Rapsodo MLM indoor information

[nev adams]

I wanted to get an inexpensive portable launch monitor for my garage so I can see what my ball flight looks like. The one from Rapsodo looked like the best bang for your buck (if you have an Apple product)

I wanted to see some sort of side spin otherwise it was useless to me and it wasn't clear if it showed that with indoor use. I had a chat with a representative there this am and she said it will show a positive or negative for left and right dispersion. the one thing I did not ask was will it tell you how far left or right your ball went. I 'll go ask that now. Also as of this morning it is compatible with Iphone 8. 

While this isn't perfect it's far less than a Mevo+.

Just sharing the info I learned.

[Quokka7926]

I bought one a few weeks ago. Overall, I'm really happy with it!  It's definitely not perfect indoor or outdoor, but its whole deal is "within 2.5% of Trackman's #s for 2.5% of the price," and I think it has reasonably matched my expectations.

 

Outdoor, the shot tracer is fairly accurate about 85% of the time - there will be some random ones that just don't look right at all. I'd say carry distance (especially with short through mid irons) is only a few yards different, and it's consistently different. For example, on the course, I expect my 8i to carry 168 and the Rapsodo MLM will show low 170s; I know just to take a few yards off what the MLM says. It may be different for others, though, so it really helps if you have an idea of what the correct number should be. Also, launch angle can return some pretty crazy numbers sometimes, but it will at least pick up the difference between a long and short iron. I don't know what my launch is off Trackman, so I can't verify those numbers.

 

Indoor, the accuracy certainly CAN match the outdoor setting, but you have to really fine-tune the set up to be the perfect distance away from the unit and allow for the perfect amount of ball flight. I've found this varies by indoor lighting (e.g. when my garage door is open versus closed). There's no shot tracer estimate indoor, which does make it challenging to understand what's happening. Best substitute is the "launch direction" metric, but it doesn't tell you anything about side spin.

 

Let us know what you hear from their customer support!

[gsrjc]

Is this worth getting for only an indoor setup?

 

How much room do I need?

Edited December 26, 2020 by gsrjc

[dpolen]

How much ball flight did you have for indoor setup?  With my setup in the basement, this seems to be my challenge for using one of the personal launch monitors indoors.

 

Thanks!!!

[gsrjc]

On 12/27/2020 at 9:34 AM, dpolen said:

How much ball flight did you have for indoor setup?  With my setup in the basement, this seems to be my challenge for using one of the personal launch monitors indoors.

 

Thanks!!!

I have about 6-7 feet from ball to the net and then about 6-8 feet behind the ball. 

[dpolen]

Jealous...wish I had that much space!!  Appreciate the input!

[coho10]

Got one for Christmas and I've logged about 15 indoor sessions with it, haven't had it outside, yet. I have a NetReturn about 8' in front of my ball and place the Rapsodo about 6' behind me.  Overall I think it does a decent job though there are plenty of shots where I look back at it and think "no way that's right". Of course i can't tell because I'm hitting into a net, but I would say on 10% of shots I have a question about accuracy based on how the shot felt.

 

I paid $400 during their Christmas sale. For that cost, it's worth it. Definitely not a Trackman, but more than sufficient for me to practice iron shots in my basement a couple of times a week.

[KGGolf]

I just ordered one. I will compare to the GCQuad I have access to when I get a chance. Hoping I can use the GC to determine the main differences so that I can use the Rapsodo on a regular basis.

[tjcarsillo]

My wife got me one on that same Christmas sale. Ive had it setup but haven’t had the time to do a session with it yet. Does anybody know if it will measure swing speed without actually hitting balls? 

[Rogtsaamokin66]

On 1/5/2021 at 10:06 AM, KGGolf said:

I just ordered one. I will compare to the GCQuad I have access to when I get a chance. Hoping I can use the GC to determine the main differences so that I can use the Rapsodo on a regular basis.

Will be interested in thoughts. Looking at this and the PRGR unit. 

[roxald]

Just received the MLM today and went through a session with all my irons in my garage mat and net. 16’ of distance to work with and 14’ ceiling. The unit began working on the 1st ball. 6.5’ from MLM to ball and then 8’ from ball to Net.

 

Started with the wedges and all 4 showed reliable and repeatable data.

 

That’s where it ended.

9-7 irons would not register distances more than 131(my PW distance).

 

Longest 4-iron was 171 yards and my on course avg is 211 yards.

 

Unit shut down the App numerous times and I had to open it again, re-connect and then hit another 12-15 balls then shut down again. I started with a fully charged battery.

