Apogee Launch Monitor Review (How to Get it as Cheap as Possible)
Introduction
The Apogee is one of the nicest launch monitors for recreational or commercial use. TruGolf has claimed that this is the most technologically advanced simulator and after months of testing, I think it might be true. This is all because of the ability of the device to read ball data without club stickers, the AI voice controls, instantaneous response time, the large amount of club data, and the device’s amazing accuracy. If you're looking to purchase the Apogee for the cheapest price possible($1,000 OFF) use the discount code GolfBusters10.
Space Constraints
The device sits only 22 inches away from where you’re hitting, which is SUPER nice because you never have to worry about skyballs hitting your monitor like you would with many other overhead devices that sit around 3 feet in front of you. While a ball could probably bounce back and hit your Apogee I have confidence that it’s built sturdy enough to withstand many hits.
Pros of the Apogee
The Apogee has some amazing features that are very unique compared to other monitors. One of my favorites is the AI voice control. I never need to go to my PC to move my mouse when aiming, which saves me so much time. Another unique feature of the Apogee is the overhead video replay of your swing. Many devices will show you where the ball is hitting on your club, but to see how you are hitting the ball is EXTREMELY helpful when trying to fix your swing.
TruGolf has found a way to optimize the performance of some of the most simple things making it leaps and bounds over any other device. One key feature is the insanely quick responsiveness. The Apogee senses your ball and puts it on the screen within 1/3 of a second. It feels like your ball has been hit into the screen. Which makes it seem like the most lifelike simulator you will play on.
Another small thing that separates the Apogee from other devices is that you don’t need club stickers to get accurate club data. This is super nice because it saves time when you’re just hanging out with your friends, and it also saves time if you’re using this commercially because you can get so many clients through without wasting time with stickers. While stickers can improve the club data accuracy of your device it isn’t to a point that it’s that significant or necessary, however, if you have time to put the club stickers on we recommend it.
Accuracy
The carry yardage on the Apogee is incredibly accurate, I very rarely had to second-guess if it was right. When I started using the Apogee I was convinced the spin was off. The Apogee’s numbers seemed to be slightly different than the numbers I was seeing on the Trackman. Then I realized that most devices show the ball’s total spin while the Apogee gives you backspin and sidespin separately. So when factoring in the calculation to get backspin and sidespin to total spin, the numbers were spot on. Honestly, it’s a little nicer to have a breakdown like this because you know the true breakdown of your ball’s spin.
One little accuracy tip some golfers will need to know is that if you’re a golfer who hits the ball 135 mph or faster you NEED the ball’s brand to be parallel with the screen. The Apogee reads logos so if you don’t have the logo parallel to the screen and facing directly up towards the camera, then some of the ball data won’t be read accurately because the ball will leave the camera frame before a logo appears. This isn’t that big of a deal because for most people the only club that gets above 135 mph ball speed is your driver, and you will already be teeing it up in the first place so it takes one extra second to line up the logo. It does get a little annoying to do this for irons, but very few people can get ball speeds over 135mph with their irons anyway so 97% of the population shouldn’t have to line the ball up with their irons. Note, this is also the only accuracy quirk and it is easily fixable so I don’t find it much of a problem.
Another great thing about the Apogee is that because of all the reliability of the data, and its video replay, it is my favorite simulator for improving your game. After playing on the Apogee for a while and then going out the the real course I shot 3 of the best consecutive scores of my life. I shot par on 9 two days in a row and on the last day I played 18 and I shot plus 1 overall, with a minus one on the front. That being said, maybe I was just having a good day, but it also is nice to see practice on your simulator paying off in real life. I think a big part of that pay-off was thanks to the amount of accurate club data and video feedback you get with the Apogee.
