Golf Ball Launch Monitor Reviews
Our Top Picks
A golf launch monitor is a tool that measures different data points from the club and the ball just before, during, and just after impact with the ball. Some launch monitors collect data just from the ball. Others only monitor the club. Still others will capture data from both. These measurements can be extremely useful.
Distance is an important measurement provided by most launch monitors. Getting accurate distance measurements is necessary to honing in on the ranges of your clubs, especially your irons and wedges.
These devices also allow you to practice inside (or anywhere), hit into a net, and still get accurate feedback on where your ball ended up. This means you can practice any time of day, regardless of the weather.
Personal launch monitors can help you purchase new equipment by telling you which clubs help you generate more distance, more spin, better trajectory, etc. They are also beneficial for monitoring swing speeds, especially if you're trying to increase your swing speed.
Golf ball launch monitors provide a ton of benefits through the feedback they provide. There are no shortage of providers of these useful tools. So, we took more than a dozen of these portable golf monitors and put them to the test. Below you will find our reviews and recommendations based on the results of our tests.
Our Picks for Top Golf Launch Monitors
Best Launch Monitor for the Home
Review
The SkyTrak has been highly acclaimed since it first came out. This is because it was a revolutionary swing monitor. It brought the world of golf simulation to users for less than $2000. It's an affordable launch monitor, and it's accurate. Very accurate.
Thanks to the SkyTrak's ability to measure back spin and side spin on the ball (it also measures distance, club speed, ball speed, launch angle, etc.), you get truly accurate ball flights. It also runs with golf simulation software, giving you the ability to play thousands of courses, online tournaments, and more. It's a true golf simulator launch monitor.
When we say the SkyTrak was a revolutionary device, we don't say that lightly. The incredible accuracy and multitude of features that you get for under $2000 is why this is our pick for top home golf launch monitor.
Top Portable Launch Monitor
Review
Accuracy and ease of use are things you look for in all launch monitors. But with portable monitors, there are a couple other things to consider. Specifically, you want to pay attention to battery life, size and weight.
The SC300 comes in at 15 oz. and is sized at 6.5" x 4.5" x 1.1". These are very favorable numbers for portability. Unless you are wearing very tight pants, it will fit in most pockets. It easily stores in a golf bag or backpack as well. This thing is a breeze to move around.
The battery performance was also quite good. We consistently got 10 to 11 hours of life out of the battery with regular use. We were doing 3 to 4 hour long testing sessions.
The Swing Caddie monitors have always been very easy to use. The SC300 is no different. It is as close to a turn on and play tool as it gets. You just have to choose which mode you want to practice in.
The SC300 measures distance, ball speed, swing speed, launch angle, apex height, and more. It even accounts for atmospheric influence on the ball flight for more precise accuracy. It's both an outdoors and indoor launch monitor, though the more time it has to measure the ball the better.
We were already big fans of its little brother, the SC200 Plus, and we are now big fans of the SC300. It is our easy pick for best portable golf launch monitor.
Best Dual-Purpose Golf Monitor
Review
The Garmin Approach R10 is an interesting device because it is both a launch monitor and a handheld GPS that fully functions as a distance rangefinder. To my knowledge it is the first of its kind.
Garmin is one of the biggest names in the world of GPS, so we knew the distance rangefinder functionality would work great. And it did. The question was whether the launch monitor feature would fall short of some of the others we tested.
As with all of the ones we tested, the G80 measures ball speed, club head speed, and distance (including roll). But providing these measurements is one thing. Being accurate with them is another thing entirely.
So I tested the Garmin R10 side by side with the SkyTrak, a device I know to be exceptionally accurate. I had them both measuring simultaneously and compared the results.
Hitting with my 9-iron, PW, and gap wedges, the variance between the two devices was less than 2 yards, with decreasing variance as the distance shortened. The longer irons, 8-iron through 5-iron had a variance of 2 to 4 yards.
My hypothesis was that the variance would increase even more with my hybrids, woods, and driver. But the variance leveled off at 4 yards and never exceeded 5 yards. These are pretty impressive results, especially for a device that functions as a very good GPS device.
We were very impressed with the G80. It functions as an accurate GPS rangefinder and is a surprisingly accurate golf swing launch monitor as well. It's our top – and only – pick for dual-purpose monitor. And quite frankly, after testing, we can say it is a very good price for what it can do.
Budget Pick Personal Launch Monitor
Review
The PRGR is a doppler system mobile launch monitor. It has a single doppler radar sensor that reads the movement of the ball immediately after impact to get its measurement for ball speed. This measurement is then used to determine shot distance.
It's pretty amazing that you can get a relatively accurate monitor for around $200. This is a great tool for learning and compartmentalizing the distance ranges for each of your clubs.
Plus, it will store all of this information for reference as well as display distance trends. For these reasons, the PRGR is our standalone budget pick among the most affordable launch monitors.
FAQ
If you are serious about improving as a golfer, regardless of your current skill level, you absolutely should have one. They are the best way to really zero in on your club distance ranges. They also are very helpful in tracking swing speed improvement and getting in extra practice at home. Yes, you have to spend more money, but that money is some of the best money you will spend on any golf equipment.
That is a very good question! Scroll up on this page to find the answer. Hint: check out our review of the SkyTrack monitor.
Smash factor is a metric that nearly every golf monitor provides. Usually this metric is calculated by dividing the ball speed by the club speed. We don't pay much attention to this measurement, and quite honestly don't know why every device provides it.