The 5 Launch Monitors I’D BUY at Each Price Point

The 5 Launch Monitors I’D BUY at Each Price Point

I review golf launch monitors for a living. I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing pretty much every major launch monitor out there. And these are the five monitors that I would personally buy at each price point So if you want to know what my take is, keep watching. Today’s video’s for you Now, some of these picks are a little bit easier than others. I’m going to explain why that is when I get to them but the under $500 pick is Pretty simple. It’s this. It’s the voice Caddy SC4 Pro Now, if you’ve looked into this, you might know that the retail price on it is $599. Breaking 80 viewers, on the other hand, can use the special link below, and they can pick it up for $499 This is a device that, for the price, can really do a ton Accuracy is fine. It’s not going to be as good or as accurate as some of the other ones in this list But for most people, under most circumstances, it is going to be just fine And it’s going to give you accurate enough numbers to actually be useful But a few things that make this unique is you can use it both indoors and outdoors It is a built in screen, so you can easily get your numbers in your metrics, which is great if you just want to like set it up at the range and you don’t have to worry about pairing it with your app It also has a remote, so if you want to change what mode you’re in, or change what club you’re using, you can easily go and do that And there is no subscription fee to use any of the features that are included Overall, I’ve had a really good experience with this UM My hesitation would be is how long is the company going to support it Before this, they had the SC4, which I said was also a great device, but the app was terrible I expected them to update the app, and well, they didn’t. They just rolled out this, which is an all new device that has its own app and people that had the SE4 were kind of leapt out in the cold a little bit Is that going to happen here? I hope not, but time will tell. That being said, for under 500 bucks, this is by far the most accurate, full featured launch monitor you can get, and I would definitely recommend it All right, next up, we have under $1,500, and by far, this is the most difficult one for me to choose, because you have three products that are all excellent that come in under that price Those products are the square, the Rhapsodo, MLM 2 Pro, and the Flight Scope Mo Gen 2. Now, my pick, under $1,500, would probably be the Flight Scope Mivo Gen 2, but I don’t think that’s going to be for everyone And I want to explain a little bit around that pick So first up, if you have limited space and you only want something for indoor use, go by the square. The square is the only optical launch monitor in this price range, and honestly, it works really well The software is fine. The app experience is okay But the three that I just mentioned, I think the software is definitely the worst on the square Build quality on the square. Also not great. It feels very plasticky but the most important things are you have an optical launch monitor that works really well that gives you good numbers that also has compatible with some third party SIM software. So if you’re looking to set up a cheap SIM at home then that is definitely going to be an option to consider For me, though, I like the flexibility of being able to use it both at home and at the range, and I think that both the rapsodo and the flight scope provide more polished products Now, of all of the launch monitors out there, I’m not sure anyone has put more effort into improving their product than Rhapsodo Rhapsodo just keeps pushing firmware and software updates that are making their products better and better So they just revamped their courses feature with better graphics They also just recently added angle of attack and club path data In the video reviews, you can get a shot tracer. Like they have really put a ton of time, effort, and money into making this product really good, and honestly, it’s really good It is, without a doubt, significantly better than when it launched a few years ago There are still a handful of issues with it. So it’s $699, and then it’s $199 a year for a subscription, which that subscription fee relative to the price of the device is pretty high The good news is that they listened to their user’s feedback, and they created a one time $500 lifetime payment. So now, essentially, you can get the Rhapsodo MLM2 Pro with all of the features for around 1,200 bucks, and that is a killer value But I’ve still occasionally had a handful of connectivity issues where it might lose connection or miss shots And even though the software and features have gotten significantly better, I don’t like using the software quite as much as I do some other more professional oriented devices I think this is definitely a really good example of an excellent consumer level device I think as we get into some of the other options in this list, we’re definitely more prosumer or even professional level devices That being said, if you like everything the Rhapsodo has to offer, without a doubt, it is excellent, and I’m going to be doing a full updated review of Rhapsodo soon, because so much has changed since my initial review But now that I’ve gotten those two out of the way, that leads me to my pick, which would be the Flight Scope Mo Gen 2. So this is the newest of the bunch. It just came out, and it essentially feels like a base level Mo plus Now, the price of a base Mvo Plus before discounts is $2,300. And like I said, the user experience using this feels pretty much identical to a base Mvo Plus, but you’re paying over $1,000 less for it It includes their fusion tracking technology, which is combining their Doppler radar and camera system to give you more accurate results. But the thing that I really love about flights go is even though the aesthetics of the app are starting to feel a little more dated compared to some of other brands, I just love using it. I love the customizability