Latest / PlayBetter's Golf Tech Weekly / Best Launch Monitors Under $1,000
Transcript
- PlayBetter: Not that long ago, a legitimate launch monitor cost you five figures. Today, 200 bucks gets you real data, and 1,000 gets you closer to professional grade performance than you'd ever expect. The category has completely blown up, and the options are actually good now. Today we're walking through the best launch monitors under a grand in 2026. I'm Mark Shaforgian, joined as always by Daniel Fitzpatrick. This is Golf Tech Weekly presented by Playbetter. Daniel, this is a good one today. ⁓ something that I think is in a lot of ⁓ a lot of listeners wheelhouse, ⁓ affordable launch monitors. ⁓ before we get into the options, any general thoughts on on the under $1,000 launch monitor market today? Yeah, definitely, Mark. So as you mentioned like in our in our intro here, like, you know, when when I was growing up or when, you know, launch monitors were kind of became a thing. They were ⁓ almost like a lifetime investment. I mean, it was something that was only for maybe one percent of golfers or someone who was creating a business around it, like a golf instructor or a club fitter or club builder or something like that. ⁓ in the last five to six years, we've seen ⁓ these products really come down in price. And even in the last, I would say, even just a couple of years, They've now gotten affordable to where basically anybody with ⁓ with a credit card or or somebody who has some sit you know a small amount of saved up money can create a home golf simulator in their home while also getting a portable device that maybe they can take to the driving range too. So it's really cool to see how this side of the golf industry has evolved. And every year we go to the PGA show, we're looking for the newest, hottest ⁓ product that's breaking this barrier of that thousand dollar launch monitor. Yeah, and we saw more come in twenty twenty six. And the other thing too is is they get more and more accurate. I mean, the the feature sets are getting better, the accuracy is getting more dialed in, the space is becoming more competitive. And so those manufacturers that are entering this space are really having to bring some serious game in order to compete. ⁓ and so ⁓ a lot of ⁓ a lot of great news for the consumer. ⁓ So the idea today, ⁓ if you watched us last week, ⁓ we went through the what we thought were some of the best Father's Day gifts ⁓ of 2026. And ⁓ we did so in in relatively quick fashion. We just tried to hit ⁓ kind of some pros and cons, some highlights of each each product, and invite anyone who's interested in learning more to go to playbetter.com, ⁓ check out some of our our other YouTube content. ⁓ we have used, in the case of this list here today, We have used every single one of these products extensively, indoors, outdoors, on the golf course. ⁓ we have put all of these products through the paces. We have written extensive, full-blown reviews. You can find those on playbackter.com. Some of this stuff we have done ⁓ standalone YouTube ⁓ pieces on and we'll continue to do more of them. And so again. If you're interested in something that resonates with you, there's a lot more to learn. What we're going to try to do today is identify kind of some of the high points. ⁓ So, another thing to consider, if any of this stuff makes sense to you, but you're still not quite sure, check out our Play Better Golf Simulator Advisor. We'll leave that in the description below. That's a fantastic tool that allows you to really kind of personalize your specs. Show us what kind of space you're working with. what kind of budget you're working with, ⁓ what might be most important to you, and we'll come back to you with recommendations. ⁓ so consider that as well. All right, let's get into it, Daniel. ⁓ this was a huge one in 2026. In fact we did a standalone episode on this product, the Shot Scope LM1. Tell everybody what it is and why somebody might want it. So the LM one, like you said, Mark, was ⁓ was pretty groundbreaking at the at the PGA show. And it wasn't because of what the device was capable of, but it was because of what the price point is and the value that it brought with it. ⁓ to have a launch monitor with a built in screen that's portable that you can use at home or at the driving range for two hundred dollars was not ever done before. ⁓ especially with the accuracy that the LM One has proven to have. ⁓ I know we've both tested it. I I even made a short video of using it on course and at the driving range that we have on our channel. It really blew me away. ⁓ you know, usually radar