New $500 Flightscope personal launch monitor (MERGED)

[YoungJedi]

Anyone know if these will sell retail, direct or both?

 

Available via their website march 1

[YoungJedi]

I'm not sure why anyone would want to monitor launch angle and spin rates. I mean, knowing them initially (during a fitting is essential) but why would you go to the range to check them?

 

Unless it has path and face angle it doesn't really tell me anything more than other devices a fraction of the cost.

 

Hard to get excited about this.

 

The personal launch monitor market is just like the mobile phone market - there is no perfect phone, there are always features missing that you want. And it's designed that way im pretty sure.

 

What devices are cheaper that give you launch angle, spin, ball speed, swing speed?

 

And accurately I may add. People are judging a piece of equipment before it comes out. But reviews have already been done stating the items cheaper are basically useless.

 

With Mevo we will finally have opportunity to MEASURE carry, launch, etc instead if it being calculated by the club you enter.

 

Accuracy is what we are going for here gentleman

[Evolved]

I get to my course early, go to the 17th hole and do my practice with my own nice balls from there. I can do hours before somebody arrives to play. So, this will work perfect for me.

 

I hope you don't actually do this as practicing on the course like that is heavily frowned upon in the business.

[jacot23]

I'm not sure why anyone would want to monitor launch angle and spin rates. I mean, knowing them initially (during a fitting is essential) but why would you go to the range to check them?

 

Unless it has path and face angle it doesn't really tell me anything more than other devices a fraction of the cost.

 

Hard to get excited about this.

 

The personal launch monitor market is just like the mobile phone market - there is no perfect phone, there are always features missing that you want. And it's designed that way im pretty sure.

 

What devices are cheaper that give you launch angle, spin, ball speed, swing speed?

 

And accurately I may add. People are judging a piece of equipment before it comes out. But reviews have already been done stating the items cheaper are basically useless.

 

With Mevo we will finally have opportunity to MEASURE carry, launch, etc instead if it being calculated by the club you enter.

 

Accuracy is what we are going for here gentleman

 

Yes, please add accuracy to my request. I've certainly not heard of anything accurate and cheaper; although we really don't know if the MEVO is accurate either do we?

[YoungJedi]

I'm not sure why anyone would want to monitor launch angle and spin rates. I mean, knowing them initially (during a fitting is essential) but why would you go to the range to check them?

 

Unless it has path and face angle it doesn't really tell me anything more than other devices a fraction of the cost.

 

Hard to get excited about this.

 

The personal launch monitor market is just like the mobile phone market - there is no perfect phone, there are always features missing that you want. And it's designed that way im pretty sure.

 

What devices are cheaper that give you launch angle, spin, ball speed, swing speed?

 

And accurately I may add. People are judging a piece of equipment before it comes out. But reviews have already been done stating the items cheaper are basically useless.

 

With Mevo we will finally have opportunity to MEASURE carry, launch, etc instead if it being calculated by the club you enter.

 

Accuracy is what we are going for here gentleman

 

Yes, please add accuracy to my request. I've certainly not heard of anything accurate and cheaper; although we really don't know if the MEVO is accurate either do we?

 

Well per an earlier post, someone stated they spoke with flighscope on the phone and their rep said it was same software in their other units. So I have no reason to doubt why it wouldn't be accurate?

[jleduc2200]

I'd love to mark up a few balls and take this to the course with me at night when playing 9 holes or just messing around. It would be great to get the data (even if limited) if it truly is accurate. Hopefully Flightscope doesn't disappoint with this model, as it would be a poor man's dream toy.

[t4t3r]

The data this will (hopefully) measure is really ALL I care about as an equipment junkie. $500 seems a great deal for those couple of data points as long as they are accurate. I just want something to be able to take out on the course and compare heads/shafts and other tweaks to my clubs. The club data is incredibly valuable, but for me and what I want out of a unit like this, ball data is perfectly fine.

[IsleOfMan]

I was pretty excited about this at first, but without any info related to flight path (i.e. left/right/how-much) I'm not sure it will be immensely useful for indoor practice as I'd hoped. I guess I'm back to SkyTrak as the most likely candidate to replace my OptiShot for that. I'd rather have unreliable distance data but with at least a rough idea of shot shape as opposed to no shot shape data but good distance numbers. I already have a pretty decent idea of my club distances thanks to on course data collection using GolfPad, so working on straightening things out is my indoor practice goal.

