ShotScope H4, ProLX and ProLX+ – Key Takeaways
- H4: ShotScope shot tracking for the non-watch wearer
- ProLX+ combines H4 with an updated laser rangefinder
- H4: $149.99; ProLX+: $349.99; ProLX (rangefinder only): $249.99
- Available March 31
The new-for-2022 ShotScope H4 and ProLX+ should be music to the ears of non-watch-wearing golfers everywhere.
Ever since appearing on the scene in 2017, ShotScope’s wrist-mounted devices have been the choice of stat-tracking golfers who didn’t want to lug their phones with them. But it had no answer for golfers who hate wearing watches.
Other than to say, “Here’s ARCCOS’s number.”
The new H4 unit and the unique combo that is the ProLX+ laser rangefinder aren’t groundbreaking technology. But for the Scotland-based ShotScope, both products represent creative ways to get into, or onto, more golfers’ bags.
ShotScope 2022: Three New Products
Yep, you read that right. Even though the headline says two products, ShotScope is actually introducing three. There’s a twist but, technically, it’s three.
When ShotScope arrived in 2016 with its V1 wristband, it changed the stat-tracking game. At that time, you either had to “tag” your club to a belt-mounted unit (GameGolf) or you had to carry your phone your pocket (Arccos). The V1 used RFID technology in the wristband to automatically read the screw-in tag in the butt end of the club to detect the shot.
All you had to do was play golf. The wristband did the rest.
There were two problems. The wristband was roughly the size of an aircraft carrier. And it had no GPS.
V1 was really a proof-of-concept for ShotScope. A year later, it added GPS to its V2 watch which was roughly the size of a destroyer. In 2020, it introduced the slimmed-down V3, a GPS/shot-tracking package that remains the mainstay of its lineup.
For 2022, ShotScope is taking a step to the left and maybe a step or two back in time.
The new ShotScope H4 unit is a small GPS/shot-tracking unit that can clip on your belt, go in your pocket or even hang on your golf bag. That’s the first new product. The second new product is an updated and improved laser rangefinder, the ProLX.
The third product, the ProLX+, is where things get really interesting. But for giggles and grins, let’s start with the H4.
ShotScope H4: Hello 2014
ShotScope’s big innovation was to eliminate “tagging.” GameGolf and others at the time required that you tap the club sensor to a plastic, belt-mounted unit to collect data. If you forgot, well, you forgot.
Arccos sidestepped tagging with battery-powered sensors but there was that phone-in-the-pocket thing.
The new H4 unit, however, is a return to the GameGolf days. Tagging is back.
“A lot of people don’t want to wear a watch on the golf course. Fair enough,” says Gavin Dear, former European Tour pro and ShotScope’s Chief Commercial Officer. “But a lot of people want to use our system. This is a great way to open up our platform for them.”
The H4 unit is pretty much the V3 watch. It’s the same size and functionality, just without the band. However, since the shot detection tech was in the watchband, you will have to “tag” your club to the unit.
“It’s almost a step back in technology but it is creating a separate avenue for people to collect data,” says Dear.
The GPS functionality is the same. You get front/middle/back distances plus front and carry distances to hazards. To use shot tracking, you go back to 2014 and actually “tag” your club to the unit itself. It’ll vibrate and confirm the club you’re using on the GPS face. Then swing away.
The H4 unit fits into a sturdy metal clip on your belt. “When we first started talking about this, I told our guys this has to be metal,” says Dear. “It can’t be anything else.”
Anyone who’s either lost or broken a GameGolf or Arccos unit can appreciate that.
The H4 also comes with a carabiner so you can hang it on your golf bag. It also has a pretty powerful magnet. Keep that in mind.
ShotScope ProLX Laser Rangefinder
ShotScope entered the laser rangefinder game last year with the budget-priced ProL1. At $199 with Adaptive Slope Technology, the ProL1 was, and still is, an excellent value. But at the time, it seemed like a “me-too” product.
