Full Swing KIT Review: Are the Bugs Fixed Enough To Make This the Best $5,000 Golf Launch Monitor of 2024?

The Full Swing KIT isn’t a new golf launch monitor.

In fact, it’s been around for going on four years and initially attracted a lot of attention for its association with Tiger Woods.

Woods, along with big-name pros like Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson, use and endorse the Full Swing KIT as their golf launch monitor of choice.

But, at least following its release, a lot of amateur golfers were left to wonder how the top players in the game could possibly trust the numbers the Full Swing KIT was delivering.

Accuracy, you see, was spotty at best. Enough so that the product kind of came and went without any enduring fanfare. More and, frankly, better golf launch monitors came to the market, pushing the Full Swing KIT further and further down everyone’s shopping list.

But as of this year, there’s been a reboot. This is Full Swing KIT 2.0, if you will. The manufacturer says they’ve updated the firmware and eradicated all of the dubious accuracy issues. Now, they say, the Full Swing KIT can compete with the top of the market for the most accurate golf launch monitor in 2024.

Which, if that’s true, would make it the best golf launch monitor at the $5,000 price point.

You know what that means? We’ve got to test it out!

Buckle up for our no-holds-barred, honest assessment of the new and improved Full Swing KIT.

Unboxing the Full Swing KIT

You know the old saying: You can’t judge a golf launch monitor by its cover.

Wait…

Well anyway, it is true that the looks of a golf launch monitor and its packaging really shouldn’t be a big factor in determining the device’s ability to provide entertainment and game-improvement feedback.

But that criteria does still matter. If you’re dropping $4,999 on a golf launch monitor, which is what the Full Swing KIT retails for, is it too much to ask for a nice package and inspiring looking device?

It is if you were to study other leading golf launch monitor candidates. We’ve seen the full gamut., from cheap-feeling or looking units, to really nice products that didn’t bother to include a carrying case, to devices with unexciting packaging. Not all golf launch monitors and simulators nail it when it comes to first impressions.

The Full Swing KIT, however, is the antithesis of all of those misguided attempts.

In fact, to my eyes, the first impression of the Full Swing KIT is perfection. I mean it. It’s as nice of an overall presentation as I’ve yet seen.

The outer box is elegant, classy, minimalist, and focused.

Upon opening, it’s all about the golf launch monitor and nothing else. There it sits, front and center, the Full Swing KIT in its outer carrying case. No distractions. No extras. It’s the monitor itself and then a discreetly placed almost unnoticeable flip-top pocket for the storage of the charging cable. Under the unit is the most straightforward and simple (and useful!) owner’s manual I’ve ever seen for a golf launch monitor.

Then you pick up the actual Full Swing KIT. And, man… Robust is the word that comes to mind. It is full-blown legit and professional feeling in a way that only the Foresight products (GC3/Launch Pro, GCQuad, and QuadMAX) can match.

The Full Swing KIT weighs 4 pounds. It makes something like the 2.7-pound SkyTrak Plus or the 16-ounce FlightScope Mevo Plus feel like little peashooter toys.

The beefy build quality of the Full Swing KIT gives an impression of seriousness. With those other plastic launch monitors, which, granted, are less expensive than the Full Swing, you can’t ever really envision a professional golfer using it.

But with the Full Swing KIT, you’re like, “OK, I could see Tiger taking this out to the range.” And, in fact, he does. You can see him warming up with it at recent major championships.

Then there’s the carrying case. Just like the device itself, it is full-blown robust. It’s easily the most protective carrying case of any of the golf launch monitors in 2024. And while it's rather large and won’t fit into your golf bag, it does include a very convenient handle.

Setting Up the Full Swing KIT Golf Launch Monitor

Nine minutes.

That’s how long it took me to set up the Full Swing KIT for the very first time. Once I had it charged, it took me only nine minutes to:

• Download the app
• Create an account
• Turn on the device
• Properly align it with my target
• Start a practice session

Nine minutes. That’s freaking phenomenal!

And that was the first time. All subsequent uses, where I didn’t have to install the app or create an account and was already familiar with the alignment process, have taken me less than half that time.

That’s the first huge win in my book for the Full Swing KIT. The only competing products that set up anywhere close to this simply are the Bushnell Launch Pro and Foresight Sports GC3. Every other golf launch monitor anywhere near this price takes me far longer to get positioned correctly.

The best part is that it’s so intuitive. The manual includes a great series of visual graphics with minimal text showing you exactly what to do. But you don’t even need that.

Once you’ve got the app installed and have created an account, it really is as easy as:

• Turning on the Full Swing KIT
• Pairing it via Bluetooth with your iOS device
• Setting the Full Swing KIT 8 to 10 feet behind your golf ball
• Starting a practice session in the app
• Aligning the device with your target line

Alignment is made super simple thanks to a tool in the app that uses the KIT’s built-in 4K camera to show you exactly where the device is pointing. In the app, you’ll see a solid center vertical line and then two dotted lines on each side. You’ll position your golf ball so that it is anywhere in between those two dotted lines, ideally in line with the center line.

I’ve gushed about how easy it is to immediately set up the Foresight GC3 and Bushnell Launch Pro. Those are both photometric units that sit to the side of the ball. Well, now we’ve got a radar unit in the Full Swing KIT that is just as easy to set up.

The Beauty of the Built-In Screen on the Full Swing KIT

If you just can’t be bothered with downloading and opening the app, no worries. You don’t need to with the Full Swing KIT.

Just like with the GC3, Launch Pro, Quad, QuadMAX, and Swing Caddie SC4, the Full Swing KIT’s built-in display means you can get data right from the unit itself. You don’t even need to pair it with your phone or tablet.

Most of the time, you’ll want to pair the Full Swing with your iOS device to realize all of its capabilities. But if you just want to grab quick data, say before a round, this golf launch monitor makes it as easy as you can get.

The Swing Caddie SC4 is the only other radar-based launch monitor that I know of that gives you this built-in screen feature. And the SC4, which retails for just $599.98 isn’t anywhere near as nice or as full-featured of a golf launch monitor as the Full Swing KIT.

I love having the option of skipping the software side of things and dealing just with the golf launch monitor itself. Sometimes you just want to confirm a few numbers before you play. Or you’re tight on time. Or you’ve forgotten your phone or tablet. Whatever the case, it’s great to be able to just turn on the monitor and start hitting golf shots.

Even when I have the Full Swing KIT paired to my iOS device, it’s still much easier for me to turn and get my numbers off of the launch monitor itself rather than having to pick up my phone or tablet to review data after each shot.

I am a sucker for a built-in screen. And it’s definitely one of my favorite things about the Full Swing KIT.

And it’s not just any old display on the Full Swing KIT. It’s a full-color OLED display that looks beautiful. Aesthetically, it’s far better than any of the other built-in launch monitor screens available.

The Full Swing KIT’s display is also customizable, allowing you to choose which data metrics you want to see on the screen. You can select just one metric or up to four at a time.

But, alas, none of this really matters if you can’t trust the data you’re getting. That was the issue when the Full Swing KIT first debuted in 2021.

Using the Full Swing KIT Outdoors

One of the great advantages of a Doppler radar golf launch monitor like the Full Swing KIT is that it reads the entire flight of the golf ball.

So rather than just taking a picture at impact and then calculating expected results, as photometric launch monitors do, or just reading the first few feet of flight and then applying an algorithm to calculate the rest, as cheaper radar units do, the Full Swing KIT actually reads the ball’s full flight.

The downside of a radar unit is that, because it has to be set up 8 to 10 feet behind the ball and requires another 8 feet in front of the ball, using it indoors requires a lot of room depth.

Each of those factors — combined with the Full Swing’s limited golf simulator options, which I’ll talk about more below — mean that I think the Full Swing KIT’s best use case is likely outdoors. That’s not to say you can’t use it indoors, but for these reasons and others that we’ll cover, I think it shines brightest outside.

I’ve had no issues with the Full Swing KIT picking up shots hit off of natural turf, which is another big win. Some golf launch monitors can really only be used outdoors with an artificial turf hitting mat. That’s not the case with the Full Swing.

And of course the ease-of-use factor of the built-in screen is another reason it’s such a strong candidate as the perfect golf launch monitor for outdoor driving range sessions.

But is it accurate?

Yes! Yes, it is. At least outdoors, it’s incredibly accurate.

The Full Swing KIT gives you 16 ball and club data points. And one thing that I really like is that you get all of the data right out of the box, rather than what can kind of feel like a bait-and-switch-type tactic with some golf launch monitor companies that make you pay more to add on more features.

Here’s what you get:

• Carry Distance
• Total Distance
• Spin Rate
• Spin Axis
• Face Angle
• Face to Path
• Attack Angle
• Launch Angle
• Ball Speed
• Club Speed
• Smash Factor
• Club Path
• Horizontal Angle
• Apex Height
• Side Carry Distance
• Side Total Distance

That’s everything most of us will need to know about our golf swings, meaning the Full Swing KIT really can help you improve if you learn how to interpret that data.

Better yet, this golf launch monitor includes a built-in 4K camera that provides the most crystal clear swing video replay of any product I’ve tested. That’s an extremely useful game-improvement tool. You can control the speed of the video replay to really hone in on whatever you’re trying to study or correct.

As I said, I found the Full Swing KIT to be extremely accurate outdoors. Confirming distances with a golf rangefinder, there were almost no discrepancies. Likewise, things like smash factor, attack angle, side total distance, and apex height were all in line with what I was seeing and feeling as I hit the shots.

So we’ve got an accurate golf launch monitor that’s super simple to set up and that includes an excellent protective carrying case. Things are looking up for using the Full Swing KIT outdoors. Whatever issues initially plagued this product seem to have been righted.

But what about indoors?

Full Swing KIT Indoor Golf Simulator Performance

To get the best results indoors with the Full Swing KIT, the company recommends that you use Titleist RCT balls. They’re expensive, which is definitely a drawback. And, like any golf ball, they will wear out over time.

Full disclosure: I did not have any of these expensive RCT balls on hand, so whatever accuracy issues I encountered would likely be improved with the ideal indoor golf ball.

I tested the Full Swing KIT against the Foresight GC3. I recognize that the Full Swing is radar while the GC3 is photometric, so it’s not perfectly apples to apples. But I chose this test because of my familiarity with the studio and the perfectly calibrated and positioned GC3 that’s the daily go-to for the hall-of-fame golf instructor who uses it. In other words, I know I can trust the numbers I’m getting from the GC3.

And I have to say, even without the RCT golf balls, the Full Swing KIT performed quite admirably indoors. But not perfectly.

While I expected spin rate numbers to be all over the place and wildly inaccurate, I actually was finding them to consistently be within a couple hundred revolutions per minute of what the GC3 was reporting.

And when it came to both ball speed and club speed, the numbers between the two golf launch monitors were nearly identical with every shot. In fact, several times they were actually identical.

Interestingly, where I saw the biggest discrepancy was with carry distance. For whatever reason, the Full Swing KIT routinely reported the carry distance as several yards shorter than the GC3. A shot that might read as a 150-yard carry on the GC3, for example, would come up as somewhere between 143 and 146 on the Full Swing KIT.

That’s certainly not ideal. Is that within an acceptable range? That, I think, you’ll need to decide for yourself. The more casual the user, likely the more allowance for a bit of slop.

To me, I’m confident that the Full Swing KIT is as accurate as I’d need it to be.

The problem regarding indoor use, of course, is the same as with all radar units. They are space hogs. To use the Full Swing KIT indoors, you’re going to need at least 16 feet of room depth, though more like 18 feet would be preferable for the most accurate results.

I set this up indoors with 10 feet between the ball and the Full Swing KIT and another 8 feet between the ball and the impact screen, with an additional 1 foot between the screen and the back wall.

But again, that space requirement issue would be the same for any radar golf launch monitor.

The bigger concern that I have for indoor use comes down to simulator compatibility and a couple of missing features.

Full Swing KIT Golf Simulator Limitations

There are a few things I don’t like about the Full Swing KIT.

One is that, at least for now, the Full Swing app is iOS only. That’s not a problem for me personally, but obviously if you’re not in the Apple camp, you’re going to be annoyed by this.

If you are an iOS user, one really sweet thing is that you can get your Full Swing data right on your wrist with an Apple Watch. That’s a very slick way to get numbers out on the range. But again, you’ve got to be an iOS user.

Another limiting factor is golf simulator compatibility. The Full Swing KIT comes with the e6 Connect Perpetual Package that includes five simulator golf courses and 15 virtual practice areas. Of course, these are only usable with an iPhone or iPad.

The courses are:

• Aviara Golf Club & Resort
• The Belfry
• Sanctuary
• Stone Canyon Golf Club
• Wade Hampton Golf Club

That’s a $750 value and is certainly a nice package to get out of the box with the Full Swing KIT.

The problem comes when you want to go beyond that. For one thing, unfortunately, as of yet, you can’t use the Full Swing KIT with third-party providers like GS Pro. That’s a big limiter.

And, if you want to add the really nice, really realistic-looking Full Swing proprietary simulator golf courses, you have to buy a full-fledged turnkey studio package from Full Swing. They’ll sell you a package that includes everything you need for an indoor simulator studio, including a fully loaded laptop computer.

But that option isn’t cheap. Those packages that include the pre-loaded laptop start at $9,500.

It’d be nice, of course, if you could use a computer you might already own. But, again, for now, you’ve got to buy everything pre-loaded from Full Swing.

Now, if you are all-in on the Full Swing KIT and plan to use it as the anchor piece of your dream indoor golf simulator studio, then a full-fledged turnkey package might be the perfect solution for you. The Full Swing Golf for KIT Software package comes with 15 courses, including Spyglass Hill and PGA Tour stops from the TPC network of courses.

So it isn’t as if you can’t play simulator golf with the Full Swing KIT. You most certainly can, and it can be awesome. It’s just that this product is lagging behind some of the others in terms of flexibility and compatibility.

Full Swing KIT Subscriptions

Good news: You don’t have to pay any subscriptions to use a Full Swing KIT. They don’t hide any of the data behind a paywall. And you can still use the app and the built-in camera, all for no extra charge. That’s nice.

But if you want access to all of your historic data, unlimited video storage, improvement tracking and analysis, and the ability to share data, you’ve got to upgrade to the premium plan which, after a 30-day free trial, will cost you $99.99 per year.

Honestly, $99.99 per year isn’t too bad compared to subscription prices with most golf launch monitors.

And, like I said, the good news is that you don’t need this upgrade to still get a lot out of this product. This might be one of those cases where you try the 30-day trial period to see if the experience is really that much better for you.

Is the Full Swing KIT Worth Buying In 2024?

I don’t think there’s any doubt that Full Swing has improved their golf launch monitor to the point that it is now worthy of consideration if you’re looking for a serious, pro-grade product.

Yes, there are a couple drawbacks. The iOS-only app and the relatively limited simulator compatibility and flexibility are the biggest issues I see.

And, of course, you’ve got the challenges of using a radar unit like this indoors because of all the room depth it requires.

But then there is a long list of pros, including the insanely simple setup, the beautiful built-in screen, the super crisp 4K camera, the rugged carrying case, and the overall build quality of the device.

On the whole, I rate the Full Swing KIT a winner.

Before this product improvement, the whole association between a mixed-review product and maybe the best golfer who ever lived seemed dubious. But now, I think we can finally say, if the Full Swing KIT is good enough for Tiger, don’t you think it’s good enough for you?

Marc's Overall Rating for the Full Swing KIT