[BlkNGld]

Basic radar-based systems can only measure ball and club speed. Everything else is calculated. I want this to be great, just like I wanted the ES14 to be great, but there's too much going on that can't be accounted for in even the best calculations. What I REALLY want to see is an affordable multi-sensor-type system that incorporates 2 or 3 types of measurement sensors... something like SkyTrak (ball speed, spin, launch angle) + P3Pro (club speed, club path, face angle) + Radar(ball speed, club speed) in the ~$2500-$3000 range could seemingly pull together several of these systems into an affordable package that could also offer more reliable measurement-based data with less variables, less calculation, and even some redundancy for sanity checks.

And frankly it should be highly possible. It's about time launch monitors come down to earth. Paying 30k like we do for Trackman systems is like still paying $8000 for a 60 inch plasma. It's high time the prices reflect the pricing in every other arena of technology. In my estimation they are about 400% too high.

 

ok, how much does a Trackman cost to make? I've heard this argument before and it doesn't make much sense. It's like saying a Ferrari F12dtf is overpriced. A trackman was never intended for retail consumption - it's not their business model.

 

High end doppler radar tracking devices for fishing are about 5k. 30K is absurd but unfortunately there aren't any reasonable units out there. 15k for a camera based system is probably even more of a gouging.

 

Not being familar with the fishing devices, what about them is more complicated than this application? To my naive mind, you are locating fish and terrain both of which move slower than a golf ball.

[Bob57]

Not available for pre order yet so those that say they did only signed up to be notified when you can pre order. Delivery set for late March. Talked to several driving ranges I frequent and most went to the show. About half had reservations about sticking metallic dots on their balls. Appearance of range balls, coming off in washing process, making a mess of washer/cleaner apparatus, multiple winding up on balls after cleaning, some are getting ball machines that count the balls as selected as opposed to just filling rows and dumping number of rows to fill request..afraid metal dots might interfere. There is potentially a full range system coming from trackman which is currently being tested overseas (trackman manufacturer Denmark maybe). Not sure anyone is planning to add that to their range in the U.S. but metal dots may be counter productive there..

[YoungJedi]

Not available for pre order yet so those that say they did only signed up to be notified when you can pre order. Delivery set for late March. Talked to several driving ranges I frequent and most went to the show. About half had reservations about sticking metallic dots on their balls. Appearance of range balls, coming off in washing process, making a mess of washer/cleaner apparatus, multiple winding up on balls after cleaning, some are getting ball machines that count the balls as selected as opposed to just filling rows and dumping number of rows to fill request..afraid metal dots might interfere. There is potentially a full range system coming from trackman which is currently being tested overseas (trackman manufacturer Denmark maybe). Not sure anyone is planning to add that to their range in the U.S. but metal dots may be counter productive there..

 

I honestly don't think metallic suckers will be needed outside. That's an inside thing like their other models.

 

The mevo wasn't displayed at the show

[Pat du Golf]

Should I buy a swing caddie 2 or MEVO?

My intention is to use it in the backyard 10*10*10 net.

I already have pro v1 with metal dots in my garage.

Thanks

[YoungJedi]

Should I buy a swing caddie 2 or MEVO?

My intention is to use it in the backyard 10*10*10 net.

I already have pro v1 with metal dots in my garage.

Thanks

 

I think there are multiple reviews that say swing caddies is horribly inaccurate and a waste of money.

 

My bet is mevo, and that's what I'm going to put my faith in. Haven't used fightccope before but have number of friends and pros that vouch for it.

 

Posters saying mevo will have same radar as higher end models and those are proven. So hard to NOT go with mevo.

[goatbarn]

Not available for pre order yet so those that say they did only signed up to be notified when you can pre order. Delivery set for late March. Talked to several driving ranges I frequent and most went to the show. About half had reservations about sticking metallic dots on their balls. Appearance of range balls, coming off in washing process, making a mess of washer/cleaner apparatus, multiple winding up on balls after cleaning, some are getting ball machines that count the balls as selected as opposed to just filling rows and dumping number of rows to fill request..afraid metal dots might interfere. There is potentially a full range system coming from trackman which is currently being tested overseas (trackman manufacturer Denmark maybe). Not sure anyone is planning to add that to their range in the U.S. but metal dots may be counter productive there..

 

I honestly don't think metallic suckers will be needed outside. That's an inside thing like their other models.

 

The mevo wasn't displayed at the show

 

I doubt it will be the same long range radar found in the higher end models. Highly doubt, and therefore shouldn't be compared to them. I'm thinking no measured spin data, inside or out, without stickers. The stickers amplify the return signal of the radar immensely, and I'm betting the weaker radar tech in this Mevo can't see spin otherwise. It's definitely short range radar, and therefore can't utilize the same methods of spin measurement (difference of return signals for the bottom of ball (rotating away from radar) vs top of the ball (moving towards the radar)) that the long range ones do. Completely different.

