Garmin R10 - Personal Launch Monitor

[DeadMan]

Garmin has apparently come up with their own personal launch monitor that will launch in the next few months:

Approach® R10

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Approach R10 is a golf launch monitor that includes a dozen plus golf metrics to improve swing consistency and virtual rounds for course play from anywhere.

Garmin unveils Approach R10 portable launch monitor

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The latest launch monitor aims to give golfers instant access to granular swing metrics, while also doubling up as a golf simulator.

Looks like it uses a radar to measure everything, and Garmin's site says the radar measures:

• CLUB HEAD SPEED (+/- 3 mph accuracy)
• CLUB FACE ANGLE
• CLUB PATH ANGLE
• ANGLE OF ATTACK
• BALL SPEED (+/- 1 mph accuracy)
• LAUNCH ANGLE (+/- 1 degree accuracy)
• LAUNCH DIRECTION (+/- 1 degree accuracy)
• SPIN AXIS
• SPIN RATE
• APEX HEIGHT
• SMASH FACTOR
• CARRY DISTANCE (+/- 5 yards)
• TOTAL DISTANCE
• DEVIATION DISTANCE

The price is $599. If this is comparable to the Mevo+ in terms of performance, then that seems like a steal. I'm curious how much space this will need indoors to work properly. I'm also curious what is measured by the radar and what is calculated. Why does Garmin have some measurements with an error, but others don't have an error?

As far as a more direct comparison, the Rapsodo Moblie Launch Monitor is cheaper ($499), but I'm not clear on whether it measures the same as this is supposed to. This will be able to function as a full simulator, with access to courses. I don't believe the Rapsodo MLM can do that.

[iacas]

There's some doubt as to what's measured and what is calculated or derived.

Garmin Approach R10 Golf Launch Monitor and Simulator | Announcement and Features Review

That page says:

Measured Metrics:

• Ball speed (+/- 1mp)
• Launch angle (+/- 1 degree)
• Launch direction (+/- 1 degree)
• Club head speed (+/- 3mph)
• Club path (+/- 2 degrees)
• Back swing and down swing times (+/- 0.05 sec)
• Angle of attack (+/- 1 degree)

Other Metrics Shown from Calculations of R10:

• Club face angle (+/- 2 degrees)
• Spin rate
• Spin axis
• Observed ball flight range

Metrics Shown in the Golf App:

• Carry distance (+/- 5 yards)
• Total distance (+/- 10 yards)
• Smash factor
• Swing tempo
• Apex height (+/- 10 feet)

Now… I'm interested to know if all of those things stated as "measured" are actually measured. The face angle, spin rate, and spin axis being calculated (I think it pull from a table of similar results)… sure. But AoA in a $600 device? Launch direction? How much does 2 degrees of club path matter? If you make a swing at 3° left that says it's 5° left, then you swing 1° left and it says 1° right… those ± 2° can begin to matter, too.

Garmin unveils Approach R10 portable launch monitor

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The latest launch monitor aims to give golfers instant access to granular swing metrics, while also doubling up as a golf simulator.

The actual specs page is a little light on details:

Approach® R10

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Approach R10 is a golf launch monitor that includes a dozen plus golf metrics to improve swing consistency and virtual rounds for course play from anywhere.

 

[Pretzel]

I'm really interested and excited to see reviews of this when it finally makes it to market. I can see it either being a big step forwards for affordable home simulators and personal launch monitors, or a complete waste of money. It all hinges on how accurate the measurements/calculations are in real-world testing.

If it actually is able to accurately report all of that data it would be revolutionary, considering the other devices capable of giving the same information cost a minimum of $2,000 (if you can find them anywhere). The key is that it needs to be accurate, and I'm not convinced their stated error ranges are accurate enough (as @iacas mentioned with the club path thing). There's also a matter of not knowing whether the advertised error numbers are conservative (larger than seen in average real-world use), true to life, or generous estimations only achieved in lab settings.

If it works as well as advertised I'll probably finally invest in a personal launch monitor, because it would be the first sub-$1,000 or even just sub-$2,000+ option to combine simulator capabilities with a portable launch monitor. I'm going to have to wait and see more data on actual performance of the device first, however, but in the meantime I'm cautiously optimistic. I nearly bought a simulator setup last winter, but the distance limitations of Mevo+ and the hassle of optical systems are what held me back.

[iacas]

 

[iacas]

Nothing in that video talks about the accuracy of the device.

[ncates00]

  On 7/9/2021 at 5:58 PM, iacas said:

Nothing in that video talks about the accuracy of the device.

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I’d want to see a head-to-head with a more reputable monitor before pulling the trigger on this. $600 is a great price if it gives accurate data. The data need not even be complete (as in having all the numbers a monitor can offer), but what it does offer better be more than reasonably accurate (lower than precisely accurate but more than reasonably accurate). A mph or two tolerance regarding club head speed or even ball speed is acceptable to me. However, as you implied, tolerances regarding start line and swing path better be fairly precise. 

