Anyone who’s been paying attention to developing trends in golf will know all about the rise of golf launch monitor apps as a key entry in the golfer’s toolkit.
Golf monitor apps are used to gather accurate data about your game, and the fact that we always have our cellphones on us makes collecting data through these apps simple and exceptionally valuable for improving your swing.
In this article, we’ll investigate a selection of the best golf launch monitor apps to help you improve your game and get the most out of your time on the course.
We’ll discuss:
- The rise of launch monitor apps
- 7 of the best apps currently available
- How to choose the best one for your needs.
Let’s get into it!
The Rise of Launch Monitor Apps
Golf monitor apps have enjoyed rapid growth in popularity in recent years, and projections suggest that the golf launch monitor market will be worth something in the region of $240 million by 2028.
Golf launch monitors are tools that track the lift, speed, distance, and every other flight characteristic you can think of.
With this information, you can make a lot of informed assessments of your golfing and find areas of improvement, track your progress, and set yourself up to achieve your next set of goals.
Your golf swing is measured by the impact of the ball on a large screen net that you can hang up wherever you want to practice your swing.
The impact of the ball and all of the details related to it are then extrapolated to give you a strong overview and assessment of your swing – simple!
Until recently, golf monitors required a dedicated device that used radar to measure the flight and speed characteristics of your swing.
Today, a number of companies have developed apps that can perform this task from your phone – giving you simple access to information about your golfing right at your fingertips.
Flightscope Mevo Golf App
The Flightscope Mevo is a well-regarded launch monitor with an accompanying app for iPhone and Android.
The Flightscope Mevo works like a common launch monitor and can be used at home with a screen or out at a driving range or on a green.
The actual device itself is sleek and portable and instantly registers flight characteristics when set up behind you for a swing.
The Flightscope Mevo app tracks ball flight, has a review feature to allow you to check your stats after a session, graphs for visual representation of statistics, and a full suite of settings that you can use to tweak your user experience.
The Flightscope Mevo app is exceptionally accurate in its data and is intuitive and simple to use with straightforward connectivity to your phone. It has plenty of storage space to keep your sessions recorded.
Flightscope Skills App
The Flightscope Skills app also pairs with a Flightscope launch monitor but is unique in that it is a tool designed for honing skills and training rather than simply recording, measuring, and assessing your golfing.
The Flightscope skills app sets up targets for your strokes in the app – targets you can assess or alter to test specific skills or shots.
The Flightscope App then measures your shot against the target shot and gives you a clear and accurate readout of flight characteristics that you can review to adjust your game.
The Flightscope Skills App can also support your own custom targets or programs so that you can focus on the things you really need or want to improve.
Trackman Golf Classic App
The Trackman Golf Classic app connects to the Trackman Radar launch monitor to give you a great deal of data on your golfing. However, it’s important to note that the Trackman app only works with iOS devices.
The Trackman app allows you to set up your own training drills to give you the chance to improve your game where it counts.
It also has a range of unique features such as screencast, which allows you to record your stroke with the associated data on-screen which you can then share immediately.
You can also overlay swing data into 3D or 2D shot reviews as well as over the top of your actual video to give you a great visual representation.
The Trackman also allows you to track multiple golfers in the same app so you can compare and contrast different abilities for different training drills, offering real-time insight into improvement and current ability.
Shot Vision App
The Shot Vision App is a more entry-level setup for golf launch monitor apps, running at $6.99 a month.
It runs solely off your phone, and so doesn’t require another piece of equipment to do the measuring and recording of your shots.
One thing to keep in mind with the Shot Vision App is that as it doesn’t attach to a device specifically designed to record golf swings, the app can be somewhat inaccurate in its data.
One of the primary takeaways is that you need good lighting for the app to work; otherwise, the readings can be anywhere from 30 to 50% out of whack.
Full Swing KIT App
The Full Swing KIT App pairs with the dedicated Full Swing launch monitor – a 4K monitor with exceptional fidelity and recording ability.
The monitor itself is touchscreen and can be used independently of the app to review, record, read, and analyze each swing you measure.
The Full Swing App is a simple and clear tool that simply shifts the readout from the monitor itself to your phone.
Full Swing counts athletes like Tiger Woods among its investors, and so it has the largest doppler radar unit of any golf monitor in its price range.
The app itself supports everything you would expect it to, from detailed shot recordings to video reviews and graphical readouts of important data.
Of course, this is a premium product – and at $3,999 for the monitor itself, it is an investment best saved for the most committed golfers.
Garmin Golf App
The Garmin Golf App is a unique tool because it works with a Garmin watch to track your shots and scores.
It is less about assessing and improving your game and more about reviewing your games in totality after you’ve played a round of golf.
One of the greatest benefits of the Garmin app is that it works on a watch instead of a phone, so you don’t have to carry your Samsung in your pocket all over the course.
Golftrak App
The best feature of the Golftrak app is that it works only on your phone and no other monitor device – and it’s completely free.
The fact that it is free means it is a great place to start with measuring your shots.
However, because it is free, it is not as finely tuned as apps that have money and support behind them.
While Golftrak can be accurate in certain contexts, it also very regularly shows entirely fanciful numbers.
All things being equal, the Golftrak App is great for entry-level play and not much else.
Choosing the Right App for Your Needs
Depending on your particular context, different golf monitor apps will meet your needs differently.
If you are a serious golfer looking for extreme detail to base your training drills on or are willing to fork out for an expensive piece of kit for a launch monitor, then you will be able to find something that will give you exceptional data.
On the other hand, if you’re limited in the amount you’re willing (or able) to spend on a golf launch monitor app, then your options are relatively limited.
Free launch monitors and cheaper launch monitors that work solely off your phone and without a full monitor system are generally more inaccurate and less able to handle different conditions.
So, if you are a curious player looking to play around with golf launch monitor technology, you will probably be satisfied with the free or cheap launch monitor apps.
On the other hand, if you’re more serious about improving your game or refining particular skills, you’ll get a lot more out of the full launch monitor sets than free software.
Final Thoughts
Overall, golf launch monitor apps can be an absolute boon to any golfer looking for solid, reliable data on their swings and strokes.
The more high-end units offer robustly detailed data that you can spend hours analyzing. This can be of great value if you are a dedicated golfer looking to improve quickly.
Launch monitors put the ability to train and improve into your hands, giving you the access you need to find the flaws in your game and correct them.
While any golf monitor app will give you more detail than a simple feel or phone video alone, look for a full monitor setup with a dedicated unit that records your swings every time for the best results.
