Jump to content
TESTERS WANTED! ×

Best Launch monitor under 1000 bucks


Recommended Posts

What would anyone recommend out there?  I don't want to spend more than 1000 dollars and I'm going to be hitting into a net as I sadly failed to earn enough money to build a range in my back garden.
Well there are a host of options depending on what your really looking for. If you want to play courses or just get numbers that can make a big difference. MGS did a budget Launch Monitor test https://mygolfspy.com/the-best-personal-launch-monitor-2019/

So do some research in these but if your looking for playing courses your main options are: R-Motion or Optishot which have less then reliable numbers but your get courses (I have used both they are fun and can help give you a ball park but not the most accurate)

If your just looking for numbers there's more options (most covered in MGS Article): VoiceCaddy products, Rapsodo, Mevo, Garmin G80, PRGR, and some have tested a Free mobile app Shot Vision.

If you have an expectation that this will not be a GCQuad or Trackman, and you remember you are likely paying under $500, you should enjoy.

Good luck finding what is best.

Using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Driver:  Ben Hogan GS53
4W:  Maltby KE4 
2i: Maltby KE4 FDI 
4-PW:  Maltby TS-1 - C-Taper 120g 
50,54,58: Maltby TSW

Putter:  L.A.B. DF2.1 Accra Shaft 2023 Forum Testers - L.A.B. Putters
Ball: Mixed prefer ProV1 or Snell
Handicap: 9.2  -  Best Score: 72 (E) Springdale CC, Canton NC -2022

2020 Forum Tester - Ben Hogan GS53 Driver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, MattDNC74 said:

What would anyone recommend out there?  I don't want to spend more than 1000 dollars and I'm going to be hitting into a net as I sadly failed to earn enough money to build a range in my back garden.

I was in the same boat needing something to add to my net setup and just picked up a mevo. I got it used from fb’s golf sim group bc they are mostly sold out online and it has been great so far. 
 

It is super user friendly and the numbers are really going to help with my gapping. You need to have 8’ between the ball and the net and 7’ from the ball to the mevo so just be sure you have enough space. 

Edited by ObsessiveIndecisive

9* Epic Max LS 9* ADDI 6X

3W F9 ADDI 7X / 2i MP20 HMB AD DI 85S

3-PW MP20 Mixed (3,4 HMB; 5-PW MCC) KBS $Taper

50, 54, 58 RTX4

New putter each round until I stop sucking

Srixon Zstar Yellow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, pozzit said:

Well there are a host of options depending on what your really looking for. If you want to play courses or just get numbers that can make a big difference. MGS did a budget Launch Monitor test https://mygolfspy.com/the-best-personal-launch-monitor-2019/

So do some research in these but if your looking for playing courses your main options are: R-Motion or Optishot which have less then reliable numbers but your get courses (I have used both they are fun and can help give you a ball park but not the most accurate)

If your just looking for numbers there's more options (most covered in MGS Article): VoiceCaddy products, Rapsodo, Mevo, Garmin G80, PRGR, and some have tested a Free mobile app Shot Vision.

If you have an expectation that this will not be a GCQuad or Trackman, and you remember you are likely paying under $500, you should enjoy.

Good luck finding what is best.

Using MyGolfSpy mobile app
 

I'm most intrigued by the app possibilities like shot vision.  These other $500 trackers feel really overpriced at the moment, but would expect them to come down in the next couple years, kind of like how GPS was when it first came out.  Next thing you know it was on every phone.

Feels like our phones already have these capabilities, just need to the right app to come out.

  • Driver:cobra-small: F9 Speedback 9 degree / Project X HZRDUS Smoke 60 Stiff
  • 3 Wood:callaway-small:  X Series / Callaway 70g Mid/Low Torque Graphite 
  • 5 Wood:callaway-small: X Series / Callaway 70g Mid/Low Torque Graphite
  • 3 Hybrid:callaway-small: X Series / Callaway 80g Mid/Mid Torque Graphite
  • 4-PW,AW:taylormade-small: RocketBladez / Taylormade RocketFuel Steel
  • LW:vokey-small: BV 60-04 
  • Putter:1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact Series No. 3
  • Ball:  :Snell:MTB-X Optic Yellow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is only kind of related but I also think we are extremely close to taking a lot of these things onto the VR headsets coming out. 

If you have had a chance to put on a VR headset like the oculus its impossible (for me at least) to not think about the incredible golf VR possibilities.  That technology is far less than $1000.  Just need one piece of decent golf software to come out for it.

  • Driver:cobra-small: F9 Speedback 9 degree / Project X HZRDUS Smoke 60 Stiff
  • 3 Wood:callaway-small:  X Series / Callaway 70g Mid/Low Torque Graphite 
  • 5 Wood:callaway-small: X Series / Callaway 70g Mid/Low Torque Graphite
  • 3 Hybrid:callaway-small: X Series / Callaway 80g Mid/Mid Torque Graphite
  • 4-PW,AW:taylormade-small: RocketBladez / Taylormade RocketFuel Steel
  • LW:vokey-small: BV 60-04 
  • Putter:1332069271_TommyArmour: Impact Series No. 3
  • Ball:  :Snell:MTB-X Optic Yellow
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, GambyGolfGuy said:

I'm most intrigued by the app possibilities like shot vision.  These other $500 trackers feel really overpriced at the moment, but would expect them to come down in the next couple years, kind of like how GPS was when it first came out.  Next thing you know it was on every phone.

