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Swing Caddie SC200 Plus Launch Monitor Review: Still a Great Value With New Features
Swing Caddie recently introduced the SC200 Plus launch monitor as a replacement for its SC200 model. Almost all features have remained the same, but they have added swing speed mode – which allows you to measure your swing speed without hitting a ball.
I’ve had a chance to test the SC200 Plus, and I’ll share my thoughts in this review. Overall, it remains one of the great values in the personal launch monitor category. The new swing speed mode allows golfers who are pursuing a training program focused on increasing swing speed to benchmark their progress.
Still A Great Value
The personal launch monitor category has taken off dramatically over the last 1-2 years. There are now a ton of choices, and I’ve tested almost all of them. You can make a strong case that Swing Caddie was the pioneer in this space. I’m told that the original SC200 launch monitor was the best selling product in the entire category over its whole life cycle. That’s why I was a little surprised when I found out it was discontinued.
The SC200 Plus was initially priced at $399, which was slightly disappointing as the original was under $300. Fortunately, you can now purchase it here for $289. Effectively, this is the same price as its predecessor, but now you get the swing speed mode.
At this price level, I still believe it’s an excellent value for the features you’re getting and the accuracy. The Rapsodo MLM, Swing Caddie SC300i, and FlightScope mevo will cost you about $150-$200 more. They offer apps and enhanced data features. But for some people, the price point is out of their reach. Or the enhanced features aren’t necessary.
On the lower end, the PRGR launch monitor is about $100 less than the SC200 Plus. It offers similar accuracy (perhaps a little better), but lacks a few of the bells and whistles and requires a bit more effort to operate.
Overall, the SC200 Plus remains an excellent option for golfers who are on a budget but still want a few premium features such as a remote control, practice modes, and voice output. I’d consider it one of the best “in-between” options for under $500.
Very Good Accuracy
After testing the Swing Caddie SC200 Plus against my SkyTrak launch monitor, I believe the sensor offers very similar accuracy versus the original SC200. Not much has changed on that front.
Testing indoors, you can see some of the original data I collected against SkyTrak, which costs about $1700 more:
| Club | SkyTrak Yardage | SC200 Yardage | % Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch Shot (LW) | 53.8 | 55.6 | 3.29 |
| SW | 99 | 102.4 | 3.4 |
| PW | 130.2 | 133.2 | 2.27 |
| 7-iron | 173.6 | 176.8 | 1.87 |
| 3-hybrid | 213 | 209.8 | 1.51 |
| Driver | 249.8 | 255.1 | 2.09 |
The SC200 Plus does pretty well inside if you have about 4-5 feet behind and in front of the ball. It’s certainly not perfect (no launch monitor is), but it will give you very good estimates of your swing speed, ball speed, and carry distances.
Since Swing Caddie is using a radar sensor, you can expect it to perform better outdoors when it has room to see the ball travel. For those who want to add a little more data to their range sessions, it fills that void nicely. Be aware that when using range balls, your distances can be affected, which I wrote about in this article.
If you are looking for a quality net to go along with the Swing Caddie SC200+, we recommend reading our Spornia SPG-7 review.
Simplicity
My favorite part about Swing Caddie launch monitors is its simplicity. All you have to do is turn the SC200 Plus on, allow a quick barometric pressure calibration to occur, and you are ready to go.
The most important feature for accuracy is adjusting the loft of the club you are hitting. The SC200 Plus comes with a remote, which allows you to make those changes with the touch of a button. Also, it will call out your shot distances shortly after it reads your ball flight.
There are four modes you can choose from.
- Practice: Displays shot distance, swing speed, ball speed, smash factor, as well as time played and total shot count.
- Target: You select a distance and hit ten shots, and then you are given a score out of 10 after each shot.
- Approach: Random distances are selected for you, and you are given a score out of 10 after each shot.
- Swing Speed: Capture swing speed without hitting a ball
The SC200 Plus will also store your shot data for each club. Over time you can see your average carry distances and clubhead speeds for various clubs in your bag.
