Indoor Launch Monitors vs Simulators – What's the Difference?

A lot of golfers use the terms launch monitor and golf simulator interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Understanding the difference is helpful as we think about which product is the best fit for you.  

A launch monitor is a device designed to measure what happens during impact and ball flight. Depending on the technology, it can track data points such as ball speed, launch angle, spin, carry distance, club path, face angle, and more. In simple terms, a launch monitor gives golfers the objective feedback needed to practice with purpose and improve faster. 

Launch monitors are incredibly additive to practise and are a great entry point into understand your game. They provide essential data on course that is used by players just starting out their golf journey, all the way to the best in the game.  

Launch monitor companies often also offer indoor set-ups – you can have a screen to hit into, with a projector that allows you to see a course so you can tailor your practice and make it intentional. These are great, low-cost options for measuring your data, especially on cold or rainy days when getting out on course is less than desirable. 

However, in this indoor scenario, your ball flight and swing data is being captured by a launch monitor. As you begin to explore what a “simulator” can offer, you begin to see that companies like FULL SWING offer a more advanced experience.  

The FULL SWING simulator range doesn’t use a launch monitor to capture your data. It uses dual- or tri-tracking technology, depending on the model, to capture your ball and strike data. The launch monitor is replaced with an overhead ion camera, and 4 high-speed cameras that allow the simulator to capture your data as the ball moves toward the screen. This means as soon as your ball hits the screen, it enters the virtual world, and your shot continues as it would if you were on course. No other technology can offer this level of realism, and that’s what makes a true simulator stand apart.  

In short, a simulator utilises different technology to an indoor launch monitor. Simulators are a more premium, realistic, and a more permanent product.