devices like this that are small, they tend to struggle with with swing speeds once they get up to a certain threshold. And I didn't see that at all with the LM One. I mean, I was swinging drivers, you know, upwards of over 115 miles an hour where they tend to typically really struggle with not only capturing but being accurate. And the LM1 performed way better than I expected. It was it was honestly insanely accurate. ⁓ it is a little bit basic. I mean, it does give you five metrics. ⁓ but they're five metrics that are usable by any golfer. I mean, carry distance, ⁓ ball speed, club speed, smash factor. It's all relatively useful, just even understanding how far you carry every golf club in your bag. So it's portable, the screen on board is really bright and easy to read. And it you don't have to have an app with you. It'll capture the shots and you can just upload it to your to your phone or tablet later. So it's honestly an awesome product. I think this is hopefully just the first of many launch monitors that Shotscope brings out because if this is their first version, I'm really excited to see what they have coming next. Couldn't agree more. I think it's the easiest yes in Golf Tech right now. It's two hundred dollars. And just as you said, Daniel, it's remarkably accurate for something that's only two hundred dollars. ⁓ now we should mention that this is not a golf simulator. This is ⁓ strictly a golf launch monitor. It does not integrate with SIM software. ⁓ and so understand that. ⁓ but this it as a ⁓ a tool to take to the driving range, a tool to learn more about your golf swing and what you're doing ⁓ correctly and where some opportunities for improvement might lie, this thing is just incredible. ⁓ so shots go up LM1, $200, easy no-brainer. Honestly, even for somebody that may already have a golf launch monitor and a sim setup at home as a second launch monitor that allows them to then leave their sim setup untouched and and take this little portable device to the range, totally amazing. ⁓ speaking of portable and really the OG product of this entire category, the Garmin Approach R ten. ⁓ Daniel, what can you tell us about this baby? Yeah, so ⁓ you know, obviously Garmin has a huge name in the electronic space and they really turned some heads when they brought out the R ten. ⁓ honestly, because of the price and its capabilities, you could play full simulation with it without putting, of course. ⁓ but it was connected able to connect to G S Pro. You could use it with E six connect. And what I find the best value is using it with their home T hero software. ⁓ Over 43,000 courses. They've got the enhanced courses now with their latest update. ⁓ honestly, the value here is insane. It does have some space requirements. It's a it's a radar device, so you do need more space, but it is compatible with RCT golf balls now. I mean, honestly, overall, when it when it came out, it was kind of like, okay, this is a cool toy. But now, with all the updates and the accuracy has improved greatly, it's a really impressive. device overall. I mean, it can actually make you better at your golf game. And like you said, it's very portable. I mean, it fits into a small zippered case. You can put it in your golf bag. Overall, it's it's the best under five hundred dollar all around launch monitor that's out there. It's incredible. It's on sale right now for what, four hundred dollars, if I'm not mistaken, which is wild. ⁓ yeah, just as you say, I mean the idea that we can that we can get all that we can get for four hundred dollars with a subscription that's only nine ninety nine a month. And then have access to ⁓ Home T Hero, which we did a whole episode on on ⁓ all the improvements that that software includes. ⁓ so it's gotten considerably better. We now have stack system integration for speed training. This thing's the size of a deck of cards. And also, ⁓ give it credit, this really is the product that kind of set the whole whole market on its head. I mean, this is the this was the original disruptor, the first one that that was a sub thousand dollar launch monitor that included ⁓ simulator integration. And so ⁓ what a product still incredibly relevant five years down the down the line and one that's now invented an entire category, ⁓ kind of a sub-industry. ⁓ all right so one of those kind of copycat ⁓ products would be the VoiceCaddy or Swing Caddy SC4 Pro. ⁓ that one, I believe, is also on sale for five hundred dollars, normally six hundred dollars. ⁓ not entirely sure how long that promo lasts. So ⁓ if it's something that screams to you, maybe consider acting. but Daniel, what