What we’re now learning is that it’s really a gateway product. And that gateway opens up to the ProLX and beyond but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
On the surface, the ProLX is the next evolution of the ProL1. It still features Adaptive Slope Technology, Target-Lock vibration and red/black graphics and the updates are what you’d expect.
There’s seven-times magnification (the ProL1 has six) and upgraded optics to lock on to the target faster. It also has a 900-yard range (25 yards more than the ProL1 for you really big hitters) and a large, “why-don’t-the-other-guys-do-this?” arch for your thumb.
There’s a removable plate under the oculus that covers up a frame. The frame, dear reader, is what we writers call a “tease.” ShotScope calls it a plate, which is probably more descriptive since it covers up another magnet.
That’s another tease.
ShotScope ProLX+: The Fully Monty
Turns out there’s a reason for the removable plate and all the magnets. They’re to couple the H4 GPS/shot tracker and the ProLX laser rangefinder into a single unit. And to decouple them when the need arises.
“This is actually where the idea for the H4 came from,” says Dear. “How can we integrate the two and make lasers do shot tracking?”
So when you buy the ProLX+, you get both the rangefinder and the H4 unit. During normal play, the H4 is attached to the rangefinder. You get your front/middle/back or your hazard distance from the GPS and/or shoot the target with the laser. Then you “tag” your club to the GPS itself, put the laser down and hit your shot.
“We knew we’d need the ability to separate the handheld from the laser so you could do shot tracking closer to the green,” says Dear. “But if they could be housed together, that would be great for long-game shot tracking. It gives the golfer so many options on how they’d want to use it.”
A couple of questions come to mind. First, how powerful are those magnets and is there a fear the H4 unit could fall off? Second, will the magnet mess with the GPS or the RFID tagging? Turns out both are a concern but ShotScope seems to have done its due diligence.
There’s a shield around the magnet housing to keep it separate from the GPS and RFID reader so that shouldn’t be a worry. As for possibly losing the H4, the laser has a molded-in lip along with the two powerful magnets.
“You can hear it click when the magnet connects,” says Dear. “You can actually feel the pull. And we’ve done all the obligatory throwing it around testing.”
Who Is It For?
George Carlin famously said, “If you nail two things together that have never been nailed together before, some schmuck will buy it from you.”
Some golfers are GPS watch people and some are laser people. And some, this scribe included, carry both. Add to the mix the ability to collect all your shot-tracking data without hauling yet another piece of hardware around, well …
I guess that makes me a schmuck.
Even with the added step of tagging before each shot, the integrated package carries some appeal, especially for the golfer who hates wearing a watch. The obvious comp is the Arccos Caddie. ShotScope differentiates itself with battery-less club sensors and no monthly or annual subscription fees.
That’s none. Nada. Gratis. Compliments of the house.
No, the ShotScope stats package isn’t quite as robust as Arccos Caddie’s nor does it give you live on-course weather conditions or weather and elevation-based club recommendations. And it doesn’t have a GPS phone app.
But if you find all that a bit overwhelming, aren’t a fan of subscriptions and just want to play golf and track your stats, ShotScope is an excellent alternative. The stat package gives you more than 100 metrics including Strokes Gained along with a simple yet effective GPS unit with either the V3 on your wrist or the H4 on your laser (or in your pocket, on your bag or on your belt) and a value-priced, feature-laden-enough rangefinder.
And did we mention no fees?
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Final Thoughts, Price and Availability
In the spirit of “trust but verify,” you can bet we’ll be putting the magnetic H4/ProLX magnetic coupling to the test. We’ve seen a live video of the two pieces pulling together (there’s an audible snap when they connect) and it appears some force is required to pull them apart. But how it all fares on the course, pulling it in and out of its case, and how it handles being tossed on the ground when you’re ready to hit all require our own testing.
