Voice Caddie Golf SC100 Swing Caddie Portable Launch Monitor

I really needed a device that I could use in my backyard driving range so that it would tell me roughly how far I was hitting. There are devices like this Voice Caddie SC100 that try to tell you a lot of information like, Ball speed, Swing speed, smash factor and distance. And you also have the Radar Swing and tempo monitor that shows Swing Speed and Tempo. So I decided to buy both of them to compare and see which one is really worth buying.TESTING SCENARIO:1. 5 Golfers will each hit 10 balls with a PW, 7 Iron, Fairway Wood, and Driver in a Driving range.2. I will use an SC100 and a Swing Speed Radar to measure the swings.3. Bushnell Pinseeker range Finder to verify distances.TEST RESULTS:1. Distance Accuracy: a. SC100 - There was roughly a 30% difference on the average in distance from what was showing in the display and what the Range finder was showing for all the Golfers. b. Swing Speed Radar - This only Displays Swing speed and tempo so based on the Swing Speed, I looked up a chart that showed distances based on swing speed and club type and loft. When using that chart with the Swing speed Radar, we were only 10% off on the average.2. Swing Speed Accuracy: a. SC100 - The SC100 was very inconsistent in how it measured the Swing speed. So in effect, the distances displayed were not accurate. It was sometimes absolutely wrong. It said I was swinging my PW, 110 mph. I wish, I could swing that fast. But there were times where they both displayed the same approximate speed. b. Swing Speed Radar - Very consistent with how fast they were swinging and looked very accurate.3. Reliability: a. SC100 - In order to capture 10 swings, we had to move the device further and further away, finding the sweet spot where we got the most readings. Even after getting the best position, less 35% of swings actually registered. b. Swing Speed Radar - I also had to position this a little bit but once in place would register 80% of our swings.4. Price: a. SC100 - $250 b. Swing Speed Radar - $120SUMMARY:Based on our testing, using a Swing Speed Radar and a Carry Distance Chart we got from GolfWRX, is so much more reliable and accurate than the SC100 in determining carry distance. Actually after we left the range and analyzed the raw data, we could see that for each of us we could tell that if my swing speed was 73 mph with my 7 Iron, I could get about 115 yards carry. So if I go to my backyard and hit 70-75 mph, I know my distance would be around 115 yards.*********UPDATE December 15, 2014**********I got an email from the Manufacturer and they were sorry that I had issues with the unit I had and asked me to give them a call. I got to speak to Kevin from Voice Caddie based here in the OC. He asked me the issues I had and he said he had never had that issue before and asked if I could meet him in a driving range so that he could test the unit with me. I told him I had already returned the unit to Amazon so there was nothing to test with. He said that he would bring a unit with him so that I could at least see the features of their device.Well, we met Kevin in the driving range and we proceeded to conduct a test. At the very first swing, I already could tell the difference. This new unit detected almost all my swings. I was really impressed. I compared the readings to the Chart I had used earlier, and it was accurate. So I swung my 7 Iron 70 mph and it read about 109 Yards. That is almost spot on to what is in the Swing speed to distance chart.It is also far better than the Swing speed Radar now.He spent about 2 hours with us in the driving range and it was clear that one I returned to Amazon was a faulty unit.I now really liked the SC100, but I told him that I had returned my SC100 to Amazon and I have just bought a new Ernest Sports ES12 Launch Monitor from an auction site. I was really surprised when he told me that I could take the new SC100 we were testing with, home with me and continue using it.I am so impressed with how well they treat their customers. Excellent product with an even better customer service. Very Highly recommended.Once I receive the ES12, I will do a side by side comparison with the SC100.***********UPDATE December 19,2014**********To be fair to Kevin from Voice Caddie, I retested the SC100 again against the Swing Speed Radar.TESTING SCENARIO:1. 5 Golfers will each hit 10 balls with a PW, 7 Iron, Fairway Wood, and Driver in a Driving range.2. I will use an SC100 and a Swing Speed Radar to measure the swings.3. Bushnell Pinseeker range Finder to verify distances.TEST RESULTS:1. Distance Accuracy: a. SC100 - There was only a 1-2% difference from what the chart said, and also the Bushnell Pinseeker range finder. Clearly very accurate. This is only Carry distance mind you. b. Swing Speed Radar - This only Displays Swing speed and tempo so based on the Swing Speed, I looked up a chart that showed distances based on swing speed and club type and loft. When using that chart with the Swing speed Radar, we were only 10% off on the average.2. Swing Speed Accuracy: a. SC100 - The SC100 was not reading the same as the Swing speed radar. But since the SC100 carry distance was 1-2% off the mark, I consider its finding more accurate. b. Swing Speed Radar - Very consistent with how fast they were swinging and looked very accurate.3. Reliability: a. SC100 - It really didn't matter where I put the SC100 as long as it was somewhere between 40 to 60 inches, it was able to read the swing. It only did not pick up 2 swings out of all the swings, and that was caused by the tester shanking the shot. b. Swing Speed Radar - I also had to position this a little bit but once in place would register 80% of our swings.4. Price: a. SC100 - $250 b. Swing Speed Radar - $1205. Features: a. SC100 - Swing Speed, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, remote control, Target mode, Random Mode and Practice mode. Now that I was finally able to test it completely, the Smash Factor was a really useful training tool. It seems to measure a ratio of how much faster the ball is going compared to the speed of the club. So a high Smash Factor would tell me that I am getting enough ball speed as compared to my swing. I used it to test different balls and you can see how different balls would give a higher or lower ball speed or smash factor. So I can now try different balls and see which one can get me the most distance. b. Swing Speed Radar - The only feature this has is Swing Speed and Tempo.6. Intended user a. SC100 - Almost all of the swings of the adults and teenagers registered without a problem, but shorter kids will not be able to use this as it will not register. After speaking with Voice Caddie, they said that the SC100 has a low threshold on purpose so that they could increase the sensitivity for adult sized Golfers. After speaking to me, they are planning to come up with one that would target junior golfers as they have slower swing speeds and shorter clubs. b. Swing Speed Radar - Since it only measures swing speed and tempo, this was able to measure the swing speed of most junior golfers about 30% of the time. Not that great but at least it would register sometimes.SUMMARY:Clearly, the SC100 replacement unit is a far, far more reliable and functional product and is a great training tool. The other parents in the Junior Golf Academy saw me testing this and are also interested in getting one for themselves. So for teen to adult golfers, this is the training aid for you if you want to be more scientific about your practice and game management. Highly recommended.I will soon compare the SC100 against the ES12. It is arriving on December 22 so expect an update soon after.********UPDATE December 28, 2014*********I received my new ES12 Launch Monitor and tested it compared to the Voice Caddie SC100.So how do compared to the SC100?PROS:1. It works for Juniors. It was able to detect all of my 7 year old's shots.2. It can verbally announce your distance.3. You can select between Carry distance or Total distance.4. iPhone app shows a Historical report of your swings.5. Just as accurate with distance as the SC100.6. Awesome tool if you are gapping your clubs.CONS:1. Needs a Smart phone, unlike the SC100 that does not need an iPhone to work since it has a built in display.2. Does not display the Swing Speed or the Smash factor which are pretty important if you are working on your swing.SUMMARY:If you are just trying to keep track of how far you hit per club for gapping and club selection purposes the ES12 is ideal. But if you are working on your swing, the SC100 is the preferred.

