Swing Caddie SC4 Pro Review: Is This an Actual Worthwhile Improvement Over the Original SC4?

The original Swing Caddie SC4, released in 2023, was a strong-if-under-appreciated contender for the best sub-$1,000 golf launch monitor. Well, now it’s gotten what’s being advertised as a significant upgrade. Introducing the new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro.

Same built-in screen as the original.

Same no-subscriptions pricing model.

Same included-with-purchase E6 Connect simulator golf access.

Same sleek remote control functionality.

But Voice Caddie’s new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro version introduces four data metrics—spin axis, sidespin, backspin, and dispersion—that were missing from the original model.

Plus, the new model includes an entirely new app experience that takes what was a bland, two-dimensional driving range and introduces a more engaging 3D range. If you’re familiar with the original SC4, you know that the app experience was, well, lame. So an improved version is potentially quite exciting.

Along with all that, Voice Caddie unlocked a new algorithm they say improves accuracy.

And the SC4 Pro, priced at $599.99, is only $50 more than the original.

Sounds like a hell of a deal, right?

Well… mostly. See, for as good as some of those improvements are, there’s a case to be made for why they aren’t necessarily real game changers.

I’ve been using the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro for about a week now. I’ve tested it indoors and outdoors. I’ve tried every feature available in the new-and-improved app. And I’ve tried to use the SC4 Pro to play E6 Connect simulator rounds (more on that below).

I’ve given this new launch monitor a fair shake, and I’ve got thoughts to share, both good and bad. Read on for my no-holds-barred, honest Swing Caddie SC4 Pro review.

Swing Caddie SC4 Pro vs Original SC4: Is There Any Difference 

Hardware-wise, the SC4 Pro launch monitor is identical to the original SC4. There’s nothing different about them at all. The Pro model looks and operates exactly the same.

Which means that the SC4 Pro includes the same built-in display, an awesome feature and the only one of its kind in the under-$1,000 golf launch monitor category.

And the screen displays the same eight data points as the original model:

• Carry or Total Distance (you can choose which is displayed)
• Launch Direction
• Swing Speed
• Ball Speed
• Smash Factor
• Launch Angle
• Apex
• Spin Rate

Likewise, the new SC4 Pro version includes the same speaker for voice output after each shot, another unique affordable golf launch monitor feature.

And, just like with the original, you can use a remote control to adjust voice output volume, select what club you’re hitting, adjust the specific lie angle of each club, toggle between whether carry or total distance is displayed, and choose target distances for virtual driving range practice sessions in the app.

The lightweight remote is tucked tidily underneath the launch monitor’s kickstand, secured via a magnet that makes removing it or storing it simple and convenient. It’s a great design. And, yes, it’s exactly the same as on the original SC4.

On the negative side of the ledger, the Pro model SC4 still does not come with a carrying case. Ugh! Such a beautiful built-in display and, unless you spring for the $49.99 carrying case, it’s just begging to be scratched. My advice: Just suck it up and buy the case. It is a nice case, and it comes with an alignment plate. Plus, you can set the SC4 Pro on top of the case when you need to raise it to meet the height of a ball on a mat or tee.

Back to the positive side of things, the new Pro model is just as simple to set up as the original. All you need is 5 feet of space behind the ball and at least 8 feet in front of the ball. You can literally be up and running in less than a minute, though precise alignment is crucial. I’ll cover that more below.

And, just like with the original, the SC4 Pro has a battery life rated at 10 hours, which is outstanding.

So, yeah, physically, the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro is exactly the same as the former SC4 version.

Which means that it remains the only affordable golf launch monitor that you can use to get data without having to connect to an app, mobile device, or computer. That was a strong selling point for the original Swing Caddie SC4, and it’s the same strong selling point for the new Pro model.

So if the new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro is physically exactly the same as the original SC4, why would anyone pay an extra $50 for this new version?

It’s All in the App: What Makes the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro Improved?

There are four key improvements in the new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro golf launch monitor:

1. A new algorithm for better accuracy.
2. More data.
3. An enhanced app experience.
4. Access to more free E6 Connect courses.

I’ll get to the overall accuracy in just a minute.

As mentioned above, the Pro model adds four metrics not available in the original model. Those being:

• Spin Axis
• Sidespin
• Backspin
• Dispersion

Not bad, right? 

But here’s the thing: You can only get those new data points in the app. You can’t see any of that information on the screen itself.

That means that the whole big selling point of using this golf launch monitor without needing to interface with an external device isn’t improved at all with the new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro. Unless you connect to the app, you’re not going to get any more information than you would if you used the original SC4.

Also, if you connect to the app, you can’t see any data on the launch monitor screen. Instead, you just see “SIM” spelled out on the screen. So, if you want the app experience, you have to forfeit the built-in screen experience and vice versa.

