Unofficial Review: Flightscope Mevo

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Introduction

I recently won an Instagram giveaway that included a Flightscope Mevo. Retailing at $499 USD, the mevo provides eight data points through the utilization of 3D doppler radar technology. The eight data points the mevo provides users are ball speed, clubhead speed, carry distance, spin rate, smash factor, vertical launch, apex height and flight time. It does not provide any lateral data, so is a step behind the likes of the Garmin R10 & Rapsodo MLM2 Pro. At it's price point, that would be a nice feature to have. The mevo can be used both outdoors and indoors, and the majority of my testing and data collection will be done indoors as winter is nearing here in Wisconsin. I did get a short range session in with it today (10/25) which I will detail below. It is recommended to put a silver dot sticker on the ball you are using, especially indoors, for accurate spin data. 

First Impressions (19/20)

The mevo comes neatly packaged in a small box with a magnetic lid closure. The unit itself is VERY small, as in it fits literally in the palm of my hand. Included in the box are the user guide and product manual, as well as a microfiber carry bag and equally small power cord. I do not see how the power cord is functional as it will not reach from my counter to the outlet, but I thankfully had a longer cord with the same charge connection. The build of this unit is very, very solid and feels premium. I was quite impressed with this. I am deducting a point in this category because the charge cord provided is just way too small to utilize.

Powering on the unit is as simple as pushing a button, and once you have the FS Golf app downloaded onto your phone, it connects via bluetooth almost instantaneously. A blinking orange light signifies that the unit is charging, while a solid orange light indicates a full charge. Functionality as far as setup is concerned is outstanding. 

Performance (In progress, TBD)

I was able to get onto the driving range today (10/25) with the Mevo and give it a test run. I was hitting standard Taylormade range balls and did not use any reflective stickers. With a recommendation from @Tom the Golf Nut, I aligned the range balls so that the lines were parallel to the ground before each shot to try and improve spin accuracy. I did not get any photos at the range (BOOOO, me), but in fairness I had my three year old in tow so was already multitasking . I hit GW, 7i and Driver, and data charts are posted below with poor strikes and outliers deleted. While most standard deviation metrics fell within what I'd consider an acceptable range, Spin with the Gap Wedge was significant. My GW is also my 110-120 yard club, and distances were coming up well short of that. They were my first swings of the day, so maybe I wasn't quite warmed up. I will do plenty more testing with wedges to see if I can get closer to normal yardages. Driver and 7i, however, seemed quite accurate.

 Gap Wedge

Aerojet 7 Iron

Aerojet Max Driver 

I am thoroughly looking forward to going through the rest of my bag with the Mevo and providing updates on it's performance as I go. I am also curious to see how well it will perform indoors, as this will be the first winter where I can really commit to working on my game through the offseason now that I can get some basic data collected. 

 

[russtopherb]

That should definitely be a boon for you over the winter!

[golfinnut]

Nice!  I'll be following along this winter.  As I'm in the market for a good one but have to do my research first before I pull the trigger. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

11 hours ago, Jnoble89 said:

Introduction

I recently won an Instagram giveaway that included a Flightscope Mevo. Retailing at $499 USD, the mevo provides eight data points through the utilization of 3D doppler radar technology. The eight data points the mevo provides users are ball speed, clubhead speed, carry distance, spin rate, smash factor, vertical launch, apex height and flight time. It does not provide any lateral data, so is a step behind the likes of the Garmin R10 & Rapsodo MLM2 Pro. At it's price point, that would be a nice feature to have. The mevo can be used both outdoors and indoors, and the majority of my testing and data collection will be done indoors as winter is nearing here in Wisconsin. I did get a short range session in with it today (10/25) which I will detail below. It is recommended to put a silver dot sticker on the ball you are using, especially indoors, for accurate spin data. 

First Impressions (19/20)

The mevo comes neatly packaged in a small box with a magnetic lid closure. The unit itself is VERY small, as in it fits literally in the palm of my hand. Included in the box are the user guide and product manual, as well as a microfiber carry bag and equally small power cord. I do not see how the power cord is functional as it will not reach from my counter to the outlet, but I thankfully had a longer cord with the same charge connection. The build of this unit is very, very solid and feels premium. I was quite impressed with this. I am deducting a point in this category because the charge cord provided is just way too small to utilize.

