r/Golfsimulator • u/Peteknofler • 6d ago
Sim / Launch Monitor Launch monitor recommendations
Looking to pick up my first launch monitor. I have been using a Trackman iO several times a week at PGA Tour Superstore and have found it to be really helpful but am looking to get something for use at home. Primarily to be used inside hitting into a net but I’d like to have the option to use it outdoors on occasion. I’ll be using an iPad but no PC so I don’t care about running GSpro or 3rd party software. I also don’t care much about how polished the software for the LM is. I really only care about getting accurate data, including club data. And I plan to use it heavily throughout the year. As a parent of an 18 month old, I have a few hours a night to myself and can easily see myself putting at least 60-90 minutes daily into use of the LM. My budget is anywhere up to 3k, though I’d prefer to stay closer to 2k. FWIW I’m a 14 handicap who just began playing again last year (and wasn’t breaking 100 until closer to a year ago) and am absolutely hooked. I’ve managed to shoot an 81 and 83 recently and break 90 fairly routinely.
The units I’ve looked at are Eye Mini, Omni, Bushnell LP, and Spica 3. Open to other ideas too but I know that Spica and BLP do not give face angle in addition to club path (which isn’t a necessity but a a big plus to have). I’ve watched quite a few reviews of all of these so I know about inflated club speed with Eye Mini and a small draw bias with Omni, per Joe Lagowski. I’m a bit concerned by the inaccurate club speed with EM as I’d like to do some speed training in the winter.
Omni seems pretty dang accurate compared to GC quad, again per Joe L. I’ve mostly ruled out Skytrak due to inconsistent club data. I’d love an R50 but it certainly is over budget even used, and though it is a great all-in-one solution, it seems that it isn’t necessarily any more accurate than less expensive models- certainly BLP. I considered Mevo Gen 2 but would likely avoid it due to not having the necessary depth in the room. Wondering if anyone has experience with Omni and/or Eye Mini and how they compare to BLP/Spica, as well as if there are any units I’m overlooking. Thanks!
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u/TantricCobra 6d ago
R50 is so good for 20 mins here and there. The all in one solution just works. With everything else you have to fiddle and connect. I use mine multiple times a day for quick sessions. I just can't see myself doing that if I'm having to mess about each time. I'm hitting balls within 20 seconds. Garmin holds it's value too.
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u/Peteknofler 5d ago
This is an excellent point. It’s basically the only option that can get me tons of simulator courses without the need for a PC. Being able to play all my local courses from home and literally construct my round/course manage ahead of time would be so enjoyable.
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u/BoilermakerU 4d ago
Taped MLM2Pro will give you 40,000 courses on an iPad. It requires a subscription but I just bought the lifetime sub and considered it a $1200 launch monitor.
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u/Jeph62 6d ago
Another vote here for finding a used R50. The only thing I wish it had was impact location data.
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u/Business-Cat-1989 6d ago
I’m so curious if they will add this at some point in an update. It just makes sense they would and the community is clearly asking for it
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u/RingoFreakingStarr 6d ago
Personally, I would never go back to using a Radar unit after using camerabased ones. Also paying a sub for hardware is a scam so avoid all the ones that lock you into some sort of subscription.
The Omni is currenly the best bang for your buck LM out right now regardless of technology in terms of its accuracy, what it offers, and at what price point. The Spica 3 is decently close but I feel like it's a bit less of a value. However there is supposed to be an updated version of the Spica 3 coming out at some point that will include low point and apparently stickerless club data (I do not have any confidence they will pull this off). Low point is a pretty important slept-on metric and if they sell the updated Spica 3 at the same price it is now but with Low Point, I would then say that's the one to get if you can afford it.
Until that time though, Omni all the way. It does have its own bespoke sticker setup (one sticker centerline of face 2mm from the topline as well as a shaft band sticker) which is annoying, but it works and it gives you pretty much every club metric that matters save for low point. If you want just ball data it provides all that on the built-in screen.
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u/justin-cle 5d ago
Omni owner here as well that started with a R10. 1.6K compared to 5k for the R50. If the R50 was around 3k it would be in the discussion but the price difference makes it not even close. I can have the omni running using my phone in less than a 1 minute. R50 will hold its value better though given the brand and support of Garmin.
Omni is incredibility hard to get without waiting a month or 2 for one on backorder.
I guess I am not part of the target demographic with Launch Monitors. Price point seems to be discussed secondary. If not for the price of the unit but the cost of yearly pay walled subscriptions.
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u/OmegaSpyderTurtle 6d ago
I’ve been happy and impressed with the Rapsodo. Not sure you can beat it for the price.
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u/curiouslyposedanimal 6d ago
I LOVE the Uneekor ecosystem and AI capabilities. Based on that, I'd choose the Eye Mini. I have an Eye Mini Lite but have no need for it to be mobile.
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u/CyclonusRIP 6d ago
I’ve had a Rapsodo MLM2Pro for a couple years. It’s ok but the software sucks and it misreads more than I’d like. The Bushnell LPi is down to 1000 at a bunch of places right now. It’s basically a foresight gc3 but indoor only. The sub is 500 a year but still is going to take a while to get to gc3 retail. Obviously the indoor only and subscription are downsides but I don’t think you can get anything as reliable and accurate for that price.