All of that said, the new Voice Caddie S app is a significant improvement over the previous MySwingCaddie app. 

Of course there’s the extra data, which is great. But the whole experience is an upgrade. The virtual driving range is now 3D and visually much more appealing and engaging. Plus, you now get multiple background options for viewing your shots.

And because of the new data points, the app includes additional screens that show you cool visuals representing spin axis and direction.

You also get options to see your shot dispersions from behind, above, or to the side.

And there’s a new speedometer-like swing speed gauge so that you can train your swing speed without needing to hit a ball. 

As of this writing, the app was only available for iOS users. But Voice Caddie tells me the Android version will be ready by February 2025. Fingers crossed.

There’s no question the new app experience is an improvement. And, of course, having the increased data metrics is worthwhile. 

But it’s not like the overall experience is going to blow anyone away relative to other options. I’d still rate the app experiences with competing products like the Rapsodo MLM2PRO and Garmin Approach R10 as superior to the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro.

But the real kicker has to do with the E6 Connect compatibility. And that story, at least to me, includes both good and bad news.

Sorting Out the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro and E6 Connect Compatibility

Just like the original Swing Caddie SC4 golf simulator, the SC4 Pro is (or will eventually be) compatible with E6 Connect, including the E6 driving range.

I’ll get to that “eventually” part in a second.

In the meantime, the problem as I see it with the new Pro model is that, even with the improved Voice Caddie app, the experience still isn’t as good as what you get in the E6 ecosystem. The E6 driving range interface, graphics, information organization, etc. are just better than with the Voice Caddie S app.

So, if you can already get access to E6 via the original Swing Caddie SC4, and if the E6 app experience is better than the new SC4 app experience, what are you really gaining with the new SC4 Pro model?

The answer is the additional data and additional simulated golf courses.

Upon release of the new SC4 Pro, Voice Caddie proclaimed that it would come with five E6 Connect simulated golf courses. The original version only came with one.

But, as of this writing, the integration with E6 Connect and the new Voice Caddie S app wasn’t yet working. When I tried to connect the SC4 Pro and new app to E6 Connect, E6 didn't recognize it. It’s a total bust. And, if you look online, there are early SC4 Pro customers who are a bit miffed.

To be fair, I am very confident that Voice Caddie will get this sorted out. I think it’s a development issue that is likely nearing the finish line. Successful integration may happen any day now, rendering this point outdated.

As for which five E6 courses we can expect, I unfortunately can’t say. I’ve asked Voice Caddie, but all they’ve told me is that E6 integration is imminent. No word on which courses.

But again, assuming that the E6 integration will in fact happen, we’re left with that potential void in value I mentioned. If users prefer E6 to the Voice Caddie S app, then they will likely prefer to gather their shot information using E6.

That means that the only real usable upgrade with the new Swing Caddie SC4 Pro beyond the accuracy improvements are the five simulated golf courses rather than the one that came with the original. And we don’t even know for certain when we’re going to be able to play those five golf courses or what courses they will be.

On the Range and in the Sim Studio: Testing the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro Accuracy 

Because the new SC4 Pro is the same physical unit as the original SC4, we can generally expect the same accuracy.

However, Voice Caddie claims that they’ve employed a better algorithm called ProMetricS to improve accuracy. They say that it was always in the original SC4, but that they hadn’t activated it, presumably because they were still refining it. Well, now it’s ready.

Is the new Pro more accurate? Yes, but it’s somewhat marginal. And, of course, we’re talking algorithms rather than direct measurement. I think on the whole, accuracy is fairly similar. And, for the most part, that’s good news for the SC4 Pro, especially when it comes to outdoor use.

Golf launch monitors that collect data using Doppler radar almost always perform better outdoors where there is more room for them to “see” the ball flight. And even though the SC4 is using an algorithm to calculate rather than directly measure much of the data that it reports, I still found it to be much more reliable outdoors than indoors.

I’d actually say that, outdoors, if it’s aligned properly, the new SC4 Pro is remarkably accurate. And that includes the new spin metrics. I was pleasantly surprised to get shot data (distances, ball flight, dispersion, club and ball speed) that rang true with my experiences with other much more expensive golf launch monitors.

That’s a huge plus for golfers looking to save money. To be able to buy a golf launch monitor for $599.99 with no subscription add-ons and to get numbers that you can actually trust is a big, big win.

Is the SC4 Pro perfect when it comes to accuracy and reliability?

No, it certainly is not. One issue is that, while it never missed a shot for me, there were several results that were just throw-aways, as in completely inaccurate and unbelievable. Maybe one in 15 shots was like that. Which, for the price, I don’t think is too bad.

