Garmin Approach R10 Portable Golf Launch Monitor

[CantJumpHighHandicap]

2 hours ago, wedgegame said:

 

Unless I am missing something the two swings he shows data for have a club head speed of 68 mph and 78 mph respectively.  That a huge gap in what looked like similar swings, but both showed the same spin rate.  I would image the spin rate would change pretty dramatically with a .1 difference in smash factor, though I could be wrong.

I watched this video as well and the launch angle and at LEAST club path and/or horizontal launch seem wildly off.  More of a 45* launch(hits top net in the video with supposedly only 8’ to the net) and sure looks to be out to in path and the R10 is reading(calculating, actually, it seems) sub 40* launch and in to out with extremely closed face.  I could just be wrong but seems they have some firmware improvements ahead of them.  I certainly hope the hardware is solid and they can improve via firmware.  I don’t doubt that the accuracy is a fair bit better when tracking full flight, but honestly I fail to see the utility at that point.  I had instantly preordered upon announcement but later canceled as unfortunately it seems this was a bit over-hyped initially.  I still think it’ll end up as a good product at a reasonable price point, but it may take a fair bit of time, updates, and testing before arriving at that point.

Edited August 10, 2021 by CantJumpHighHandicap

[wedgegame]

8 minutes ago, CantJumpHighHandicap said:

I watched this video as well and the launch angle and at LEAST club path and/or horizontal launch seem wildly off.  More of a 45* launch(hits top net in the video with supposedly only 8’ to the net) and sure looks to be out to in path and the R10 is reading(calculating, actually, it seems) sub 40* launch and in to out with extremely closed face.  I could just be wrong but seems they have some firmware improvements ahead of them.  I certainly hope the hardware is solid and they can improve via firmware.  I don’t doubt that the accuracy is a fair bit better when tracking full flight, but honestly I fail to see the utility at that point.  I had instantly preordered upon announcement but later canceled as unfortunately it seems this was a bit over-hyped initially.  I still think it’ll end up as a good product at a reasonable price point, but it may take a fair bit of time, updates, and testing before arriving at that point.

 

Yes, but I withhold judgment until one of the well known golf sim reviewers has their go at it.  It could be that the r10 wasn't aligned properly or the ball flight was too short.  When we start getting some real reviews, I'm sure they will try to make it as apple to apples as they can vs other devices.

 

That said, I just think it's awesome there are more options out there and the space is getting more competitive. 

[ADAbsolutNDN]

Looks awesome, just ordered one in Canada. Hopefully get it by end of the month!

[CantJumpHighHandicap]

28 minutes ago, wedgegame said:

 

Yes, but I withhold judgment until one of the well known golf sim reviewers has their go at it.  It could be that the r10 wasn't aligned properly or the ball flight was too short.  When we start getting some real reviews, I'm sure they will try to make it as apple to apples as they can vs other devices.

 

That said, I just think it's awesome there are more options out there and the space is getting more competitive. 

For sure and agreed, love to see more ambitious attempts coming to market, there are only so many parameters and so much physics involved in this game, it’s just a matter of time until launch monitors and algorithms advance enough to give the average golfer a great device at a reasonable price, which benefits the entire game 👍

[whumber]

56 minutes ago, CantJumpHighHandicap said:

I watched this video as well and the launch angle and at LEAST club path and/or horizontal launch seem wildly off.  More of a 45* launch(hits top net in the video with supposedly only 8’ to the net) and sure looks to be out to in path and the R10 is reading(calculating, actually, it seems) sub 40* launch and in to out with extremely closed face.  I could just be wrong but seems they have some firmware improvements ahead of them.  I certainly hope the hardware is solid and they can improve via firmware.  I don’t doubt that the accuracy is a fair bit better when tracking full flight, but honestly I fail to see the utility at that point.  I had instantly preordered upon announcement but later canceled as unfortunately it seems this was a bit over-hyped initially.  I still think it’ll end up as a good product at a reasonable price point, but it may take a fair bit of time, updates, and testing before arriving at that point.

 

I very much doubt he only has 8ft to the net. That's almost certainly a 10'x10'x10' net setup and then he's got anywhere from 3-5' between the front of the cage and where the ball is positioned. The vertical launch seems pretty reasonable. The club path and face do seem questionable though, the first swing is very difficult to gauge swing path from the video due to the angle but the 2nd shot looked very much like a slight in-to-out swing path while the Garmin reported slightly out-to-in; but it's still very difficult to see that from a youtube video like this. I'm hoping one of the simulator focused youtube channels will post some type of detailed comparison with a GCQuad or Trackman once these start shipping out for real. If I get my copy soon I may try to test it against a nearby GCHawk.

[RainingBogeys]

I ordered from Rain or Shine on 7/16 and it looks like it'll be another 6+ weeks.

