FlightScope Progression Series: 2023 Forum Member Review

[sirchunksalot]

I apologize for not contributing to this thread last week, there was a lot going on in my personal life with the appearance of the lump on my head. I was spending time talking things over with my wife and trying to get doctors appointments scheduled. 

I was able to get some comparison between the distances on ShotScope vs what I was seeing in my round on Monday. I'll be posting my final review soon and I'll go into the details then. Let's just say it seems to be pretty accurate when you factor in the roll on the course. 

[sirchunksalot]

Final review is up! 

Thanks again to FlightScope and MyGolfSpy for the opportunity to test out this amazing product!

 

Edited March 10 by sirchunksalot

[GolfSpy_BEN]

8 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

Final review is up! 

Thanks again to FlightScope and MyGolfSpy for the opportunity to test out this amazing product!

 

Nice work, Jason! I enjoyed the read and am glad you have found a good “practice” partner.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:50 PM, sirchunksalot said:

FlightScope Mevo review
By sirchunksalot
Hello everyone! I’m excited to be a part of this review and thank you to the forum staff and FlightScope for putting your trust in me.

Who am I?

My name is Jason Bentley and I’m a high handicap golfer. I’ve been playing for almost 30 years and have a stronger love for this game than I ever have.
I’m blessed to be married to the most amazing person who both encourages and supports me playing golf. We’ll be celebrating 12 years of marriage on the 14th and I’m thankful she’s put up with me that long.

 

I play most of my golf in SE TN where I’m fortunate enough to play most of the year. 

The testing

I have been looking at launch monitors for a couple of years and just haven’t pulled the trigger on one. I have been seriously considering both the Mevo and MLM2 since they both offer Android compatibility and also seem to provide accurate data. Both the reviews I’ve seen from this thread and online say this is an accurate unit, so I’m coming into testing expecting good results. 

I’ll be taking the Mevo to the range, hitting into my net, and on the course to compare with the information I get from ShotScope. I’m going to recruit some of my friends to go to the range with me so I can get their opinions on the data they receive. 

The most important thing I’m looking for is, will this improve my game? If not, it’ll just be a fun piece of equipment.

What am I looking for?

First and foremost I want to see if I can use it to improve my launch angle. I tend to launch the ball close to the stated loft and want to lower that a bit in an attempt to gain distance and improve ground contact.

I’m also looking at the gapping in my bag to see if I have deficiencies either at the top or bottom. I was fit for my current set during the Cobra Challenge and want to see if they still hold up. I’m not going to expect perfection since I’m recovering from an injury and have had to build compensations into my game to keep from aggravating it again. 

I also want to get true carry yardages so when I go to my bag to pick out a club I'll know that through testing I'll be more likely to pick the right one so I can carry a hazard or be able to hit more greens. 

If I can see these things, I think the Mevo will become a staple in my practice sessions. I'm looking for something to help me dial in my game in 2024 and I'm hoping this will be something that'll help me improve. 

If you have any questions, please reach out and I’ll do my best to answer them.

First impressions

Like the other testers, I was surprised how small the box was when I got it. I know it's been posted on here before, but it's crazy to see in person.

The Mevo was well packaged and the presentation was spot on. I believe you can tell how much pride a company takes pride in their product by the packaging and FlightScope did one of the best jobs I've seen. I love the small touches they put in with things like the carrying case and the magnetic closure on the box. That little detail is something I love because I feel it helps keep the box from getting wore out from opening and closing it.

I like how compact the whole thing is, it's design allows for it to fit easily into your bag and transport it to the range. 

The FS app was easy to set up and I had it ready to go in just a few minutes. My first time taking it to the range all I had to do was measure out the distance from the unit to the ball, turn the unit on, open the app, and start the session to get going. 

I still haven't figured out how to use the video function and need to do some research on that. 

FlightScope knows how to present their product in a way that's satisfying to their customers and I'm going to give it a 10/10 for how well they have impressed me so far. 

Aesthetics

The FlightScope Mevo is a compact launch monitor that measures in at 3 ¼ X 2 ¼. I knew going in to the test that it was small, but I wasn’t prepared for exactly how tiny it was. Don’t let the looks fool you, it provides a lot of punch in a small package.

The first time I opened the box I knew the build quality was going to be good. First off, the box itself was sturdy with a magnetic enclosure that makes it quick and easy to access the unit. When that much thought goes into the package, I know the actual product is going to be quality.

FlightScope provides two storage cases in the box itself and a cloth bag with a drawstring closure. I haven’t used the cloth bag at all since I feel like the box provides more protection and is still compact enough to fit into my golf bag.

