This Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor May Have Been Replaced, But It Remains Our Favorite Budget Monitor On The Market

If you want to take your game to the next level, creating more meaningful practice sessions is the place thing to focus on. Heading to your local driving range and hitting balls for an hour is great but if you don't go with a set strategy of what to work on, results have a lower ceiling than if you're organized.

Hitting 60 drivers at the far fence is fun, don't get me wrong, but adding more structure and routine to your session can help turn a good golfer into a great one.

In order to get the most out of a practice session, we'd recommend getting a launch monitor. This sounds like a daunting task given the misconception on how expensive launch monitors are but in the last number of years the number of budget-friendly monitors has increased significantly. Not only are these options affordable but the quality has increased year-on-year. Gone are the days when your monitor has to connect to a state of the art computer system or laptop, most cheap launch monitors can simply work by connecting to your phone.

At Golf Monthly we do a lot of gear testing, especially clubs, which allows us to use launch monitors very frequently, which in turn allows us to put them through their paces as well. Launch monitors have become all the rage over last few years and we regularly see Tour players carrying Trackman, Foresight Sports and other models when practicing or warming up. This technology has transitioned to us every day golfers and amateurs too with brands like Voice Caddie, Garmin, PRGR and Rapsodo offering models that give a lot of data, for a fraction of the price.

Now I should say again, we have tested a lot of models in this area and we can realistically say our favorite budget option is currently the Mobile Launch Monitor from Rapsodo. It may have been replaced by the MLM2Pro model, but when we consider the price, performance and usability, the MLM still is hard to beat, which makes the fact it is discounted all the sweeter.

Rapsodo MLM | 40% off at PGA TOUR Superstore
Was $499.99 Now $299.99

The Rapsodo mobile launch monitor literally turns your smartphone into a launch monitor to give you a wide range of numbers like carry distance, ball speed, club speed, smash factor, launch angle, and launch direction. At PGA TOUR Superstore you can get one for $299.99 which is one of the best prices we have spotted anywhere on this monitor.

Read our full Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor Review

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It's easy to feel overwhelmed when thinking about launch monitors - how do I set them up? How do I use them once I've successfully set it up? What do the numbers mean?

Thankfully, these questions are answered with ease when using the Rapsodo MLM - simply make an account, log in to the app on your phone, set your phone into the front slot of the device, set it 6ft behind your golf ball and you're good to go. Once you start hitting the Rapsodo MLM captures video of you hitting and displays shot tracer-style graphics on the screen.

You don't manually have to tell the monitor what club you're hitting either, simply hold your club in front of the camera and the monitor will record the club change, jotting down your numbers accordingly.

Key data points like ball speed, launch angle and carry distance and displayed after each shot, allowing you to compare and contrast each strike. We found the graphic feedback to be very useful even though it wasn't 100% accurate every single time. The odd outlying number is to be expected, but the vast majority of our data was scarily accurate with what'd we'd expect from a top tier launch monitor.

The shot library feature displays your completed session in a very easy-to-digest grid format, which includes an overhead dispersion graph. It adds another layer of depth and insight into your practice sessions which makes the time to head to the range even more valuable than ever. Instead of aimlessly smashing balls and hoping for good contact, the Rapsodo can help you diagnose issues in your swing and allow you to attempt to correct them as you go.

We would have loved to see spin rate as a data set available, but unfortunately it is not provided. This is only a small critique of what is otherwise a fabulous budget option to help golfers of all abilities. It’s compact size and lightweight design make it easily portable in the carry case, likely fitting into any one of your pockets on your golf bag. If not, the case provided even has a handy clip to be able to attach to your golf bag.

This is one of the best Christmas golf gifts you can buy this holiday season, whether it's for a loved one or simply for your own pleasure - treat yourself and get practicing!