can you tell us about the SC4 Pro? Yeah, so Swing Caddy kind of had some budget launch monitors throughout time here. ⁓ most were kind of similar to the LM1, ⁓ but they always really kind of struggled with consistency of accuracy. ⁓ it always felt like it was a great budget option for people who wanted solid data at the driving range and it had a built in screen and and a remote to be able to change your clubs and things like that. ⁓ the SC four pro has been their advancement, their new best option that they have out there. And it does simulation as well. So if you're looking for something that has an onboard screen that shows the data that you can play, you know, simulation golf with, it's a solid option. ⁓ I think overall the accuracy is solid. It's not perfect. But I think for, you know, 75% of golfers, it's accurate enough. And I think overall it's a it's a solid product that's at the end of the day very user-friendly and easy to use. Yeah. It was the first one ⁓ in this price catalog or cat category that came out with that built-in display, which makes a lot of sense for a ⁓ more budget type of launch monitor. To have something that you can take to the range, set down, and not even need to interface with an app and just get your numbers maybe pre-round or when you're doing a quick range session. And then, like you said, if you do want to use it as a simulator, it actually comes with ⁓ with five free E6 Connect courses. And the other big thing too with ⁓ with them is that there's no ongoing subscription. So some some definite definite wins there. The space is getting a bit more competitive, and so I think the SC4 Pro is gonna feel a little bit of ⁓ Pressure from the next product that we're going to mention. ⁓ but still ⁓ still belongs on this list, still definitely relevant. And if you can get it for $500, absolutely an incredible, incredible value. ⁓ all right, next up is our newest product. Just dropped, ⁓ I guess as of this recording a couple of weeks ago, ⁓ shipping now, the Blue Teas Rainmaker, making a lot of noise. ⁓ Daniel, what do you got on that one? Yeah, new product. ⁓ like like ⁓ some of the other products in the space with Shot Scope that we mentioned earlier, this is Blue T's first launch monitor. And honestly, they came in with some impressive features. ⁓ a little bit different from the SC four pro that the onboard screen is customizable. ⁓ and it does provide a pretty impressive amount of data. I believe twenty one data parameters, if I'm not mistaken. ⁓ and the app that they come with it, I I think overall it's it's pretty solid already and I expect it to get better over time. ⁓ you can hit shots and collect data and then transfer it to the app later. I think the way that they've integrated everything with their ecosystem, with rangefinder connectivity and how seamless it all seems to be is pretty impressive. ⁓ that's the one thing I think with other companies out there, a lot of that connectivity and and you know, usage from app to app. Can be cumbersome, it can be annoying, but from my understanding, everything seems to be pretty, pretty impressive overall at the first glance, which which is a big deal. It might sound simple, but overall the user-friendliness of that is a big deal to be able to use all those features. So I think this product will get better over time. It's still early in the stages. But overall, I think the design is it looks cool. I think it's a unique device. And having that waterproof capability, like you found out, Mark, is important because you never know when that thunderstorm is going to hit you on the driving range. You're exactly right. For $600, it introduces some pretty incredible features. The connected ecosystem, the ability to now get personalized club recommendations in your Blue Tease rangefinder based on your Rainmaker ⁓ launch monitor data. Is is really really impressive because previous to this, you had to spend up to something like the Foresight slash Bushnell ⁓ link enabled feature or the ⁓ flightscope ⁓ i4 ⁓ range ⁓ excuse me ⁓ yes range finder. ⁓ and now to get into that game for a $600 launch monitor, a $300 or a $250 range finder is unbelievable. ⁓ the other thing that I think is so cool about that is that that data is dynamically updating without you having to do anything. The numbers you're going to get in your rangefinder are based on numbers that are continuously updating from your launch monitor sessions. So that's very, very cool. I know for one ⁓ you know, I think I hit a club one one distance and and I realized that, hey, maybe I did two years ago, but but now I no longer do. Well, this is