Our Reviews of the SC300i by Swing Caddie
A little while ago we tested and reviewed the Swing Caddie SC200 Plus (the SC300's little brother) and became big fans. It's accurate, easy to use, and very portable. So now the time has come to test and review the SC300. Because we liked the SC200 Plus so much, we had hopes for the SC300 going in. Read below to find our review and results from our testing.
Swing Caddie has built up a reputation and quite the loyal following for their budget friendly launch monitors. They are known for being highly portable, accurate, and simple to use. We found this to be the case when we reviewed the SC200 Plus.
Features of the SC300i
Of course you get your typical measurements: ball speed, carry distance, total distance, and smash factor. Smash factor is typically calculated by dividing ball speed by club speed. With the SC300, you also get measurements for swing speed, launch angle, maximum ball height, and spin rate.
Additionally, this tool comes with a dedicated app, which is actually pretty well done. It presents the data in a much more graphical and appealing way, rather than just through numbers. More importantly, the app will store all your data and show you trends over time with your different clubs. This is a great and convenient feature for measuring progress, but also to be able to see where you might be regressing. You can view all of your shots in a practice session to look for trends, consistency, etc.
The app was a nice addition, and for a first pass, Swing Caddie did a really nice job. We definitely used the app and noticed some good value from doing so. It's also very nice that the app isn't necessary. Some launch monitors require the use of an app. With Swing Caddie, you don't have to use the app if you don't want to, although we certainly recommend that you do!
Similar to the other Swing Caddie monitors, the SC300 will speak the distance of your latest shot. It also comes with a remote that comes in handy at the range. This is a convenient way to change clubs or practice settings.
The SC300 was very easy to use. This is something we come to expect from Swing Caddie, and they excel at it. All you do is turn it on, choose your club (which you can do with the remote), and start swinging. It's as close to plug and play as it gets.
Swing Caddie's SC300 Test Results
The most important feature of any launch monitor is its accuracy. Without accuracy, no other feature is worth a darn. We know the SkyTrak to be as accurate as monitors 5 to 10 times as expensive. So we lined the Swing Caddie up side by side with the SkyTrak, hit a bunch of shots, and compared the measurements.
The Swing Caddie held up remarkably well with distance measurements. Using wedges, the variance was always within 2 yards. As we moved into the irons, the variance increased, but not significantly, and stayed between 1 and 4 yards. With the woods and driver, variance increased again slightly, but stayed under 5 yards. I thought these were impressive results.
Swing speed measurements were quite comparable. There was never greater than 2% difference between the two measurements, which again is pretty impressive.
Launch angle measurements, and therefore ball flight apex measurements, is where we started to see some real discrepancies. We consistently saw the percent differences in the measurements in the double digits, sometimes as high as 25%. When we tested outside, these differences did decrease a bit, but double-digit percent differences were still the norm rather than the exception.
Final Verdict on the SC300 Swing Caddie Launch Monitor
The most important aspect of any monitor is its distance accuracy. This is the most commonly used and widely applicable measurement, and it's something golfers of any skill level care about. The SC300 was remarkably (and surprisingly) accurate. It would be a great tool for determining the distance ranges of each of your clubs. It would also be a great tool for measuring and tracking your swing speed, and therefore improving your distance.
We were disappointed by the launch angle measurements. They were inconsistent and not terribly accurate. However, the app that accompanies the SC300 was a real positive. Being able to automatically store the measurements of every swing, see the distances of every swing in a session on a graph, and track and view trends can be extremely beneficial for improving your distance.
The bottom line is this device is a great tool. We love how simple it is to use, and we were impressed with its accuracy and the app. Any golfer could absolutely benefit from this tool. As with any training tool, if you don't practice with it, it's not going to do you any good!
Swing Caddie SC300 vs. SC200 Plus
The Swing Caddie SC300 has all of the features of the Swing Caddie SC200 Plus. They both provide measurements for swing speed, ball speed, and carry and total distances. The SC300 also provides launch angle and apex measurements and comes with an app that automatically stores all your shot data. The app also displays the data graphically and can show you trends over short and long periods of time.
Admittedly, the launch angle and apex measurements left quite a bit to be desired. The app, however, was a standout feature that could pay big dividends in helping you improve. To us, the decision is really between the lower price of the SC200 Plus and the app (which is great) that comes with the SC300.
This could be a tough decision for many of you. Our advice is if you are serious about using this as a tool for improvement, fork out the extra money for the SC300 and the ability to track and store your shot data. That data is how you are going to improve. If you are getting this more as a toy, something to use for fun, then you won't be missing out on anything with the SC200, so save yourself some money.