Wwelcome to I tried ita GOLF.com series about golf articles — clothing, equipment, accessories and more—that we recently took out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest and simple opinions on the latest and greatest golf or golf related articles. So scroll down to read about what we love about the newest (or new to us) golf products.
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With all the testing I’m doing now as part of Fully Fit 2026, watching the ball fly AND getting boot monitor data at the same time is rare.
Seeing data indoors while waiting out a brutal Northeast winter is one thing, but it’s hard to get that data whenever I get to travel and play somewhere warmer.
But as I just found out on a recent trip to South Carolina, Garmin Approach R10 is the perfect companion to take with you.
Garmin Approach R10 Portable Launch Monitor
Small and easy to move from home to the driving range, the Approach R10 is the portable launch monitor that brings the course to you.
What is the Garmin Approach R10?
The Garmin Approach R10 has been out since 2021 and was the GPS and wearable giant’s first monitor launch. Five years later, it’s still one of the best launch monitors at its price point.
What I think separates the R10 from some of its competitors in the sub-$500 market is its ability to capture spin data without radar-capturing golf balls.
The unit itself doesn’t have a data display, but all you need is a phone or iPad with the Garmin Golf app on it to take full advantage of the 14 different metrics captured by the radars. My favorite use for it is to take it to the range just to check things out when I’m trying out a new club. I’m not trying to use it to adjust myself, but what I can do is use it to confirm what I’m seeing with my ball flight that matches what the numbers are telling me.
;)
Garmin Golf
On my last ride, I was testing a new axle on my little driver, and while I could easily see which axle was better, it was nice to have confirmation from the launch monitor that I was going in the right direction. There are a number of different viewing options, but with just my iPhone, I like to select three data points to display in large numbers while my phone is lying on the ground.
I also used it to help a friend who wasn’t getting the most out of his driver. I thought his ball looked a little spiny in the air, so we set it to R10 and saw his attack angle way down with his driver.
While I’m not a golf instructor, we made some simple adjustments to his setup and driver and the numbers before and after were pretty confusing. It was easy to see we were going in the right direction thanks to the R10 having yaw and angle of attack measurements.
;)
Garmin Golf
Traveling by method R10
Not only is the R10 significantly cheaper than many of the big-name units out there, it’s also significantly more travel-friendly.
It includes a case that takes up about the same space as a case of golf balls (slightly smaller but deeper), which I can easily throw in my backpack.
In my experience going through TSA PreCheck, I didn’t have to remove it from my backpack. The same cannot be said for larger units.
Then, once I get to my destination, all I need is six feet of flat space behind wherever I hit balls to set it up, which I can do in seconds.
After that, I’m able to simply get numbers on the range, or if I wanted to, play a round of golf on the range through the native Garmin Home Tee Hero app or any other compatible simulation app.
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Garmin Approach R10 Portable Launch Monitor
Small and easy to move from home to the driving range, the Approach R10 is the portable launch monitor that brings the course to you.
The Garmin Approach R10 fills a really nice hole in the market for an affordable, portable launch monitor that can measure rotation and many other important data variables.
If you’ve been looking for a durable launch monitor that’s easy to use and won’t break the bank, it’s hard to go wrong with the R10.