 

I tried with my garage door open, closed, more LED lights in many positions in addition to the existing LEDs.

 

No heater or music on.

 

Pretty disappointing. Honestly bought it to work on my 175 yards and closer, but I can’t get reliable numbers outside of 130 yards.

 

I’m gonna try it at the outdoor range in a couple weeks when the restrictions are lifted.

 

Fingers crossed it will yield better results outside 130 Yards.

 

Rox

[Frankensteins Monster]

11 hours ago, roxald said:

Just received the MLM today and went through a session with all my irons in my garage mat and net. 16’ of distance to work with and 14’ ceiling. The unit began working on the 1st ball. 6.5’ from MLM to ball and then 8’ from ball to Net.

 

Started with the wedges and all 4 showed reliable and repeatable data.

 

That’s where it ended.

9-7 irons would not register distances more than 131(my PW distance).

 

Longest 4-iron was 171 yards and my on course avg is 211 yards.

 

Unit shut down the App numerous times and I had to open it again, re-connect and then hit another 12-15 balls then shut down again. I started with a fully charged battery.

 

I tried with my garage door open, closed, more LED lights in many positions in addition to the existing LEDs.

 

No heater or music on.

 

Pretty disappointing. Honestly bought it to work on my 175 yards and closer, but I can’t get reliable numbers outside of 130 yards.

 

I’m gonna try it at the outdoor range in a couple weeks when the restrictions are lifted.

 

Fingers crossed it will yield better results outside 130 Yards.

 

Rox

That's not normal. Contact Rapsodo. Unit was flawless for me. Also, make sure the MLM is on same level as the mat. Usually putting it on its case is perfect.

[roxald]

4 hours ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

That's not normal. Contact Rapsodo. Unit was flawless for me. Also, make sure the MLM is on same level as the mat. Usually putting it on its case is perfect.

Will do Frank!

 

Thanks for the help!

 

I tried the unit on the same level and then on a 1” block to elevate it a bit and didn’t make a difference.

 

Like I said, if I could get it to register reasonable data up to the 8-iron, that’s all I’m asking for.

 

Rox

 

 

[Birdie71]

On 1/5/2021 at 8:06 AM, KGGolf said:

I just ordered one. I will compare to the GCQuad I have access to when I get a chance. Hoping I can use the GC to determine the main differences so that I can use the Rapsodo on a regular basis.

Would love to hear about your comparison...look forward to seeing your feedback! Thanks in advance for sharing!

[Birdie71]

On 1/10/2021 at 6:06 PM, roxald said:

Just received the MLM today and went through a session with all my irons in my garage mat and net. 16’ of distance to work with and 14’ ceiling. The unit began working on the 1st ball. 6.5’ from MLM to ball and then 8’ from ball to Net.

 

Started with the wedges and all 4 showed reliable and repeatable data.

 

That’s where it ended.

9-7 irons would not register distances more than 131(my PW distance).

 

Longest 4-iron was 171 yards and my on course avg is 211 yards.

 

Unit shut down the App numerous times and I had to open it again, re-connect and then hit another 12-15 balls then shut down again. I started with a fully charged battery.

 

I tried with my garage door open, closed, more LED lights in many positions in addition to the existing LEDs.

 

No heater or music on.

 

Pretty disappointing. Honestly bought it to work on my 175 yards and closer, but I can’t get reliable numbers outside of 130 yards.

 

I’m gonna try it at the outdoor range in a couple weeks when the restrictions are lifted.

 

Fingers crossed it will yield better results outside 130 Yards.

 

Rox

I'm sure you'll get this all figured out! Good luck!

[roxald]

Thanks!

 

I fought with it a few times  again and same results so I am returning it but not giving up.

 

I already have another one on the way direct from Rapsodo.

 

Will have it in a week and will follow up.

It’s a great unit and easy to use, but the fact it kept shutting down made me follow Frank’s advice above and get it replaced. I suspect it’s a one off and my new one will be just fine.

 

Rox

 

 

[MicroRad]

Hey Roxald, did you ever get the new unit?  Did it fix the issues you were having?  I'm also seeing really short distances and a lot of shots that don't even register.  The app will randomly crash but the base unit stays on.   Wedges will not register 90% of the time and I question the results on the ones that do. Drive and woods reading 40 yards short at best!  A well struck driver almost never reads.  I took it to a range and the readings were much more believable but indoors it is useless.  It's winter here so that is a problem! I've gone through all the same trial and error that you have done with lighting, distances, height of unit, garage, basement... I bought it specifically to practice indoors during winter but instead of working on my swing I'm spending all my time trying to get this thing to work.