Yeah, it’s a bummer, especially if it’s a swing for which you really wanted to get the numbers, but the mis-reads are so inaccurate that it’s easy to identify them. It’s not like the SC4 Pro is narrowly missing. It’s either pretty darn accurate, or it’s so far off that you know it’s just a shot to discard.

The other issue regarding getting reliable accuracy is alignment. The SC4 Pro has to be perfectly aligned with the center of the golf ball. In one of my range sessions, the shot tracer in the app was showing all of my ball flights as pulls to the left, even though I was seeing straight shots in real life. Once I realized that the golf launch monitor was positioned just a tiny bit off-center, I was able to get the issue corrected.

Also, when you want to hit driver off of a tee, you need to raise the level of the SC4 Pro to match the height of the ball. This is one instance where the carrying case and included alignment plate can help, but it’s still a pain to have to make that adjustment, especially during a round of simulator golf.

So even though it’s simple to get up and running with the SC4 Pro, it does take a bit of continuous monitoring to make sure everything is lined up exactly right. For this reason, I would highly recommend the alignment stand that’s sold separately. It makes it much easier to lock in your alignment for repeatable results.

Indoor SC4 Pro golf simulator performance is, unfortunately, not as strong. Again, this being a Doppler radar unit, you could pretty much expect that. Indoors, radar launch monitors just don’t perform as well as camera-based devices.

For me, the spin numbers indoors were all over the map. Sometimes the numbers were close, other times they were totally unbelievable.

Distances with shorter clubs were generally pretty reliable. But the further up the bag I went, the more dicey it became. In testing against a Foresight Hawk, I got driver distance numbers that were sometimes off by more than 10 yards, which is pretty significant.

I think the best use case for the SC4 Pro, just like with the original SC4, is outdoors. But I’d say the exact same thing about the other radar devices I’ve tested, so that’s really not a knock on this specific product.

Where’s the Love for Original SC4 Golf Launch Monitor Owners?

If the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro is physically the exact same device as the original SC4 and the only improvements are the extra data metrics, better app, and extra E6 courses, doesn’t it feel like a bit of a raw deal if you already own the original SC4? I mean, you already bought this exact golf launch monitor. Voice Caddie just improved the backend experience for an extra $50.

Well, Voice Caddie is offering a trade-in program that softens the blow just a bit, though I’m not sure it’s going to be viewed as anything heroic.

Voice Caddie will give you $250 off the purchase price of a new SC4 Pro if you trade in your original SC4. Meaning you could get the SC4 Pro for $349.99 instead of $599.99. The problem is that you already paid $549.99 for that original SC4 if you bought it at retail. So that means that even with the discounted price of $349.99 for the new model, you’d overall be shorted $200 if you upgraded. I’m not sure that’s going to satisfy a lot of people.

It really comes down to how much you value those additional four data metrics, the improved app experience, the slight accuracy improvement, and the four additional E6 Connect courses. Is that package worth $200 to you? I think that’s the math you need to work out if you’re considering the trade-in deal.

Cutting to the Chase: Is the New Swing Caddie SC4 Pro Worth $599.99?

The fact that you can get a golf launch monitor that is accurate (especially outdoors), that includes a built-in screen, that comes with 12 really useful data metrics, that (hopefully, eventually) gives you five free E6 Connect simulator golf courses and the E6 driving range, and that doesn’t include any ongoing subscriptions for $599.99 is pretty crazy. On the surface, I think it’s a smokin’ good deal.

Certainly if price is your biggest concern, I think it’s going to be tough to beat the SC4 Pro.

However, if getting the absolute best accuracy in a golf launch monitor under $1,000 is your main priority, I think the Rapsoso MLM2PRO, for $699.99, might be a better choice. The problem there is that you’re going to have to pay an additional $199.99 per year to get everything that device is capable of delivering.

And if you want the most data, including club path data, then the Garmin Approach R10 for $599.99 is the best affordable option. But if you want to play simulator golf, you’re going to have to spend an additional $99 a year.

But neither the MLM2PRO nor the Approach R10 include a built-in display. So that’s a big win for the Swing Caddie. I think a lot of users who are looking for an affordable golf launch monitor want something they can take out to the range to get quick numbers. The display makes that very easy.

Of course, if you’re mostly interested in the display, then there’s less value in this new SC4 Pro model. You’d be better off with the original SC4 for $50 less. Remember, physically, the SC4 is the exact same thing as the original SC4. Plus, you can’t see the new data metrics on the built-in screen.

Only if you’re going to interface with the improved Voice Caddie app to access the additional data and additional E6 simulated courses is the extra $50 for the Pro model worth it. 

So, is the Swing Caddie SC4 Pro worth $599.99? For the right user, there’s no question that it’s a great value. The question is, are you the right user? 

PlayBetter Overall Rating for the Swing Caddie SC4 Launch Monitor & Golf Simulator