full set. I like the H4 and will continue to use it as it starts up faster than my Bushnell Neo Ghost but the clip issue mentioned above makes me unlikely to carry it on my belt and honestly I'm sure I would lose it if I did. Shot Tracking is a great feature but I don't use it during league rounds so I'm not getting the full functionality out of the full set that's why I could only give 4 out of 5 stars.
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Shot Scope ProLX +
Posted
Introduction:
My thanks to MGS and ShotScope for providing this testing opportunity. This is my first time testing a product for MGS and I'm excited to be included. My name is Bob and I'm from York, PA which is about 30 minutes south of Harrisburg and an hour north of Baltimore, MD. I've been golfing off and on since my early 20's (I'm 52 now) – and to show my age, my first set of clubs were Spaldings (yes, for those too young to remember they used to make more than just basketballs and volleyballs – lol). I spent most of the past 30 years as a few times a month golfer until 2019 when I joined a golf league with some friends from work and started playing weekly plus hitting the range about once a week as well. I'm still a high handicapper but working on it - basically I'm your local golf league hacker who looks like a scratch golfer on one hole and like it's my first time picking up a club on the next one – consistency has been my biggest hang up.
I really wanted to test the ShotScope ProLX+ as I love using data to see where I need to improve and I believe the shot tracking capability offers this plus more. I currently do some basic tracking by hand and with the Grint app which shows my short game and driving accuracy as 2 main culprits. I'm curious to see if the H4 shot tracking offers any other insights.
I really see this as 3 tests in one.
Rangefinder: I don't currently use one as I love my GPS but I have used my friend's unit on occasion and do see some advantages especially on par 3's and for slope. Currently when I need to check layup distances I use the GolfGPS Rangefinder app but it is cumbersome to pull my phone out each time. I see the H4 has layup distance calculations so I'm very interested to see how that works.
GPS: I've used a Bushnell Neo Ghost nearly every round since it first came out. When not using it (if I forgot to charge it), I use the iGolf app on my phone. I've always liked the simplicity of using a GPS to get front/middle/back distances but I do see the advantages of a range finder. My biggest issue with the Bushnell is the time it takes to start up, get a signal and find the course. Occasionally I have forgotten to turn it on before teeing off. When that happens it usually is not ready to use before hitting my next shot leaving me guessing on distance. I'll be putting the H4 head to head against the Bushnell for these tests. If the H4 starts up faster that will be a big selling point for me.
Shot Tracking: I have never used Arccos but I am really interested in the stats the shot tracking capability will provide. As I mentioned, I use Grint for some general stat tracking (Putts, Fairways hit, GIR, etc) so I love having data from my rounds and this will provide much more than I can currently track by hand. With changing my swing I have also been trying to track yardages to see if there is any change in club distances – this function will help a lot with that. My only concern is if I can adjust to tagging my club before every shot. We will find out soon!
That's the basics about me. My goal is to provide the MGS community with a fair and honest evaluation so those considering purchasing this item can make an educated decision.
Final Review (August 22, 2022)
First Impressions (4 out of 5 Stars)
Looking for a new rangefinder? Compact & accurate GPS? Want shot tracking and a full suite of performance statistics without paying a subscription? Shotscope Pro LX+ does all three which is why I was excited to try it out during practice and on the course.
First impressions the product is well packaged and comes with everything needed to get started including the battery (CR123) for the rangefinder.
One hang up for me right out of the box is the proprietary charging cable for the H4 which is why I gave 4 stars. This requires you to remember to take the cable with you if travelling or buy an extra cable from Shot Scope ($20 on their website) which I find unnecessary when most electronic devices have gone to USB type C or USB Micro for charging. Not sure if it would have increased the size of the H4 for a different port but it would have been worth it to eliminate the special charging cable.