[AcesAndHoles]

I had similar issues @roxald and the unit I received from Rapsodo directly improved, but didn't fix it all. I think it has something to do with the way we're setting up the machine. For those that have had accuracy and success, can you share some other setup tips? I'm not necessarily talking distance-- that one has been beat to death, but ball position, angle, where you're standing in the "visualization boxes" and how that alignment line works?

[Frankensteins Monster]

16 minutes ago, AcesAndHoles said:

I had similar issues @roxald and the unit I received from Rapsodo directly improved, but didn't fix it all. I think it has something to do with the way we're setting up the machine. For those that have had accuracy and success, can you share some other setup tips? I'm not necessarily talking distance-- that one has been beat to death, but ball position, angle, where you're standing in the "visualization boxes" and how that alignment line works?

When using it outside I measure 8 of my feet behind the ball. I put the unit on it's carrying case. I put phone in the notch and use the video feed in the app and the alignment line to line it up. When using a driver I move it slightly to the left. Make sure the extra balls are far enough away from the ball you're hitting as well.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Frankensteins Monster

[AcesAndHoles]

3 minutes ago, Frankensteins Monster said:

When using it outside I measure 8 of my feet behind the ball. I put the unit on it's carrying case. I put phone in the notch and use the video feed in the app and the alignment line to line it up. When using a driver I move it slightly to the left. Make sure the extra balls are far enough away from the ball you're hitting as well.

The distance part I'm good with. It's more the angle/alignment. Do I pop the alignment line on my target? Square with where I'm expecting to be hitting? Does the ball have to be in the nice little box? Centered? Do I have to make it so that I'm in the box-frame? I'm 6'3 and even hunched a bit it's a tough sell. I've tried case, non-case, piece of wood, all of it. I haven't noticed a significant difference. I guess what bothers me most is that the unit has matched up with data on the pro-shop monitors for some strokes, and squat for others without me moving or doing anything different.  

 

I've also noticed that the unit sometimes has difficulty correlating the data with the superimposed GPS map. I'll have a ball that reads 170+ yards on the data sheet and then shows up as a pinpoint 50 yards out on the GPS map. 

 

It's funny you mention the extra balls issue-- I only noticed that when I started playing around with the Video function and was like why is the tracer...ooooohhhhh. 

[roxald]

On 2/6/2021 at 4:16 PM, MicroRad said:

Hey Roxald, did you ever get the new unit?  Did it fix the issues you were having?  I'm also seeing really short distances and a lot of shots that don't even register.  The app will randomly crash but the base unit stays on.   Wedges will not register 90% of the time and I question the results on the ones that do. Drive and woods reading 40 yards short at best!  A well struck driver almost never reads.  I took it to a range and the readings were much more believable but indoors it is useless.  It's winter here so that is a problem! I've gone through all the same trial and error that you have done with lighting, distances, height of unit, garage, basement... I bought it specifically to practice indoors during winter but instead of working on my swing I'm spending all my time trying to get this thing to work.

I returned the original unit to the seller and then I purchased another unit directly from Rapsodo-their customer service is excellent.

Our results continue to mirror each other.

 

Your experiences are the exact same as mine!

 

The new unit does crash frequently.

 

Accuracy for Gap Wedge is inline with my on course numbers but they drastically drop off from there.

 

The launch angles do seem reasonable but that’s about the only reliable data I recieve from my strikes and that’s really only for the GW.

The rest are garbage and to your point, long irons to driver are pointless even though the net strikes look normal as far as my launch windows.

 

I did purchase a new net-mine was white and other mentioned this may not be best for the device to capture the ball.

The new net is dark green and the results are the same.

 

I installed bright LED lights, and have everything turned off including music.

 

No electronic interference to be had.

 

To be honest, I have not tried it in the past 2 weeks.

 

Not sure what to do with it.

The purchase was to improve my wedge game over the off season but that hasn’t happened.

 

Rox

Edited February 11, 2021 by roxald

[Frankensteins Monster]

13 minutes ago, AcesAndHoles said:

The distance part I'm good with. It's more the angle/alignment. Do I pop the alignment line on my target? Square with where I'm expecting to be hitting? Does the ball have to be in the nice little box? Centered? Do I have to make it so that I'm in the box-frame? I'm 6'3 and even hunched a bit it's a tough sell. I've tried case, non-case, piece of wood, all of it. I haven't noticed a significant difference. I guess what bothers me most is that the unit has matched up with data on the pro-shop monitors for some strokes, and squat for others without me moving or doing anything different.  

