It’s been 5 years since the FlightScope Mevo Plus was first announced.
In that time they’ve rolled out some major updates to that unit – but there hasn’t been a new product from the company since then.
So to see them roll out their new i4 rangefinder? It’s really exciting.
But should it be?
What is the FlightScope i4 rangefinder, and why does it cost $499? Is it game-changing tech or another distraction from the the things you need to be doing to really improve your golf game?
Let’s dig into it.
A high end rangefinder that promises to take your FlightScope data and bring it to you on the course.
What is the FlightScope i4 Rangefinder?
About 4 years ago, Precision Pro became the first rangefinder company to factor your launch monitor data into its slope calculations.
The problem? Since they don’t have a launch monitor of their own, the integration kind of fell flat. No one I know actually used it.
It’s left me waiting to see who would take the concept and really run with it.
The answer?
Well, Foresight beat Flightscope to the punch by about 3 weeks.
They just released the new Bushnell Pro X3 Link and Foresight GC3s. The new Foresight units will ship with a very high-end rangefinder that will give you customized distances based on your personal data from Foresight launch monitors.
On the surface, it looks pretty cool.
Well now, FlightScope is essentially doing something similar. The new i4 Rangefinder is going to allow you to do the same thing: get more personalized yardages and data on the golf course.
What Will the New FlightScope Rangefinder Do?
The new i4 will take what it knows about your club distances and will make club recommendations before every shot directly in the viewfinder – just like the Bushnell system.
But where things get a little more interesting is how the FlightScope will factor in environmental factors to adjust distances and recommendations.
FlightScope has been working for well over a year on their new Environmental Optimizer system for the Mevo Plus.
“The EO pulls real-time weather data, including air density and kinematic viscosity, ensuring that its distance calculations are always accurate and relevant to the current playing conditions. The FlightScope i4 sets itself apart from traditional rangefinders, making it a must-have for any golfer who wants to improve and score better.”
The Bushnell Pro X3 series rangefinders have had some of these capabilities built-in for a couple of generations now, so it will be interesting to see how these two devices stack up to each other.
Do We Really Need This?
I’m personally excited to get hands on with both systems and see how they work.
Because, while the tech is cool on the surface, I can’t help but think “Do we really need this?”
If you’re a good enough golfer to spend thousands of dollars on a launch monitor, and have gone through the process of gapping your clubs – then do we really need a rangefinder to tell us what club to hit?
How accurate are environmental factors like wind? If the nearest weather station is a mile away, then the data you’re getting may be different from the par 3 you’re standing on.
I’m skeptical but excited.
As far as the i4 pricing, $499 places it squarely among the most expensive rangefinders in golf. It’s $100 less than the MSRP on the Pro X3 series, but $100+ more than many other worthy counterparts.
If you’re a dedicated Mevo Plus user and in the market for a rangefinder, I’ve gotta imagine this is the device you’ll want to get. Similar to how I’d generally only recommend the Garmin Approach Z30 to golfers who use a Garmin GPS watch.
The bigger question is will this be useful enough to get non-Mevo Plus users to pay a premium and buy?
Or will it be interesting enough to get people to want to invest in the Mevo Plus system?
I’m excited to find out the answers to all of these questions, and will update this post with my full review as soon as I can get hands-on with a new i4 rangefinder.
You can learn more about the new FlightScope i4 here.
A high end rangefinder that promises to take your FlightScope data and bring it to you on the course.
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