Whether hitting golf balls into a net with a tablet nearby or in an elaborate custom basement setup, the launch monitor is the brains of your golf simulator that makes the whole thing go. Whether your simulator is born of family fun or as a tool for serious golf improvement is irrelevant: this is a decision you must get right. Here are the top 3 factors to consider when choosing your golf launch monitor.
Camera vs Radar
Launch monitors measure your golf shots. That’s it. They look cool, come with lots of bells and whistles and flashing lights, but at the end of the day their job is to track and measure your golf ball. How they do that can be divided into two basic categories: radar-based systems like FlightScope and Trackman, or camera-based systems like Foresight. (And some have elements of both camera and radar.) Depending on the model, and your budget, a launch monitor in either category can give you ball and clubhead speed, carry and total distance, launch angle, spin, and a lot more. However, the accuracy of those numbers can vary greatly depending on where and how you use your device.
If you’re hitting indoors in a confined area, you’re going to want a camera-based system. These systems see everything they need inches after you impact the golf ball to wash those measurements through complex built-in algorithms and produce accurate ball flight data. The Garmin Approach R50 and the lineups from Uneekor and Foresight are a great place to start your search for a high-quality camera-based system.
If you do that search, you’ll see the camera-based monitors can get expensive in a hurry and therein lies the advantage of radar-based systems. They are generally cheaper, with many more affordable options, but be careful in saving a buck that you don’t sacrifice performance. Radar-based systems need a lot more space behind the golf ball, and for the ball to travel farther after impact, to be accurate. Taken outdoors to the range these systems can hold their own, but if space is a limiting factor in your simulator be sure your launch monitor will have enough room to give you good data.
Pay Now or Pay Later
How much you’ll pay is obviously a big factor as well, and we’ll get into that in a moment. When it comes to launch monitors, it’s becoming increasingly necessary to decide WHEN you’ll pay too.
Take for example the Foresight GC3. Foresight Sports was acquired by Vista Outdoors a few years ago, also a parent company to Bushnell. Not long after this acquisition, the Bushnell Launch Pro debuted. The Launch Pro was nearly identical to the GC3 in appearance and capability but was priced much cheaper with less capability unless you signed on for an annual subscription. Now, it’s gotten even more complicated with Bushnell’s release of the Launch Pro Circle B Edition and Launch Pro Indoor.
Let’s try to simplify this: head to Foresight’s website and you’ll find the GC3 available for $7K. It will come fully unlocked, with all the ball and club data it’s capable of, and unfettered lifetime access to its FSX software suite. Foresight will also sell you a GC3S if $7K is too much sticker shock though, provided you’re willing to pay $500 annually for the same software and club data the GC3 came with. But wait, there’s more.
Head over to Bushnell’s site, and the “Circle B” Launch Pro is $2,500 but also requires an annual subscription. You could also opt for the Launch Pro Indoor for $1,500 plus subscription costs. The catch to all this? Outside of varying paint schemes these are all virtually the same hardware!
The point is, do your research and know what you’re getting and what you might still have to pay for. The subscription model is prevalent with almost all golf launch monitor companies, and maybe you’re okay with that. If you’d rather rip the band-aid and be done with it though, know which model will do that for you.
The Budget
The axiom “you get what you pay for” certainly applies to launch monitors. Generally, the more you’re willing to spend, the more you get in capability and accuracy. There are certainly some excellent value propositions available, the Rapsodo MLM2PRO with its combined camera and radar capabilities chief among them. The MLM2PRO relies heavily on an annual subscription to use most of its features, however.
There is a broad range of price points and performance from entry-level monitors like Mevo+ and SkyTrak that hover around $2K, to the enterprise-level Trackman and Foresight GCQuadMAX that will push your total to 20 grand. Often the Garmin R50, Foresight GC3, and Uneekor Eye Mini are a great option to deliver a lot of capability without paying flagship prices.
Software, Outdoor Use, and More
There are other factors to consider for sure. If you want to be able to unplug from your home simulator and park your launch monitor on the driving range, you’ll want to make sure to invest in a system that’s capable and accurate in the elements as well. Some systems are notorious for struggling outdoors, so again: do your research. You’ll also want to pay attention to software. Graphics that look like a Nintendo game can be a major buzzkill, so be sure to invest in a system that will produce a visual you’ll be happy with.
Done right, a golf simulator can be an avenue for hours upon hours of golf enjoyment, and a path to significant improvements in your game. You’ve got several important decisions to make that dream a reality though, and the most important one is choosing your launch monitor. Make the right call on a camera versus radar-based system, and when and how much you’ll pay, and you’ll be on your way to golf simulator success.