Golf is a sport that tends to make us infatuated with numbers. Whether we are talking about how many strokes were taken last round, comparing handicaps, or boasting about that one drive that stretched over 300 yards. Numbers are a big part of the game. Earlier this year, Shot Scope introduced the Pro LX+, a first-of-its-kind product that offers everything a number-obsessed golfer could want, including a way to link to that one memorable drive worth bragging about.
Given that the entirety of the Pro LX+ is a 3-in-1 product, let’s focus on the Pro LX to start. Pro LX serves as a laser rangefinder, and when you see this Pro LX+ advertised, it will be the part that initially grabs your attention. As a standalone unit, the Pro LX offers many attractive features, starting with the comfort stability grip, which has an aggressively sized arch cutout that your thumb will naturally find. Because of this, it’s one of the more comfortable rangefinder units to hold and helps ensure a secure grip.
In terms of functionality, we get 7x magnification, target-lock vibration, rapid-fire detection, clear optics, and a range up to 900 yards. A physical switch on the side also activates adaptive slope technology allowing golfers to view adjusted yardages based on elevation changes. Golfers will also be able to change the optics from traditional black font to red, which pops and stands out while playing on a cloudy day.
If one were looking to buy the Pro LX as a standalone rangefinder, they would undoubtedly be happy. During our testing, the yardages, both slope and normal, were spot on with various other rangefinders in tow during testing rounds. Distances appeared quickly enough, and the vibration feedback was easily felt when locking onto the flagstick.
Moving on to the second part of the Pro LX + package is the inclusion of the H4, which is a handheld GPS unit that has a magnetic backing that allows it to latch on to the Pro LX. The magnet is strong enough that the H4 can stick securely to a golf cart. Shot Scope provides a magnetic clip that hooks onto one’s belt and a small carabiner to attach to a golf bag.
The H4’s on-screen layout is very familiar with what we have seen with Shot Scope’s popular V3 watch. It provides accurate yardages to the front, middle, and back of greens and hazards. Golfers will even get layup yardages on each hole, which can likely help us all with some course management. With 36,000 pre-loaded courses, there is a good chance that your home track is baked in and ready to go. Unlike the Pro LX, which runs off a CR123a battery, the H4 does need to be charged. Battery life is good enough to get two full rounds under its belt before being topped off.
Now there is more than meets the eye when it comes to the H4, which is where the third and final component of the Pro LX+ package comes in, and that is performance tracking. Included in the box are 16 tracking tags that get screwed into the butt end of every club grip. One thing that I enjoy is that these tags are a low-profile design. After installing them on your clubs, select “play and track” mode on the H4, and you are ready to get out and get more details about your golf game than you thought was possible.
On the course, using the H4 for performance tracking is straightforward but with one caveat. To tag a shot, golfers will need to physically tap the butt end of their club up against the face of the H4. There is a noticeable vibration when doing so, meaning that the H4 has tracked which club you are about to hit and marked the location on the course. On the display of the H4, the club number gets shown, ensuring you that you have activated tracking for that shot. Seems simple enough, right? Here is that caveat I was speaking about; you need to do this on every swing. If you have the H4 magnetically attached to the cart and your partner drives away, you will have to have them come back and tag it, or you can edit it in the app post-round. That scenario is the same if you forget to go through the pre-shot process. In my experience, the easiest way to work this tapping process into my routine was to take advantage of placing the H4 on the belt clip. In one round, I forgot the clip in my car, and I felt like forgot to tag shots more frequently.
Post-round, all this data collected needs to be synced to the app, which only takes a few minutes. Once everything is showing in the app, then you can go in and edit shots. I found it pretty easy to do this process in the parking lot once my round was complete. At this point, feel free to go ahead and re-live your round.
Within the Shot Scope app, which is available on iOS and Android, golfers can look up their performance data and compare it to golfers of other handicaps. Shot Scope captures over 100 different statistics and places a good emphasis on the Strokes Gained category. I compare my numbers to golfers of around a ten handicap because it gives me a more accurate representation of where my golf game sits currently. When I change to look at that data compared to single-digit handicap golfers, it shows, sometimes drastically, what I need to work on to improve my game.
Have you thought about taking a deep data-driven look at your golf game? If so, the Pro LX+ offers a great all-in-one package that should appeal to golfers who want the power of Shot Scope’s performance tracking without having to wear a watch. Both the Pro LX rangefinder and H4 GPS can be purchased separately, but notice that the package deal is better than buying both on their own.
More information on the new Pro LX+ is available at www.shotscope.com.
The Details
Available: Now
Pro LX: $249.99
H4: $159.99
Pro LX+: $349.99
Colors (Pro LX): Blue, Orange, Grey
