FlightScope Mevo Launch Monitor

Understanding your swing data and knowing “your numbers” is all the rage these days.  With such an emphasis being put on shot data for club fitting or instruction, being able to visualize the data is proving to be more valuable than ever.  Unfortunately, access to a quality launch monitor to get said data is often cost or time prohibitive.  That is, until now.  Meet the FlightScope Mevo personal launch monitor.  The Mevo delivers accurate data through the use of 3D Doppler radar technology in a compact footprint at a consumer-friendly price point.  In short, the Mevo is just the gadget I’ve been looking for!

Before You Head to the Course

Getting up and running with the FlightScope Mevo is generally pretty easy.  I recommend reading the supporting documentation that comes in the box.  Speaking of the box, DON’T THROW IT AWAY.  I’ll go into why later.

First, download the Mevo Golf app on your phone or tablet.  This app is used to control the Mevo launch monitor.  Additionally, you need to setup a MyFlightScope profile on FlightScope’s website.  This will allow your Mevo data to sync from your phone to FlightScope’s system so you can access the data from anywhere.

The next step is to login to the app on your device, set all of the settings as desired, and connect your device to the Mevo.  Picking the settings you want to use is pretty intuitive and just takes a little time to run through.  Connecting to the Mevo is easy as well.  Just make sure you have BlueTooth enabled on your phone/tablet and power on your Mevo.  Then select your Mevo in the “Devices in Range” section of the settings menu in the app.  You will see a small box in the top right corner indicating you have connected to your Mevo.

Setup

Now you’re ready to hit some balls.  Set your FlightScope Mevo four to six feet behind your ball.  A key point to remember is that the Mevo performs better when it is level with the golf ball.  This is why I suggest keeping the box.  It just so happens that the two box halves are the perfect height to elevate the ball above any range grass or to get even with tee height.  This will help the radar detect and track your ball better.

Once you start your session, make sure you select the correct club that you’re using.  This is important to get accurate data in addition to sorting the data from your session later.  Make sure you switch clubs in the app before you actually hit a different club.

Features

The FlightScope Mevo itself is pretty straightforward and easy to use when it comes to features.  The unit itself is a radar that captures and processes a solid range of useful shot data.  Through the use of the Mevo mobile app you can also incorporate video analysis.

Real-Time Performance Data

Tracking your shots to analyze data related to your performance is the ultimate goal with the Mevo.  True, with more advanced high-dollar devices, there is much more shot data that can be tracked, but the Mevo can track critical data that gives you plenty of information to understand and improve your game.  The eight data points that Mevo tracks are:

• Ball Speed
• Club Speed
• Smash Factor
• Carry Distance
• Launch Angle
• Spin
• Time in Air
• Height

I’ll talk more about the app in a minute, but it’s worth noting that you can only display a maximum of six of those data points at one time when using the app.  Rest assured, all 8 data points are still being tracked so you can still analyze all the data later.  This data is great to help you dial in your distances or to see how your latest swing changes are impacting your performance.  These data points are also very useful for checking equipment tweaks or seeing how that fancy new equipment is actually performing for you.

FlightScope Mevo App – Automated Video Capture

While the Mevo mobile app is necessary to collect your shot data, it has some nice additional features.  The Mevo app allows you to use the camera on your phone to automatically capture video of your swing with the related shot data overlaid on the image.

Additionally, there are basic drawing tools so you can do swing analysis when reviewing the video of the swing that resulted in the displayed data.  This feature is nice for a driving range hero like me, but also very helpful for teaching pros either during playing lessons or on the range.

In addition to the video functionality, the app offers a “text to speech” feature.  You can enable this feature in the settings and select which parameter you want the app to “tell you” after each shot.

MyFlightScope.com

MyFlightScope.com is FlightScope’s website that allows you to view data from all of your sessions.  When you login, you’ll see all of your sessions uploaded and you can click through each one of them.  You can also export the sessions to .csv if you’re into that kind of thing.  I imagine this is a good tool for instructors to be able to share data from their teaching sessions.  I do know it’s great for golf gear reviewers to go back and do data comparisons later.  There are more features to unlock on the site as well depending on which FlightScope product you’re using.

To clarify, you can review all of your data in the Mevo app as well.  The MyFlightScope website just makes it easier to read and manage the data.

Performance & Accuracy

What’s the whole point of any launch monitor if it isn’t accurate, right?  Fortunately, I’ve found the FlightScope Mevo to be plenty accurate and a strong performer.  Look, I’ve spent plenty of time on high-end launch monitors and simulators (perk of the job I guess) and my Mevo numbers hold up with all of them.  The Mevo’s most accurate results will come from hitting balls outdoors with the included silver dots stuck on the balls.

It’s worth noting the silver dots are not absolutely necessary, but you will have more accurate and consistent data for spin if you use them.  For what it’s worth, I rarely actually use the dots outdoors and still get reliable data.  Hitting indoors without the dots will still result in useful and accurate data, however, you may have a few shots not register with the Mevo.  If you are hitting balls into a net a short distance in front of you, I absolutely recommend using the silver dots since there is less distance for the radar to track the ball.

Final Thoughts – FlightScope Mevo Launch Monitor

Retail pricing for the FlightScope Mevo is right around $500.  That price point is where I think the Mevo really proves itself.  For $500, you get a device that fits in your pocket, is easy to setup, and gives you eight critical data points to analyze your swing.  At that price, there’s just simply no better value on the market.  The data is reliable and accurate which allows me to critically evaluate everything from swing changes to driver shaft performance.  Being able to just show up to the range, set the Mevo down six feet behind me, connect my phone, and start collecting shot data has made the FlightScope Mevo an invaluable piece of golf equipment for me going forward.

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