Useful for exactly that reason. ⁓ also another cool thing is ⁓ GS Pro integration. That's another ⁓ advantage that it has over the SC4 Pro. Now, to be very fair and be be very candid, ⁓ there are ⁓ a couple of metrics where the accuracy consistency is maybe in question. But what I would say is that for $600. For 21 data metrics for a 4.3 inch customizable display and 1,000 shot onboard storage. I mean, we're not we really shouldn't be expecting perfection. and I hate to use the term good or good enough because it might suggest that it's not good enough, but I mean sincerely that I do think this is accurate enough for legitimate use, for legitimate improvement. ⁓ and just as you said, Daniel. I think the products is going to continue to mature and get better. So an exciting launch from from Blue Teas, ⁓ and one that's attracted a lot of attention in 2026. Another hot new product in 2026, another one that we did a full episode on is the Garmin Approach G82. What can you tell us about that one? It's unique. Yeah, it's it's unique more than any other product on this list. And it's because it's not just a launch monitor, it's also ⁓ GPS handheld. So you can use it for front, center, back of the green. ⁓ it has even the ability to get ⁓ like slope readings and stuff of the greens and the grid layouts basically. ⁓ it's a really impressive device because you can use it, you know, magnetized straight to your golf cart to give you those distances. And then if you're on course or even if you're just on the driving range and you want to get some basic data. You can lay it down, capture that data. It does some putting data too, which I found to be pretty cool. ⁓ overall, a really like you said, unique, but also a very useful device. ⁓ I think it checks a lot of boxes for amateur golfers and what they would use it for. Plus, it has an awesome display at the end of the day. And it's backed by Garmin. I mean, honestly, we you know, I think both you and me are are big Garmin supporters and users. ⁓ You know, it's it's honestly, I know we did it last week, ⁓ for for Father's Day, but it's if it's a last minute Father's Day thing you're looking for, that's also a great option for for them too, because it's it's so user friendly. It has all the golf courses preloaded. So it just makes things easy on the course with the ability to track some data too. Yeah. It's like having a giant ⁓ Garmin golf watch ⁓ in a in a handheld ⁓ device, just as you said, with the magnet that you can stick to a car post or a carabiner clip that you can clip to your bag. ⁓ and then to with one click of a button, you have a launch monitor. You set the thing down on a golf ball a foot away from your your ball and you're getting data. ⁓ pretty cool party trick too. I know I know when you had it out on the course, you drew a crowd of buddies rather quickly. ⁓ that's been my experience too. When I bring this thing out, I just had it out recently to test against another product, ⁓ just to use it as a bit of a benchmark. And next thing I know I've got people asking, What's that? What's that? you know, so Really, really cool. ⁓ very, very unique and ⁓ in a in a standout product. ⁓ the Garmin G eighty two, six hundred dollars if I'm not mistaken on that one. And ⁓ for the right user, worth every penny, no question. ⁓ all right, another unique product. ⁓ the original square, the home edition. Daniel, ⁓ what can you tell us about that one? Yeah, definitely. So we talked a little bit about how Garmin, the R ten, was the offici like the original disruptor. ⁓ Well, Square kind of tried to steal some of that ⁓ attention away a few years ago. ⁓ I believe one or two years ago when the when the home edition came out. ⁓ but when this thing came out, it was like, what in the heck is going on? ⁓ this is the only photometric or camera based launch monitor under a thousand dollars that's out there. less space required to use it. It is indoor only, so you can't take it outdoors. ⁓ it does require specific golf balls. ⁓ but that's really the only drawbacks with it at the end of the day. ⁓ it's extremely accurate. It it connects with G S Pro seamlessly, it connects with other softwares. Even they have their own simulation software, which is on a ⁓ credit based system, almost like an arcade style credit based system, which is still relatively affordable. So it's honestly overall the the value here, what it does, the accuracy, it's awesome. And if you don't have enough room to to hit a golf ball, you can use the included swing stick and just swing that and play around to golf too. So yeah, it really has completely disrupted the market and