Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories, etc. — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.
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The personal launch monitor space might be one of the fastest-growing categories when it comes to golf technology. New players are entering the space every day.
Garmin, well-known for their GPS devices and smartwatches, has been in the golf launch monitor game since 2021 when it introduced the Garmin Approach R10, which is probably the best personal launch monitor priced at $500 or less.
But now the company is swinging for the fences of the bigger names in launch monitors with the release of the Garmin Approach R50 launch monitor and simulator.
I can truly say the R50 is unlike any other launch monitor I’ve seen before. Let’s take a look at what I loved about the Garmin R50 and what I think they could improve as Garmin finds its groove in this ever-growing market.
What I liked:
The huge screen
Perhaps the first thing you notice about the Garmin R50 is its size compared to other launch monitors. That’s in large part due to the massive 10-inch display that’s built into the unit. It’s what truly makes this unit an all-in-one launch monitor and simulator.
This isn’t the first launch monitor to display data right on the screen, but this is the first to show ball flight and even allow for simulation right within the unit itself.
There are a couple of great uses for this: 1) You can practice the same shots you’re about to hit on the golf course while you warm up on the driving range. 2) It’s much easier to create a home simulator setup without a screen. 3) There’s no need for another device.
The screen is large enough and bright enough to be viewed in direct sunlight and the screen can be configured to show ball flight, data metrics, video of impact, or impact renderings and data.
Not to mention, there is very little lag for registering a shot. You take a swing and you can see data on the screen (and track the ball flight) before the ball even lands if you’re outside.
Optical launch monitor
The R50 is one of the few personal launch monitors in the under $5k price point that uses an optical-based launch monitor system as opposed to radar. Instead, the R50 has three high-speed cameras to capture ball and impact data.
That’s important because optical launch monitors are more accurate indoors when ball flight is limited. Radar-based launch monitors are typically designed to follow the golf ball all the way from impact until landing and are placed behind the player. When ball flight is limited indoors, the accuracy is reduced, and while radar-enabled golf balls can help, it still doesn’t compare to optical systems.
Optical systems like the R50 are positioned to the side of the player and capture all the data they need in just a few feet of flight after impact.
Like other optical systems, the R50 needs reflective markers (known as fiducials in the fitting world) placed on the clubhead to receive clubhead data, but it makes it more accurate than radar systems. The R50 only needs one marker placed in the top center of the club face.
Ability to play any Garmin mapped course
Where the R50 has a leg up on many other launch monitors is the ability to use it as a simulator with no other equipment. You can use the R50 as a launch monitor with several popular golf simulation platforms like E6 Connect and GSPro, but you can also use Garmin’s built-in Home Tee Hero app.
With the Home Tee Hero app, you can play more than 43,000 courses Garmin has mapped for its GPSs and smartwatches.
If you want to use a screen to enhance the simulation experience, no problem, as there’s an HDMI port right in the back of the unit.
What could improve:
Data
If there’s a spectrum of being more professionally versus recreationally focused, the R50 is going to fall more toward the recreational side and that’s very OK.
While the R50 displays more than 15 data metrics, including clubhead speed, ball speed, spin, and more, they are best viewed on the unit itself. When pulling up your practice sessions in the Garmin Golf app, the same metrics aren’t viewable. There also isn’t an iPad-optimized app.
An app for iPad or web browser that would allow data to be analysed after a practice session would be a huge step toward making the R50 more valuable as a serious practice tool than just a recreational gadget.
Portability
Now we’re just being picky. The R50 is a large unit and the carrying case is larger than the average backpack.
This ultimately isn’t going to impact many purchasing decisions, but if you’re looking for a unit you could carry shot to shot on the golf course like the pros do, this is probably too big for that.
The bottom line
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ALSO AVAILABLE ON: Amazon, Garmin
If I’m putting together a home golf simulator, the Garmin Approach R50 is perhaps the best unit on the market in terms of accuracy and ease of use in its price range.
That’s before even considering the screen and all the extra uses it provides.
