Rapsodo MLM2 Pro Vs Swing Caddie SC4 – Which One Is Better?
The battle for personal launch monitor/ home simulator supremacy is hotter than ever right now and two of the biggest entries of the 2023 season have been the MLM2 Pro and Swing Caddie SC4.
MLM2 Pro First Impressions
The MLM2 Pro was released earlier than the SC4 and undoubtedly garnished a lot of sales as a result. It has two cameras and a radar, sitting proudly 6 – 8 feet behind the ball.
Despite being a little buggy and having some connection issues, it is the most accurate device on the market for under $1,000. It gets the spin metrics correct which is a big one for many golfers.
Swing Caddie SC4 First Impressions
Swing Caddie has put a ton of effort into the SC4 which looks to upgrade every aspect of the SC300 and does a great job.
The device is a Dopplar radar that only needs to sit 5 feet behind the ball. It gets the carry distances correct but the spin numbers are going to be suspect.
It works with or without an external device like a phone or tablet and even calls out your distances in real time.
What The MLM2 Pro Does Better
Spin Rates
The MLM2 Pro comes with dual cameras, a radar, and special Callaway Chrom Soft RPT Balls. The balls have various dots on them to allow the MLM2 Pro to pick up spin rates effectively and it works. The spin numbers are not as accurate with the SC4
Records Your Shot
One of the cameras with the MLM2 Pro records your swing and marries it with the stats for that shot. An excellent way to visually see your improvement over time, in both your swing and distances.
What Does The SC4 Do Better
Better Overall Design
The SC4 is a nicer device to use overall. It is smoother, the display is better and not needing to connect to another device to use it is also a handy feature. It’s smaller, more inconspicuous and it picks up shots better than the MLM2 Pro.
The SC4 also comes with a remote for changing clubs and makes other tasks much easier instead of bending down to the machine. It fits in a magnetic holder behind the device for easy storage.
Less Bugs And Connection Issues
The MLM2 Pro has been plagued with connectivity issues and lagging problems since it was released. Some issues have been dealt with through firmware updates but many of the issues still persist.
The SC4 is smooth, it picks up your shots, it comes with E6 for free, unlike the MLM2 Pro and it gets through a full round on the simulator without missing a ton of shots or disconnecting and forcing you to start again.
Overall, the SC4 is better in almost every way besides the spin accuracy of the MLM2 Pro.
The MLM2 Pro’s Annoying Yearly Fee
The Premium Membership with the MLM2 Pro is free for one year. It then costs $199 per year.
The spin rates wont calculate and you won’t have access to the simulator without the yearly fee.
This is one of the most annoying features of the Rapsodo and it’s not very customer friendly in my view.
The Swing Caddie SC4 can certainly be used for free, even coming with E6 and one course for free.
You can pay to get all the courses on the E6 as well.
We also found the MLM2 Pro to get disconnected and become laggy when using the simulator.
The Simulators
The simulators come with cartoony graphics, worth keeping in mind although it is still useful and quite a lot of fun. There is no putting with either simulator.
Overall
If you value the spin rate accuracy and carry, the MLM2 Pro is a good choice when you get it up and running smoothly.
In terms of design and usability, the Swing Caddy SC4 is the better device in almost every metric and it is $200 cheaper.
We do expect Rapsodo to iron out these issues next time around and Swing Caddy will probably get the spin rates accurate too. The Personal launch monitor niche is an exciting space right now.
Rapsodo MLM2 Pro in 20 Words or Less
In 20 Words Or Less
A 2 Piece Launch Monitor/Simulator that offers amazing accuracy for the price point, Perfect for home or on the range.
Skycaddie SC4 in 20 Words or Less
In 20 Words Or Less
A personal Dopplar Launch Monitor/Simulator that has improved in every department and gives accurate carry distances consistently.
Rapsodo MLM2 Pro First Impressions
The product is packaged nicely and it looks to hold its own in terms of design durability.
The first thing you notice is that it comes in two pieces, a stand and the product which boasts dual cameras and a radar sensor.
The second thing you notice is that the device sits higher than competitors like the R10 or the Sky Caddy SC4 which was released after the MLM2Pro.
2 Cameras And A Radar
The 2 cameras capture and record your swing and it also has a camera on the moment of impact. It can be handy to view your swing progress over time and equate the stats to the swing.
You are going to need an external device like an iPhone or iPad, and now, we also have support for Androids from Rapsodo and the Samsung Galaxy.
Hitting Area
The first downside that we noticed was that the hitting area is small, it was missing a lot of shots and that can be frustrating. Once we got the alignment sorted out perfectly, it was quite good at picking up the strokes.
Simulator
If you are playing a round on the simulator at one of 40,000 courses, you will notice that the graphics are cartoony like with the R10, but still handy to play.
Another unfortunate issue is the connectivity between the software and the device. It is a little buggy
Premium Membership.