The unit itself is a white rectangular shape with red accents and five LED lights that let you know that the power is on, how much charge is left, and that it’s connected to your phone.

The only other major feature to the Mevo on the outside is a metal kickstand that looks like it’s made to last and not run the risk of breaking like a piece of plastic might.

 Aesthetics 10/10

The Numbers

If I hadn’t been following along with the test, I probably would have had my doubts about the accuracy of a $500 Doppler based unit.

Between judging targets on the range and comparing on course results with ShotScope, I can say it does a pretty good job of providing accurate information.

 It’s not perfect and I’ve had some misreads on the range where I would top a drive or an iron and get highly inaccurate results.

The Mevo also doesn’t take into account the curvature of the ball and bases the results solely on the club speed, ball speed, and smash like it’s a straight shot.

One of the things I absolutely love about the Mevo is how easy it is to set up on the range. It’s basically use the notch on the top of the unit to align it with your ball location, turn the unit on along with the mobile app, select distance from the ball, and choose your club.

Charging takes a couple of hours and really isn’t that big of an issue. I can just plug it up the day before I use it and it’s ready to go by the time I go to bed.

My biggest complaint with the Mevo is the size of the charging cable.

It’s way too short and in order to plug it up to an outlet I have to set it up on something so it’s not dangling by the cord.

It was so inconvenient that I bought a battery charger from the FlightScope website. This is my major knock on the Mevo in grading.

You also can’t just go to Walmart and buy a longer replacement since you need a cord that’s compatible with Raspberry Pi.

As a less expensive launch monitor, the Mevo offers a lot of metrics that include:

• Club speed

• Ball speed

• Launch

• Carry

• Smash factor

• Spin

• Height

• Flight time

Of all the metrics it provides I look most at club speed, ball speed, smash, launch, and carry.

It’s great to be able to gather information such as ball and club speed along with smash to show me where my deficiencies are. I know I’m not seeing the carry being optimized by the club speed, so I know I have an issue with strike and can work on that to achieve more optimal numbers.

The Numbers 17/20

On Course

I’ve mentioned how easy it is to set up and get going on the range, and I love that. For those of you that remember the Ronco oven commercials, it’s basically “set it and forget it”. You can just hit balls and not worry about whether or not it’s going to perform.

The standout features of the app are the challenges, they make practice fun. I especially enjoy being able to compare my numbers to a PGA/LPGA pro. I used the comparison to the LPGA because I know my swing speed is closer to theirs and I would be honored to play half as good as they do.

The range competition is another fun challenge, you pick a yardage and number of points you want to count down from and see who can get to zero first. If you’re practicing with friends, this is a fun challenge that will add a little bit of pressure to practice.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed having the Mevo in my bag and I believe it’s helped me to make better decisions on the course by providing me with my actual carry numbers.

On Course 20/20

The Good, The Bad, and The In-between

It’s been great to be able to look at my numbers and find out what my true carry yardages are. I think sometimes as golfers we only look at our best shots and base our decisions on how we once hit our 7 iron 170 six years ago. (True story)

It’s a fact in this game that we have to clear hazards whether it’s a bunker or water and it’s nice to know what club to use to keep from losing strokes or our ball.

I do wish FlightScope would have provided a longer charging cable so I don’t have to make adjustments to plug it in. I didn’t mind buying a separate battery pack to charge the Mevo, I can use it when I am traveling or if the power goes out to make sure my phone stays charged.

Overall, I do believe that I am hitting the ball better now that I have an understanding of my yardages and am making better club decisions on the course. Now, if it only had putting metrics…

The Good, The Bad, and The In-between 19/20

Play It or Trade It

The Mevo has made practice fun and I believe has helped motivate improvement in my game. I’m getting hard numbers that I can take to the course and base my decisions on and not just guess on what club to use.

I believe knowledge is a major key to improvement and the FlightScope is helping me become a better golfer and it’s a great tool to have in the bag.

 Play It or Trade It 20/20

Conclusion

The FlightScope Mevo is a fantastic launch monitor for a golfer who doesn’t want to spend a small fortune on a monitor. It’s accurate on good strikes and can still give you an idea of how well you could have hit the ball if it didn’t slice off the map.

The charging cable is my biggest issue with the unit, but if you have a battery pack that problem is minor.

Do I believe that it can help improve your game? Yes! I think if you can do anything to make practice fun that you’ll be more likely to get out and work on your game.

The skill challenges are my favorite feature simply because they add pressure to practice and dealing with pressure on the range can bleed over to the course to help you when faced with a challenge.

While the metrics aren’t as robust as the Mevo+, it provides you with the most important ones to your game.