we've seen already more products getting into this under thousand dollar price point because of the Square Home Edition. Yeah. Yeah. Includes putting as well. somewhat unique for this ⁓ this price point. ⁓ and yeah, man, it it it really is a very unique one. I'd say if you're tight on space And tight on budget, this is the answer. ⁓ just as you said, Daniel, the only option under a thousand dollars that is a camera-based sit to the side of the golf ball option. and so yes, mate's making a ton of noise. Now, one thing I will say on it, ⁓ it does not include ⁓ swing speed, and therefore you don't get ⁓ smash factor either. And so those are metrics that ⁓ I think a lot of amateurs are looking for as like a quick kind of checkpoint ⁓ to see. ⁓ how efficiently they're striking the golf ball. ⁓ and so that's a bit of a drawback. But again, ⁓ nothing on this list is supposed to be presented as perfect. ⁓ what we're trying to do here is tell it like it is the pros and cons honestly and for you to listen and hear what resonates with your use case and to find the product that makes the most sense for what you want the most. ⁓ don't sleep on the square. ⁓ All right. ⁓ the Rap Soto ML MLM two pro. ⁓ believe a current sale price of six hundred dollars, Daniel. ⁓ what do you ⁓ what do you know about that one? Yeah, so it is a mainly a radar based product. ⁓ you know, it does have some cameras on board, which is cool because it'll record your swing down the line. ⁓ and and it it is an impressive device at the end of the day for especially at the price it's at right now. ⁓ it does require more space again, being the the radar product, and it does require to use the RPT golf balls. So there are some specific requirements if you want measured spin rate. otherwise, you know, if you go to the range, it'll still function. It's just gonna be more calculated spin rates ⁓ for that type of thing. So overall, really impressive device. If you want the full features out of it, then you're gonna look at a subscription for it, or you can get a lifetime subscription and never worry about paying again. That gives you access to a ton of golf courses on their own software and access to third-party softwares like GS Pro or E6 Connect or things like that. You won't get putting out of it, similar to the R10 from Garmin. ⁓ but overall, I mean, it's honest, it's honestly pretty awesome. I mean, it's insanely accurate. It is really easy to set up. ⁓ overall, a really impressive product from Rap Soto. They originally came out. ⁓ with a launch monitor that had have your phone or a tablet sit on a stand and they've evolved into the MLM2 Pro, which has been really impressive and it's been really popular at the end of the day. It's I mean we've we've sold a ton of these. Yeah. ⁓ one thing that I really love about the product is that they've continued to improve it and evolve it. ⁓ you know it wasn't that long ago that they added directly measured club path and angle of attack ⁓ two huge additional metrics without changing the price. ⁓ they also kind of toyed with ⁓ the subscription model and eventually came up with that just as you said, that lifetime option where you can just pay once. I think it's six hundred dollars and you're done, ⁓ which is nice. and I also like just as you said, you have those cameras that give you the down the line ⁓ swing view automatically. You don't have to do anything. You're not talking about setting up an external camera. The unit provides that for you with every sh every shot automatically. ⁓ And then you also get a slow motion ⁓ impact view as well, ⁓ which is a ⁓ unique feature at this price point. ⁓ So ⁓ I look at it as potentially the most accurate ⁓ of the sub $1,000 launch monitors ⁓ and maybe the pick for ⁓ the serious player who isn't quite ready to spend up beyond that $1,000 mark. ⁓ so yeah, ⁓ just as you said, very, very popular for very, very good reason. ⁓ all right. Well, that is the options in 2026. And as I hope everyone understands, ⁓ some damn good ones and ⁓ and a lot of them. and one thing that we wanted to talk about is if you can stretch just a little bit above that thousand dollar ceiling. I know that's kind of a magic ceiling for a lot of budgets, and and full respect to that. But if you can stretch just above, ⁓ you can get into something like the Flightscope Mevo Gen 2, and that opens up an entirely different world of of options and opportunities. ⁓ Daniel, tell us what you can get if you can if you can stretch it just that much further. Yeah, and then we're we're talking just a couple hundred dollars here. I mean, at at 1,299, ⁓ it's a pretty impressive