Launch Monitors have certainly had a lot of advancement and options in recent years. The price range for launch monitors varies greatly so depending on how much you are willing to spend, there is likely going to be a good launch monitor for you. Personally, I think launch monitors are great for practice at the range or if you want to build a home practice area.
A basic launch monitor will give you info such as carry distance, swing speed, ball speed, smash factor and direction. As you go up in price you will get more data as well as more accurate data because there will be more radar, cameras, etc.
Also, most launch monitors are set up to work with your phone or tablet or computer. Some have small screens and such with some basic information but more information is available via these other devices.
So let’s get down to it.
Tier 1 – The top!
The best launch monitor is the Trackman. It’s pretty much the gold standard when it comes to launch monitors. Since it’s the gold standard it is also the most expensive and starts at around $25,000….yes, that’s not a typo. You also need to get a subscription plan for software updates, support, etc. so it ends up costing much more than that. Most of the top PGA and LPGA pros use trackman and it’s common to see the trackman set up at the driving range when pros practice before their round. President Trump even installed a Trackman in the White House so he could practice golf. A typical home or indoor range setup is to have a big screen to hit balls to with a projector connected to a computer running trackman software. It’s also the setup by many Youtubers (Mr. Short Game, What’s Inside, etc.). Trackman is set up behind the golfer so it is great for setups where some are left handed since the trackman unit does not need to be moved depending on right/left handedness.
Second to trackman is the GC Quad by Foresight. As the name states, there is radar as well as 4 cameras to measure numbers. GC Quad and some say that it is better than Trackman and that might be true. But personally, I still view Trackman as the gold standard and GC Quad as a close second but you really can’t go wrong with either of these top launch monitors. Price for a GC Quad is around $15,000. Setup is in front of the golfer so rather than behind you, the unit is set up on the right side (for right handed golfers) and the left side (for left handed golfers). This means that if you have a home setup with both right and left handed golfers, the unit will need to be picked up and moved which can be annoying.
Tier 2 – Mid-range
These launch monitors are in the price range of around $5,000 or so. They include launch monitors such as a GC 3 ($7k-$11k), Full Swing (promoted by Tiger Woods), Bushnell Launch Pro, etc. Personally, I think the Bushnell Launch Pro is the one I would probably buy in this price range as it’s only $3,500 and I’ve seen them for sale for under $3,000 (but with subscription it ends up more like $5k).
Tier 3 – Low-range
This is the price range where most amateurs purchase launch monitors. Prices are under $1,000 and generally more like the $500 or so range. These include launch monitors such as:
Flightscope Mevo – really small form factor so very convenient to stick in your bag when you go to the range. There’s no screen though so you must use your phone or tablet to see info.
Garmin Approach G80 – nice accurate numbers and also small with a good screen (about the size of a mobile phone).
Swing Caddie SC4 – one of my favorite launch monitors because the unit has a decent sized screen with most of the key info that I want. I use this launch monitor most of the time when I go to the range.
Rapsodo MLM 2 Pro – this is also a launch monitor that I use often. The numbers look good and the built in camera records my golf swing. But there’s no screen so I use this with my tablet.
Garmin R10 – this was sold out for most of the year when it first came out because it was so revolutionary for a $600 launch monitor. There is no screen so you must use a phone or tablet. But in addition to basic numbers, this is the only launch monitor at this price point that also includes data such as swing path, attack angle, etc…i.e., numbers that were previously only available at much higher price points. However, most of this data is calculated so accuracy is a bit off (but better than nothing).
Personally, if you don’t have a launch monitor and you don’t want to spend over $1k, I recommend the Swing Caddie SC4. It’s a great all-in-one unit. If you want some more fancy features they I would recommend the Rapsodo MLM 2 Pro. These are the 2 launch monitors that I use 90% of the time that I am at the range. But if you want some additional data, then I would go with the Garmin R10.