Final Score 96/100

 

Wonderful review Jason. 

[Rob Person]

Is it just me?

 

[sirchunksalot]

42 minutes ago, GolfSpy_BEN said:

Nice work, Jason! I enjoyed the read and am glad you have found a good “practice” partner.

Thanks Ben! I'm loving how it adds a bit of a challenge to my practice sessions and helps to slow me down in the range. I like checking the data after each shot and it helps keep me from hacking away at balls. 

[sirchunksalot]

3 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Is it just me?

 

No, I somehow couldn't embed the link to my review. I copied and pasted it, but it didn't show up. When I tried other means, it copied the entire review. I haven't had this problem before and I have no idea why it did that. 

5 minutes ago, Rob Person said:

Is it just me?

 

Thank you Mark! 

[sirchunksalot]

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/62168-flightscope-progression-series-2023-forum-member-review/?do=findComment&comment=991969

This should do it, @Rob Person. 

Edited March 10 by sirchunksalot

[Josh Parker]

3 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/62168-flightscope-progression-series-2023-forum-member-review/?do=findComment&comment=991969

This should do it, @Rob Person. 

Great job Jason!

I am working on my final review but wanted to say that the Mevo and Mevo+ have been amazing for learning more about my swing and dialing in numbers.  I have spent a ton of time at the range and home net working on in between numbers with clubs.  The Mevo+ does require a little more set up but the additional information it provides is just what I have been looking for to improve my game.

[Rob Person]

3 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/62168-flightscope-progression-series-2023-forum-member-review/?do=findComment&comment=991969

This should do it, @Rob Person. 

Wow!  I enjoyed reading that!! FYI,  a quick search through the mevo forums revealed this as compatible,  and was recommended by mevo support as an alternative. Apparently the units are super sensitive to any power deviation/fluctuation.

Raspberry Pi Power Supply, SoulBay 5V 3A Micro USB AC Adapter with 6Feet Long Cord for Raspberry Pi 3 2 Model B/B+ Pi A/A+ Zero, Android Tablet, Compatible with DC5V 2.5A 2A https://a.co/d/9vdRNZD

[William P]

6 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

Final review is up! 

Thanks again to FlightScope and MyGolfSpy for the opportunity to test out this amazing product!

 

Nice job Jason! Great Read!

[Nemac]

Testers

It would be great to get your thoughts on the accuracy of the driver data into a net. I have a mevo+ with E6 and have been really happy with it. The one area where I do have a slight potential issue is with the driver ball speed and distances. My driver club head speed is 95-100mph and I hit into a net at least 12 feet away but my numbers on FS app are always lower than Trackman or GC3 by about 10-15 yards. I then find that when playing the simulator my E6 numbers are even less than FS app by 5-10 yards. As a result I always play a tee less (white versus blue) on the simulator to negate this discrepancy. I wonder if you have seen any of this? 

For all the other clubs in my bag I think the accuracy is pretty damn good and for the price it is the best LM/Sim combo out there.

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, Neil Mackison said:

Testers

It would be great to get your thoughts on the accuracy of the driver data into a net. I have a mevo+ with E6 and have been really happy with it. The one area where I do have a slight potential issue is with the driver ball speed and distances. My driver club head speed is 95-100mph and I hit into a net at least 12 feet away but my numbers on FS app are always lower than Trackman or GC3 by about 10-15 yards. I then find that when playing the simulator my E6 numbers are even less than FS app by 5-10 yards. As a result I always play a tee less (white versus blue) on the simulator to negate this discrepancy. I wonder if you have seen any of this? 

For all the other clubs in my bag I think the accuracy is pretty damn good and for the price it is the best LM/Sim combo out there.

I believe @GolfSpy_BNG has quite a bit of time with driver into a net and has mentioned this a time or two.  I'll let him chime in on this.  

It could be that its on a tee and I know there is a setting that you can adjust the height of the tee.  

[GolfSpy_BNG]

2 hours ago, Neil Mackison said:

Testers

It would be great to get your thoughts on the accuracy of the driver data into a net. I have a mevo+ with E6 and have been really happy with it. The one area where I do have a slight potential issue is with the driver ball speed and distances. My driver club head speed is 95-100mph and I hit into a net at least 12 feet away but my numbers on FS app are always lower than Trackman or GC3 by about 10-15 yards. I then find that when playing the simulator my E6 numbers are even less than FS app by 5-10 yards. As a result I always play a tee less (white versus blue) on the simulator to negate this discrepancy. I wonder if you have seen any of this? 

For all the other clubs in my bag I think the accuracy is pretty damn good and for the price it is the best LM/Sim combo out there.