As a ShotScope user since the V1 aircraft carrier days, my experience has been mostly positive. Yeah, it’ll miss the occasional shot (as does Arccos), but editing is pretty simple. And while the stat package lacks the oh-wow factor of Arccos, ShotScope does provide enough information without getting overwhelming. Set up is simple but one challenge is that it can take the GPS a little longer than you’d expect to find your course. It’s best to start the process a good 10 minutes before you tee off.
The new ShotScope H4 includes the unit, a USB clip charger, the metal belt clip, a carabiner and 16 tracking tags for your clubs. More than 36,000 courses are mapped and loaded. The H4 retails for $149.99 in the U.S. and $199.99 in Canada.
The ShotScope ProLX rangefinder will sell for $249.99 U.S. and $329.99 Canadian.
The ProLX+ is the combo package and includes the ProLX rangefinder and the H4 package. It retails for $349.99 U.S., $449.99 Canadian. Buying them together saves $50 U.S., $80 Canadian.
The rangefinder itself comes in three accented colors. They’re basic black with either gray, blue or orange accents.
Shotscope won’t be discontinuing any products. The V3 Data-collection/GPS watch stays in the lineup as does the G3 GPS-only watch. The ProL1 laser will also remain.
The new ShotScope products will hit retail on March 31. They’ll be available at DICK’S, Golf Galaxy, PGA TOUR SuperStore and at Golf Town in Canada.
For more information, visit the ShotScope website.
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Aim490
2 months agoI am, without hesitation, saying “good riddance” to my prematurely dead H4 and return it to the store after about one month and ~10 rounds of use in June/July. It no longer can find any satellite.- bummer, but the perfect reason to get a refund and not look back.
There are sooo many things that irritated me about the H4 that I probably can’t list them all here. Several are just my own ineptitude using it, but it just isn’t all that easy to use. (Yes, latest firmware, etc.)
This is my first dedicated GPS rangefinder. I had been using a mobile app that worked nicely, but didn’t want to keep carrying my iPhone in my pocket. An Apple Watch app would have connected me to the phone app, but I really didn’t want to buy (or wear) a watch. Enter the H4 at about $150, lots of features plus tracking at a reasonable price.
Gripes:
#1 – The clip refused to stay on my belt(s). Over the course of a few holes it would always slide off and fall or have to be re-situated. Finally, I had to tether the clip to an adjacent belt loop to keep it in place.
#2 – Getting the H4 unit to consistently line-up and “click” securely into the belt clip was hit or miss — too much putzing around just to make sure my shirt isn’t caught in it or that it’s inserted properly.. Several times I had to retrace my steps on the course to retrieve a lost H4 or the belt clip or both.
#3 – It’s really hard to remember to register each club tag before a stroke and going back and post-editing is too hard. I can’t remember each stroke of each hole. There’s no way to do this on-device and it has to be done via the app. Way too putzy. Even when I do remember to register the club, I felt like a complete dork out there jabbing myself in the stomach/hip to register the stroke before or after each shot. The tag only seems to register when held flat against the face of the H4.
#4 So I just used it as a GPS stuck to a metal plate on my hand cart and skipped all the tracking and belt clip hassle. Simple? No. Why? Because on-course the the hazard display doesn’t really tell me left or right side and it’s hard to decipher as I scroll through and wastes too much time on the course. So all it became useful for was F/M/B green distances on approaches and par 3 tees. That revealed a true deficiency of the H4 — No way to manually track shot-by-shot or hole-by-hole scores on the H4. It was totally useless as a scorekeeping aid.
#5 – This happened at least twice – The H4 couldn’t cope with a round that began on hole #10. It always wanted to end my round at #18. When I subsequently played 1-9, the H4 refused to recognize or give me a way to end my round after #9. None of the buttons would let me get to the Shutdown option. I had to connect it to the charger then disconnect to get it to return to the land of the living.