Hopefully they'll receive orders faster than expected.

[stanjl50]

This is rich. Some of you look at the video and claim that the individual making the video doesn't know what he is talking about when he talks about his striking the ball. You claim to be able to see the launch angle and club path from the video, which is patently ridiculous. The person making that video claims that the numbers look right to him based on his experience. But you know better! Do you know that he has a Skytrak at home, so its not like he is unfamiliar with his statistics? If you looked into the video you would see that in response to a question he states that based on his experience so far, he would take the Garmin over the Skytrak if the Garmin was the same price as the Skytrak.  That seems like a pretty strong recommendation. Now I agree that we need more information but there are clearly people here rooting for the Garmin to fail.

[wedgegame]

1 hour ago, stanjl50 said:

This is rich. Some of you look at the video and claim that the individual making the video doesn't know what he is talking about when he talks about his striking the ball. You claim to be able to see the launch angle and club path from the video, which is patently ridiculous. The person making that video claims that the numbers look right to him based on his experience. But you know better! Do you know that he has a Skytrak at home, so its not like he is unfamiliar with his statistics? If you looked into the video you would see that in response to a question he states that based on his experience so far, he would take the Garmin over the Skytrak if the Garmin was the same price as the Skytrak.  That seems like a pretty strong recommendation. Now I agree that we need more information but there are clearly people here rooting for the Garmin to fail.

Do you think he swung 10mph faster between shots?  I'm looking at the data presented in video.  Seeing a jump like that I would think he would call it out.  I own a G80 btw so not rooting against Garmin, but some of the numbers do look a little suspect in in the limited sample size from the video.

 

 

[appilags]

2 hours ago, stanjl50 said:

This is rich. Some of you look at the video and claim that the individual making the video doesn't know what he is talking about when he talks about his striking the ball. You claim to be able to see the launch angle and club path from the video, which is patently ridiculous. The person making that video claims that the numbers look right to him based on his experience. But you know better! Do you know that he has a Skytrak at home, so its not like he is unfamiliar with his statistics? If you looked into the video you would see that in response to a question he states that based on his experience so far, he would take the Garmin over the Skytrak if the Garmin was the same price as the Skytrak.  That seems like a pretty strong recommendation. Now I agree that we need more information but there are clearly people here rooting for the Garmin to fail.

Agreed. 
 

I started reading this and the Bushnell Launchpro thread hoping to get a little insight into these products. Sadly, all it did was remind me why I haven’t posted anything on here for years. Just a pi55ing match between a bunch of folks who, while probably well meaning, are speculating about the capabilities of these products. 
On the upside, looks like we’re finally seeing and order of magnitude price shift downwards in the LM space. Looking forward to getting my hands on one or both of the new offerings soon. 

[Dototom]

Hopefully I'm getting mine in a few weeks too - gonna smash hooks and slices into my net 2.4m away will keep the punters posted 

 

If anything I'll be able to use it with my outdoor sessions for face/path stuff 

 

 

 

[willbones]

Can this be used with android or Windows pc?

[RCGA]

11 hours ago, mgoblue83 said:

I'm sure there is some fine print in his contract with Foresight that prevents him from reviewing other launch monitors. He never does and is a complete shill for GCQ.

 

TBH, recent "reviews" from RS have been horrible and are basically just hot takes (see: TM mini driver review) 

 

I understand he's done some extensive testing with the R10, but I can't help but think he'll arrive at a conclusion that will please both Garmin and GCQ; all while ignoring Skytrack, Skycaddie, Mevo, etc. 

 

My hot take is that the R10 is the same thing as a SC300i/Mevo, but with a simulator function. They're all using the same chips but with a slightly modified firmware.  

 

 

[Wildest1]

8 hours ago, willbones said:

Can this be used with android or Windows pc?

The R10 requires an Android or IOS device with bluetooth that can load the Garmin Golf app (including Garmin's golf sim).

 

An Android phone or tablet should do the job. An iPhone or iPad will work as well. A Windows PC won't do the trick.

 

The E6 connect software (5 free courses) only works with an iPhone or iPad, unless you upgrade to a paid subscription that will work with a PC.

[mister2cool]

On 8/6/2021 at 10:07 PM, Bigbruce said:

Guys in England are starting to post YouTube videos up. Still don’t see a video with anyone comparing it to other launch monitors. Wonder if the UK got it first or they are just shipping before a certain release date.

Someone get that man a lawn mower... 

[NorCal678]

On 7/7/2021 at 12:34 PM, LAslicer said:

Does anyone know what data is actually being measured and which are being calculated/assumed?

It can only measure how the ball flys through a 3d space.  From that it uses formulas to calculate spin.  If you hit it into a headwind, its going to look at how quickly the ball is slowing down and how steep the decent angle is, so you will get a ridiculously high spin number, ect.   If you hit it indoors, again the spin number won't be accurate as its just looking at the launch and assuming distance(it has not idea, so its just going to throw a standard value based off launch and ball speed, i believe you can tell it the degree of your club).  If you hit it outdoors on a calm day, the spin number will be extremely close to gc quad.   

 

Still really useful data.  GCquad or other picture based systems are the only ones that can give you actual spin.  It takes multiple still images over time, and uses software to measure spin ball speed, and club data.  Radar can only measure the ball.  

 

Where i live, conditions change by location, not time of year, so i could see this as incredibly useful at range warmups before rounds to dial in wedges and short irons.  

[cometravi]

I pre ordered mine from Dicks Sporting on July 13th Any idea what the delivery timelines look like? Excited to see if it works as well as it is supposed to. Gonna use in indoors primarily. 

 

Used a P3Pro swing till now Good SIM but very 'light' sensitive. Time for a big leap I guess 🙂 

[North Butte]

1 hour ago, NorCal678 said:

It can only measure how the ball flys through a 3d space.  From that it uses formulas to calculate spin.  If you hit it into a headwind, its going to look at how quickly the ball is slowing down and how steep the decent angle is, so you will get a ridiculously high spin number, ect. 

If you're talking about the R10 it's not going to be measuring enough of the flight to be affected much by any normal headwind. And it is calculating (estimating), not measuring, things like descent angle. Up to a certain point that's what Trackman does but not these sub-$1,000 units.

 

You may not be aware that everything it measures is within the first few yards after the ball leaves the club. The exact distance is probably a trade secret but it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 5, 10, 15 yards. Everything that it reports about the flight after that is calculated from those close-range measurements. 

 

A lot of people seem to be dreaming that this is a Trackman for $600 except it might have some minor accuracy errors. This is not in that same class of radar launch monitors, it may turn out to be a $600 MEVO+ which would be a great accomplishment. But it's still a short-range, entry-level radar sensor with some very fancy calculations.

[mhott]

I'm an average golfer (15, but trending towards a 10).   I have a preorder in, but I'm waiting on reviews before I buy the netting and mat for my garage. 

 

Honestly, dispersion is my dealbreaker.  If the carry distance is solid and shot shape is reasonably accurate, I am in.  If it does those two indoors, it's a step up from its pricing competitors and would fit my needs.  I don't really care too much about spin or club path, I can trial and error my way towards success. 

[Sandhurst241069]

39 minutes ago, mhott said:

I'm an average golfer (15, but trending towards a 10).   I have a preorder in, but I'm waiting on reviews before I buy the netting and mat for my garage. 

 

Honestly, dispersion is my dealbreaker.  If the carry distance is solid and shot shape is reasonably accurate, I am in.  If it does those two indoors, it's a step up from its pricing competitors and would fit my needs.  I don't really care too much about spin or club path, I can trial and error my way towards success. 

Yep spot on (though of course having a somewhat accurate representation of distance and curvature is joined at the hip with reasonably accurate club and ball measurements). IF the accuracy of the radar metrics is confirmed as being as was initially circulated.. not the vastly looser numbers Golfstead provided .. and IF that accuracy is validated as holding up indoors .. then my (second) pre-order is 100% staying locked in .. and arrival eagerly anticipated .. even given the limitations of the category..

IF..

[Ukfan323]

Curious for people who doubt garmins advertised numbers for accuracy..do you think they just didn't test their device before releasing it? Those numbers came from somewhere, obviously they tested it against whatever gold standard system they have. 

 

This is a company whose bottom line literally depends on numeric accuracy and engineering lol. This isn't like Pinnacle decided to stop making cheap golf balls and suddenly decided to enter the shot tracker game. 

 

Are you worried they didn't ever test it indoors and those numbers are purely from outdoor testing? I just don't understand the doubt as if people think garmin just pulled some random numbers out and said 'screw it who cares if we lied about numbers'

[tezzlacoil]

56 minutes ago, mhott said:

I'm an average golfer (15, but trending towards a 10).   I have a preorder in, but I'm waiting on reviews before I buy the netting and mat for my garage. 

 

Honestly, dispersion is my dealbreaker.  If the carry distance is solid and shot shape is reasonably accurate, I am in.  If it does those two indoors, it's a step up from its pricing competitors and would fit my needs.  I don't really care too much about spin or club path, I can trial and error my way towards success. 

 

I am similar in that I'm an average golfer (9 hdcp) who was looking for practice options at home as its very hard to find time to get out to the range to practice. Only get out once a week on Sat comp day. 