Feels like our phones already have these capabilities, just need to the right app to come out.

I have yet to test the app but check this thread 

and check with @Sluggo42 he has been a beta tester for the app

 

 

Driver:  Ben Hogan GS53
4W:  Maltby KE4 
2i: Maltby KE4 FDI 
4-PW:  Maltby TS-1 - C-Taper 120g 
50,54,58: Maltby TSW

Putter:  L.A.B. DF2.1 Accra Shaft 2023 Forum Testers - L.A.B. Putters
Ball: Mixed prefer ProV1 or Snell
Handicap: 9.2  -  Best Score: 72 (E) Springdale CC, Canton NC -2022

2020 Forum Tester - Ben Hogan GS53 Driver

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose it really matters what you’re after.

$200-$300 gets you distance, total or carry. Club speed and ball speed for the most part.

then it basically jumps to $450-$600, and there you get the same stuff, but then you get the next wave of stuff like spin, launch angle, maybe AOA and the such. Units like the Mevo, SC300, EA-B1, etc

im working on the beta for “Shot Vision”, which is free for basic, and something like $6.99 a month for added features like gapping, combines, and some on line competition stuff, which I haven’t tried. I do everything indoors with that in my garage and a net. But you get spin, launch angle, AOA, , features like the $500 units give. They’re trying to get the yardages grooved in, and seem close right now. It “misses” some shots, and sometimes it’s hard to find the “sweet spot” for phone setup. And it will eat up your phone battery, I’ve gotten to where I have the charger plugged in while using it- easy to do when in your garage. I haven’t gotten to try using it outside yet.

then you can jump up to “skytrac” for $2300 neighborhood, which would be the cats meow because it’ll do everything and be a simulator as well.

all of these have limitations to their accuracy in my humble opinion, as they either use a camera, or a Doppler, and then some fancy algorithms to create the rest of the data.
That’s the key to it all in my opinion. If you already know your distances from actually playing golf, you can kind of tell how well the unit is working. I think the Doppler units are probably more accurate., and we’ll see if the camera units can get better. I actually think the skytrac is a camera based system that’s pretty smart, but don’t hold me to it, that’s just a guess

to me....or imho....

I wouldn’t waste my money on one of these “cheaper” monitors unless you have a specific  need. They’re fun for a while, but then you get bored rather quickly. It’s basically the next step above blindly blasting balls into a net, and so for that reason, I would just get the “shot vision” app for your iPhone, and too bad if you’re android, they didn’t make that one yet. It’s not fully accurate yet, and it still misses shots, but if you hit a bunch of shots and they average to 150, but you know you hit it 140, then just go with that. I mean you know when you hit a 9 iron 185 yards, it’s probably a misread right? But if it says 136 and you hit it pretty cleanly, you know it got a good read on that one. I test it against a SC200, and so I can tell how it’s reading on average, but, I do t really trust the swing caddy either when it tells me I just swung a SW at 82 mph, because that’s a bit on the high side, so accuracy with all of them, in every catagory, is suspect, until you get more expensive models.

if I was going to spend actual money, I would build a home simulator with Optishot 2 and a n impact screen, and a digital projector. I think you’re be in the $1000 range for a workable system, and my very little bit of looking into that sees that there are a few “extra’s” that would make the experience better for a few hundred more, and I think you need a decent projector. Not super accurate I’ve heard, but way funnier than hearing a little voice announcing your distance over and over. R-Motion is another option, but the sensors are a bit of a pain I hear.

please use YouTube!!! You can find many little videos on all of the different systems out there, and there are many.

 

:titleist-small: TSr2 on tensi blue stiff

:cobra-small: Speedzone 3-wood on Tensi blue S

:callaway-logo-1: Epic Max 5 and 7 woods on HZRDUS  Reg flex

:callaway-logo-1: Paradym 9 wood on HZRDUS reg flex

:taylormade-small: P770 / P790 combo set on Ventus R-6 shafts 6-AW

:mizuno-small:  T22 Denim Copper 54°, 58° on Kinetic X Trajectory 

:EVNROLL: ER3 or,

:edel-golf-1: E.A.S. #4   (“Fang” or “Adele”)
 

:titelist-small: ProV1x, or, Maxfli Tour X

:callaway-small: .Org 14 cart bag

Adidas Tour 360 , or Sketcher shoes

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just posted my lengthy thoughts on a number of LMs under $500 here. Feel free to message me with any questions!

