The Garmin Approach R10 launch monitor is one of the most impressive pieces of golf technology that I’ve ever tested. Easy to use, strong accuracy. Simulation ability gives it immense longevity. Works garmin approach r10 test indoors and out.
Introduction
When you think of Garmin, you probably think of GPS watches or handheld units. However, in the last couple months, all the buzz around Garmin is about their new Approach R10 launch monitor. The reason for the immense hype is that it’s delivering things we’ve never seen before at the $600 price. Is this little device the death of the multi-thousand dollar launch monitor? Let’s find out.
Fair warning: there’s a lot to discuss here, so this review is going to be lengthy.
Set Up & Ease of Use
When you unbox the Garmin Approach R10, you’ll find the square black carrying case. Unzipping that case reveals the Approach R10, tripod, charging cable, and the two pieces of the phone mount. The Approach R10 charges with a basic mini USB cord. Plug it in until the LED light is solid red, indicating a full charge.
The accessories for the Garmin R10 are sturdy and thoughtfully designed. The tripod is magnetic and sets up extremely quickly. Similarly, it takes only a few seconds to get your phone mounted to your golf bag so you can film your swing and check the launch monitor stats.
Setting up the Approach R10 is similar to most other radar-based launch monitors. Garmin recommends that the device be six to eight feet behind the tee location. Garmin also states that ball and club angles are measured relative to the target line, so you need to get the device aimed exactly at your target. I’ll also note that, for indoor use, I was able to get consistent data with as little as six feet between the teeing area and the net.
I found the connectivity of the Approach R10 to be excellent. With the Garmin app downloaded, I turned on the device, pushed a couple buttons in the app to link the device with the phone, and got to work. The Garmin app does a wonderful job being easy to use without dumbing down the options.
Accuracy
The Garmin Approach puts out a tremendous amount of data. The full list of metrics includes: club head speed, club face angle, club path angle, angle of attack, ball speed, launch angle, launch direction, spin axis, spin rate, apex height, smash factor, carry distance, total distance, and deviation (offline) distance. The majority of those are measured by the radar, though spin, face angle, distance, and deviation are calculated based on the measured parameters.
Garmin’s published accuracy parameters are +/- 3 MPH for club speed, 1 MPH for ball speed, 1 degree for launch angle and launch direction, and 5 yards for carry distance. These numbers are based on Garmin’s comparisons with Trackman.
In my testing, I found that the Approach R10 was well within those parameters the vast majority of the time. Per Garmin, the accuracy parameters should hold up indoors and outdoors, though the R10 is expected to be more accurate outdoors because it can see the full flight. I found this to be true – the R10 was often perfectly in line with a professional grade launch monitor outdoors. Indoors, the accuracy was very acceptable, but it was perfect less frequently.
The one parameter that did get out of line occasionally was spin. I found this to be more common with wedges and mishit shots – the R10 tended to report much higher spin numbers. With the driver through the scoring irons, well struck shots were often within a couple hundred RPMs of a professional grade launch monitor.
One final note on accuracy is that it is difficult to aim such a small device with great precision. As a result, you may see your club delivery and horizontal launch angles be “off” by a degree or two. For example, if you’re aiming at a flag, but your R10 is aimed slightly left of the flag, a perfectly on-target shot might read as having a launch direction of 1 degree right. My advice is to align yourself with the R10 as best you can and focus on creating consistent numbers rather than worrying that the numbers are “wrong.”
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