In essence, my concerns fall in line with what you indicated above: 1) accuracy and 2) measured data v. calculated data. 

[iacas]

  On 7/9/2021 at 6:21 PM, ncates00 said:

I’d want to see a head-to-head with a more reputable monitor before pulling the trigger on this. $600 is a great price if it gives accurate data.

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Someone said that this video ain't that, though it purports to be:

I haven't watched it yet, but supposedly this video does a poor job of actually comparing the accuracy of the units, it just kinda compares them to each other with "plus" or "minus" numbers. So, they're all close, but…

[billchao]

  On 7/15/2021 at 8:42 PM, iacas said:

Someone said that this video ain't that, though it purports to be:

I haven't watched it yet, but supposedly this video does a poor job of actually comparing the accuracy of the units, it just kinda compares them to each other with "plus" or "minus" numbers. So, they're all close, but…

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A few notes from the video:

1. It nails shot shape and trajectory
2. Very accurate from about 40-100 yards
3. Better outdoors than indoors
4. Distance is a little short. He seems to believe it’s an algorithm issue

He doesn’t do a whole lot of head to head comparison of the units, though there is some footage of (presumably) the same shots on the Skytrak/R10 and the GC/R10.

Sorry @Vinsk, 1:10 mark says this product isn’t for you.

[Vinsk]

  On 7/16/2021 at 3:44 AM, billchao said:

Sorry @Vinsk, 1:10 mark says this product isn’t for you.

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Yeah…saw that. I’d use up too much memory reaaaaal fast.

[The Flush]

 

 

[ChetlovesMer]

I'd be interested in it's simulator capabilities. Could be fun in the winter time when the courses are all snow covered. 

[iacas]

  On 7/19/2021 at 2:43 PM, The Flush said:

 

 

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Summary?

[The Flush]

  On 7/20/2021 at 1:52 AM, iacas said:

Summary?

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His review was really short with no details and the video starts at this review. He tested a beta model and made recommendations and will be testing the production model soon. He liked what he saw from the beta.

He is a Garmin Ambassador, so some bias is expected. 

I'd rather hear your opinion and that of some average golfers, but he seems like he generally gives honest reviews.

I have a regular Mevo and like it, but would really like to see my direction when hitting into a net.  So if the R10 does what they claim it does, it might be an affordable upgrade.

[ncates00]

  On 7/20/2021 at 12:30 PM, The Flush said:

His review was really short with no details and the video starts at this review. He tested a beta model and made recommendations and will be testing the production model soon. He liked what he saw from the beta.

He is a Garmin Ambassador, so some bias is expected. 

I'd rather hear your opinion and that of some average golfers, but he seems like he generally gives honest reviews.

I have a regular Mevo and like it, but would really like to see my direction when hitting into a net.  So if the R10 does what they claim it does, it might be an affordable upgrade.

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Thanks for sharing. I'm kinda out on this unit for now; the company is going to need to show me something impressive. I already have a good LM, but I am always interested in new tech. Competition in this market is lacking amongst the top tier LM's, so new entrants in this arena who can reasonably keep up is certainly welcome. 

[Darkfrog]

So far everything I have read on the web about the Garmin R10 feels like paid promotion by brand ambassadors. However I am excited to see more companies enter the personal launch monitor space, and if these companies compete with each other, I think we (golfers) benefit from this. I'm still quite happy with my Mevo, but I think a simulator feature, even rudimentary like the basic package that comes with the R10, would be cool to have.

[DeadMan]

Outdoor range comparison video with a Trackman:

I didn't watch the whole thing, but the parts I did watch made it seem pretty solid. They said at the end they're doing an indoor review against a CGQuad, which will be fascinating.

I continue to be very intrigued. 

[Darkfrog]

  On 8/17/2021 at 4:35 PM, DeadMan said:

I didn't watch the whole thing, but the parts I did watch made it seem pretty solid.

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I watched the whole video (pretty tedious, wish they had done some post production to speed the repetitive part up). It didn't inspire a lot of confidence in the R10's accuracy. The R10 seemed to deviate significantly from Trackman on spin, spin axis, and carry. I suppose these are data that are determined by some some sort of calculation/algorithm. I saw one swing with driver that was  chunked a bit, where the carry from the R10 was almost 40 yards further than the Trackman, which makes me wonder if data from mishits are not quite as reliable. I would be interested to see a really good ball striker do a similar compariosn. It did seem like ball speed and launch direction were pretty good though.

I would have liked to see some tables or at least a summary at the end of the video showing comparison of from each device, and from each club to get a better understanding of what the key differences are.

Still very intrigued by this device, and I'm curious to see how it performs against a GC4 indoors, hitting into a net I assume, which is how I would most likely use it.

[ncates00]

  On 8/17/2021 at 5:23 PM, Darkfrog said:

spin, spin axis

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Both of these should be directly measured. Carry, of course, is only directly measured if it’s a Doppler-based system with full range enabled. 
 

Thank you for providing your thoughts on the video.