As Josh mentioned I had a similar problem with distance but mine was closer to across the board for all clubs not just driver. I was anywhere from 10-15 yards short with irons and about the same to slightly more short with the driver.  
 

What I found and what Josh, Mark, and myself have mentioned a few times is SETUP IS CRUCIAL!  I do think the Mevo Plus reads slightly high on spin which will make a big difference the faster the club is swung.  
 

When we mention setup being crucial, it’s not just target alignment, distance from Mevo to ball, ball to screen, lighting, etc, it’s also your settings.  I normally play in 75-100* weather with 70-90% humidity depending on the days and if you don’t manually set the Mevo plus weather to the same that can effect things. By moving my weather setting to 80* temp, 70-80% humidity, and elevation to my elevation of 1250’, I was able to get my distance back closer to what I normally see.  I have also developed a fade swing tendency that I didn’t normally have which will add to spin. 
 

TL:DR

Make sure to not only check the setup but also all the settings. 

[Byrnzee]

5 hours ago, Neil Mackison said:

Testers

It would be great to get your thoughts on the accuracy of the driver data into a net. I have a mevo+ with E6 and have been really happy with it. The one area where I do have a slight potential issue is with the driver ball speed and distances. My driver club head speed is 95-100mph and I hit into a net at least 12 feet away but my numbers on FS app are always lower than Trackman or GC3 by about 10-15 yards. I then find that when playing the simulator my E6 numbers are even less than FS app by 5-10 yards. As a result I always play a tee less (white versus blue) on the simulator to negate this discrepancy. I wonder if you have seen any of this? 

For all the other clubs in my bag I think the accuracy is pretty damn good and for the price it is the best LM/Sim combo out there.

I haven't hit used the regular Mevo into a net, but I will tell you that the data with the driver on a simulator has been the biggest variance I've seen from all of my testing. Similar to what you've seen, I can range anywhere from 5 yards off to 20+ yards off. 

To echo what @GolfSpy_BNG said, I strongly believe setup is crucial. I have been extremely impressed with the regular Mevo for it's accuracy with other clubs in the bag that you're hitting off the mat/turf/ground. However, I believe the height difference with the tee, lighting, distance, etc. are all big factors that skew the driver data.

I know that there are more setup options on the Mevo+, which can help negate these issues to some extent, but for the regular Mevo, I haven't quite been able to find a workable solution. I think for me, lighting has been the biggest issue - I've been mostly testing in a simulator where there's an overhead spotlight on the hitting area and the surrounding space is more shaded.

Totally agree with your statement that the accuracy for all other clubs is an incredible deal.

Hope this helps!

[Nemac]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

As Josh mentioned I had a similar problem with distance but mine was closer to across the board for all clubs not just driver. I was anywhere from 10-15 yards short with irons and about the same to slightly more short with the driver.  
 

What I found and what Josh, Mark, and myself have mentioned a few times is SETUP IS CRUCIAL!  I do think the Mevo Plus reads slightly high on spin which will make a big difference the faster the club is swung.  
 

When we mention setup being crucial, it’s not just target alignment, distance from Mevo to ball, ball to screen, lighting, etc, it’s also your settings.  I normally play in 75-100* weather with 70-90% humidity depending on the days and if you don’t manually set the Mevo plus weather to the same that can effect things. By moving my weather setting to 80* temp, 70-80% humidity, and elevation to my elevation of 1250’, I was able to get my distance back closer to what I normally see.  I have also developed a fade swing tendency that I didn’t normally have which will add to spin. 
 

TL:DR

Make sure to not only check the setup but also all the settings. 

 

[Nemac]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

As Josh mentioned I had a similar problem with distance but mine was closer to across the board for all clubs not just driver. I was anywhere from 10-15 yards short with irons and about the same to slightly more short with the driver.  
 

What I found and what Josh, Mark, and myself have mentioned a few times is SETUP IS CRUCIAL!  I do think the Mevo Plus reads slightly high on spin which will make a big difference the faster the club is swung.  
 

When we mention setup being crucial, it’s not just target alignment, distance from Mevo to ball, ball to screen, lighting, etc, it’s also your settings.  I normally play in 75-100* weather with 70-90% humidity depending on the days and if you don’t manually set the Mevo plus weather to the same that can effect things. By moving my weather setting to 80* temp, 70-80% humidity, and elevation to my elevation of 1250’, I was able to get my distance back closer to what I normally see.  I have also developed a fade swing tendency that I didn’t normally have which will add to spin. 
 

TL:DR

Make sure to not only check the setup but also all the settings. 

 

Thanks for all the advice. I will definitely check all my settings on the unit. I should have mentioned that I use the net outside so lighting not an issue.

