The technology for golf launch monitors has improved immensely over just the last few years. We now have a number of affordable launch monitor products available to the serious golfer on a budget. In this post, I investigate the best launch monitor for under $500.
The most popular launch monitors that I consider to be “affordable” for most golfers include models by Flightscope, Swing Caddie, Ernest Sports and Rapsodo.
Let’s have a look at each of these.
Flightscope Mevo
Flightscope may currently be the most popular brand in this price range. The data provided by this launch monitor include
- Carry distance
- Ball and club speed
- Spin rate
- Smash factor
- Vertical launch angle
- Apex height and
- Flight time
To improve the accuracy of measuring ball spin, the Mevo can be used with metallic stickers to place on your golf ball.
The Mevo will also store video clips you take with your phone or tablet with data overlay to help you track your progress over time. Check it out on Amazon here… FlightScope Mevo – Portable Personal Launch Monitor for Golf.
Swing Caddie SC300
The Swing Caddie SC300 Portable Launch Monitor is the top of the line launch monitor produced by Voice Caddie.
The Swing Caddie SC300 also uses doppler radar to provide data, similar to the Mevo. The data provided by this launch monitor include
- Carry/total distance
- Smash factor
- Launch angle
- Swing speed
- Apex height
- Ball speed and
- Spin rate
The Swing Caddie comes with a remote control and also provides some data by voice. You can also connect it to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth and it offers a Practice mode and Target mode.
Ernest Sports ES 14
The Ernest Sports ES14 Pro Portable Launch Monitor is the launch monitor that fits into this price category. The ES 14 Pro measures ball and club speed through the use if doppler radar. It provides the following data:
- Ball speed
- Club speed
- Smash factor
- Launch angle
- Spin rate and
- Carry distance
You can connect the ES 14 Pro to an app on your phone or tablet that provides a variety of different features, most notable of which are club averages and a Skills Challenge.
Rapsodo Launch Monitor
The Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor is the newest entrant into this price level.
The Rapsodo uses a combination of camera AND radar technology that provides a bit more feedback than the other products. These include…
- Carry distance
- Club speed
- Ball speed
- Launch angle
- Smash factor
- Launch direction
Additionally, the Rapsodo provides shot tracer technology and smart club technology so you don’t have to manually tell it which club you are using.
Similar to the other models, Rapsodo provides an app and you connect to it on your phone or tablet.
My Pick – The Best Launch Monitor Under $500
Before I tell you my pick, let me clue you in on my requirements…
- It needs to be useful both indoors and outdoors.
- Shot tracing (for when using indoors or into a net outdoors)
My goal is to be able get as close to the driving range experience I can get, while staying home.
Normally, you would need a golf simulator type of set up, which you can either do indoors, or you needed a far more expensive launch monitor to pull it off.
The one product that offers both of these is the Rapsodo.
While I like the Flightscope Mevo’s feature that allows you to store video of your swings, I really don’t need that feature.
I like the idea of being able to go into my backyard, and hit balls into my net and see the general shape of my shots. To be able to do that, and get the feedback that all of the products offer, for about $500, is pretty impressive.
With that in mind, my pick for best launch monitor for under $500 is the Rapsodo. You can pick it up on Amazon here… Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor
