Portable launch monitor

[dzoid]

What launch monitor is a good one to practice with that's accurate. One that a person can carry in the bag.  Like mevo, Ernest sports, rapsoto etc. Also can data log to review club averages. 

[Stuart_G]

Depends on what data you're looking for.   The more data you want, the more it's going to cost.  If it's just ball speed and club head speed, most of the units will be accurate enough.  If you want spin data,  that means at least the MEVO (plenty of threads on that if you want to read up more).   If you want spin axis and horizontal launch (L/R direction), then you need to go with at least the Mevo+.    If you want more club data than just club head speed, then you would need to get into the bigger LM's like (roughly in order of cost from least to most expensive)  Flightscope Xi Tour,  Forsight GC2/HMT,  Flightscope X3,  Foresight GCQuad, or Trackman.

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by Stuart_G

[hammersia]

As above, and just to add to that, at the moment those different levels of data are at fairly distinct price points -

 

ball speed / club speed - 200 dollars

add spin - 500 dollars

add direction - 2000 dollars

full whack pro level - 12,000 dollars plus

 

All the first three options are easy to carry in a bag, and are new prices of course. At some point the used market will get busier as people upgrade and there will be decent bargains of slightly older tech to be had. 

[Stuart_G]

39 minutes ago, hammersia said:

As above, and just to add to that, at the moment those different levels of data are at fairly distinct price points -

 

ball speed / club speed - 200 dollars

add spin - 500 dollars

add direction - 2000 dollars

full whack pro level - 12,000 dollars plus

 

Minor amendment.  Full swing club and ball data can be had for at "little" as $7-8K new.   Maybe $5-6k second hand.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Stuart_G

[RxGolf1]

Garmin G80 is very accurate compared to trackman numbers. Its been nice on the range, especially when dialing in gaps between clubs. 

[J_Tizzle]

I have the PRGR one and just use it for practicing carry yardages with my wedges on the range and its within a couple yards of actual, which is close enough for me.  And its tiny as well.  If hitting outside I'm not sure a lot of that information is truly necessary especially j ust for normal practice.  If you're trying to garage fit yourself, you'll need the launch and spin numbers obviously.  

[xetremex]

I used the Mevo for a few months before finding a used Skytrak to upgrade.  I liked the basic data it provided via iPad while at the range and felt it was fairly accurate.

[gripANDrip1983]

On 9/28/2020 at 10:56 AM, RxGolf1 said:

Garmin G80 is very accurate compared to trackman numbers. Its been nice on the range, especially when dialing in gaps between clubs. 

I also am a believer in the garmin g80.. the numbers are as true as you can get for what it can give you.. especially on carry distance all the way from 50 yard pitch shots to 250 drives.. I use it hitting into my net often plus the gps is also as good as it gets.

[Bill2e]

On 11/21/2020 at 8:52 PM, gripANDrip1983 said:

I also am a believer in the garmin g80.. the numbers are as true as you can get for what it can give you.. especially on carry distance all the way from 50 yard pitch shots to 250 drives.. I use it hitting into my net often plus the gps is also as good as it gets.

Looks like the G80 is now on sales for $100 off or $399.

 

The product launched in 2019, does any one know when the next version will be released?

[gripANDrip1983]

2 hours ago, Bill2e said:

Looks like the G80 is now on sales for $100 off or $399.

 

The product launched in 2019, does any one know when the next version will be released?

Not sure.. but it’s hard to imagine the updated one being much better

[JAM01]

Mevo for outdoors, though I regularly use it in the garage hitting into a net. Just needs the metal dot. Skytrak outside is a no go. The cameras don’t work well on real grass in daylight I’m told. Inside it might be better than Mevo or Mevo Plus, especially in a smaller space, or if there’s much metal or other things that interfere with the Doppler radar like fluorescent lights or fans. 

[MaineMariner]

I actually just picked up a PRGR for use with my backyard net. I just wanted something to give me simple ball speed and swing speed readings so that my practice was a little more useful than "that one felt nice." Maybe one day I'll spring for a more elaborate setup, but I hit balls in my backyard more to ingrain swing/ball striking feels than anything else.

 

Anyway, I've used the PRGR once. The initial results were pretty decent. It seemed to give me solid swing speed readings, if maybe a little high by a MPH or two. The ball speed readings were a bit more of a mixed bag. They seemed fine for my 8 iron, PW, and actually dead on for my 4 hybrid, but way off for my driver. It had me with a smash factor of like 1.30 on a few of the drives I hit, and one was down at like 1.10! Before you accuse me of being terrible, I was hitting the ball just fine. I might have to play with the device positioning or something. Or maybe my net's position? Not sure, honestly.

 

It also had trouble reading the ball data with some wedges that I hit. I think I only got ball speed data for one wedge strike. For what it's worth, that one strike actually gave me a distance that was pretty much dead on (I think). My backyard isn't the most level, so I'm wondering how much that plays a part. I don't know, I have to mess around with it more. My first impression is that I may have wanted to just splurge for a more reliable unit.