What about the difference I am seeing between FS App and E6 software distances as the settings should be the same?

[Josh Parker]

21 minutes ago, Neil Mackison said:

 

Thanks for all the advice. I will definitely check all my settings on the unit. I should have mentioned that I use the net outside so lighting not an issue.

What about the difference I am seeing between FS App and E6 software distances as the settings should be the same?

So this one, I set up thru the FS app and then go into the E6.  I had watched a few videos on that and it seemed to have the best results. 

[jbern]

On 3/10/2024 at 5:43 PM, sirchunksalot said:

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/62168-flightscope-progression-series-2023-forum-member-review/?do=findComment&comment=991969

This should do it, @Rob Person. 

Great writeup @sirchunksalot! It was a great read!

[GolfSpy_BNG]

5 hours ago, Neil Mackison said:

 

Thanks for all the advice. I will definitely check all my settings on the unit. I should have mentioned that I use the net outside so lighting not an issue.

What about the difference I am seeing between FS App and E6 software distances as the settings should be the same?

I do the same as Josh. Set everything up in the FS app then go to E6. There are also sim settings in e6.   Are you on the range for E6 or playing a course?

[sirchunksalot]

4 hours ago, jbern said:

Great writeup @sirchunksalot! It was a great read!

I appreciate the kind works, @jbern . It always makes me a bit nervous when I hit post on a review, especially when I released it a bit earlier that I was asked to. The wife hit me with the ban hammer on swinging a club this week since my back has been out and she wants me to rest it up. I thought I would go ahead and do the review since I couldn't add any more to it without incurring her wrath. 

 

[Nemac]

8 hours ago, GolfSpy_BNG said:

I do the same as Josh. Set everything up in the FS app then go to E6. There are also sim settings in e6.   Are you on the range for E6 or playing a course?

I set up first in FS app and practice there for 20-30 mins. Then I just move to E6 to play a course. I have traditionally used the standard sea level settings on FS App and the hard fairways/clear afternoon on E6 environment. Yesterday I hit 20 shots with driver on the FS App with best total of 255 yards and average of 244 yards. When I played St Andrews on E6 I hit driver 16 times with best total distance of 233 yards and average of 225 yards with near identical club speed (99 vs 100mph). When I use trackman or GC3 I get over 265 yards total with same club speed but I do not know what their standard settings are.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

2 hours ago, Neil Mackison said:

I set up first in FS app and practice there for 20-30 mins. Then I just move to E6 to play a course. I have traditionally used the standard sea level settings on FS App and the hard fairways/clear afternoon on E6 environment. Yesterday I hit 20 shots with driver on the FS App with best total of 255 yards and average of 244 yards. When I played St Andrews on E6 I hit driver 16 times with best total distance of 233 yards and average of 225 yards with near identical club speed (99 vs 100mph). When I use trackman or GC3 I get over 265 yards total with same club speed but I do not know what their standard settings are.

I did have to use slightly different settings with the e6 than with FS app but not a bunch. I did notice I needed to take the wind to off though as it tended to make a decent difference. Also changing my ball to the RCT ball in the FS app seemed to help as well.  

[Josh Parker]

Good morning Spies!

My final review is up HERE

It was an absolute honor being selected for this test and one that has dramatically improved my golf game.  It has made me understand some changes that were needed and given me the ability to put focus on making those changes.  

I hope that I did the forum justice with the review and want to thank everyone for following along.  

[sirchunksalot]

4 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Good morning Spies!

My final review is up HERE

It was an absolute honor being selected for this test and one that has dramatically improved my golf game.  It has made me understand some changes that were needed and given me the ability to put focus on making those changes.  

I hope that I did the forum justice with the review and want to thank everyone for following along.  

That was a great read and I think you did the forum proud with your review. 

[Josh Parker]

4 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

That was a great read and I think you did the forum proud with your review. 

Thank you sir!

[Rob Person]

Great fina reviews ! I've enjoyed following this topic closely!

[William P]

5 hours ago, Josh Parker said:

Good morning Spies!

My final review is up HERE

It was an absolute honor being selected for this test and one that has dramatically improved my golf game.  It has made me understand some changes that were needed and given me the ability to put focus on making those changes.  

I hope that I did the forum justice with the review and want to thank everyone for following along.  

Great read Josh and an awesome job with your review! Nailed it!

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

It’s been a week this past week. I plan to have my review up tomorrow!

this has been a real fun one, multi stage and by far one of the most in depth reviews. 

[Josh Parker]

1 hour ago, William P said:

Great read Josh and an awesome job with your review! Nailed it!

Thank you sir.