 

But ball/club speed, and launch angle can all be measured by a short range radar since they happen immediately upon impact. Spin measurement (without stickers) is tracked during ball flight, which this can't do. I'd bet the range is probably under 20' that is tracked...maybe less.

[YoungJedi]

Just got off the phone with Flightscope technical support:

 

"If you are familiar with our other units, the radar is tracking the same way. So if you are hitting indoors, it will measure until it hits the net. If you are outdoors, it will measure the entire ball flight."

 

Goatbarn. Great post. I was simply going off this.

 

"Outdoors, it will measure the entire ball flight."

 

I just don't think a short range radar would do that. Thoughts?

[Bob57]

The original voice caddy was pretty inaccurate, only slightly better than the BEL always 10% higher $99 units. But the voice caddy 2 is much better and is pretty close to trackman numbers with what it measures. Not cheap at $349, but better than the wildly erratic Ernest stuff 12 and 14. It's only problem is it occasionally refuses to read a swing. You have to monkey with it to get it to work sometimes. Position, batteries, or just plain erratic function is unclear. I really don't expect much for $500, but will probably try the MEVO as well. But it seems this is an area in which you get what you pay for.. Just like that stupid ping Apple Watch app.

 

As an aside I had an ES12 and ES14. Both were so far off except occasionally lucked into a similar number to trackman as to be more associated with random rather than accurate measurements. Plus the constant changing of the kickstand angle and manually selecting each club made them so irritating that I just pitched both of them. The iPad and phone apps for both are very annoying and poorly designed.

[somaplr]

I'm not sure why anyone would want to monitor launch angle and spin rates. I mean, knowing them initially (during a fitting is essential) but why would you go to the range to check them?

 

Unless it has path and face angle it doesn't really tell me anything more than other devices a fraction of the cost.

 

Hard to get excited about this.

 

The personal launch monitor market is just like the mobile phone market - there is no perfect phone, there are always features missing that you want. And it's designed that way im pretty sure.

 

What devices are cheaper that give you launch angle, spin, ball speed, swing speed?

 

And accurately I may add. People are judging a piece of equipment before it comes out. But reviews have already been done stating the items cheaper are basically useless.

 

With Mevo we will finally have opportunity to MEASURE carry, launch, etc instead if it being calculated by the club you enter.

 

Accuracy is what we are going for here gentleman

 

Yes, please add accuracy to my request. I've certainly not heard of anything accurate and cheaper; although we really don't know if the MEVO is accurate either do we?

 

Well per an earlier post, someone stated they spoke with flighscope on the phone and their rep said it was same software in their other units. So I have no reason to doubt why it wouldn't be accurate?

 

They say it works the same, not even close to the same software & hardware - I called up there as well. Flightscope X3 basically has military grade 3D Dopplar radar in it. The technology on the MEVO vs X3 is a different planet. Don't expect it to be as accurate on distance.

 

This sounds very very similar to the Ernest ES14 from what I heard

 

It is also not going to measure the entire ball flight, they are estimating the first 10 ft or so then doing calculations. Range radar measuring till the ball hits the ground is much more expensive. We talked for a few min or so, good dude.

[Hondabuff]

Not sure if anyone noticed but it looks like from the screen shot that you do have to select a club. So is this just a better ES14 then?

 

 

free picture upload

[jewofgolf]

Not sure if anyone noticed but it looks like from the screen shot that you do have to select a club. So is this just a better ES14 then?

 

The way I read the website was that you select clubs for analysis purposes. For example yardage gapping.

 

It seems like it does not need a club selection in order to project distance based on the measured inputs of ball speed, vertical launch angle and backspin (with the dots).

 

I plan to get one. I want to have something that tells me more than just hitting into my net and also seeing my numbers along with hitting outdoors will help me optimize my shaft choice and club settings.

[Hondabuff]

Not sure if anyone noticed but it looks like from the screen shot that you do have to select a club. So is this just a better ES14 then?

 

The way I read the website was that you select clubs for analysis purposes. For example yardage gapping.

 

It seems like it does not need a club selection in order to project distance based on the measured inputs of ball speed, vertical launch angle and backspin (with the dots).

 

I plan to get one. I want to have something that tells me more than just hitting into my net and also seeing my numbers along with hitting outdoors will help me optimize my shaft choice and club settings.

 

That would be ideal then. Having to select your club based on a preset loft is a bit misleading if your clubs are stronger. My ES12 is like that and I found by going up 1000' in ALT compensates nicely for 2* strong. Just have to remember to change t back when hitting your woods.

[Dixie Flatline]

I believe most of us want AoA, club path and face to path, but I guess you can't have those with a 500$ device. Also the recreational practice would make a huge impact, but then again, as stated before, without getting those numbers you can't figure that. I guess it's another year or two before we can get those KPI's in an affordable machine.