Powering on the unit is as simple as pushing a button, and once you have the FS Golf app downloaded onto your phone, it connects via bluetooth almost instantaneously. A blinking orange light signifies that the unit is charging, while a solid orange light indicates a full charge. Functionality as far as setup is concerned is outstanding. 

Performance (In progress, TBD)

I was able to get onto the driving range today (10/25) with the Mevo and give it a test run. I was hitting standard Taylormade range balls and did not use any reflective stickers. With a recommendation from @Tom the Golf Nut, I aligned the range balls so that the lines were parallel to the ground before each shot to try and improve spin accuracy. I did not get any photos at the range (BOOOO, me), but in fairness I had my three year old in tow so was already multitasking . I hit GW, 7i and Driver, and data charts are posted below with poor strikes and outliers deleted. While most standard deviation metrics fell within what I'd consider an acceptable range, Spin with the Gap Wedge was significant. My GW is also my 110-120 yard club, and distances were coming up well short of that. They were my first swings of the day, so maybe I wasn't quite warmed up. I will do plenty more testing with wedges to see if I can get closer to normal yardages. Driver and 7i, however, seemed quite accurate.

 Gap Wedge

Aerojet 7 Iron

Aerojet Max Driver 

I am thoroughly looking forward to going through the rest of my bag with the Mevo and providing updates on it's performance as I go. I am also curious to see how well it will perform indoors, as this will be the first winter where I can really commit to working on my game through the offseason now that I can get some basic data collected. 

 

Going to be following this closely for sure! While I have little to no need for one with Rapsodo it will be interesting to see where this performs well and what sort of benefits you are able to get from it. 

[Josh Parker]

Great info so far.  Following along as I am trying to figure out which unit I go with.  

[Preeway]

I eyeballed this unit for a long time before pulling the trigger on my Rapsodo. Thanks for sharing your experience with this. I'm always in the market for more toys.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

4 hours ago, jdparker said:

Great info so far.  Following along as I am trying to figure out which unit I go with.  

 

9 minutes ago, Preeway said:

I eyeballed this unit for a long time before pulling the trigger on my Rapsodo. Thanks for sharing your experience with this. I'm always in the market for more toys.

For the data points that the Mevo provides, it will definitely be beneficial for working on strike quality as long as it is accurate. I have a friend with a Garmin R10 which he let me borrow during the Cobra challenge, so I am hoping to borrow that again this winter to do some side by side data collection. I can say right now that not having lateral data is a negative for me as my most common miss has been a slice/fade, but with some recent changes to my swing it is becoming less of that and more of a blocked shot left. What I immediately noticed on the range is that on those shots that I block or fade, contact still feels really good. That will be one of the bigger challenges with this unit indoors, but there is a video feature in the app as well which I am planning to utilize to add another layer of analyzing my swing. 

Raining all day today so won't get to do much with it, but possibly going to sneak up to the range before dark tomorrow 

[Josh Parker]

Keep us updated for sure. Having the R10 to compare numbers will be good.  

[fixyurdivot]

On 10/25/2023 at 12:19 PM, Jnoble89 said:

Introduction

I recently won an Instagram giveaway that included a Flightscope Mevo. Retailing at $499 USD, the mevo provides eight data points through the utilization of 3D doppler radar technology. The eight data points the mevo provides users are ball speed, clubhead speed, carry distance, spin rate, smash factor, vertical launch, apex height and flight time. It does not provide any lateral data, so is a step behind the likes of the Garmin R10 & Rapsodo MLM2 Pro. At it's price point, that would be a nice feature to have. The mevo can be used both outdoors and indoors, and the majority of my testing and data collection will be done indoors as winter is nearing here in Wisconsin. I did get a short range session in with it today (10/25) which I will detail below. It is recommended to put a silver dot sticker on the ball you are using, especially indoors, for accurate spin data. 