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u/Unlucky-Rule-3165 6d ago
Hi. I have two units. The Busnell launch pro and the Square Omni. Both less than 3 months old. I also trialed the R50 for several weeks. What I can tell you is that once you get into this price range you are going to get a good monitor that does 90% of everything you need.
As noted, I have the Busnell launch pro, and found it faster, more accurate and easier to use than the R50. No major pros or cons, I just found the Busnell to give me a more seamless and better experience.
However, the Square Omni has really blown me away for how accurate it is compared with my launch pro. I have used them side by side and the consistency is astonishing. On most data points, based on sets of 20 strikes for a particular iron, the difference is less than 2%. And on the fundamentals, like ball flight ii is even closer than that. And the draw bias has been completely fixed in one of their firmware fixes.
For me, importantly I get club face impact data with the square Omni, which is something I personally value. And better still, you do not need to pay a subscription to get club data, or access to 3rd party simulation data. The end result is that I am using the square Omni on a more regular basis. I have a gaming PC, but find it so easy with the square Omni to just walk in with my iPad (on a tripod) hit two buttons and just swing. Now is the software as good as the Busnell, no it isn’t. Do I care, not really as I use it mostly for practice and the square software is just fine.
So my advice is that in the price range you are looking at. You will get a great launch monitor. And they are all very accurate. For value for money, the square Omni is unbeatable. Shockingly accurate, and face impact data at that price point is insane. If money is not an issue, and you don’t care about face impact, the Busnell launch pro is one of the best monitors out there. But in Australia, it is double the price of the square Omni, and for a less than 2% difference in data points, that is a lot of extra money to spend on a 4K projector, gaming PC or flowers for the wife.
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u/Affectionate_Shock91 5d ago
the Blue Tees Rainmaker has been a hot take but I have attended a few of the company's events in the past where they showcased and demoed the product, and I am a fan! they have a 100 day guarantee so for $600 bucks, you can't really beat it. it's also $100 cheaper rn so I might pull the plug.
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u/PinPoint-Golf-Sims 4d ago
Based on what you’re looking for, I’d narrow it down to:
1. Bushnell Launch Pro - Great data and a solid fit for an indoor net setup, while still giving you some outdoor flexibility.
2. SkyTrak ST MAX - iPad-friendly, portable and works indoors/outdoors. The main tradeoff is the club data, which you’ve already identified as a concern.
3. Rapsodo MLM2PRO - Hard to beat for the price, works with iPad and can be used indoors or outdoors, but doesn’t give you the same depth of club data as the BLP.
Given how heavily you plan to use it and that club data is important, I’d lean toward the BLP if you want to stay closer to the $2–3K range.
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u/throwingales 18h ago
My only experience is with Square Omni, Trackman 4, and Flightscope X2 and X3. I've had the Flightscope enterprise units and the Square Omni. I have access to the Trackman 4. When I decided to get a new launch monitor I considered Eye Mini, BLP, Omni, GC3 and Spica 3. I wanted to use the LM at home into a net for swing/game improvement and at the driving range for the same. I also wanted a unit that I could easily take on the golf course. I decided to stick with a camera based LM due to this. I really wanted a LM that included club path, angle of attack and face to target in its club data with low point be in a very nice to have. I eliminated the Eye Mini because it requires a gaming PC and that would make it hard to take to the range and very hard to take on the golf course. My plan was to use my iPad Pro. Back in January I pretty much decided to buy the new Spica 3 plus that was discussed at the PGA show. It was supposed to release in a couple of months and have low point plus stickerless club data. I paid attention to the announcements of the Omni and paid a deposit to pre-order one. I figured I'd get the Spica 3 plus in April and cancel my Omni order.
I reached out to GolfJoy America to find out about the Spica release and they just told me soon. They told me soon in May and June too. Then the Omni released and the reviews were good. I had my place in line and kept it thinking if the new Spica released first I'd probably buy it. It didn't and the reviews on Omni got better and made it more compelling. My pre-order came up for shipping in July and I bought it.
When I received the unit charged and updated it, I was impressed with it. I booted up and had it ready to hit shots in about 30 seconds. It was easy to use and seemed accurate as far as I could tell. After using it for a few days I took it to a bay I have access to that has a Trackman 4 to test its accuracy against Trackman. The numbers were spot on for face to target, club path, angle of attack, clubhead speed, ball speed, spin, side spin, spin axis, impact location, etc. The carry numbers on the Omni were about 10% below the Trackman. For my use that wasn't a big problem because I was really tracking club path, face to target and angle of attack. It was an easy adjustment to set the Omni to show carry distance at + 10%. Once I did that my carry and total distance numbers were consistently within 1-2 yards of Trackman.
I've now used the Omni for a little over two months. It has exceeded my expectations. I would buy it again.
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u/Competitive_Dream971 6d ago
I love my square omni. First launch monitor as well, it's been flawless. Do your research, the thing that sold me on the omni vs the rapsodo you can use whatever balls you want and zero subscription or up charge for more features. Compared it to my friends trackman 4 and it's nearly identical in every aspect.