Price
The Apogee is more pricey than some of the other monitors I have reviewed but I have found it is well worth the price. It usually is sold for $11,000 so $10,000 with the discount code GolfBusters10. At the time of this article, it is currently $9,000, so you could purchase it for $8,100 with our discount code GolfBusters10. Many simulators have subscription fees that add up after a while, but the Apogee has a one-time purchase of E6 Connect that is $1,000. That might seem like a huge number now but after 5 years it will already be less than the amount you would spend if you had a different device with a GSPRO subscription. One other thing that makes this device well worth the purchase is the fact you don’t need to use club stickers which is a feature very few devices have.
Set-up
When setting up your Apogee it needs to hang around 10 feet off the ground and you need to make sure it is out of your projector’s way. This wasn’t that hard for me to do, my projector hangs 10 feet off the ground you just need to have it a bit farther away from the Apogee so it can cast the image directly under it. You will also need an ethernet cord running from your Apogee to your PC and a power cord to an outlet to keep it powered on. You will need to recalibrate your Apogee when your lighting changes but once you calibrate it you will be able to just use auto light.
Hitting Area
The Apogee gives you a circle to hit in, you have a little bigger hitting range than that circle but to get accurate club data metrics I suggest hitting in the circle. This circle can wear your hitting mat down a little in the middle but it isn’t bad if you have a quality hitting strip. The nice thing about the Apogee is that they are always trying to improve it, so I have high hopes that the hitting area will grow.
Programs
The Apogee uses E6 Connect which is a one-time purchase. It is a good program, however, they are going to soon be releasing E6 APEX which will take the original E6 to the next level and may soon become the top golf simulator program on the market in terms of popularity and functionality.
Responsiveness
The Apogee’s responsiveness is the best out of all the devices I have played on. It reads your shot and puts it on the screen almost instantaneously. There is a 1/3 second delay making it feel like you’re hitting your ball right into the screen.
Putting
The Apogee is good at reading putts but I haven’t tested it much. Putting on a simulator takes lots of unnecessary time that you could use practicing on a regular putting mat and getting better results.
Lefties to Righties & Kids
The Apogee is super good for when switching between lefties and righties. Since it’s above you, you’ll never need to move the device. Another nice thing about it sitting above you is that if you have kids they won’t be able to get to it and mess anything up.
Quirks
There are very few quirks on the Apogee and all of the ones it does have are very minor, the first being the previously explained misreads when you’re hitting speed faster than 135 mph where the fix is to align the main logo parallel to the screen and have the logo facing up towards the camera. Also, a very easily fixable little quirk is that because of the infrared camera, you need to use dark birtees(black, dark blue, and dark green). It also misreads gear effect similarly to the Mevo+ but shots with gear effect are already going to be bad to begin with so it isn’t a dealbreaker problem. These quirks all get overshadowed by the overall accuracy of this device because it is ultimately one of the best devices when it comes to accuracy and the useful features making the play on the Apogee so much smoother.
Club Data Accuracy
Once you put club stickers on the club data on this device is out of this world, without stickers, it is still extremely accurate. The stickers do nothing to make the accuracy of the overhead club video better which is probably my favorite and one of the most helpful features.
TruGolf Company
One other amazing thing, not many people think about when buying their launch monitor is how good the company TruGolf truthfully is. They are a dedicated company that is always trying their hardest to improve their launch monitors as much as possible. When buying from a company like this you can be sure any problem you have will be looked at and fixed as soon as possible. This means with updates this product will continue to grow and get even better as time goes on.
Recap
So to recap all the important details about the Apogee, one of the most unique features is the AI voice controls. It is such a time saver to have on your launch monitor and I wish more monitors had it. One more impeccable feature of the Apogee is you still get accurate club data without club stickers which is not true about many camera launch monitors. The video replay of the overhead club path through the ball is a perfect touch that makes this monitor stand out from others. The attention to small detail on the device when you look at how they were able to crunch the response time to just 1/3 of a second makes it feel almost seamless after you hit the ball. With all that being said if you think this monitor is for you(it probably is) use our discount code GolfBusters10 to get about $1,000 off your Apogee or $2,000 off the entire enclosure package.
