Review: SLX Hybrid Mini launch monitor – best budget golf gadget?

The easiest way to lower your scores on the golf course might just be to know your yardages.

For most golfers, distances with each clubs are determined by guess work, or by thinking back to that one time they hit a 7-iron 180 yards.

It’s understandable, too, as not everyone can afford to spend thousands of pounds on a launch monitor, and not every player has access to a driving range with shot tracer technology.

What’s more, is that you can take this little device out on the course, where it acts as a GPS, telling you the distance to the centre of the green. If that’s not enough, you can use the app, to get a view of the hole you’re playing to.

Clearly, there’s a lot of tech packed into a tiny package here, but how does it perform?

I tested out the SLX Hybrid Mini at my local driving range to see how it does.

The First Look

The first thing to note about this, is the size. You really could fit this into your pocket and carry it around on the course, it’s that compact. It really does live up to the billing of being ‘Mini,’ so much so that it’s smaller than my phone. That’s a huge plus, as other launch monitors aren’t going to be portable in the same way.

This was also easy to set up, along with the SLX-Connect app. It really took about five minutes before I went for my practice session and it’s pretty intuitive to get started. Saying that, you don’t even need the app, if you purely want to use this as a launch monitor to get straightforward numbers.

I also like the screen display here. It’s handy for if you just want to see your vital numbers and nothing else. Of course, there’s a lot more to this budget launch monitor than that, let’s take a look at the tech.

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The Tech

Here’s what you can expect to find from the SLX Hybrid Mini Golf Launch Monitor, as told by the brains behind the device.

Accurate and portable, the SLX HYBRID Mini Golf Launch Monitor gives golfers real-time feedback on their swing with ball speed, club speed, and carry distance measurements. Combining precision metrics with GPS course navigation, it helps players make smarter choices with every shot.

Compact yet powerful, the SLX HYBRID Mini is a pocket-sized device that delivers professional-level swing insights wherever you play. Its robust design features an easy-to-read LCD display and seamless app connectivity for extended analysis and functionality.

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The bunkered Verdict

I’m really impressed by this launch monitor, as I think it really fills a hole in the market. Previously, golfers would have to shell out a lot of money for a reliable launch monitor and for many, that just isn’t feasible.

At only £159.99 RRP, this is a bargain and it performs nicely too. While you might not get all the information you’d find from a Trackman, you’ll get numbers that matter most to amateur golfers. You’ll find ball speed and carry distance at a glance, which is really useful, especially if you want to dial in your distances.

One thing about this launch monitor I love is the ability to track club speed. At the moment, I’m trying to gain speed with my driver swing, so having feedback on the speed I’m swinging the driver at is crucial. I found this number to be pretty accurate to what I was feeling, which allows me to track my speed sessions. Hopefully that swing speed number goes up soon!

For the most part, I found that picking up yardages wasn’t an issue. I was at a driving range with Toptracer technology and the Hybrid Mini was almost always within a couple of yards, which is impressive.

Of course, that’s only half of the benefit that you’re going to see from this device. Although it’s a launch monitor you can use in your practice, you can also take it out on the course where it can be really useful.

If you want a yardage at a glance, you can see the distance to the middle of the green with this. However, you can also use the excellent SLX-Connect app to get a view of the hole on your phone.

Overall, this is a great bit of kit that will set you back less than a new driver and might just help your game out more.

If you’re often finding that you are missing approach shots short or long, you struggle to pick the right club, or you want easy distances on the course, I’d recommend giving this a shot.

The Details

RRP: £159.99

Available: Now

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