[Dan13]

On 3/23/2021 at 4:14 PM, gripANDrip1983 said:

Not sure.. but it’s hard to imagine the updated one being much better

What improvements could Garmin make to the G80 while keeping the apprx price point and ease of use by placing the unit next to the ball? Spin data and hence more accurate carry numbers are probably out. Maybe the following:

 

- Tighter tolerances on club head speed

- Add Launch Angle

 

Seems like angle of attack and maybe azimuth should be gettable but likely more complicated than I realize. When there is even a little data on the face or path then the PLMs will be more useful as a practice device.

 

 

[gripANDrip1983]

38 minutes ago, Dan13 said:

What improvements could Garmin make to the G80 while keeping the apprx price point and ease of use by placing the unit next to the ball? Spin data and hence more accurate carry numbers are probably out. Maybe the following:

 

- Tighter tolerances on club head speed

- Add Launch Angle

 

Seems like angle of attack and maybe azimuth should be gettable but likely more complicated than I realize. When there is even a little data on the face or path then the PLMs will be more useful as a practice device.

 

 

I do think that if Garmin could get the next model to consistently track launch angle, that would be an efficient upgrade. Maybe even worth forking some cash up for. Spin numbers on anything under a couple thousand is not trustworthy imo and not worth the risk of spending money on.. the good thing about the Garmin G80 is the convenience of having good feedback on gapping your clubs and a top notch GPS.. right now is the time to jump on these with them being on sale.. it’s a very good investment if you play regularly.

Edited March 25, 2021 by gripANDrip1983

[Dan13]

12 hours ago, gripANDrip1983 said:

I do think that if Garmin could get the next model to consistently track launch angle, that would be an efficient upgrade. Maybe even worth forking some cash up for. Spin numbers on anything under a couple thousand is not trustworthy imo and not worth the risk of spending money on.. the good thing about the Garmin G80 is the convenience of having good feedback on gapping your clubs and a top notch GPS.. right now is the time to jump on these with them being on sale.. it’s a very good investment if you play regularly.

From the videos I’ve seen the carry distance on decent shots can vary up to 5-6 yards on decently struck shots. Generally under on shorter irons and trending over on longer irons.  Mishits should be discounted entirely.  Is that level of accuracy good enough for gapping for a high single digit HC. Yes it probably is. 

[TomRUtah]

I thought about buying the PRGR, but now I'm curious if the increased cost of the G80 is worth it, especially since the price has come down.  Two questions for those who own the G80:

- Is the tempo training feature of value? 

- How user-friendly is it?  Does stat tracking during a round slow you down or cumbersome to use?

Thanks!

 

[gripANDrip1983]

1 minute ago, TomRUtah said:

I thought about buying the PRGR, but now I'm curious if the increased cost of the G80 is worth it, especially since the price has come down.  Two questions for those who own the G80:

- Is the tempo training feature of value? 

- How user-friendly is it?  Does stat tracking during a round slow you down or cumbersome to use?

Thanks!

 

I don’t track my stats or keep score on mine simply because I like to keep a scorecard.. I have dabbled with the tempo training a little bit but not enough to give it a fair review.. I’m sure someone can chime in on this

[EvanS_ToroMower]

On 3/25/2021 at 2:27 PM, TomRUtah said:

I thought about buying the PRGR, but now I'm curious if the increased cost of the G80 is worth it, especially since the price has come down.  Two questions for those who own the G80:

- Is the tempo training feature of value? 

- How user-friendly is it?  Does stat tracking during a round slow you down or cumbersome to use?

Thanks!

 

I bought a g80 this winter and have gotten more than it’s fair share of use. I do not use the tempo training as I found no value in it. The most used feature for me (as far as the launch monitor goes) is the target practice. That is a lot of fun, and once you dial in the roll factor I feel it’s pretty accurate.

 

I haven’t used the GPS on the course yet (Canadian winter) but I’ve had other Garmin products so I am familiar with their system and I can say that the gps will be user friendly. I don’t feel like it slows you down during a round. When I used a watch, all you entered in was your score, how many putts, and weather your drive was in the middle, left or right. With that information it gives you GIR, fairway %, and your score. The Garmin app then gives you an unofficial handicap. 
 

Hope that helps, feel free to ask any other questions.

[MaineMariner]

As an update to my earlier post about the PRGR:

 

The performance definitely improved after I fiddled with the setup some. I found that it captured more shots, and seemingly more accurately, when I propped the monitor up about 6 inches or so on a block of wood and a towel. I also had it pointed downwards a bit, basically like it was pointing down at my mat/tee. Also backing up my hitting area away from the hitting net a touch seemed to help. I tend to set up pretty close to the net just to prevent any neighborhood injuries, but I think the monitor needs just a hair more time to actually capture the data. Or something.

 

It's still not registering ball speed from my driver accurately, I don't think. Swing speed seems a little high (though I have been using the Max Swing Speed!) with my driver and 3 wood (maybe 1-3 MPH?). Ball speed seemed bang on for the 3 wood but low for the driver. My ball speed off my 3 wood is like 10 MPH+ higher than off the driver, despite the swing speed being maybe 5 MPH less. Also I know from real course experience that I'm hitting my driver well right now, so this has to be a data capturing problem. Again, I'll need to fiddle with the setup some. Maybe my pointing the device down doesn't work right when the ball is teed up higher.