device. I mean, at the end of the day, Flightscope is a company who built products for golf professionals, teachers, and fitters. So When you get into the Mevo Gen 2, you can instantly feel that premium level. I mean, it's the same software that they use with like their X3C device, which is, you know, $15,000. So it's a really impressive software. It comes with a nice data set right out of the box with no required subscriptions. So you do get a lot of ball data. You'll get club head speed, smash factor, angle of attack. So there is some club data in there. If you want more data, you can you can pay one time upgrade fees to get full club fit ⁓ full D-plane club data and face impact location, which you know, before the new Square Omni and even if you just add face impact location, it's the cheapest way to get into face impact location data. So it it honestly overall is a really impressive device. It comes with eight golf courses from E6 Connect. It has seamless integration into GS Pro. ⁓ It is a radar device. It uses fusion tracking. So it does use the camera for some of its measurement as well, but it does require more space. So if you have the space available and a slight bump in your budget, this is a no-brainer option. I mean, it's portable, it goes to the range. It doesn't require any markings on your club to get that club data. It it really is overall an awesome valued product that has been really difficult to keep in stock. It is new, it came out last fall. ⁓ but overall it's it's been really impressive. Only ⁓ only product on this list ⁓ that would give you if you if you ⁓ get into the upgrade package, ⁓ face impact location, ⁓ which ⁓ as as you've mentioned numerous times kind of throughout our series here, Daniel, is just a huge, huge feature for ⁓ an amateur or competitive player, yeah. Yeah, I think it's often the most overlooked piece of data. ⁓ you know, everybody always falls in love with with face and path, but they forget that striking the ball in the middle of the club face is probably the most important. Yeah, yeah. ⁓ that ⁓ you can get the pro package and face impact location package ⁓ bundle right now for a sale price of six fifty. I think that's a two hundred dollar savings. ⁓ highly, highly recommend doing that. ⁓ I I would even ⁓ advise potentially saving until you can buy the thirteen hundred dollar product and ⁓ buy that add-on. Because if you do, you're going to have everything short of the top of the line here. I mean, it is ⁓ it it is the most ⁓ data extensive, ⁓ the most analytical launch monitor anywhere near this price point. And so for somebody that's serious about improvement that really wants to dive into the numbers, dive into the analysis. I mean it goes deep. It really goes really, really deep. and and isn't quite ready to go to a a track man or a GC quad. ⁓ th this is this is the choice. ⁓ and again it's not under a thousand dollars. Don't mean this to be clickbaity, just throwing it in there as a as a bonus because you don't want to be short sighted. If if it if you can maybe stretch to it, ⁓ give it a give it some consideration. ⁓ All right, well, that's our honest take. ⁓ once again, ⁓ we have written ⁓ full blown reviews on all of these products. We have done standalone episodes on some of these products, we have other YouTube content on many of these products, and again, our Playbetter Golf Simulator Advisor is a very, very slick tool. We'll link to that below. ⁓ you click that thing, ⁓ you run through ⁓ your own setup options, and we will give you ⁓ our best recommendation. ⁓ if after all of that you still wanna talk more, well that's exactly what Daniel does. So please please do consider giving him a call. ⁓ really appreciate everyone's support. Please like and subscribe to the channel and ⁓ we really appreciate everyone watching and listening. Daniel, ⁓ anything anything that we're missing before we get out of here? No, I I think we've covered everything that ⁓ that are the premium selections here under a thousand. ⁓ And honestly, I'm just excited because I know there's gonna be more products coming in this in this category, honestly. There there's a reason why ⁓ the ones that are here have been successful and I I'm excited to see what's coming next. It's a great, great time to be a golfer. If you've got the ceiling night, you can have a indoor setup. And even if you don't, you got ⁓ fantastic options to take to the range or out to the backyard ⁓ with a hitting net. So ⁓ everybody ⁓ Get with it. all right. Well, we'll ⁓ we'll see you all next week. ⁓ thank you again for watching and listening. This is Golf Tech Weekly.