First Impressions (19/20)

The mevo comes neatly packaged in a small box with a magnetic lid closure. The unit itself is VERY small, as in it fits literally in the palm of my hand. Included in the box are the user guide and product manual, as well as a microfiber carry bag and equally small power cord. I do not see how the power cord is functional as it will not reach from my counter to the outlet, but I thankfully had a longer cord with the same charge connection. The build of this unit is very, very solid and feels premium. I was quite impressed with this. I am deducting a point in this category because the charge cord provided is just way too small to utilize.

Powering on the unit is as simple as pushing a button, and once you have the FS Golf app downloaded onto your phone, it connects via bluetooth almost instantaneously. A blinking orange light signifies that the unit is charging, while a solid orange light indicates a full charge. Functionality as far as setup is concerned is outstanding. 

Performance (In progress, TBD)

I was able to get onto the driving range today (10/25) with the Mevo and give it a test run. I was hitting standard Taylormade range balls and did not use any reflective stickers. With a recommendation from @Tom the Golf Nut, I aligned the range balls so that the lines were parallel to the ground before each shot to try and improve spin accuracy. I did not get any photos at the range (BOOOO, me), but in fairness I had my three year old in tow so was already multitasking . I hit GW, 7i and Driver, and data charts are posted below with poor strikes and outliers deleted. While most standard deviation metrics fell within what I'd consider an acceptable range, Spin with the Gap Wedge was significant. My GW is also my 110-120 yard club, and distances were coming up well short of that. They were my first swings of the day, so maybe I wasn't quite warmed up. I will do plenty more testing with wedges to see if I can get closer to normal yardages. Driver and 7i, however, seemed quite accurate.

 Gap Wedge

Aerojet 7 Iron

Aerojet Max Driver 

I am thoroughly looking forward to going through the rest of my bag with the Mevo and providing updates on it's performance as I go. I am also curious to see how well it will perform indoors, as this will be the first winter where I can really commit to working on my game through the offseason now that I can get some basic data collected. 

 

Nice win and great review.  Before we moved from MT to AZ, I was looking hard at various LM options and FS was high on the list. I really like how versatile and compact it is. I do have a 3rd bay garage here but it's too hot in the summer and now living in a golf centric community with 4 courses and 3 ranges, I've decided I don't need one.  But... if I ever get the urge... good to have honest spy feedback to draw on .

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I was able to get out onto the range last week Friday to try out the Mevo with my Cobra Snakebite Black Wedges, as well as my TSi3 driver. I wanted to see how well the Mevo would do with spin rate accuracy on the wedges outdoors, as I don't think I'll be able to do much wedge work during the winter out of being afraid of hitting the ball over my net and it ricocheting around the garage . What I found, as was similar with my gap wedge on Wednesday, were relatively inconsistent spin and distance numbers. This could very well be on me and my ball striking as much as it is on the Mevo, but I was hitting the ball pretty well. For context, I had no data I could post that seemed beneficial from my 56* wedge, as I know my on course distances well at this point and the Mevo was consistently short by 15 or more yards except for one shot. 

The Mevo performed relatively well with my 60* wedge. Distances were pretty accurate for full swings as it is usually my 60-70 yard club. Spin was also within a reasonable deviation. I was swinging the club well with this wedge, too, so that did help. These were the best shots with usable data. 

Things got more inconsistent with my 52* wedge. Of the 12 shots I recorded, I only had what I felt was usable data on four shots. This is normally a 90-105 club, so carry wasn't too far off on these shots. Spin, however, was quite inconsistent. Again, this could be me and my strike as much as it is the Mevo. I haven't used it enough to definitively say one way or another.

What was really interesting from this session was the swings I took with my TSi3. I had stated back in my review during the Cobra challenge that I felt like I just couldn't move the Aerojet Max driver as quickly as my TSi3. When I borrowed a friend's Garmin R10 during that challenge, I'd have to put a significant amount of effort to swing the AJ Max has quickly as the TSi3. The below data supports that. Less effort + more speed = a tough combination to beat.