The premium membership is free for the first year, but it costs $199 per year after that, more than its competitors and the device really depends on having the membership as a lot of features don’t work without it. You don’t even get the spin without premium, so it is almost an essential expense.
Accuracy And The RPT Ball
The Carry Distance and Spin calculations were very close to the trackman we were using and the spin is more accurate than the R10 or the Swing Caddy SC4 so they have got that part right.
The spin is only calculated when you use the special Callway RPT Chrome X ball and that is not surprising when looking for accuracy from an indoor launch monitor. A Solid feature.
Inputting Clubs
Inputting the clubs to the system is time-consuming, you have to select the brand and model of each club. Many popular, yet less-known brands are missing from the system.
Overall
This is an incredibly accurate device but it is a bit buggy and there are a lot of nagging problems. This one shows excellent promise for the future, but this is still a little ways off.
Skycaddie SC4 First Impressions
The product looks like a $1,000 due to the packaging, uboxing and set up experience. This looks like a professional product from the word go.
Synching up the SC4 with your phone and is super easy and this one is really a plug and play device, that is simple to use.
The design has also been improved with the remote fitting nicely at the back of the device in a magnetic port.
Once you start hitting and hear your carry distance being called out by the device, you will be hooked.
Once you get the E6 simulator going, you are in for hours and hours of home golf entertainment.
You can bring this to the range and easily connect it to your phone to see your distances at a glance and change clubs easily with the remote.
The spin distances did look high by 2000 RPMs but the carry distances were spot on compared with the trackman at the range.
The Swing Caddy app has also gotten extensive improvement. It’s easier to set up and it gives beautiful display of your data.
This is an excellent value device and it is great to see the launch monitor technology becoming more accessible to the public as time goes by.
Key Features
Then Skycaddie SC4 is a dopplar launch monitor. It take pictures of the ball as it is hit and uses the differences between the pictures to estimate the total ball flight.
The SC4 also has a Barometric pressure sensor which helps to give even more accurate readings.
The screen display is clean and crisp, another big upgrade. The digits can be a little small to see but you can easily pair with the Swing Caddy app.
The remote is also very useful, it allows you to change clubs without bending down and it fits right in the back of the design in your pocket during use.
Rapsodo MLM2 Pro Selling Points
- Amazing Accuracy On Carry And Spin
- Simulator/Launch Monitor
- Great Value For The Accuracy
- 30,000 courses on the Simulator
- Easy Set Up
- Records Your Swings
- Intuitive Interface
- Lots Of Premium Features
Sky Caddie SC4 Selling Points
- Big Improvement On The SC 300
- Simulator/Launch Monitor
- Accurate Carry Distances
- Leader At The $500 Mark
- Easy Set Up
- Beautiful Design
- Calls Out Distances
- Works With Or Without External Device
- Much Improved Swing Caddie App
Who is Rapsodo MLM2 Pro for?
This is great for home or personal use for golfers who want to get accurate carry distance and spin.
Rapsodo has put a lot of effort into tracking the spin accurately and the use of the RPT balls works well.
Anybody who doesn’t mind using an external device like an Iphone, Android or Ipad, can get the best use from the MLM2.
Anybody who doesn’t want to spend over $1,000 but wants an accurate device.
Anybody who wants to record their swing and visualize their improvement over time.
Overall this is an excellent device but it is a little buggy and rough around the edges.
Pros:
- Easy to set up and use when properly aligned
- Accurate spin and carry distances compared to other devices.
- Dual camera records your swing
- Simulator and Combine Modes are fun.
- Most accurate device under $1000
- The app has been improved and is more intuitive
Cons:
- Buggy and connection issues
- Can miss shots
- Core features unavailable without premium membership ($199)
- The display can be a little hard to see
- Needs an external device
- can miss some shots
Overall Score: 93/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Who is Skycaddie SC4 for?
The SC4 is the perfect toy for Teach Savvy Golfers. You will need about 14 feet of space in your house to use it properly but it only needs to sit 5 feet behind the ball, shorter than its competitors.
This will be great for any golfer looking for their first personal product and wants the best value device available.
This is great for golfers who want to both use the sim at home and the data tracking at the range.
For any golfer who doesn’t have access to a commercial device like the Trackman.
Also a great option for coaches who want a portable device that will easily work on the range or on the course.
Overall this is an excellent device that will suit many golfers of all levels and abilities.
Pros:
- Professional Look And Feel
- Accuracy is on the level of $1000 launch Monitors
- Only needs 5 feet of space behind and 8 feet ahead.
- Use with or without an external device.
- Connects to E6 and stays connected for a full round
- App is also much and displays data in a visually appealing way
Cons:
- Spin Rates are reporting a little
- The display can be a little hard to see
Overall Score: 97/100
Check Out More Reviews Here:
Aidan Lehane here, I’m a Mid-low handicap golfer who has made tremendous progress in breaking 90 in just over 1 year of playing golf seriously.
I get out to the course or range as often as possible and review all the equipment I’ve come across on this blog.