Voice Caddie SC 100 is a very impressive information tool. I have used this device one day at the driving range. I hit 3 baskets of balls and 98% of the hits displayed information. The bad hits (ground balls, shanks, skulls, etc.) did not register. I am close to 70 years old so loved how simple this is to use - just put it 4 feet behind the ball and turn it on. Right out of box remote did not work, but replace the battery (cr 2025) and it works fine. You have to remove the plastic film protecting the whole face of the VC SC 100 for the radar and remote to work properly. I was hitting the ball consistently 20 to 30 yards further than the VC SC100 would indicated -- but then realized I was on an ELEVATED TEE - the device just gives distance based on ball speed and angle of ascent - it does not know I am 10 feet above ground and have extra flight time before ball hits the ground. People on both sides of me wanted to know what device displayed so showed them - everyone impressed.

Dont understand the negative reviews for this. I took this to my golf pro for my monthly tune up. He has his trackman set up and we compared. The numbers are not far off. I spent less than 1% of what he spent on his trackman. Doesn't include spin but you don't buy this work on spin numbers. Helps with fine tuning your swing tempo. It also does the smash factor for you. In case you don't know smash factor is efficiency of your swing in relations to club head speed and ball speed. (Ball Speed divided by club head speed = smash factor) Pretty much tells you if you're hitting this square on.Comes with remote to mess with it. Maybe people didn't get a good unit. I would return it and get another unit.

I was surprised at how easy to set up and use this radar unit is - and how useful the remote control is. I used it this sunny morning for the first time on a driving range that faces East - and it worked like a charm from the first swing. I had to stand in front of it to use the remote control - to put it in my shadow - and that allowed the remote control to work flawlessly too (but you only use the remote control to change clubs and there's a button for each club, so it's not a problem)'It's very easy to see the large numbers, and it is very accurate on each shot and measurement (our course has range markers every 25 yards). This is one of the most well executed electronic devices I've every purchased. It makes practice much more fun - and helpful too. I also own another radar unit like this one, but the other unit has to be placed 8 inches to the right of the ball - which makes it impossible to see the numbers without moving. The SC100 is far superior to the older unit. It has a very high contrast amber face with very large letters and numbers, and it sits behind you so it's very easy to look back to see the results instantly - which is exactly the feedback you need with every shot.I think the SC100 is already improving my golf game - there's something very reassuring and reinforcing to see actual numbers when you are practicing - just hitting a ball without knowing the actual distance is a totally different experience from hitting a ball, and looking back and confirming the distance of the shot. Very revealing - and very helpful. It's so easy to use I look forward to using it every time I practice.

After a lot of study I decided on this monitor over several other monitors. It gives both speed and clubs be Kama calculates the smash factor and gives a very accurate carry distance. It is about the size of a cell phone and comes with a nice carrying pouch and remote that fit into my golf bag couches. It is a conversation piece while on the Range. Everyone wants to come see how fast their club is swinging.I will probably sell it soon: I have up saved up for a skytrak system. If someone is interested give me a shout.