Golf launch monitors
The launch monitor decides everything else: the room you need, the numbers you get, the software you can run and the yearly fees. We sort them by what they do in a home bay, with the room each one needs right next to the price.
Part of the home golf simulator guide.
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Start with the room, then the data
Start with your room. It rules out more launch monitors than your budget does.
There are two families. Radar units (Garmin R10, Rapsodo MLM2PRO, FlightScope Mevo Gen2, Full Swing KIT, TrackMan) sit 7 to 8 ft behind you. They track the ball as it flies, like the speed gun at a baseball game. They're the cheap way in and the expensive way up, but they need depth.
Camera units (Square Golf, Bushnell Launch Pro, SkyTrak+, Foresight GC3, Uneekor EYE MINI) sit beside the ball. They take super-fast photos right at impact. So they only need swing room behind you, plus 8 ft of ball flight.
Say your room is under 15 ft deep. That settles it before price even comes up: you want a camera unit. The room checker runs the numbers for every unit on this page.
Then look at the data. Every unit here gives you the basics. Ball speed is how fast the ball leaves the club. Launch angle is how steeply it takes off. Carry is how far it flies before landing.
The differences show up in spin, club data and fees. Cameras and the better radars measure spin. The cheap radars only estimate it.
Club data is what the club did at impact. Face angle is where the clubface points. Club path is which way the club is moving. Attack angle is whether it's moving down or up into the ball. Only the camera units, the Full Swing KIT and the Mevo Gen2 with its Pro Package measure these properly. And some units lock features behind a subscription.
Our best launch monitors list ranks all eleven on exactly those points. The under $1,000 list is the honest version for a garage budget.
One more thing before you read any review: the price on the box isn't the real price. The Garmin R10 is cheap to own. The MLM2PRO needs a membership to do the things you bought it for. The Launch Pro's accuracy is real, but its Gold tier is around $500 a year. That's why our best-of lists show a three-year cost.
Where to go from here
- Under $1,000 and want a simulator? Read the Square Golf review if your room is tight, or the Garmin R10 review if it isn't. Torn between two radars? Read R10 vs MLM2PRO.
- Spending $2,000 to $4,000 and want numbers you can coach from? Read the Bushnell Launch Pro review and the SkyTrak+ review side by side.
- Building a full bay? The best simulators for home list puts each launch monitor into a complete setup, with a total.
- Not sure which software you'll run? The software guide shows what each unit connects to. GSPro gets its own page, because it changes which launch monitor people buy.
Six of them, side by side
| Launch monitor | Price | Tracking | Sits | Room depth | Club data | Subscription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Approach R10 | $500–$600 | Radar | 7 ft behind | 15–16 ft | Partial | None |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | $600–$700 | Radar | 7 ft behind | 15–16 ft | Partial | Yes, for sim play |
| Square Golf Launch Monitor | $600–$700 | Camera | Beside ball | 12–13 ft | Partial | Optional |
| SkyTrak+ | $1,800–$3,000 | Camera | Beside ball | 12–13 ft | Yes | Yes, for sim play |
| Bushnell Launch Pro | $2,500–$4,000 | Camera | Beside ball | 12–13 ft | With plan | Yes, for sim play |
| Full Swing KIT | $4,000–$5,000 | Radar | 8 ft behind | 16–17 ft | Yes | None |
Prices are US store ranges. Room depth is wall to wall: the first number is with a net, the second with an impact screen, which needs a 1 ft gap behind it.
Every guide in this section
- The best golf launch monitors for a home simulatorNine launch monitors ranked for a home simulator, from a $200 range radar to a $7,000 camera, with the room each needs and what it costs over three years.Best-of listOpen
- The best launch monitors under $1,000Five launch monitors under $1,000 ranked for home use, with the room each needs, the three-year cost with fees, and what you give up at this price.Best-of listOpen
- Bushnell Launch Pro reviewWhat the Bushnell Launch Pro measures, how the Silver and Gold plans change what you see, the room it fits, and who should pay for it.ReviewOpen
- Garmin Approach R10 reviewWhat the Garmin R10 measures, where it falls short, how much room it needs, and who should buy it over the MLM2PRO or Square Golf.ReviewOpen
- Rapsodo MLM2PRO reviewWhat the Rapsodo MLM2PRO measures, what the Premium membership adds, the room it needs, and who should pick it over the Garmin R10.ReviewOpen
- SkyTrak+ reviewWhat the SkyTrak+ measures, what its yearly plan costs, the room it needs, and who should buy it now that the ST MAX has pushed it onto closeout.ReviewOpen
- Square Golf launch monitor reviewWhat the Square Golf launch monitor measures, why it fits rooms a radar can't, what the paid plan adds, and who should buy it over the Garmin R10.ReviewOpen
- Garmin R10 vs Rapsodo MLM2PROR10 or MLM2PRO: what each costs over three years with subscriptions, measured vs estimated spin, the room both need, and which one to buy.Head to headOpen
Questions people ask
What is a golf launch monitor?
It’s the gadget that measures your shot (how fast, how high, how much spin) and works out where the ball would have gone. Radar units sit behind you and track the ball as it flies. Camera units sit beside the ball and take super-fast photos at impact.
Do you need a launch monitor for a golf simulator?
Yes, unless you buy a mat system that doesn’t track ball flight. The launch monitor is the sensor. The software draws the shot and the screen shows it. Everything else in a bay is there to catch the ball and show the picture.
How much does a golf launch monitor cost?
Prices start around $200 for a range-only radar. Expect $600 to $700 for the usual simulator starter units. Mid-range camera and radar units cost $2,000 to $5,000, and a TrackMan is $14,000 or more.