The PGA Show in Orlando every January is a pretty reliable barometer as to which products are going to move the needle for the remainder of the year and the buzz around the Shot Scope LM1 was arguably bigger than anything else that week.
This was not surprising. It was being billed as a compact, affordable, easy-to-use launch monitor that produced accurate numbers - all for just £199.99 - something I was very keen to put to the test.
Out of the box, I was surprised how small and lightweight the unit is. It came in at exactly 300 grams on my scales and comes with a tidy, protective zipped carry case that makes it easy to store and transport in your golf bag safely with plenty of room to spare.
You turn it on and access the settings via the buttons on the side of the unit. To start getting data, simply place the unit 4-5 feet behind where you’re hitting from, select your club and you’re away - it really takes no time at all and there’s no calibration or alignment needed.
The LM1 provides the five key metrics of club speed, ball speed, smash factor, carry distance and total distance. The numbers appear quickly on the screen and are easy to read from where you’re hitting from in most light conditions. They also tallied with what I would expect from each club, but I needed to take my testing a step or two further to validate such claims.
Out of pure curiosity’s sake, I tested the LM1 against a Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor (RRP £16,788) - a laughable comparison, some might say, given the disparity between the prices of the two units, but I thought it would be interesting to see how the LM1 stacked up against arguably the gold standard of launch monitor technology.
Admittedly these two launch monitors get their data very differently (the GCQuad is camera based while the LM1 is radar based) but it meant I was able to gather data on the same shot with both units concurrently. As you’ll see below, the data was very comparable on the metrics both products offer.
I then took things to a whole new level and asked a friend to go down the range and watch (from a safe space) me hit three 9-irons. He then went and stood where they landed and I zapped them with my Shot Scope Pro L5 rangefinder. I then compared this number with the carry distance numbers on the GCQuad and the LM1.
The GCQuad was closer each time but the LM1 was never more than 3-4 yards out. This backed up what I saw from my initial comparison in that the shorter the shot, the closer the numbers were, but even with driver they were in the same ball park.
I did also try the LM1 indoors against a GC3 launch monitor and there was certainly more variance in the numbers. The LM1 struggled with shots that had a lot of curve to them, which may limit the appeal to high handicappers who have a home set up. It worked better on straighter, more ‘normal’ shots, but not as well as it did outdoors.
Another useful feature of the LM1 is that you can sync the session to the Shot Scope app on your phone to review at your convenience. On the whole this worked well, with the data presented in a clear, digestible format although some extra rogue shots did appear for me under driver, which skewed my averages, and frustratingly you're not able to delete them (I'm told I will be able too soon).
I also think a lot of golfers will glean added value from the Speed Training feature. The LM1 will detect either a club or a Speed Stick like I had and give you your clubhead speed, which is useful if you’re trying to make strides on this area of your game. It sometimes measured my backswing rather than my downswing and while there were a couple of questionable readings over the two sessions I used it for - generally this worked very well.
I was skeptical as to how viable a portable launch monitor coming in at this price could be but I was very pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t work as well indoors as it does outdoors and it’s not supremely accurate all the time but the tolerances are reassuringly tight.
The fact the numbers were comparable with GCQuad, one of the best golf launch monitors on the market, and it comes in at a mere 1.19% of the cost demonstrates the value for money for golfers seeking basic feedback on their speed and distances they can trust.
Whether it’s for gapping, club comparisons or building on-course strategies, the LM1 is an impressive addition to Shot Scope’s growing range of useful tech designed with the golfer in mind.
