Way back in 2014 I was able to review a little device with a lot of bold claims behind it from a relatively new company called Voice Caddie. What I’m talking about was the Swing Caddie SC100, and it was the companies first foray into attempting to finally create an “affordable launch monitor”. That review can be found here, but the quick version is that it surprised us here at THP in a notable way, and while the doppler based unit wasn’t perfect, it proved to be what a lot of golfers could use as a practice tool.
In the years that have passed, Voice Caddie has continued to grow, offering top notch GPS and laser measurement devices while also continuing to evolve their Swing Caddie launch monitor. With the SC200 and SC300 iterations they had big ambitions and delivered on many while not quite hitting the mark on others. That is why when we were sent the new SC300i, we were immediately intrigued. Is this finally the device to take Voice Caddie to the next level? Read on to find out.
Quick Take
Easily the most impressive Swing Caddie unit yet from Voice Caddie. Getting back to what caused the SC100 to take the industry by surprise, the SC300i rectifies many of the issues previous monitors from the company had. No, it isn’t perfect, but at a fraction of the price for a full monitor, it does a shockingly good job. This is a practice tool worth taking note of.
Swing Caddie SC300i
As has been the case with previous versions of the Swing Caddie, the SC300i remains a doppler based unit. What this means is that it has an internal doppler radar that actually tracks the golf ball, and in coordination with internal formulas, then can relay to the user what the golf ball did during its flight. In the case of the SC300i, it aims to track such ball flight metrics as carry/total distance, smash factor, launch angle, swing/ball speed, and peak height. You’ll notice I didn’t say spin data, which has been a long time “ask” by consumers for someone to figure it out in an affordable unit, keep a pin in that because Voice Caddie is offering it on the SC300i now, it is simply part of their app implementation I’m going to talk about in its own section.
The unit itself is quite substantial feeling in hand. When I unboxed the SC300i the first thing I noted was the quality of the build in both weight and materials. At 6.5”x4.5” it’s a good-sized unit roughly double that of the SC100/SC200. This means a bigger and easier to read 5.3” LCD display which I really appreciated in testing, having all the data right there to see clearly made the sessions a lot more enjoyable. The rechargeable internal battery is also a nice aspect to it claiming over 20 hours of power, and the included USB covers for the unit means it remains protected when in use on the course or range.
All of the talk is nice, but in the end consumers who will be interested in units like the SC300i are looking for two specific things, ease of use and accuracy. As for use, I’m not sure how anyone could mess up putting it into use. As long as you are setting it up about 5 feet behind you on the range/course then it will pick up the ball flight. The buttons on the unit are also easily marked and switching modes with them or the remote is as simple as can be.
As for the modes, there are two primary ones. First, the “practice” mode is straight forward range time, set your club and loft (hallelujah to Voice Caddie for including that ability!) and get after it to see all the data the unit provides. The other mode is “target”, and it remains the most underrated featured of any of the Swing Caddie units, in my opinion. This mode is dead useful to not just learn how to hit specific distances, but to do it with a variety of clubs. In both these modes, you can also utilize the voice feedback which will read off to you distance after each shot, it works well, it is easy to understand and hear, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, it can be muted.
I know, accuracy, but before I get there, I must discuss one more aspect to the SC300i that with more development could really let it carve its own niche in the segment as opposed to trying to take from competitors. The “MySwingCaddie” app for both iOS and Android unlocks a new realm of options. By using the Bluetooth connection of each device, you can not just download your sessions to the app to see in chart form but watch them live on the device as well. Add in that you can also set your device up to record your swing in the app while the SwingCaddie will pair it with the data from that shot and this is a whole new potential for involving instructors. Also, yes, when using the app you unlock the ability to see spin rates, but more on that in a minute. Big picture with the app is practically limitless in how it lets you track and archive data as well as club histories. That said, it does still have some development hiccups that we have been assured are being addressed as the app evolves.
So, finally, what some of you have been reading along for, is it accurate? In my opinion, it is surprisingly accurate when you are sure to take into consideration what the SC300i is, and what it is not. This is a unit which at $499.99 is seeking to provide avid golfers with more feedback to better improve themselves, and the hardware within it as well as the formulas do an exceptionally good job of that. When compared to my full function launch monitor used for review work here at THP, overall the accuracy of launch and ball speed stood out the most impressive. Launch was within 0.5° for me and ball speed within 1.2 MPH over 100 recorded shots, that is quite frankly excellent. While the rest of the data did at times skew further than that, it was never outlandish, and noticed the most on significant misses as opposed to solid strikes which kept quite accurate overall. This is where it is important to differentiate what the SC300i is compared to a dedicated launch monitor. This is a practice tool that given its accuracy on launch and speed makes it dead useful for golfers of all skills, add in that you can get a fairly accurate rundown on additional parameters including spin and distance, then you have something capable of important baselines in a much more accessible package.
Is the Voice Caddie Swing Caddie SC300i going to replace the Foresight or Trackman’s of the world? Of course not. But I think it’s a misconception that it is actually seeking to do that honestly. That said, I absolutely believe it can take on the Mevo’s of the world and stand toe to toe with them for data, while opening up a whole world of practice possibilities which that cannot. Bottom line, Voice Caddie is back on track with the SC300i, and if they continue to develop their MySwingCaddie app I believe they truly will establish their own foothold within the segment.
The Swing Caddie SC300i is available now through various retail outlets and comes in with a price tag of $499.99. You can learn more about this device and other offerings from Voice Caddie on their website here. Do you have experience with the SC300i? Is this something that you have been considering for your game? Please jump in with us here as well as the THP community with tens of thousands of golfers just like you and let us know!