Aesthetics (5 out of 5 Stars)
The Pro LX rangefinder weighs in at a little over 7 ounces so it's very lightweight, easy to carry and hold steady. My favorite feature is the ergonomic cutout on the bottom for your thumb which allows you to comfortably grip it. The size is ideal for the average hand size and the buttons are perfectly positioned on top to allow for easy function selection.
It has all the key features you could want in a range finder:
The H4 attaches securely to the ProLX in the designated cut out giving another option for carrying it if not worn on your belt. I didn't find this practical if using the shot tracking feature and needing to tag each club but it is a nice available option not found on other GPS devices.
Numbers (4 out of 5 Stars)
Both the ProLX and the H4 really stood out for measured accuracy. The ProLX when measured at a local driving range with known target yardages was within a yard on all measurements. It is nearly instantaneous to acquire the target and give a yardage reading. The H4 starts up fast (about a minute on average) and was within 2 yards on all middle of the green measurements compared to my Bushnell Neo Ghost. I checked the few front/back discrepancies that were greater than 2 yards with the rangefinder and found the H4 was usually more accurate than the Bushnell.
My one negative here is the battery life which is much lower than the 15 hours advertised. In actual use the battery life was closer to 10 hours which is 33% less than stated by the manufacturer. I found you can get 2 full rounds before needing a recharge so it still performs adequately but not as advertised so hence the 4 out of 5 rating.
On Course (5 out of 5 Stars)
The ProLX and H4 both perform as expected on course. The Shot Tracking also works great and is easy to edit shots if needed. Although the mobile phone app works for editing shots, it is much easier to do on a tablet or PC due to the screen size.
There is a full suite of stats tracked in the app - more than most people would ever use but that is the great thing about it - whatever stats are important to you will probably be available. The app tracks your stats for every club so you can measure your progress.
I did struggle with remembering to tag every shot and usually had a shot on every other hole that I needed to edit/add in particular chips/putts where it was not part of my preshot routine. I found the shot tagging to be a distraction during league play and actually stopped tracking my shots during those rounds and just use it during casual rounds. It's still beneficial to get my average yardages but without tracking all shots I'm not truly tracking my progress. I'm sure if I kept working it into my preshot routine it would become easier but for now it's too much of a distraction and I actually shoot worse during league play if I have to keep reminding myself to tag the shot. I didn't drop any stars for this issue as it's my own fault for missing shots but I mention it as I'm sure others may have the same experience.
The Good, The Bad, The In Between (3 out of 5 Stars)
There is one "bad" for the H4 that cannot be overlooked and was experienced by several testers including me. While the metal belt clip is strong to hold it on your belt, the magnet in the H4 is not strong enough to securely hold it in the holster clip and it will fall out if bumped during a shot or if not properly seated in the holster. I had it happen at least 5 times during the testing period. Twice I couldn't find it right away and had to back track to my last shot to look for it. That's an issue for pace of play not to mention the huge risk of losing it. I was actually lucky to find it each time as the device is very small and the black case is not easy to find in the grass. If you lose the H4 you also can no longer track shots so 2/3 of what you paid for is gone.
This is a design flaw that should be easy for ShotScope to fix. Hopefully future versions will have a redesigned clip to hold it more securely. I would actually buy a replacement clip if they did as I no longer carry it on my belt and keep it in my pocket for fear of losing it during a round. Since this issue is changing how I use the device and risks the H4 being lost I had to drop 2 stars.
Play It or Trade It (4 out of 5 Stars)
The ProLX rangefinder is in my bag to stay. I love how lightweight and easy it is to use. In less than 10 seconds I can pull it out of my bag, acquire the target and have a distance. I highly recommend it as a solo purchase or with the full set. I like the H4 and will continue to use it as it starts up faster than my Bushnell Neo Ghost but the clip issue mentioned above makes me unlikely to carry it on my belt and honestly I'm sure I would lose it if I did. Shot Tracking is a great feature but I don't use it during league rounds so I'm not getting the full functionality out of the full set that's why I could only give 4 out of 5 stars.
Final (25 out of 30 Stars)