Finally it just refused to pick up a GPS satellite at any of the 3 courses it tried. It’s dead and being returned and it won’t be replaced. I’ll just carry my iPhone in my pocket get a whole lot more usable functionality. I get an entire hole mapped for me and the ability to measure between any 2 points, see all hazards and keep score. If carrying my iPhone becomes too cumbersome, I’ll get a small magnetic GPS unit to carry on my cart that will give me just the essentials (including a scorecard function) for half of what the H4 costs and way fewer hassles.
P-Dru
4 months agoI would really like to try something like this. My friends think I’m bit over the top because I keep a separate scorecard on which I write every shit, distance and result. I wear a Garmin watch, carry a Garmin G7 (affectionately called my Magic Box) so I can better see yds to hazards, etc, and use a Bushnell rangefinder (I call it Red October) to help me figure out both how far I hit the dot and how far I need to go on the next one. Seems like I could use some automation in my process.
Derek Yeates
6 months agoHI I bought this and love it but I’m terrified of loosing the h4 element yes theirs a pretty good magnet holding it on to the belt clip but the belt clip itself has fallen off twise now
Derek
John Barba
6 months agoHi Derek –
I feel you – same concern here. I either keep the H4 either on the rangefinder or in my pocket. Don’t use the belt clip at all.
Everardo
8 months agoSo how will the H4 handle putts, positional, or penalty Strokes now?
I kind of like the manual tracking of putts on the V3 because it seems to be a litle more accurate, even if I forget to mark a few
With either the V3 or HE there will continue to be some manual tracking and post editing it seems
John Barba
8 months agoThe H4 functionality is identical to that of the V3 – the only difference is since it doesn’t have a band, it can’t pick up strokes automatically. That means you have to “tag” the putter before each putt. If you have the laser combo, you’d take the H4 unit off the laser (it’s held by a magnet) and put it in your pocket – and then tag before each shot around the green. Pinlock function is exactly the same. Ditto for penalty strokes – it’s exactly the same, the only difference is tagging.
It’s important to remember the H4 isn’t a replacement for the V3, it’s just an option to get Shotscope technology and shot tracking into the hands of golfers who don’t like wearing watches or being tethered – directly or indirectly – to their phones while playing golf.
Matt Gallo
8 months agoSeems interesting to me, but I already like my Arccos. Have a Link and Apple Watch and it works great with either. I’m always looking for new gadgets to try, but don’t think I’m gonna make the switch.
Tess
8 months agoJohn, thanks for including Canadian specific pricing info in your review. It’s rare that we get noticed and I hope it happens regularly.
Jeremy W.
8 months agoDoes the laser function to tag the flag location? For me, that’s been one of the annoying things with shot tracking products. That last putt on a green doesn’t really give you even close to reliable stats. I’m not expecting much but the putting stats never seem worth any in depth analysis.
John Barba
8 months agoIf I understand your question correctly, the answer is no. The only connection between the laser and the H4 is magnetic – they don’t really communicate. You’ll still need a sensor in your putter and you’ll still need to “tag” each stroke on the green.. ShotScope has Pin Collect which I’ve found to be reasonably accurate.
That said, I’ve found neither ShotScope nor ARCCOS to be anything close to 100% accurate on the green. There’s always a little bit of editing that needs to take place after the fact.
On the other hand, the fact that a little device on your wrist, in your hand or in your pocket can link up to a satellite and tell you, within a few square feet, where you are on the planet is a pretty cool piece of technology.
gts golf
8 months agoI find for courses you play frequently the V3 watch picks up the course pretty quick (< 1 min). Don't think i have ever had to wait 10 mins
MIGregB
8 months agoHmmm.. The H4 could solve an ongoing issue I have. I need to swing a club pretty frequently to keep loose, even way before it’s my shot. That causes a lot of erroneous shots being recorded that I have to clean up (which I hate doing).. Having to tap the club to the device before each shot actually seems like a good plan…. for me.
MIGregB
8 months agoJust got a pre-order email from them, ordered an H4. Doesn’t say anything about not shipping until the end of March. Maybe I’ll get it in time for my trip to Phoenix in 2 weeks!