 

That would be the ideal, but the reality is that even $2000 probably isn't in my budget even with these parameters. However, I'd gladly drop $750 if the ball data is complete i.e. spin axis so curvature is displayed.

 

For what this unit does for $500, I'm a little torn.

[IsleOfMan]

I believe most of us want AoA, club path and face to path, but I guess you can't have those with a 500$ device. Also the recreational practice would make a huge impact, but then again, as stated before, without getting those numbers you can't figure that. I guess it's another year or two before we can get those KPI's in an affordable machine.

 

That would be the ideal, but the reality is that even $2000 probably isn't in my budget even with these parameters. However, I'd gladly drop $750 if the ball data is complete i.e. spin axis so curvature is displayed.

 

For what this unit does for $500, I'm a little torn.

 

 

This is where I am... I'm wondering if I pair this with OptiShot (already own, didn't pay much for it) for display and shot shape, and use Mevo for more realistic distance, LA, Spin, and analysis. It's either that, or go SkyTrak.

[tigerstew]

Hey guys I emailed the guys at flightscope and got some info back. Hope this helps....

 

Thanks for your enquiry regarding the FlightScope Mevo which will be available in the UK in April.

 

To answer you specific questions.

 

You will be able to use it in indoor and outdoor environments. Indoors, using Dopplar Radar, it will track the ball until it hits the net and then calculate the distance, outdoors it will track the ball about 7 metres and from the data it measures it will calculate the distance.

 

I hope that helps

[QuickFeet]

Hey guys I emailed the guys at flightscope and got some info back. Hope this helps....

 

Thanks for your enquiry regarding the FlightScope Mevo which will be available in the UK in April.

 

To answer you specific questions.

 

You will be able to use it in indoor and outdoor environments. Indoors, using Dopplar Radar, it will track the ball until it hits the net and then calculate the distance, outdoors it will track the ball about 7 metres and from the data it measures it will calculate the distance.

 

I hope that helps

 

Did they mention what temperature, altitude and pressure the calculated distance would use? Or are those parameters you can set in the software? Probably zero wind speed????

[Hondabuff]

With close to 30k views of this thread, I think FlightScope needs to invite a GolfWRX editor over for a prescreening of the MEVO before the March release. Just odd that they were not at the PGA Show being so close to a release.

[games]

Anyone know if these will sell retail, direct or both?

 

Per AJ at Flightscope, the MEVO will only be sold direct.

[Lorso]

Lack of accurate spin tracking in lower cost devices has always been the biggest drawback. Fingers crossed they have it sorted out.

[QMany]

Hey guys I emailed the guys at flightscope and got some info back. Hope this helps....

 

Thanks for your enquiry regarding the FlightScope Mevo which will be available in the UK in April.

 

To answer you specific questions.

 

You will be able to use it in indoor and outdoor environments. Indoors, using Dopplar Radar, it will track the ball until it hits the net and then calculate the distance, outdoors it will track the ball about 7 metres and from the data it measures it will calculate the distance.

 

I hope that helps

 

I'm glad you posted your conversation with them, it seems to contradict what they told me about outside use.

[ib0o0]

I believe most of us want AoA, club path and face to path, but I guess you can't have those with a 500$ device. Also the recreational practice would make a huge impact, but then again, as stated before, without getting those numbers you can't figure that. I guess it's another year or two before we can get those KPI's in an affordable machine.

 

That would be the ideal, but the reality is that even $2000 probably isn't in my budget even with these parameters. However, I'd gladly drop $750 if the ball data is complete i.e. spin axis so curvature is displayed.

 

For what this unit does for $500, I'm a little torn.

 

I'm on the same boat as you. I would not pay $500 for a distance device. I could do that going to a Trackman gapping test for $50. At least $1K for that kind of device in 1-2 years as I said, they are trying to exhaust the options before releasing a useful device for the avid golfer.

 

BTW, if that's your bulldog, that's a lovely beast. I had 2 and now got another one. :)

[robrey85]

Hey guys I emailed the guys at flightscope and got some info back. Hope this helps....

 

Thanks for your enquiry regarding the FlightScope Mevo which will be available in the UK in April.

 

To answer you specific questions.

 

You will be able to use it in indoor and outdoor environments. Indoors, using Dopplar Radar, it will track the ball until it hits the net and then calculate the distance, outdoors it will track the ball about 7 metres and from the data it measures it will calculate the distance.

 

I hope that helps

 

I'm glad you posted your conversation with them, it seems to contradict what they told me about outside use.

 

Sounds more and more like we're just going to have to grin and bear not having any info and wait until they release the product. It's a shame that they can't be in line with the info they give out and to be quite honest, I'm surprised they are even allowed to answer questions about it.