[tdunirl]

Focusing on cheap monitors, I got PRGR red eyes pocket to compare to my swing caddie (SC200) and because it can measure clubhead speed without a ball.  Set up is easy and reliable with both devices. I find the swing caddie distances accurate for my very best shots, which tells me it is set to estimate distance off optimal launch and spin conditions, based on an accuarate ball speed reading.  So, as an example, which happened yesterday, I  hit my driver really well on 2 consecutive shots (same hole) and swing caddie measured 255 and 259 yards. Swingspeed showed as 100mph on the first and 98 mph on the second, which I tried to hit 'smoother' versus the first 'harder'.  It was slightly downwind (only a very light breeze) with medium roll conditions.  In the event, both balls ended up literally beside each other at exactly 262 yards (measured by club tracking-sure shot). Given they were slightly downwind and the final distance included roll, one can assume that the SC200 driver distance is total (not just carry) and absolutely maxed out (as there was a slight downwind).  Therefore, the SC200 will overread your distances for average shots ( I would say 5-10 yards irons and 10-20 yards driver) .  However, this is not a fault of the unit, it is you not hitting the ball optimally, if you accept that the unit only truly measures ballspeed.  Now, I have to do more testing on the red eys pocket but early indications are it is reatively reliable for ball and clubhead speed but definitely exaggerates distance more than the SC200, which I already know to be the absolute max in real life. For the above drives, it was reading 280 yards, so 20 more than real life maximum (which is 10-20 more than real life averages).  I would say it overreads irons by about 10 yards compared to the Sc200.  To confirm my suspicions, I'll have to to do a session where I home in on ballspeeds, but I'm guessing the problem is more to do with the calculations, as I suspect the ball speed readings should be fairly good.  Leaving aside the accuracy issue, it is more important to realise that these devices are in fact very consistent, and therefore great practise aids.  I can go on my balcony with the PRGR to see the impact of the latest great swing thought video and get a decent reading of what it does to my clubhead speed, which for me is worth the price alone.  It doesn't take too much effort to translate the results of these devices to your personal tendencies, after which the consistency of the readings is more important.  For me, they are great investments and improve the quality of my practise immensely, so if you have never invested in a cheap launch monitor and are on the fence, I would strongly advocate getting off the fence and going for it.  Hope that is all helpful........

[tdunirl]

Quick update on above, based on a range session testing driver and 8 iron across SC100 & PRGR, both give reliable ball speeds, both give very good estimates of clubheadspeed (and therefore smash factor). Of reasonably struck balls, only 1 in 10 readings from either is questionable.  Where they both can confuse, is their calculations on distance, which need to be interpreted carefully. From my conclusions, the SC100 is calculating carry distance but it is doing so at optimal launch and spin conditions which result in higher figures than even the average professional achieve. Therefore at my ball speeds (85mph 8 iron, 145mph driver) I can assume the 8 iron distance is over-reading by 5-10 yards for irons(say 5 under 7 iron and 10 from 6 iron up) and 15 yards for the driver.  As this just happens to be medium condition roll as well, I can therefore assume the SC100 to be a good indicator of my TOTAL DISTANCE on the course (not just carry which it is meant to be). However, the PRGR is using a standard calculation even higher than the SC100 which therefore means it is including a generous roll estimate as well.  Based on my estimates, the PRGR distances are the max you can achieve on hard ground roll conditions, being an average 15 yards too long for iron carry and 35 yards too long for driver carry. If you can accept these mental calculation issues, both units are actually great.  As you can tell, I'm a numbers guy and even I wish the PRGR was in mph rather than M/s to avoid the continual recalculation (2.237), however, it makes up for this by being able to read clubhead speed without a ball. I'm developing a golfsite that will cover average and optimal golfer distances for all (in great detail), so if anyone wants the link, let me know. 

[MaineMariner]

I still can't get consistently good ball speed readings with the PRGR hitting into a net. I've tried a bunch of different set ups and while occasionally I think it gets it right, the next day trying to same setup and I'm back to extremely low ball speeds. My last swing was an 84 mph 7-iron that was well struck and yielded a ball speed of... 97 mph. So a 1.15 smash factor. If I didn't know any better, I'd guess it's reading my tee flying away and not my golf ball.

 

I haven't tried it on a driving range yet, so hopefully that will yield better results. But given that I got this thing for backyard use, it's pretty disappointing. I don't want to go TOO far from the next for fear of causing neighborhood damage, so I guess I'll just have to live with it as a swing speed radar only.

Edited May 6, 2021 by MaineMariner

[tdunirl]

Maine Mariner, I found it can be sensitive to height, best when at least ball height and maybe a few inches higher (Like placing it on a golf ball sleeve).  Put it 3-5 feet behind with the radar end pointing a bit upwards (mine has this angle built in, so I just place it flat and it naturally points up).  They are programmed to follow the expected launch of the club you use, so make sure this is selected correct and that you are launching more or less normal.  Mine picks up at least 90% correct, so I'm guessing you just have to find the ideal place/height/angle to make sure it is always picking up the ball just after launch