 

I was waiting on reviews for this but I actually went ahead and bought a mat and net first (spornia) with a view to grabbing one of the low end launch monitors to complement it. All I can say mate is already just the mat and net alone are amazing... Wish I'd bought them 5 years ago! 

 

Personally id recommend grabbing those two first and then adding the launch monitor whenever. Being able to practice full swings on real balls and being able to get feedback (I just video on my phone) in the comfort of your own home is already a game changer. On a separate note if you need a net that packs down.... The spornia is fricken amazing!

 

Now just gotta have the patience to wait a few months for these garmin to be in stock and to get some real reviews... 🙄

[Sandhurst241069]

4 minutes ago, Ukfan323 said:

Curious for people who doubt garmins advertised numbers for accuracy..do you think they just didn't test their device before releasing it? Those numbers came from somewhere, obviously they tested it against whatever gold standard system they have. 

 

This is a company whose bottom line literally depends on numeric accuracy and engineering lol. This isn't like Pinnacle decided to stop making cheap golf balls and suddenly decided to enter the shot tracker game. 

 

Are you worried they didn't ever test it indoors and those numbers are purely from outdoor testing? I just don't understand the doubt as if people think garmin just pulled some random numbers out and said 'screw it who cares if we lied about numbers'

Simply because those numbers were initially provided by a third party (though are now being more widely published which is comforting) while Golfstead reported accuracy of +\- 4 degrees on club path for example. And there were a couple of reports of lesser performance indoors including by the LetsPlayThru hype guy. I’ve got a pre order in … but it’s not unreasonable to want doubts removed .. things can work inside the grey areas too..

[mhott]

4 minutes ago, Ukfan323 said:

Curious for people who doubt garmins advertised numbers for accuracy..do you think they just didn't test their device before releasing it? Those numbers came from somewhere, obviously they tested it against whatever gold standard system they have. 

 

This is a company whose bottom line literally depends on numeric accuracy and engineering lol. This isn't like Pinnacle decided to stop making cheap golf balls and suddenly decided to enter the shot tracker game. 

 

Are you worried they didn't ever test it indoors and those numbers are purely from outdoor testing? I just don't understand the doubt as if people think garmin just pulled some random numbers out and said 'screw it who cares if we lied about numbers'

I'm inclined to believe them.  I'm not a good enough ball striker to need anything more than a 5 yard accuracy for most clubs.  For me, it is entirely reasonable carry is really close given that Mevo can already do that for the most part.  Again, dispersion/shot shape is the addition, and, given it has been a few years since Mevo and the like, it seems like a reasonable leap.

 

Mostly, though, I'm not in a huge rush and so I might as well wait for some reviews before dropping some coin to figure out how to hang a portable simulator in my garage.

 

I hear ya Tezz, but I really want the shape feedback.  I'm at a point where I mostly trust my contact, just not where it's headed.  And part of the reason I am waiting is to see if the Garmin will do the trick.  If so, I would like a larger net than the Spornia because of the additional feet the ball needs to travels.  If the Garmin doesn't work for my needs, I'm likely to go Spornia/Skytrak at some point.

[willbones]

I've pre-ordered one from hotgolf in the UK.  I reckon once the reviews start, these things will be very hard to get hold of. If I don't like it, I'll sell it on..... doubt I'll lose much on it.  I think demand will be very high.....  particularly into winter, not to mention if Boris decides we need another lockdown. 

[Bigbruce]

FedEx tracking says mine will be delivered today. Tonight, I’ll open it up and set it up. Hopefully tomorrow I can take it to the range, even though there is going to be a heat wave here in Washington state.

[Wildest1]

52 minutes ago, Bigbruce said:

FedEx tracking says mine will be delivered today. Tonight, I’ll open it up and set it up. Hopefully tomorrow I can take it to the range, even though there is going to be a heat wave here in Washington state.

Where and when did you order your Garmin R10?

[yethmate]

On 8/9/2021 at 4:15 PM, Oh Hi Carl said:

Which are the five E6 courses that come with it? 

Aviara Golf club, Bandon Dunes Golf resort, Sanctuary Golf Course, Stone Canyon Golf Club and Wade Hampton Golf Course. Not had chance to try it yet though.

[Bigwilly12]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJa8Le_aLY4

 

New video from Shaun. There’s some good info in the comments as well. Looks really promising.

[Bigbruce]

1 hour ago, Wildest1 said:

Where and when did you order your Garmin R10?

I ordered from Carl’s on 7 July.

[Wildest1]

1 hour ago, yethmate said:

Aviara Golf club, Bandon Dunes Golf resort, Sanctuary Golf Course, Stone Canyon Golf Club and Wade Hampton Golf Course. Not had chance to try it yet though.

This may be the same free bundle that comes with the Mevo+.

Here's what play should look like (no actual putting included):