If there’s one product everyone, and I mean everyone, wanted to see at the PGA Show last week, it was new Shot Scope LM1 launch monitor.
I mean, $199 with no subscription fees is nothing if not an attention grabber.
When we first ran our story on LM1 a few weeks ago, details were scarce. After we got a chance to get a good look at it and chat with the Shot Scope team, we’ve got a few more details for you.
What is Shot Scope LM1?
It is a very basic launch monitor based on Doppler radar. Shooting range told us from the get-go, the LM1 will only provide the most basic information, including club speed, ball speed, hit factor, carry distance and total distance.
The unit doesn’t provide spin numbers, but Shot Scope’s Gavin Dear told us that it does, in fact, measure spin, but only to the degree that it allows the unit to extrapolate distance numbers using its proprietary algorithms.
As for accuracy, we can’t give you anything definitive until we get one in our hands and compare it to a GC Quad or Trackman. Shot Scope tells us that in its initial testing, the LM1 distances were within a few yards of those industry standards when those units were set to stretch balls. When they switched to premium balls, the numbers were even closer.
LM1 does not offer a ball adjustment.
Moreover, it does not offer simulation game. It is exclusively a practical tool.
Installation and operation
In the demonstrations we saw, the LM1 looked stupid-easy to set up. You place it four to five feet behind the ball, press the power button, and then switch to the mode you want to use. A range session would use the Practical Range mode.
Once it’s set, you start swinging. of LM1 shooting range retrieve and present your data almost instantly. You can switch clubs at the push of a button so you can determine your distances across the bag quickly and easily.
The unit itself stores up to 1000 oscillations.
In our initial report, many placed the LM1 in the same category as units from PRGR or Voice Caddie. In terms of basic functionality, those units and the LM1 give you the same information. Where the Shot Scope model differs, however, is what you can do with that information. The LM1 can transfer all that information to your Shot Scope profile. There, your data may be used along with your course shot tracking data to make club recommendations. This information is related to the Shot Scope GPS photo tracking watch, the Shot Scope app, or the new H50 handheld GPS. The H50, by the way, looks like another winner of a product.
Additionally, LM1 data can also be used with Shot Scope’s My Strategy feature. My strategy allows you to design a plan of attack on each course based on your club’s historical data.
Other operating modes include Speed ​​Training, which you can use with various speed-moving training equipment (no ball needed), and On Course mode. This mode works similarly to practice mode, but is intended for use during practice rounds. The information can be synced with shot tracking data captured by other Shot Scope devices, which gives Shot Scope options for future functionality in its app.
Preliminary final thoughts
We hit a handful of shots at Demo Day using the LM1. I can tell that it increased my swing speed very accurately, as I know I’m usually 94.5 mph. The distances they gave me were also pretty much what I would expect in terms of carry and total. Again, we can’t say how it stacks up against units costing $20,000. We’ll start testing as soon as we get one in hand.
However, we can say that for $199, it seems to be a very solid value. There are no advanced analytics, but for the price, it’s a useful tool for players who just want the basics.
And did we mention there are no subscription fees?
Shooting range expect the LM1 to hit the market on March 26 at select retailers and online. Given the product’s popularity at the PGA Show, Shot Scope’s biggest challenge may be whether they make enough of them.
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