Swing Speed Mode
The only difference between the original SC200 and the SC200 Plus is the swing speed mode. You can now take practice swings without hitting the ball, and it will display your swing speed. For some, this feature might not be a big deal or even interest them at all.
However, with the rising popularity of swing-speed training, I think the swing speed mode is a very nice addition. One of my top recommendations for golfers who are looking to increase swing speed is to use the SuperSpeed Golf Overspeed training system. One of the fundamental parts of that training is using a swing radar to track your swing speed when using their training clubs (you are not hitting balls). The SC200 Plus can be a worthwhile companion with that product because you can now benchmark your swing speeds, and see if you are making any gains.
Aside from that, I don’t think many golfers might find value swinging their clubs without hitting a ball. Either way, this new feature does not come at an extra cost.
How I Would Use the SC200 Plus
For most golfers, I believe a personal launch monitor can be a great practice tool if they use it properly. My primary recommendation is to use products like the SC200 Plus to hone in on your wedge distances. Many golfers struggle with shots between 25-100 yards, and you’ll see excellent accuracy since it’s easier for any launch monitor to record shots at closer distances. I’ve seen tremendous results in my own game, and quite honestly, it could be worth the price of admission for that functionality alone in terms of its impact on your golf game.
With the SC200 Plus, you can use a mixture of target mode and approach mode. You can first dial in distances between 50-100 yards and get your feel for each shot. Then you can test yourself with random yardage selections to see how well your body is remembering those distances.
Also, if you do want to pursue swing speed training with a product like SuperSpeed Golf, the new swing speed feature is a great companion.
Last but not least you can also use the SC200 Plus to get reasonably accurate data on carry distances for each club in your bag. This is a way to add a bit more structure to your practice sessions, especially if you are hitting into a net without any other kind of feedback.
Wrapping It Up: Still a Great Value
Overall, the SC200 Plus is not a huge change from its predecessor, and that’s a good thing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! For under $300, you can get reasonably accurate feedback on your club distances, ball speed, and swing speed. The added swing speed practice mode is a great tool for those working on increasing their speed.
When looking at the rest of the personal launch monitor category, I still believe it fits in for golfers who are on a budget but do want a wide variety of features.
You can purchase the SC200 Plus for $289 using this link, which is the lowest price you will find online. Also, this article explores ideas on how to practice with launch monitors effectively.
Jon,
Good to see this. I’m currently borrowing my fathers SC200 and have found it to be very good for wedges as you said. I am currently starting up super speed for the second winter in a row and was curious are you using the SC200+ during your protocols to see the speeds with your green, blue, and red sticks or just checking the progress with your driver periodically?
Seth – my recommendation would be to benchmark your speeds for each session if you want to keep a close watch on your progress. For example, you could see where you are topping out at with each stick (or just the lightest one). It’s relatively easy to have the unit set up behind you and it will quickly display your speed after every swing. Then you can see how your speed is transferring to your distance, ball speed, and club speed when hitting balls.
Cool so it works with the sticks themselves. I might need to pick up one of these for myself seeing as the swing radar from super speed is ~$100 itself. thanks
Yes it will pick up on the sticks and give you a reasonable estimate of your swing speed. I think a lot of people doing swing speed training will start to opt for launch monitors like these instead of the speed radars since they are more versatile.
Does tis Unit display Launch Angle ?
It does not – you would have to get the Swing Caddie SC300 or the Rapsodo MLM for those features. Here are links to those reviews:
https://practical-golf.com/sc300-swing-caddie-review/
https://practical-golf.com/rapsodo-mlm-launch-monitor-review/
Great review. I had the SC200 but gave to a friend who plays more now I regret. Starting week 6 of SuperSpeed so these numbers are important to keep track of progress.
thanks, Richard! I agree – this added feature makes the product viable to the growing number of SuperSpeed users around the world.
I purchased the SC200+ based on your excellent review and am very happy. I love the random distance challenge. I am using the device in my garage here in PA and though it has been a mild winter, the temp can sometimes be in the upper thirties. I know that the SC200 measures the air pressure and temp, does it do so to help calculate the carry distance? I am getting distances that are 10-15 percent less than expected in the summer, but I am hoping are on par for colder drier winter air. Thanks again for a thorough well documented review.