Clubhead speed average with the TSi3 is 2.2 mph FASTER than the AJ Max. This translates to 6.5 additional yards of carry and 2.5 mph of ball speed. Additionally, I spin the TSi3 181 rpms lower than AJ Max. Both spin rates are within acceptable ranges, but as a higher spin player, I much prefer the spin rate of the TSi3. Launch and smash are identical, while peak height is slightly higher with TSi3. This will be a really interesting comparison through the winter as I try to determine which driver will be in the bag to start the 2024 season. Previously, I had settled on the AJ Max due to the ability it provided me to work the ball left to right. However, I played a few holes Friday after this range session and was able to do the same with the TSi3. I am hoping to improve my swing over the winter and am looking forward to utilizing the Mevo to work towards finding optimal conditions to see which driver will ultimately prove to be the best for me.

[Josh Parker]

28 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

I was able to get out onto the range last week Friday to try out the Mevo with my Cobra Snakebite Black Wedges, as well as my TSi3 driver. I wanted to see how well the Mevo would do with spin rate accuracy on the wedges outdoors, as I don't think I'll be able to do much wedge work during the winter out of being afraid of hitting the ball over my net and it ricocheting around the garage . What I found, as was similar with my gap wedge on Wednesday, were relatively inconsistent spin and distance numbers. This could very well be on me and my ball striking as much as it is on the Mevo, but I was hitting the ball pretty well. For context, I had no data I could post that seemed beneficial from my 56* wedge, as I know my on course distances well at this point and the Mevo was consistently short by 15 or more yards except for one shot. 

The Mevo performed relatively well with my 60* wedge. Distances were pretty accurate for full swings as it is usually my 60-70 yard club. Spin was also within a reasonable deviation. I was swinging the club well with this wedge, too, so that did help. These were the best shots with usable data. 

Things got more inconsistent with my 52* wedge. Of the 12 shots I recorded, I only had what I felt was usable data on four shots. This is normally a 90-105 club, so carry wasn't too far off on these shots. Spin, however, was quite inconsistent. Again, this could be me and my strike as much as it is the Mevo. I haven't used it enough to definitively say one way or another.

What was really interesting from this session was the swings I took with my TSi3. I had stated back in my review during the Cobra challenge that I felt like I just couldn't move the Aerojet Max driver as quickly as my TSi3. When I borrowed a friend's Garmin R10 during that challenge, I'd have to put a significant amount of effort to swing the AJ Max has quickly as the TSi3. The below data supports that. Less effort + more speed = a tough combination to beat.

Clubhead speed average with the TSi3 is 2.2 mph FASTER than the AJ Max. This translates to 6.5 additional yards of carry and 2.5 mph of ball speed. Additionally, I spin the TSi3 181 rpms lower than AJ Max. Both spin rates are within acceptable ranges, but as a higher spin player, I much prefer the spin rate of the TSi3. Launch and smash are identical, while peak height is slightly higher with TSi3. This will be a really interesting comparison through the winter as I try to determine which driver will be in the bag to start the 2024 season. Previously, I had settled on the AJ Max due to the ability it provided me to work the ball left to right. However, I played a few holes Friday after this range session and was able to do the same with the TSi3. I am hoping to improve my swing over the winter and am looking forward to utilizing the Mevo to work towards finding optimal conditions to see which driver will ultimately prove to be the best for me.

Same shafts on the drivers?

[GolfSpy_KFT]

1 hour ago, jdparker said:

Same shafts on the drivers?

Nearly identical, yes. Kai'Li White in the AJ Max, Tensei AV Raw White in the TSi3. Profiles are almost exactly the same, and I can say that I cannot tell a difference in feel. Now when I get the Ventus TR in this week, that'll make things really interesting and am really looking forward to that on the Mevo as it's a 6R where these ones are 60g stiff flex. TR is a stiff handle so *thinking* it'll play slightly stronger than regular flex, but we will see. It was too good a deal to pass up and if it doesn't work out, will try to flip it for a 6S. As I'm not a speed demon with my swing and pretty moderate tempo, could work out really well  time will tell!

