Rapsodo R-Motion review

[Ken805BDS]

A little late to the game, but I decided to give the R-Motion a try mostly because it advertises that it gives some basic information about my swing but also because it integrates, and comes with, a free version of a simulator. The reviews on R-Motion are mixed at best, but I was hoping I would be able to get one of the better experiences. There are a few aspects to the R-Motion to dig into; the R-Motion device, the App, the data and the Simulator.
Pros:

• Relatively reliant ball flight and swing path display on the R-Motion app and GameGolf.
• Free simulator GameGolf is a quite fun and useful. Great for a quick 18 rounds at home.

Cons:

• Both GameGolf and R-Motion provide little to no instruction out of the box. Almost everything of value I found were on forums….still varied by “experts”.
• Neither GameGolf nor R-Motion provide a user friendly experience to rename or add clubs. R-Motion provides a full range to choose from, but GameGolf is unnecessarily restrictive.
• I saw on several GameGolf forums you cannot change the loft more than 5 degrees from the default…….true…..however change it 5 degrees, save setting, then change it 5 degrees more and you’re good to go.
• R-Motion club attachment is horrendous. Buying multiple is stupid expensive. Regular blue putty from a hardware store is the fix.
• R-Motion uses some variance of Rolomotion to acquire swing data. Problem is, if you top or stuff a ball it looks at swing path and may show a great hit.
• GameGolf – short chips take some getting used to. Putting is absolutely pointless. There is a setting to automatically take a 1 or 2 stroke based on distance.
• R-Motion – On my Pixel phone I cannot let the R-Motion turn on before logging in or the app will freeze then need to restart phone. Must login first, then activate the R-Motion device.
• No way to export swing data or track progress.

I brought R-Motion with me to an indoor practice facility using a ForeSight tracking system. The two systems track different data points so it is difficult to say if R-Motion was accurate or not, however I feel the R-Motion was reasonably close for the most part and flight path was comparable. There were definitely shots that the two provided very different numbers (assuming ForeSight tracker is accurate).
Would I recommend R-Motion? No. The data it provides just doesn’t help me improve my practice and the mishits are too unreliable. Also, take into consideration that Rapsodo doesn’t appear to sell it any longer.

Me: I’m a beginner/recreational golfer (15-20ish HCP). Been playing for several years, but that typically has meant 3 or 4 rounds a year having a few beers with friends. Recently, prior to quarantine, I started to take a real interest in golf and wanted to actually improve my game. I’m also work an irregular schedule and limited funds to invest towards green time.
What I’m using : A strong quality hitting mat. 10x6x6 net. Swing Coach Sci-Core practice balls.

[nbar]

Well I have benefited from R Motion it has helped my game. Hank Haney always said just swinging a golf club 100 times a day will improve your game. I have dropped 4-5 strokes off my game using R Motion and having fun playing The Golf Club courses.

[Ken805BDS]

I agree TGC is a great benefit to the R-Motion package, one of the best benefits and great selling points IMO. But with any sport (golf, marksmanship, curling) sending something downrange 10000 times, but doing it wrong will never be a good thing. I think we can all agree R-Motion can provide useful data. But it is finicky. Don't line up the device to club face correctly, a inch off the club grip, top or stuff the ball, and all data points are off.

I understand it is an extremely cost effective swing analyzer and free sim. But for me, the fact that I can't trust the data because of relatively minor inconsistencies is enough to turn me off. I still use the TGC because, oddly, I find it more accurate than the R-Motion numbers. Simultaneously have been putting regular practice on a putting mat and shaved about 5 strokes off my game.

With all that said, if you are happy with R-Motion, happy for you.

[nbar]

"But with any sport (golf, marksmanship, curling) sending something downrange 10000 times, but doing it wrong will never be a good thing" Well Hank Haney disagrees as he said it's all about repetition and that leads to consistency.

[BruceL]

Hi, I'm a newbie, but have to disagree...
(Reviewing the product is a bit pointless anyways -- it looks like it is not for sale on Amazon or anywhere else currently.)
I bought on Amazon awhile back, on sale for $99 or 149, if I remember. I had read on these forums that the sensor sometimes breaks, so I actually purchased 3 (to have a pair as backup). The product is simply a swing sensor, that comes with a freeware version of a sim. As we all know, it does not read ball data and cannot tell where on the face you've hit the ball. (Fat hits do slow the clubface down though, IMO.) And yes, the original clips are problematic.. but the 3-D printed ones available on eBay are cheap and fantastic; I've purchased 2 sets.