 

I've also noticed that the unit sometimes has difficulty correlating the data with the superimposed GPS map. I'll have a ball that reads 170+ yards on the data sheet and then shows up as a pinpoint 50 yards out on the GPS map. 

 

It's funny you mention the extra balls issue-- I only noticed that when I started playing around with the Video function and was like why is the tracer...ooooohhhhh. 

I haven't used it since the summer, but I don't recall a "box" alignment. When I align it there's a line on the iPhone that I line up directly with the ball and my aiming line. The sample pictures I see of the whole person in the video isn't something that actually happens if you leave the phone on top of the MLM. The unit needs to be directly in line with the ball and your intended line. The person swinging's location means nothing.

 

In the sample picture below the MLM needs to be 8ft directly behind the yellow dot the ball is on and at the same height of the mat. When you do this, half of your body will be cut off in the video.

 

Note: I only use this outdoors and have yet to use a net. My usage is all full flight at a grass range that also has mats on certain days.

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by Frankensteins Monster

[AcesAndHoles]

On 2/11/2021 at 10:19 AM, Frankensteins Monster said:

I haven't used it since the summer, but I don't recall a "box" alignment. When I align it there's a line on the iPhone that I line up directly with the ball and my aiming line. The sample pictures I see of the whole person in the video isn't something that actually happens if you leave the phone on top of the MLM. The unit needs to be directly in line with the ball and your intended line. The person swinging's location means nothing.

 

In the sample picture below the MLM needs to be 8ft directly behind the yellow dot the ball is on and at the same height of the mat. When you do this, half of your body will be cut off in the video.

 

Note: I only use this outdoors and have yet to use a net. My usage is all full flight at a grass range that also has mats on certain days.

 

 

 

There are three things that show up in the alignment picture. A Player box, an alignment line and a ball box. I'm assuming the ball needs to be in the ball box and the alignment line needs to be pointed at your target? Common sense dictates that; however, I've noticed different effective positionings. 

[Frankensteins Monster]

23 minutes ago, AcesAndHoles said:

 

 

There are three things that show up in the alignment picture. A Player box, an alignment line and a ball box. I'm assuming the ball needs to be in the ball box and the alignment line needs to be pointed at your target? Common sense dictates that; however, I've noticed different effective positionings. 

Unless it's been updated since I used it, the only thing I had was an alignment line and that had to be directly over the ball on your target line. The MLM has to be directly behind the ball and in a straight line with the target, ball, MLM.

[AcesAndHoles]

On 2/17/2021 at 9:07 AM, Frankensteins Monster said:

Unless it's been updated since I used it, the only thing I had was an alignment line and that had to be directly over the ball on your target line. The MLM has to be directly behind the ball and in a straight line with the target, ball, MLM.

It has. Now there are two boxes and a target line. Problem is, a couple degrees of movement one way or another and your ball box is in the box, or on the line. 

 

Update-- had one consistent session at one range where it read pretty well and consistently, even if not the exact yardages, and another last night where it refused to register even a single shot in about 125 balls. I have no clue anymore.

[Frankensteins Monster]

41 minutes ago, AcesAndHoles said:

It has. Now there are two boxes and a target line. Problem is, a couple degrees of movement one way or another and your ball box is in the box, or on the line. 

 

Update-- had one consistent session at one range where it read pretty well and consistently, even if not the exact yardages, and another last night where it refused to register even a single shot in about 125 balls. I have no clue anymore.

What times of the days were the sessions? Was the good session during the day and the bad session at night?

[rainorshinePNW]

Can anyone confirm for me please if you can still get the launch direction metric when using the unit indoors? Thanks

[AcesAndHoles]

On 3/4/2021 at 9:34 AM, Frankensteins Monster said:

What times of the days were the sessions? Was the good session during the day and the bad session at night?

Both at night. The no-reading session was in a better lit environment than the one that worked. 

[AcesAndHoles]

23 hours ago, rainorshinePNW said:

Can anyone confirm for me please if you can still get the launch direction metric when using the unit indoors? Thanks

 

You do, but there's no shot tracer. Take a look at the shot-type below. 

 

 

[Frankensteins Monster]

4 minutes ago, AcesAndHoles said:

Both at night. The no-reading session was in a better lit environment than the one that worked. 

It's probably losing it into the darkness before it reaches its distance to read it. The ball is probably getting lost against the dark sky. The one that had better reads maybe had more atmosphere for light to bounce off of and the MLM was able to read the flight.