This review contains affiliate links — if you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Everything below is based on my own hands-on testing as a PGA coach.

The Shot Scope LM1 is, for me, a massive win straight out of the box. At $199 it genuinely looks and feels like a premium launch monitor. The packaging is lovely, it comes with a really nice little carry case, the display is crisp and clear, and even the buttons feel good in the hand. I love that it charges over USB rather than eating through batteries, and the built-in kickstand means you can prop it up and look back to read your data instead of crouching over it.

It connects to the Shot Scope app so you can pull your data across, but it's worth being clear about what it isn't. There's no real-time sync to a swing video the way you get with pricier setups like the Full Swing Kit or Handy Golf, and there's no visual ball-tracking or simulator functionality. It isn't trying to be any of that — it's a far cheaper way to get solid baseline numbers. In use you simply select the club, which is no hassle.

On accuracy, I tested it against my Full Swing Kit, Trackman and GCQuad, and the ball speed and club head speed hold up really well — those numbers are consistently close. As with most radar units at this price, distance is where it can drift: when a shot fits the algorithm (reasonably straight, normal spin) the carry comes out very close, but on shots with unusually high or low spin the distance can read long or short, because the unit isn't actually measuring spin. A spinny driver that flies a little short might read longer than it went, and a low-spin one that carries miles can read a touch off. It's close in testing, but I'd never call it Trackman-accurate on distance — and at $199 versus twenty grand, it isn't trying to be.

Where it really earns its place is speed training and as a baseline tool. I know my own numbers on the premium kit — roughly 120 mph ball speed on a 7-iron and around 90 mph club head speed — so I can jump on the LM1 and check I'm in the vicinity. Ball speed and club head speed read close enough that I trust them. I'll still do my proper gapping sessions on the expensive, accurate kit, but the LM1 is the one I'll throw in the bag for the course when I don't want to lug a Trackman around. For the average golfer — and honestly for the kid or amateur version of me who didn't have access to all the fancy launch monitors — it's a brilliant feedback tool. Just don't buy it expecting to do precise gapping sessions.

Alongside the Stack Radar, these are my two favourite bits of speed kit. The LM1 actually looks and feels the more premium of the two, and unlike the Stack Radar it charges over USB rather than running on batteries. If you want something a little different — especially if you've already got The Stack speed system — the Stack Radar is well worth a look (use code EVESGOLF). The Golf Buddy is another good option too.