[Josh Parker]

3 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Nearly identical, yes. Kai'Li White in the AJ Max, Tensei AV Raw White in the TSi3. Profiles are almost exactly the same, and I can say that I cannot tell a difference in feel. Now when I get the Ventus TR in this week, that'll make things really interesting and am really looking forward to that on the Mevo as it's a 6R where these ones are 60g stiff flex. TR is a stiff handle so *thinking* it'll play slightly stronger than regular flex, but we will see. It was too good a deal to pass up and if it doesn't work out, will try to flip it for a 6S. As I'm not a speed demon with my swing and pretty moderate tempo, could work out really well  time will tell!

That was my situation on the Ventus as well.  I have more of an aggressive tempo and mine is a 6x black but haven't hit it enough to tell if it's too much yet.  My speed is ok for it and the few I did hit were good trajectory and distance seemed ok but was pretty windy and cross wind.

 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

45 minutes ago, jdparker said:

That was my situation on the Ventus as well.  I have more of an aggressive tempo and mine is a 6x black but haven't hit it enough to tell if it's too much yet.  My speed is ok for it and the few I did hit were good trajectory and distance seemed ok but was pretty windy and cross wind.

 

Ideally I would have done a shaft fitting beforehand so I knew, but I had been sitting on a PX HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX PVD 6.0 basically all summer and didn't use it because I just didn't get along with it. Opportunity came up to trade it for the Ventus TR and even in the 6R profile I couldn't pass it up.

[Josh Parker]

3 minutes ago, Jnoble89 said:

Ideally I would have done a shaft fitting beforehand so I knew, but I had been sitting on a PX HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX PVD 6.0 basically all summer and didn't use it because I just didn't get along with it. Opportunity came up to trade it for the Ventus TR and even in the 6R profile I couldn't pass it up.

Absolutely!  

[GolfSpy_KFT]

43 minutes ago, bocaf said:

Looks like there’s a Mevo upgrade being unveiled at the PGA Show in January. Anyone with some more info or insight?

Nothing that I can report on unfortunately. The Mevo+ is a really good unit, and so far I've been happy with the standard Mevo as well. Looking forward to whatever the upgrade announcement is, though!

[edingc]

I loved my little original Mevo. It was a great upgrade from the Swing Caddie I had previously.

The Mevo+ I have now is obviously a big step up from the Mevo, but the little unit's accuracy was very good.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

2 minutes ago, edingc said:

I loved my little original Mevo. It was a great upgrade from the Swing Caddie I had previously.

The Mevo+ I have now is obviously a big step up from the Mevo, but the little unit's accuracy was very good.

I'm looking forward to indoor use and using the stickers. It's been a bit erratic on the range at times with my higher lofted clubs, but driver accuracy I feel like has been really solid and that's with just the range balls. Would love to eventually upgrade to the +, but don't have the means to justify the cost right now. 

[Shrek74]

On 10/27/2023 at 7:32 PM, fixyurdivot said:

Nice win and great review.  Before we moved from MT to AZ, I was looking hard at various LM options and FS was high on the list. I really like how versatile and compact it is. I do have a 3rd bay garage here but it's too hot in the summer and now living in a golf centric community with 4 courses and 3 ranges, I've decided I don't need one.  But... if I ever get the urge... good to have honest spy feedback to draw on .

Sounds like someone lives in Sun City. Hahaha. 

[fixyurdivot]

20 hours ago, Shrek74 said:

Sounds like someone lives in Sun City. Hahaha. 

Close.  Sun City was the original Del Webb development- started in 1960 and ended up with 24,000 homes.  They then started moving due west and created Sun City West, then Sun City Grand (where we live), and lastly, Sun City Festival.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I was able to get onto the range last week Friday for some more testing with the Mevo. I got a new shaft for my driver last week, a Ventus TR Blue, and wanted to compare it head to head with the stock shaft that came with my TSi3, the Tensei AV Raw White. On average, I am gaining 3.4 yards more carry, almost 2 mph ball speed, 100 rpms less spin, and about 0.5 mph clubhead speed with the Ventus. I don't know what came over me last week on the range, but I was swinging at speeds I did not know I was capable of reaching while still feeling under control of the club. It'll be interesting to see if this is something that will continue, or if it was just one of those days where I was feeling really good.

