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The Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS adds the ability to measure practice swings to the popular SC200. Extremely easy to use. Outstanding accuracy for the price.
Get a PIG-exclusive discount on the the Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS HERE
Introduction
For several years, the idea of a consumer-level launch monitor was a pipe dream. Now, it’s become one of the hottest segments of the golf market. With so many new contenders, Swing Caddie has updated one of their best-selling units, the SC200 [review of the original HERE]. I tested the SC200 PLUS to see how it compares in this newly competitive market.
Find our list of the best launch monitors for every budget HERE
Set Up & Ease of Use
The original SC200 launch monitor was super easy to use: drop it four to five feet behind the ball, turn it on, and get to work. That hasn’t changed with the SC200 PLUS. Once you load in some batteries, the SC200 PLUS is good to go in seconds.
Thanks to the remote control, you don’t need to leave your hitting position once you set up the SC200 PLUS. The remote allows you to change modes, clubs, alter lofts, and switch between total and carry distance.
If you want to get more data on your game but don’t want to spend a lot of time fiddling with technology, the SC200 PLUS is exactly what you want.
Effectiveness
For a launch monitor at this price, the first question is always, “Is it accurate?” The Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS is very impressive in terms of accuracy. Testing both indoors and outdoors, the SC200 PLUS was consistently in line with a Foresight GC2 that costs roughly 50 times as much. Like the SC300i, club and ball speed readings were within 1 MPH and launch angles were typically within 1.5 degrees.
For those debating between the SC200 PLUS and the SC300i [full review HERE], I’ll provide the key differences. The advantage of the SC200 PLUS is the ability to measure practice swings. What you sacrifice in not opting for the SC300i are several data points: Launch Angle, Apex, and Spin Rate, plus the ability to connect to the My Swing Caddie app. Also, the SC300i has a larger measurement range – 15-370 yards vs. 30-320 yards.
The ability to measure practice swings is a major plus (no pun intended) for those looking to gain swing speed. Whether you’re training with Super Speed [review HERE] or just swinging your own driver all-out, not knowing how much speed you’re creating is akin to lifting weights without knowing how much is on the bar.
As I wrote about the original SC200, I like this device for any golfer, but I love it for the player who hits most of their shots into a net. With the SC200 PLUS, you’ll get valuable feedback on the quality of each strike even when you can’t see the ball flight.
Value
The Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS retails for $279. Get exclusive Plugged In Golf savings by buying it HERE.
I thought the original SC200 was a solid value, and the SC200 PLUS is even better. The price is the same but they’ve added the ability to measure practice swings. Whether you’re using it to train for speed, add precision to your practice, or both, this is a great tool.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to make your practice more meaningful through the addition of data, the Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS is a great way to start. This device couldn’t be easier to use, and it gives you the key metrics you need to better your ball striking. Adding the ability to track practice swings makes it even more impressive.
Buy the Swing Caddie SC200 PLUS HERE
Matt Saternus
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Matt,
I have had the SC200 for years. It works great on the range, occasionally missing a shot, no big deal. I have never been able to get it to work with a net at home. I’ve read the company’s suggestions, I’ve lowered it down, raised it up, brought it closer, tried farther away. Nothing ever works, a big disappointment. I hope this one, as you point out in your piece, works well with a net.
However, no matter, because I think the home market is about to be blown up, and I can’t wait to read your review of the Garmin R10, coming out soon. It will costs twice as much, but it will give so much more, many important stats, and a true launch monitor to rival the big guys, if the hype is true.
As always, I read you first every morning,
Mike
Thanks, Mike! We’re looking forward to checking out the R10, too.
Best,
Matt
Enjoyed reading the review. I have a PRGR monitor, bought specifically because it allows for “practice swings”, but am certainly considering this as an upgrade.
One question, are you able to turn off the voice mode so this doesn’t bother other people who are within ear shot at the range?
Michael,
Yes, you can turn the volume to zero, no sound at all.
Best,
Matt
I have a Garmin G80 range finder that has a launch monitor feature called “practice mode “. I don’t think it’s very accurate when heading towards the top of the bag but I’ve read mixed reviews. Also read where a lot of smaller, less expensive monitors have problems with the top of the bag because of swing speed. Would like to see an accurate, less expensive launch monitor because I’m interested in yardages and then spin, the rest is frosting to this average player.
Thanks fellow Matt 😀, did you have a preference between this and the PRGR in terms of the accuracy of the carry yardage (compared to GC)? I would imagine the ability to adjust the lofts on the SC200+ would help dial that in for irons if consistently on one side high or low. Trying to decide between the two (and PRGR has a new model too). Thanks!
Matt,
I prefer the SC200 PLUS for the easy to read screen, primarily. I don’t think there’s a huge gap in accuracy. My experience has been that most shots are measured pretty well, and when either device “misses,” it’s pretty obvious.
Best,
Matt
I own a SC200+. I like it, and it is as easy to use as the review indicates, but you have to understand its limitations.
It’s a Doppler radar unit. It measures ballspeed really well in my experience (and that of most Internet reviewers). Both consistent and accurate. It’s consistent, but not accurate, when it measures clubhead speed. So you can chart improvement in your swing as time goes by—bumping your swing speed from, e.g., 95 to 102 as you improve with the driver—but it may not be the speed you’re actually swinging. Other reviewers have noted it’s about 3-5 percent fast. I suspect that swing plane really determines the accuracy of its clubhead speed measurement. So a smash factor measurement is going to have issues.
Ball speed and club head speed (sort of) are what it’s actually measuring. And it’s consistent there. On the other hand, carry distance, as far as I can tell, is interpolated by the club and loft angle you select. If you really vary your loft from shot to shot, you’re going to see some odd numbers when it comes to carry, that don’t match up with where you see it landing. Especially, in my experience, with wedges. It doesn’t account for spin at all, either. You will see some howlers if you mishit.
All that said, it’s fantastic for what it does, and for the price. I can take my SC 200+, go to the range, and get a really good idea of what my ball speed is, and what my club head speed improvements (or penalties) are, as I practice. For 250 bucks, depending on where you find the deal. A lot cheaper than other competitors, and much more convenient. Use is as easy and intuitive as it gets. You almost don’t need the instruction pamphlet Volume is even on the remote, if you want the voice to just shut up already. (It blinks rapidly then, to let you know of the new measurement.) Battery life is good. I’m on about 10 hours of use with the first set of four AAAs, and still going strong. Not sensitive at all to unit placement. It doesn’t like sunshades, again, if you hit the ball high, and are under some sort of roof. No, you can’t download the data to an app. Or compare session by session. I just take notes as I hit, and enter them into a spreadsheet later.
If you don’t have easy access to more sophisticated monitors, this is a fantastic substitute.
I tested it out against a trackman and it was very close surprisingly. I bought it to speed train before next season and I pumped.
I just got the SC200+ and I went outside today to try the Practice Swing mode and I know from checking elsewhere on various monitors that my driver swing speed is somewhere between 80 and 85 mph. This unit was showing me 65-70 mph. Any idea why it would differ by this much??
Patrick,
My only thought would be set up. Were you the recommended distance from the unit?
-Matt
Same for me . I was on Trackman last week with driver 95-100 and SC200+ is showing 60-65
Accurate ,reliable and a good value . Remote sucks .
Hi, for indoor use I read the unit has to be around 5ft behind the ball, but is there a specific distance needed between the ball and the net?
Thanks in advance.
Eamon,
I tested mine with about 6 feet of ball flight into a net, and it worked very well.
Best,
Matt