of it. It feels like I’ve got a professional tool at my fingertips, and no matter how I want to look at my data, no matter how I want to organize my data, it allows me to do that. And that’s the reason I keep coming back to Flight Scope products because I just love that usability so much I’ve also found that under most circumstances, the flight scope is a little bit more accurate than the rhapsodo The one area where that’s not the case is if you were inside with the Rhapsodo using RPT balls Because they have that second high speed camera specifically to track spin if you were trying to get accurate spin numbers while you were like inside hitting into a net I think the rhapsodo does a slightly better job there The Mivo Gen 2 also comes with a better E6 simulator package, and it has a ton of third party solutions Pretty much regardless of what third party simulator option you want to use, including GS Pro The fact there is no subscription at all to use any of their features is an added bonus But now that Rhapsodo does offer that lifetime feature, that advantage isn’t quite as significant as it once was I think the big question here And part of my pick here is just kind of trying to foresee into the future. I’ve got to imagine, and I would think that they will be adding the pro package and hopefully, maybe even impact detection to the Mivo gentu That is going to give significantly more measured data points to the Mivo Gen 2 than to either the square or to the rhapsodo As it sits right now, because Rapapsodo has Club Path and the Mivo Gentu does not, some people will favor that device, and I wouldn’t fault them for it But what I’m hoping to see in the coming months is that they’re going to release impact detection and the pro package for the Gen 2, And because it seems so similar to the Mivo Plus and it’s five years newer, I would guess that that’s going to happen But again, you’re taking a little bit of a chance on whether or not that’s going to be the case And inevitably, those add ons are going to be hundreds of dollars more, so it is going to take that kind of into a new price category All that’s say, I love the experience of using the flight scope, but the Mvo Gentu versus the rapsodo, like they really are pretty neck and neck I think right now the rapsodo provides a little bit more in terms of features and modes Whereas Flight Scope is the newer product, but it still feels very similar to using the Mvo Plus which that has been my overall favorite unit for a reason But I think Flight Scope is really going to have to keep the development coming if they want to separate themselves from some of these other brands Okay, next up is the launch monitor. I would pick under $2,500. And you might not see this one coming, but I would go with the Bushnell Launch Pro So this device was technically discontinued. It was kind of sunseted in favor of the Bushnell LPI. And the Bushnell LPI is I think one of the biggest misses in launch monitors that I have seen. It’s essentially the same camera system, except they now made it so it has to be plugged in, so it’s tough to use outside, and they got rid of the screen But you still have the subscription fee, and they were charging like $2,800 for it And so since that was released in January, we have consistently seen the LPI on sale for $1,500, a $1,300 discount on what is essentially a brand new device which tells me that probably hasn’t really been selling well And I can’t imagine why not. It’s because the device that you used to have, the launch Pro, is one of the best, most professional devices at the price point. You took an excellent unit that was great, and you dumbed it down and started trying to charge more money for it All that’s to say, you can still find the Bushnell Launch Pro for sale. You can find it at PlayBetter. You can also find it on the Bushnell website at significant discounts from where it was previously So as of right now, and this might be a sale going on, but I’ve been able to see these pretty consistently throughout the summer You can get a ball only Bushnell Launch Pro for $2,000. I’ve seen that as low as $1,800, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on that More importantly, though, you can get a Bushnell Launch Pro with Club path data for $2,500. That used to be $3,500. So the fact you can get this for $24.99, that includes the screen It is the exact same camera system that the Forsight GC3 uses, which is a $7,000 device And you are getting it for thousands of dollars less Now, I don’t have any inside information. I don’t know what’s going to happen to this. I don’t know if they’re going to bring the launch probe back, but it was supposedly discontinued months ago, and the fact we’re still seen it for sale leads me to question, like, are they bringing it back? Was it the LPI like a big failure? Like, I don’t know But what I do know is the fact that you can get this for $2,500 is a killer deal on what is truly a professional level unit. But as is the case with all launch monitors, there is a downside as well. B Bushnell has one of the highest subscription fees in the industry at $500. So if you want to use any of the foresight software that this is compatible with, you have to have that $500 subscription fee. So if you want to use even just the basic iPad range app, FSX Pro, you’ve got to pay $500. If you want to use GS Pro or any other third party option, you have to pay that $500. on top of that third party fee So for GSP Pro, it’s $5 bucks Bushnell, $50 to GS Pro. That’s $750 a year just to use it. But considering you’re getting such a good device for such a relatively affordable price 500 bucks a year seems like a reasonable price to pay considering the exact same unit with no subscription is $7,000. It’s also worth noting there is the GC3S, which is this weird kind of middle ground which, again, is essentially the Bushnell Launch Pro, but you still have to pay the subscription But you do get a free Bushnell Pro X3 link range findinder, which is a $600 value But a $600 range findinder and a $3,800 GC3S that’s still over $3,000. Whereas right now you can go get that Launch Pro for $2,500. Again, I think that might be a sale price. It wouldn’t surprise me if it jumps back up to $2750,000 or $3,000. Either way, still a pretty good deal, but because they’ve been running the sale so frequently, I would expect to see it again before the end of the year. So keep all that in mind But for under $2,500, you can get that device. An FSX play, which comes with that $500 subscription, is my personal favorite simulator software to use Plain Pebble Beach on that just looks and feels amazing. And so if you’re looking to build a higher end home sim, that is something to consider Hey, real quick, just so you know, if you use any of the links below or if you use any of the coupon codes that I provide, I may get a commission on those products. If you think that makes me biased, totally understand, go do your own research, but my whole goal here is just to help you find the right products for your needs. I don’t care which or any of these you buy, but if you do find this video useful and you do decide one of these products is the right fit for you, clicking these links allows me to continue making videos like this for you Also, I’ve spent extensive time with every single product I mentioned in this video So if you want to read or watch my full review of any of these products, I will link to all of those below as well. All right, back to the video Okay, Next up, a launch monitor under $5,000. And this one, this one is kind of tricky, because you could go with the launch Pro still, because I think that in some ways, that is still the most accurate. You could also go with the full swing kit, which I love the user experience of. Using it outdoors on a range, hands down one of my favorite devices to use, but haven’t had as good of an experience with it indoors But all that to say, I think that if I was spending that money personally, I would probably go with the Garmin R50. Using the Garmin R50 is just a joy to use. It has this massiveive iPad like screen built in It’s very easy to customize, and you can use their home T Hero simulator feature directly on the launch monitor itself, which is pretty cool So the R50, I think, is like the most expensive consumer level launch monitor even though the data is great and everything is accurate and you can get all sorts of data directly on the screen The app experience is pretty terrible. I hoped that Garmin was going to significantly update the Garmin Golf app when the R 50 was released. That’s been one of the biggest drawbacks to the R 10, which is also excellent But that app experience is in need of an overhaul. And with the R50, when you’re spending 10 times the amount of an R10, you want to see that work well And so I’m hoping, and I continue to hope that is something they are going to update I also am continuing to hope they’re going to add compatibility with their golf watches because that is one of the things I love about using the Flight Scope products so much is they pair with an Apple Watch And so if you’re on a range, you don’t want to keep pulling out your phone, you just look down at your watch, and you can customize what data is shown, and it works really well. The fact Garmin is known for their watches, they’ve got these launch monitors. The fact those things don’t work together is kind of kind of mind boggling to me, and that’s something I would love to see All of that to say, even though the R50 is not perfect, I just genuinely enjoy using it. I think it is one of the most fun devices to use. It’s simple. If you’re trying to set up something that’s easy for friends and family, I think this is one of the ones to use Well, it looks a little out of place out on the range because it’s so big, it still works really well out there. And so I think that that is probably the one I would go with despite a number of very good options And finally, money is no object. I would go with the trackman full. Simple as that. You could say a GC quad, but honestly, I think that you get 90, 95% of the value of a GC quad with the Bushnell Launch Pro for 2,500. I think accuracy is going to be very similar. All the software is the same. The user experience is going to be similar So I just think for most people, you’re not going to need to spend the money on a GC Quad when a GC3 or GC3S or a Bushnell Launch Pro, those are all essentially the same device, are going to do pretty much as good of a job for what you need Trackmen, on the other hand, despite all its flaws, every time I go and use one, it just works really well. Now that I’m more familiar with it, I love the way it works. The accuracy is great. Playing courses on it is great, the games are great. It’s a ton of money, but it’s the gold standard for a reason, and so if money was no object, that’s the one that I would buy So there you go. Those are my picks. And honestly, they might change tomorrow, but that’s how I feel right now Making this list was a little bit trickier than I expected it would be. I really expected to be like, oh, yeah, this one and this one and this one. But then I start looking at all the nuances and the difference is, and it’s like, well, I like this, but I don’t like this. And so it just goes to show there is no perfect launch monitor. There’s only the perfect one for you And hopefully, with all the content that I put out here on Breaking 8, I’ve helped you narrow down what that is to try and find the right ones for your needs. If you’re still not sure what the right one for your needs are, you can go take my 30 second quiz. You’re going to answer a few questions. around what you’ looking for, and I’m going to give you my best recommendation based on your needs. If you have any questions about any of these or my experience with them, feel free to drop a comment below. But with that, my name’s Sean Ogle, the founder of this thing here Breaking 8. We talk about cool golf courses, cool golf products. And if you liked it, then maybe subscribe. Give a thumbs up, leave a comment, do all of those things, and we’ll see you on the next video Peace.

Not sure which golf launch monitor is right for you? Take my 30 second quiz: https://breakingeighty.com/launch-monitor-quiz

PRODUCTS MENTIONED:

Swing Caddie SC4 Pro Review: https://breakingeighty.com/voice-caddie-sc4-pro
Buy the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro: https://breakingeighty.com/vc-sc4-pro/

Square Launch Monitor Review: https://youtu.be/uuBj3N7WvhY
Buy the Square: https://breakingeighty.com/square/

Rapsodo MLM2PRO Review: https://youtu.be/gW_GTNYZIO0
Buy the Rapsodo MLM2PRO: https://breakingeighty.com/mlm2pro/

FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 Review: https://youtu.be/hbYFGT668J4
Mevo Gen2
Buy the FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 (Use Code BREAKINGEIGHTYPLUS to save 5%): https://breakingeighty.com/fs-mevo-gen2/

FlightScope Mevo Plus Review: https://youtu.be/3sJk3guXML8
Buy the FlightScope Mevo Plus: https://breakingeighty.com/mevo-plus/
(Use Code BREAKINGEIGHTYPLUS to save 5%)

Bushnell Launch Pro Review: https://breakingeighty.com/bushnell-launch-pro-review
Buy the Bushnell Launch Pro: https://breakingeighty.com/launchpro/

Garmin Approach R50 Review: https://youtu.be/MnLYv_iKCGQ
Buy the Garmin Approach R50: https://breakingeighty.com/r50/

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
0:00 Start
0:13 Launch Monitors I’d buy: Under $500.
1:35 Launch Monitors I’d buy: Under $1,500.
6:52 Launch Monitors I’d buy: Under $2,500.
10:31 A quick disclaimer.
11:05 Launch Monitors I’d buy: Under $5,000.
13:10 Launch Monitors I’d buy: Money is no object.
13:57 Wrap Up.
14:35 Close.