First up is the Tensei data. Honestly pretty solid numbers, but spin average is just too high. I would like to see this get to the 2300-2500 range. One thing that I will point out, and this is where the Mevo is lacking in my opinion, is that two drives look like they were hammered (262 & 263.9 carry distance) but were both big left misses. Indoors and not being able to see ball flight, I'd be thrilled with these shots. 

 

Second we have the Ventus TR Blue. Again, there are not massive differences between these two on the charts, but ball flight is the key factor here. I had one left miss with the Ventus out of nearly 20 swings, and it was the result of a poor swing. Every other flight was straight or slightly left to right. The stability and feel of this shaft is excellent, and while I've always liked the Tensei, it just doesn't feel as good as the Ventus. I had my best statistical shot of the day on my last swing of the session as well, and ball flight was straight as a string. 

 

So in recap to this point, the Mevo seems to be doing quite a good job at getting accurate data points. It will certainly be beneficial for me this winter. What I am most concerned about, knowing what my misses are, is that I will not be able to see any lateral data. What may look like a great shot according to the Mevo data may be a slice or hooky miss. Time will tell, and it'll certainly be nice to get some data, but I would love to see lateral data at this price point.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

No recent updates to Mevo performance as I have not been able to get back out on the range with my work schedule and weather, but published a product spotlight article on it last night, which you can find here if you're interested in the read! Did a little photo shoot with it last night for the article, and thought I'd share the photos here as well, because you can never have too many photos 

 

 I will be getting a net and hitting mat in the next week and a half, so once I do, I will be able to start putting the Mevo through its paces indoors. Looking forward to that to see how it stacks up against range performance, which has been really solid. If I am lucky, I will get out on the range a time or two yet this year to get some more data on irons and fairway woods/hybrids.

Stay tuned!

[GolfSpy_BNG]

Gonna be following this very closely.  Curious how the dots work and if they improve more than spin readings. 

[edingc]

On 11/7/2023 at 8:28 AM, Jnoble89 said:

What I am most concerned about, knowing what my misses are, is that I will not be able to see any lateral data. What may look like a great shot according to the Mevo data may be a slice or hooky miss.

This was an issue for me. I started grooving a low slinging hook trying to chase ball speed numbers. I'm guessing the capability is there, but Flightscope would prefer you move to the Mevo+ and pay the premium.

It'd be cool if FS could open up lateral data on the regular Mevo but just not give it any of the integrations that the Mevo+ has. So no sim, no FlightScope Skills, etc. Just a driving range. Would be by far the best option at this price point.

Are you going to try out a Titleist RCT ball? I've found with the Mevo+ the RCTs produce very, very good numbers. On par with Trackman, for sure. I never had much luck with the metallic dots.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

6 hours ago, edingc said:

This was an issue for me. I started grooving a low slinging hook trying to chase ball speed numbers. I'm guessing the capability is there, but Flightscope would prefer you move to the Mevo+ and pay the premium.

It'd be cool if FS could open up lateral data on the regular Mevo but just not give it any of the integrations that the Mevo+ has. So no sim, no FlightScope Skills, etc. Just a driving range. Would be by far the best option at this price point.

Are you going to try out a Titleist RCT ball? I've found with the Mevo+ the RCTs produce very, very good numbers. On par with Trackman, for sure. I never had much luck with the metallic dots.

I chatted with someone on the Flightscope page and they had told me the RCT ball would not work or make any difference with the standard Mevo, so based on that I was not going to. If, however, it would, then yes I will absolutely be picking some up to try!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

Was able to get on the range today with the Mevo again and will post some number charts when I have time. Highlight of the session was that my 3 wood was an absolute ROCKET launcher today. Was getting some numbers that pushed my driver, which makes me think I need to look at my driver setup, which is not good for my wallet