Updated November 2023 to include new comparisons to the Rapsodo MLM2PRO update pricing, and give more long-term feedback after using the Garmin R10 for a year.
Each year I review dozens of golf products, but it’s not very often I get truly excited about something.
After my first half an hour on the range with the Garmin R10 personal launch monitor, I was literally calling over friends to say “dude, come look at this!”
This might be the most excited I’ve been for a new golf tech product all year.
The personal launch monitor space has been heating up over the last few years.
Devices like the Rapsodo MLM, Flightscope Mevo, and Swing Caddie SC300i – have all made getting accurate(ish) distances accessible for the average golfer during their practice sessions.
But none of those have been perfect.
The lack of lateral data on the Mevo was a dealbreaker for many.
I struggled with questions of accuracy and user experience with the Rapsodo.
And the Swing Caddie simply didn’t have the feature set of the other two.
So when I first heard about the Garmin R10 – I got excited.
But after a few hours using it? I’m even more excited.
What sets this apart from other launch monitors in this price range? Let’s take a look and find out.
First Impressions of the Garmin R10 Launch Monitor
With previous Garmin products I’ve reviewed, the packaging has always been well done, but not over the top nice.
It was never like opening up an Apple product or truly high-end gadget where when you pop the top and it feels like a bright glow is emanating as you hear a chorus of “ahhhhhhhhhhhh.”
That has changed with the R10.
Upon opening the included leather case, I audibly said “Damn! This thing looks sweet!”
It had the feeling of opening up a Pelican case with the molded foam inside it – it just feels very high-end.
Then you throw the fact that the Garmin just looks badass on top of it, and you immediately feel like you’re getting an expensive, aspirational device.
…Did I really just say badass?
Yes?
Oh well.
…but it really does look cool.
The R10 itself is very small at only about 2×3 inches and half an inch deep.
Personally, I think it’s the best looking of all of the launch monitors in its category.
That said, when compared to the Mevo or Rapsodo – the case is the biggest. It certainly isn’t as easy to just toss in your bag as the tiny Mevo, or even the Rapsodo which has a less bulky case. But the device itself is very small.
It comes with a little tripod, which works very well, and I’ve found it to be sturdy on both grass or pavement behind a mat.
I was also very pleased to see the R10 doesn’t use a proprietary charger like the Garmin watches do. While I’d prefer it to be USB-C, the USB-mini it comes with is great. I still have plenty of those cords lying around too 🙂
Perhaps the most welcome addition in the box, was the phone holder.
It comes in two pieces, one to hold the phone, and another that attaches to it with a ball head, and then clips anywhere you want. I found it to work great by clipping it onto the box of balls at the driving range:
This was one of my big complaints with the FlightScope Mevo – there’s no great place to put your phone (although this is mitigated by it’s Apple Watch integration).
Related: Still can’t find an R10? Check out our list of the best launch monitors currently on the market.
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Setting Up the Garmin R10
I’m always kind of shocked when bluetooth devices work straight out of the gate. Most golf bluetooth devices have some kind of learning curve, or bugs I need to sort out before they work properly.
The Approach R10? Was working perfectly in under two minutes.
I was honestly kind of surprised when I had it setup, went to go hit a shot, and it accurately tracked exactly what I did.
Trying to connect it to an iPad however, was a different story. More on that below.
Using the Garmin Golf App
I feel like Garmin has created an entire golf ecosystem within their app, that has kind of flown under the radar.
You could use a Garmin Approach GPS device (like an S42 or G12) and CT10 sensors to track all the data for your rounds.
Combine this with the R10 and you’ve got all of your practice data.
As they improve this, having all of that data in one spot is pretty powerful.
It kind of just reinforced how awesome it would be to see Arccos Caddie be able to combine more practice data into their ecosystem.
Using the Garmin Golf App with the R10 is really user-friendly and doesn’t take long to understand.
When you open it up you have 4 options: Home Tee Hero, Driving Range, Weekly Tournament, and TruGolf E6 Connect.
A Range Session with the R10 and Garmin App
Let’s start with the driving range as this is where most users will go first.
Assuming your R10 is turned on and you’ve paired it in the past, you should be able to set it up, hit Start Training and be good to go.
On the screen you can easily tell it which club you’re hitting, and you’re set.
There are 5 different screens you can choose from when you’re hitting, based on personal preference. I don’t know if there are official names for these, so I’m just using my own descriptors here:
Golfer View: