Quick Review: Shot Scope LM1
Ideal for golfers of any ability seeking an affordable, subscription-free launch monitor to track key speed and distance metrics at home, on the range, or on the course. It delivers standout carry accuracy and standalone convenience without forcing you down a complex swing analysis rabbit hole.
- Excellent value at £200 with no subscription fees
- Standalone plug-and-play setup requires no phone or app connection
- Highly accurate carry distance and speed metrics on irons and wedges
- Compact, lightweight design with a bright, easy-to-read colour display
- Versatile functionality across course, range, net, and speed training modes
- Manual club selection on the unit can be fiddly and easy to mis-click
- Session data is amalgamated on-device without an option to delete individual shots
- Total distance figures are consistently over-calculated, particularly for woods and irons
- Lacks real-time environmental adjustments and audio data callouts
Use my exclusive Shot Scope discount code ANDYSGOLF at checkout to save an extra 15% on your order.
Key data points and what comes in the box?
Having already established itself as the market leader in golf performance tracking, Shot Scope is now branching out into the launch monitor market with the release of the LM1. Retailing at £200 or $200, this Doppler radar unit is very much in the budget launch monitor space, but don’t be fooled by its low price — the LM1 really does have a lot to offer.
Five key data metrics
In terms of data, the LM1 captures five essential metrics:
- Ball Speed
- Club Speed
- Smash Factor
- Carry Distance (Y/M)
- Total Distance (Y/M)
These metrics can be tracked during rounds on the golf course, at the driving range, and using an indoor or outdoor practice net. The device can even help you develop a faster golf swing.
What comes in the box?
Inside the premium looking Shot Scope LM1 box you will find:
- Shot Scope LM1 launch monitor
- Premium carry case
- Screen cleaning cloth
- USB-C charging cable
- Quick-start user guide
- Club loft chart
Use promo code ANDYSGOLF at checkout to get 15% off the Shot Scope LM1 or all other products at the official Shot Scope store.
With this affiliate link, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Compact design, build quality, and screen visibility
The biggest surprise for me the first time I saw the LM1 was just how much smaller it was than I expected. It’s slightly shorter and only a little bit wider than my iPhone, making it a really neat and highly portable unit. It’s also very lightweight, weighing only 300 grams.
Despite it being a budget launch monitor, the LM1 feels and looks great. The device is controlled using 4 buttons on the side, which can occasionally be a little bit problematic (more on that later), but, whilst they are a little clicky and don’t feel like the most high-quality buttons, they do allow you to navigate menus, change settings, and select the club you are hitting.
The LM1 benefits from a clear 3.5-inch colour display, and, unlike many of Shot Scope’s other devices, it has a brightness control, which I know will be music to the ears of many existing Shot Scope users. I found the screen bright enough and easy to read, even in varying light conditions, so I didn’t have to adjust the brightness, but it’s handy to have the option.
Finally, when it comes to charging, it has a USB-C charging port, which in my testing charged the LM1 from flat to full in under 90 minutes.
Fast plug-and-play setup
The LM1 is designed to be used straight out of the box, but it does still come with a quick-start user guide that’s worth reading to ensure the correct setup and use. There are a couple of settings that need to be pre-set, such as unit of measurement, the way you want to display the data, and the colour of the theme, but beyond that, there’s really not much you need to do before you start using it.
What I absolutely love about the LM1 is the fact that it is so quick and easy to set up. Whether you’re using it on the course, the driving range, or with a practice net, it’s a breeze. All you need to do is:
- Switch it on
- Select your mode
- Choose your club
- Flick out the stand
- Position it 1.4 metres directly behind the ball
As it’s a standalone device, unlike many other launch monitors, there’s no requirement to connect a mobile phone, adjust tilt or roll, or anything else. From switching it on to hitting balls takes less than 30 seconds, which is remarkably quick.
Watch My Full Video Review
If you prefer to see the data in action, you can watch my comprehensive hands-on testing in my full Shot Scope LM1 Video Review over on YouTube. In the video, I walk through the full setup, unboxing, and real-time shot comparisons against my FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 and TrackMan Range setups.
Real-world accuracy and performance testing
As with every golf product I review, I have tested the LM1 extensively before creating this review so that I can tell you honestly what worked well and what could be better.
On-course and general play tracking
In golf course mode, the LM1 allows you to obtain data for shots as you play your round. I tested it on my home club’s short par 3 course with clubs ranging from my 6-iron to my lob wedge.
Because the LM1 is so small and light, and comes with a protective carry case, I found it easy to store and carry in my golf bag. In fact, quite often, I actually just keep it in my pocket between shots, which I found even more convenient and helpful for quick use.
The stand is wide enough to allow the device to balance well on flat ground and on slight slopes, but if you play on a golf course which is particularly hilly, you might have to occasionally get a bit creative in balancing the device before you hit your shot.
For normal lies, the speed at which the LM1 can be switched on and begin tracking shots is a real plus point when using it on the golf course, as is how quickly it returns data, which means there’s little chance of holding up the group behind.
In terms of ball tracking on the course, the LM1 performed well. It didn’t miss any shots that I took during my round, and the numbers were generally very close to what my laser rangefinder was telling me. It is worth reiterating that I only tested mid-to-short irons and wedges on the course, though.
For me personally, I’d probably not use the golf course mode very often as I have access to a practice net, but it’s a handy addition for those who play most of their golf on the course and don’t do much practising
Home net testing: Accuracy comparison vs premium radar
Given that I have my own garden net set up, this is where I did the bulk of my testing with the LM1. During the testing period, I hit hundreds of balls both day and night and also tracked data at the same time using my £1,200 FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 for comparison.
Following the user guide, I carefully measured 1.4 metres from the hitting area, and ensured the LM1 was level with the hitting area by stacking up some tiles, which also ensured I was always placing the device in the same place for every test. It’s worth mentioning that with my setup, there is a decent distance from the ball to the net, which helps devices track the initial ball flight before each runs their own calculations to work out the carry and total distance numbers.
| FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 | Shot Scope LM1 | FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 | Shot Scope LM1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club type/group | Carry distance (yards) | Carry distance (yards) | LM1 vs FS MG2 | Total distance (yards) | Total distance (yards) | LM1 vs FS MG2 |
| Driver averages | 215.5 | 224.7 | 9.2 | 223.3 | 248.4 | 25.1 |
| Wood/hybrid averages | 191.6 | 198.2 | 6.6 | 198.7 | 212.8 | 14.2 |
| Long/mid iron averages | 149.5 | 154.0 | 4.5 | 151.1 | 163.3 | 12.2 |
| Short iron averages | 128.2 | 130.9 | 2.7 | 129.1 | 135.8 | 6.7 |
| Wedge averages | 85.1 | 86.3 | 1.2 | 86.0 | 90.8 | 4.8 |
- Ball speed and club speed: Readings were almost identical, often within just 1 mile per hour.
- Carry distances: The LM1 was quite a bit more generous than the Gen 2 for driver and woods, consistently around 8–12 yards longer. As I moved down the bag to the long and mid-irons, the gap began to narrow, averaging between 4–6 yards. Where things really began to tighten up were the short irons and wedges, where the distances between the two devices were nearly identical, often only 1 or 2 yards max.
- Total distances: Across the board, the LM1’s total distance numbers were more aggressive and representative of firm and fast conditions than the Gen 2. Personally, I felt they were probably a little too generous. For driver and woods, the LM1 provided, on average, 25 yards more rollout than the Gen 2, and 12 yards for long and mid-irons. With short irons, the average was 7 yards rollout, and for wedges, 5 yards.
The data suggests that the Shot Scope LM1 total distance calculation is jacked up; however, I’m not too concerned about this because the carry distances, which were generally very good across the bag, are what golfers really should be focusing on instead of total distances.
From 1.4 metres, the LM1 tracked 99 out of 100 shots, missing only one shot with a lob wedge. Out of curiosity, I tried moving it back to 2.4 metres, which led to 4 out of 5 missed shots with my lob wedge, more variance in club speed readings, an increase in carry distance gapping, and more erratic smash factor readings. This demonstrates just how important it is to carefully follow Shot Scope’s setup instructions in order to get the most accurate data.
| Metric | FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 | Shot Scope LM1 | Difference / Deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average smash factor | 1.20 | 1.21 | +0.01 (+1%) |
| Minimum smash factor | 0.87 | 0.83 | -0.04 |
| Maximum smash factor | 1.44 | 1.71 | +0.27 |
| Average absolute deviation | — | — | ±0.07 |
In terms of Smash Factor, which measures the efficiency of energy transfer at impact, the LM1 readings were very consistent with the Mevo Gen 2. Out of more than 150 shots, only once did I see a glitch, with a Smash Factor reading of 1.70 (which isn’t actually possible given the maximum is 1.50). However, with this outlier removed, the LM1 readings were within 1% of the Gen 2 across the entire bag, which is impressive for a £200 device.
Battery life-wise, for a full session of 65 shots, the battery only went down by roughly a sixth, so from a full charge, you’ll get plenty of sessions out of the LM1.
Usability drawbacks and interface limitations
- To change clubs, you need to do this on the device using the up and down buttons. If you’re only hitting a few balls with one club at a time, this does get a bit annoying and would be easier if it could be done using an app.
- When changing clubs, I accidentally pressed the back button a few times, which exited the session, meaning I had to restart it.
- The screen is a really good size and easy to read. I like the fact that you can choose to display one particular metric at a time in large format, or show all five on screen together. The only problem is that you must choose your display before you begin your session, as you cannot switch between large format and advanced modes mid-session.
- The device has no audio readouts for data, so you need to keep looking at it each time you’ve hit a shot. It would be good to have this read out aloud so you can just focus on hitting golf balls.
- Irrespective of which mode you’re using, the LM1 saves each shot to the device itself. This is useful as it means that you don’t need to use your phone at the same time, but you can import your session data into the mobile app once you’ve finished. (App integration wasn’t available when I tested the LM1, so I cannot discuss how well this works just yet). What I did notice is that, rather annoyingly, you can’t delete any shots from the device itself when you’ve mis-hit one or are just trying something out.
- Shots from all sessions seem to be amalgamated by club when viewed on the device history, with no way of knowing which shots were captured on specific dates, conditions, or modes. I think I’d prefer if sessions were grouped and if the user could name them using the buttons on the device.
Watch My Full Video Review
If you prefer to see the data in action, you can watch my comprehensive hands-on testing in my full Shot Scope LM1 Video Review over on YouTube. In the video, I walk through the full setup, unboxing, and real-time shot comparisons against my FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 and TrackMan Range setups.
Outdoor driving range and TrackMan Range accuracy test
I appreciate that not everyone is going to have access to an indoor or outdoor practice net, so during testing, I decided to take the LM1 to a couple of local driving ranges.
Performance in real-world weather conditions
First, I headed to the grass practice area at my home club. For this test, I numbered five golf balls, hit them out to the range with the same club, and wrote down the LM1’s carry distance for each shot. It was a very wet and windy day, so I was hitting into a 2-club headwind, and the ground was very soft with absolutely no roll. Having hit each ball, I walked to the position of each ball on the range, used my laser to measure the distance, and wrote it down. I repeated this process with a selection of clubs, including sand wedge, 8-iron, 6-iron, and driver.
| Shot Scope LM1 | Laser rangefinder value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Carry distance (yards) | Carry distance (yards) | Deviation |
| Driver averages | 238.7 | 191 | -47.7 |
| 6 iron averages | 156.4 | 131.6 | -24.8 |
| 8 iron averages | 131.7 | 111 | -20.7 |
| 50 degree wedge averages | 92.5 | 91 | -1.5 |
The biggest takeaway from this session is that the LM1 essentially works on the assumption of ‘perfect conditions’, as it has no way of knowing what the wind speed is like or what effect that has on the ball flight. During testing with the driver, the LM1 gave me carry distances between 234 and 244 yards, while my laser confirmed the balls were actually carrying between 180 and 203 yards. The LM1 was overestimating driver carry by an average of around 45 yards into that heavy headwind.
Now, whilst this may seem like an issue, it is important to note that the data was consistent. When testing irons, they showed longer carry numbers, but the distances were consistent for each club. When testing my wedges, the carry numbers were actually very, very close, so for shots where the wind didn’t have as much of an effect, the LM1 demonstrated good accuracy.
Mat and range ball accuracy comparison
Next, I visited my local driving range, which has TrackMan Range technology installed, so I could see how the LM1 performed with range balls against both the Mevo Gen 2 and TrackMan Range. As before, I worked through a range of clubs from my wedges down to my driver, recording the carry and total distances for every shot across all three devices.
| FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 | Shot Scope LM 1 | TrackMan Range | FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 | Shot Scope LM 1 | TrackMan Range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Carry distance (yards) | Carry distance (yards) | Carry distance (yards) | Total distance (yards) | Total distance (yards) | Total distance (yards) |
| Driver averages | 231.0 | 244.8 | 208.6 | 235.2 | 262.0 | 236.6 |
| Wood/hybrid averages | 190.5 | 200.8 | 184.8 | 195.1 | 209.1 | 210.6 |
| Long/mid iron averages | 156.7 | 159.6 | 158.7 | 156.6 | 166.2 | 166.9 |
| Short iron averages | 126.7 | 125.4 | 123.8 | 126.5 | 127.2 | 131.6 |
| Wedge averages | 69.5 | 65.7 | 71.0 | 70.2 | 66.7 | 76.7 |
At the range, for my mid-to-short irons, the LM1 was often within just a few yards of both the Mevo and TrackMan. For instance, with my 6-iron, the LM1 averaged a carry of 169 yards, which was just 5 yards further than the Gen 2 (164 yards) and only 2 yards further than the TrackMan (167 yards). This tight parity continued all the way down to the wedges, showing the LM1 is almost as accurate with irons and wedges as these industry-leading launch monitors.
When moving into the longer clubs, I found the LM1 to be generally consistent with the Gen 2 in terms of driver carry, and actually better than the TrackMan. I could see where the balls were landing on the range and felt like the TrackMan consistently underreported carry numbers but gave much larger total distances. By contrast, the LM1 matched the Mevo Gen 2 pretty well in terms of carry, even if it was still a little generous with total distances.
Swing speed radar and speed training functionality
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Pros and cons
Here’s a quick breakdown of what I think the Shot Scope LM1 does well and where it could be improved.
What I like
- At £200 with no subscription fees, it’s incredibly affordable.
- With mid-irons and wedges, performance is comparable to my FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 across club speed, ball speed, smash factor, and carry metrics.
- Even with driver and woods, it’s within an acceptable range for a budget launch monitor.
- Compact, easy to set up, and requires no mobile phone or app connection to use.
- Can be used on the course, in a net outside or inside, and on the driving range.
- Large, clear screen with brightness control, and water-resistant for light showers.
- Quick USB-C charging with solid battery life.
What could be better
- Having to change clubs manually on the device can get annoying, and button placement makes it easy to accidentally exit a session.
- Session data is currently amalgamated within the device history, with no way to delete shots on the device itself.
- Total distance calculations are often inflated.
- Doesn't account for real-time wind or environmental conditions.
- No audio callouts for shot data.
Final verdict: Is this Shot Scope LM1 launch monitor worth buying?
In truth, the LM1 really is a great piece of kit and is very much suitable for any golfer. Whether you’re a scratch golfer looking to test and compare yardages between a new driver or set of irons, a mid-handicapper looking to develop a faster golf swing or dial in your wedges with some gapping, or a beginner just looking to see how far you hit your clubs, the LM1 will be a great addition to your golf bag. In my testing, it performed really well across the board, especially when put up against the much more expensive FlightScope Mevo Gen 2 and TrackMan devices.
If you’re looking for more advanced metrics such as spin rate, angle of attack, swing path, or face impact location, the LM1 isn’t going to give you that, and you’ll need to look at something significantly more expensive.
However, if you’re looking for a reliable, compact, and versatile launch monitor that gives you essential data metrics, doesn’t lead you down a swing analysis rabbit hole, and won’t break the bank, you’ll be hard pushed to find one better than the Shot Scope LM1.
Before making a final decision, take a look at my recent review of the GolfBuddy Shot Mate, which offers a very similar feature set to the LM1, but is actually £50 cheaper, and might be worth considering if you’re looking for something even cheaper.
Where to buy
If you want to buy the Shot Scope LM1 after reading this review, don’t forget you can save 15% with my Shot Scope discount code and the link below.
Use promo code ANDYSGOLF at checkout to get 15% off the Shot Scope LM1 or all other products at the official Shot Scope store.
With this affiliate link, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