TGC itself? I'm running on an older PC with a dedicated gaming card. The graphics are MUCH better than I'd expected from watching YouTube user vids (seem most YouTube vids showed the game running on a laptop). The simulated ball flight is very good, IMO, as long as the clip is square to the face.. I did upgrade to full TGC1. Tons of courses, but also many cool Par 3 and driving ranges to explore. Some of the ranges are fun and addictive. I've even found a dedicated putting range. So, for approx $700 (R-Motion + eBay clips + software upgrade), I have a pretty good entry-level sim to enjoy. What's not to like?

IMO, you're missing out if you don't get the eBay clips, upgrade to full sim, and run on a dedicated graphics card. I tried Sci-core balls briefly, but much prefer hitting real golf balls. I find the swing data provided by r-motion interesting, but it's not the main selling point for me, and I've turned it off for now. I just enjoy hitting, grooving my swing, and trying to shape shots. Trying to hit targets on the range is also really enjoyable.

I get that Rapsodo has not provided an upgrade path to TGC2019. Would have been fantastic if they did, but oh well. TGC2019 is not their product, so I don't see how that's a relevant gripe. I'm now looking fwd to getting a projector and impact screen. Even as-is (hitting into a net and viewing on PC screen), I'm pretty stoked and my golfing neighbor is jealous of the setup. If Rapsodo ever did go to market with an R-Motion v2 (TGC2019)?, it'd be a no-brainer purchase.

[Ken805BDS]

Thanks for your input. I think we agree more than disagree really.
Concerning the clips, I've seen some good talk about the 3D printed clips, but there is a post on this site that a guy recommended blue putty and it was super cheap. Turns out, super cheap indeed and the best part is the putting sticks better to the device so transfer from club to club is easier than taking off a club cover.

I have a newer laptop and although TGC drains the battery like no other, graphics are great and TGC makes the purchase worth it. I have an open garage when I play, but one miss hit and bad things can happen so sci-core are the best option. And in reality, I'm hitting into a net 6'-10' away so flight path is typically indiscernible. R-Motion detects the impact the same, but maybe that's why I don't get positive results with putting.

I've never considered the TGC upgrade, but I never griped about the product version (unless that resolves putting or club loft). TGC upgrade is probably a good value, especially if includes 3 par to play with irons. I also have a Zepp2 that I use during play. During play I rely on Zepp2 for swing data and TGC for the play fun. But a bad swing will be red in Zepp2 but may show decent with R-Motion.

[Joe_S]

... and with the full version of TGC you are able to play the TGC tournament here.
This was the main reason for me to buy the full version. The competition to play focused and compete with other players, and not only hitting balls...
We need more players in the TGC tournament! There is a net leaderboard, too... ;-)

I'm playing with Almost Golf Balls on a projector screen and this works very well. With these balls you need no hitting net and no special projector screen.

[BruceL]

I've tried the blue putty.. works ok on the putter, but on other clubs it flies occasionally. The current eBay clips ($30) are a really solid design. And once aligned, the clips aren't going to move. Whereas the putty.. is it really 100% aligned correctly everytime switcing b/w clubs? I'd rather have the consistent alignment of the clips.
I haven't putted w/ the sci-core balls, but can imagine it'd be problematic as it's such a light impact unless using a real goflball.

[Joe_S]

Putting with Almost Golf Balls is no problem, works absolutely perfect.

[mpkelley20]

I used R Motion from March until this past weekend in my garage simulator. I used the full TGC version and played in the online tournaments here which were fun. I just switched Uneekor QED which is significantly more accurate and making me play much closer t my real life handicap. R Motion has its benefits but it definitely has its limitations. The two major areas where I am seeing a difference is in fat/thin shots and my tee shots. I knew the fat/thin shot issue where R Motion never picked them up. But I never realized how bad it was misreading my driver and 3 wood tee shots. I rarely missed a fairway. On the real course, I rarely hit a fairway! With Uneekor, I am rarely hitting the fairway and my misses are replicating the course perfectly. Iron shots are much more consistent between Uneekor and R Motion.

So again, R Motion has its benefits. It keeps you swinging and does give some good data. But the limitations I found (and maybe not the same for everyone) are the issues I see on the real course so it wasn't helping my weak spots. I am glad I had the system and I enjoyed my time with it but I am playing a lot more with my new system and drastically trying to fix the 87 things wrong with my swing! The wonderful thing about R Motion is the price. A $99-$199 product vs a $6000 product. Huge gap there and maybe the gap in what you get isn;t quite that large. How I play next season after a winter of practicing will determine if it was worth it from a game improvement perspective!