Thanks, Steve – glad you like it! If the balls you are using are staying in the garage then it’s very possible the limited distance is due to the colder temperature. The SC200+ is directly measuring how the golf ball is traveling, so the cold temps could very well be limiting the distance.
Thanks, Jon, I will bring out some balls from the house next time and do an immediate side-by-side comparison. I appreciate the quick response!!
Jon
Warmer balls and warmer air equal expected distances!! Now for another question about using the SC200+. I am getting Practice Swing Mode speeds that average 5-7 mph higher than my best swing speeds when I have a ball in place. I am using “Impact Improver” to ensure that I am on plane and that I am making good center of clubface impact with the practice swings. Not some sort of wild “fast” swipe. I’ve heard the term “being ball bound” and wonder if you know of any training techniques that can help eliminate that issue. My thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
Hi, great reviews for all of these launch monitors! I’m deciding between the Mivo and SC200+. You mention tracking average over time on SC200+, is that a rolling average, or can you look back to specific sessions over time?
Thanks!
thanks! Those are rolling averages, you are unable to look up specific sessions in the SC200+
I have a SC-200 which does not support the lower lofts of my Ping G700 irons. Does the SC-200+ have the same loft choices as the SC-200? Currently I am setting the SC-200 to one club high (ie set the SC-200 to an 8 iron when actually hitting a 9 iron and am able to set the lofts to within a half degree).
Hi! How long will shipping take?
within 1-2 business days
How long shipping takes to Australia?
Typically you can expect about 1-3 week ETA from the United States to Australia
Is this product accurate when hitting into a net?
Jon. Thank you for your excellent and professional reviews of launch monitors. It has helped me hugely in deciding which is best for me. I have decided on the SC200+ but have one question regarding loft adjusting. I see it does not support a lob wedge in the clubs and your data includes the results of one. Am I correct you achieve this by altering the sw loft. I also have an approach wedge. What range of loft adjustment for irons does the unit allow.
Yes on the SW selection you can adjust loft as high as 60* with the remote
Thank you
Jon, Is this product accurate when hitting into a net?
With the right setup, it’s very solid. And I mean having enough room behind the ball, in front of ball, level to playing surface, and a clear contrast between ball, net, and background.
Are these monitors suitable for someone who draws the ball? I noticed one review said I struggles if the ball is not straight.
I draw the ball quite a bit and they work just fine for me!
Thanks Jon, much appreciated. Do you think they will be affected if hitting into direct sunlight?
I think that shouldn’t be too big of an issue most radar devices can work in direct sunlight
Without the launch angle, how can the yardage provide make any sense?
A bit late, but ask the question at Jon’s forum for Practical Golf, and you’d get a quicker answer.
That said, I own one of these. I hit irons really high, albeit not very far. AFAIK, it’s really good at measuring ball speed, and it’s pretty consistent on those numbers. (Provided you don’t mishit—it doesn’t handle spin or way offline stuff well at all) It’s really consistent on what you give it for clubhead speed, but it’s not super accurate. Near as I can tell, it overstates my speed by about 3-5%, depending on club. But it does it consistently. So you can tell if you’re improving or not.
Carry distances? Are extrapolated from the loft you tell the monitor. It isn’t measuring actual launch angle at all. At least this version. Low, shaft forward shots; high cuts; you name it: if the ball speed is the same, it’s going to tell you the carry is the same. Even as you’re watching both shots land 30 yards from each other.
Still a great monitor. But you have to know its limitations. Cheaper by far than Skytrak or (LOL) Trackman.
I just received my SC200+ as I have a SC200 but no remote, so ordered a remote and received a SC200+ remote which does not work w/the SC 200. I ordered the SC200+ & now have 2 SC 200+ remotes, but neither works with the SC 200+. Also, the unit when changing clubs in practice mode with no ball, just swing speed, is waaay off.
Best I could get out of it is 37mph with 7i setting and 63+/- yds! I have played golf for past 40 years and carry a 10 handicap now, after years of 2-3.