WITB:

Driver: Callaway Mavrik SubZero

Irons: Taylormade P770 4i - AW

Wedges: Taylormade MG3 at 55 and 60 degrees

Taylormade Stealth Plus 3Hy

Taylormade Stealth Plus 3W

Putter: Odyssey Stroke Lab Double Wide Arm Lock

Link to comment
Share on other sites



I test it against a SC200, and so I can tell how it’s reading on average, but, I do t really trust the swing caddy either when it tells me I just swung a SW at 82 mph,


You're correct there are a lot of options depending on what you're looking to achieve. I bought a SC200 a couple of years back. My intent in using it was to quantify SS progression. For that purpose it works well. Generally speaking the SS and carry numbers are reasonably close for my long clubs - driver down to about 7 iron. From there the SC200 gets funky and I don't rely on the numbers, especially carry. Sand wedge and lob wedge - numbers are totally unreliable and inconsistent even if I have the same swing speed. So again that goes to the point of understanding needs and matching them against the features of various units or apps.

If I recall there's a 'Most Wanted' done for LM from a few months back. Might be an interesting read for the OP.



Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

Left Hand orientation

:taylormade-small:SIM 2 D Max with Fujikura Air Speeder Shaft 

Cobra  Radspeed 3W/RIptide Shaft
:ping-small:  410  Hybrids 22*, 26*

Cobra Speed Zone 6-GP/Recoil ESX 460 F3 Shafts 

:titelist-small: SM7 54* Wedge

:ping-small: Glide 3.0  60* Wedge

:odyssey-small: O Works putter

:ShotScope: V3
:918457628_PrecisionPro:NX9-HD

:CaddyTek: - 4 Wheel 

EZGO TXT 48v cart
:footjoy-small: - too many shoes to list and so many to buy

:1590477705_SunMountain: And  BAG Boy

Golf Balls: Vice Pro Plus 

2020 Official Teste:SuperSpeed: Beginning Driver Speed  - 78

2019 Official Tester :ping-small:  410 Driver

2018 Official Tester :wilson-small: C300

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...
On 4/19/2020 at 3:05 PM, MattDNC74 said:

What would anyone recommend out there?  I don't want to spend more than 1000 dollars and I'm going to be hitting into a net as I sadly failed to earn enough money to build a range in my back garden.

Forget the Optishot2 - woefully inaccurate

I'm returning mine after 2 weeks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shot Vision is terrible. Never waste your money with that. Even the free version isn't worth your time

*:taylormade-small: Staff Professional*

Driver:  :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus+ (7.25*) - Fujikura Ventus Black 6X Tipped 1" 

3 Wood: :taylormade-small: Stealth Plus+ (14.25*) - Fujikura Ventus Blue 7x Tipped 1"

Driving Iron: :taylormade-small: P790 UDI 2 iron - HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 100 6.5

4 Iron: :taylormade-small: P790 - KBS C-Taper 130 X

Irons (5-7) :taylormade-small: P7MC - KBS C-Taper 130 X

Irons (8-P) :taylormade-small: P7MB - KBS C-Taper 130 X

Wedges: :taylormade-small: MG3 Black 50.09 / 55.11 - KBS TOUR FLT 130 X

60* Wedge: :taylormade-small: High Toe Raw - KBS Tour 130 X

Putter: 5WoCG8Y.jpg Custom Black ER2 or Custom Black :taylormade-small: Del Monte

Bag:  :taylormade-small: FlexTech Stand Bag

Glove:  :taylormade-small: Tour Preferred Glove

Ball: :taylormade-small: TP5X #11

RangeFinder: :918457628_PrecisionPro: R1 Smart Rangefinder

Instagram: @dpattgolf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following the thread for information as I'd love to set-up a system for practice and virtual play of various courses around the globe.  One thing I'm noticing is a increase in "for sale" Trackman, Foresight, systems going from $$$$ to $$$$$.  Is this a reflection of the competing, much lower cost LM's, DIY set-ups, buyers remorse (spent lots and not really using it), or ???  

I've also been watching the other DIY thread and getting great options for a more budget friendly system.  My wife didn't seem to batt an eye when I coughed out $2-3K the other day, so I'm on it like a lab to water 😆.

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’ve been researching this for a few months. Unfortunately there is quite a gap in a launch monitor/golf simulator ($500>$2500>$10k +\-).

 

I was tempted to pull the trigger just recently on a Rapsodo MLM but listened to an interview with the GM. Their GM didn’t think their current model could offer the ball/flight tracking when hitting into a net.  It does ball speed, launch angle, and those metrics. I can’t tell if it does side spin or horizontal launch angle  or anything that would then offer simulated ball flights.

 

The interview was a good one given the insight the GM offered and really was pushing me to buy one of their devices.

 

If you’re looking for a sub $500 launch monitor just to check distances, carry, speeds but no expectation of ball flight or golf sim, the Rapsodo MLM would be the one I’d go with. That said, I’ve never tried it myself.

:cobra-small: Speedzone Xtreme, Hzrds Yellow

:taylormade-small: r11 S Fairway Wood

:taylormade-small: RBZ Stage 2 3-4 Hybrids

:titelist-small: 690MB/CB Iron Set 5-PW

:cleveland-small:  Tour Action, 52-56-60

:odyssey-small:  White Ice D.A.R.T.

:callaway-small: Chrome Soft

Right-handed

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...