Radar vs photometric
The short answer
Radar tracks the ball in flight, cameras photograph it at impact. But for deciding whether a unit fits your room, that is the wrong split. What matters is where the sensor physically sits, and the two do not line up: there are camera units that mount overhead, camera units that sit beside the ball, and at least one radar unit that mounts overhead too.
How each one works
Radar uses the Doppler shift of a signal bounced off the ball to measure how it is moving. It reads actual flight, which is why radar dominates outdoor and tour use where there is unlimited space. Indoors it has to infer a lot from a short window, which is why manufacturers specify a minimum stretch of ball flight.
Photometric units fire high speed cameras at the moment of impact and calculate the launch conditions from the images. They do not need to watch the flight, only the strike, so a short indoor space costs them much less. Most also need reflective markers on the club to report club data, which is a small ongoing chore.
Several current units are both, pairing a camera with a radar element, which is another reason the old binary is a poor sorting tool.
The split that actually decides your room
Behind the ball
The golfer stands between the sensor and the screen, so the room has to hold the sensor setback plus your swing plus the ball flight. This is the placement that turns a room that looked big into a room that does not work.
Garmin Approach R10, FlightScope Mevo+, Full Swing KIT, TrackMan 4, Rapsodo MLM2PRO
Beside the ball
The sensor sits off to one side at ball level. It consumes lateral space rather than depth and imposes no ceiling requirement of its own, which makes it the safest choice in a low or shallow room. In a two golfer household it has to be moved when handedness changes.
SkyTrak ST MAX, SkyTrak SkyTrak+, Foresight Sports GC3, Foresight Sports GCQuad, Bushnell Launch Pro, Garmin Approach R50, Uneekor EYE MINI
Overhead
The sensor bolts to a joist ahead of the tee and consumes no floor space at all, which buys back the depth a radar unit costs. In exchange it has to hang inside a fixed band of mounting heights, so the ceiling can be wrong in either direction.
TrackMan iO, ProTee VX, Uneekor EYE XO2, Uneekor EYE XO, Foresight Sports GCHawk, Uneekor EYE XR
What this costs you in feet
The practical difference is not subtle. Garmin's manual puts the R10 six to eight feet behind the tee and requires at least eight feet of ball flight, which sets a practical minimum room depth around 15 ft. A sensor that sits beside the ball has no such requirement, so the same room that cannot hold the radar unit holds the camera one with room to spare.
That is the entire reason this site sorts by placement. Run your own measurements and the difference shows up immediately.
Every unit, sorted by depth needed
| Launch monitor | Sits | Sensor | Ceiling | Room depth | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProTee VX | Overhead | Camera | 9 ft to 10 ft | 13 ft | $6,500 | Check price |
| SkyTrak ST MAX | Beside the ball | Camera plus radar | — | 13 ft | $1,995 | Check price |
| SkyTrak SkyTrak+discontinued | Beside the ball | Camera plus radar | — | 13 ft | $1,995 | Check price |
| Foresight Sports GC3 | Beside the ball | Camera | — | 13 ft | $6,999 | Check price |
| Uneekor EYE XO | Overhead | Camera | 9 ft or more | 13 ft | $6,499 | Check price |
| Foresight Sports GCQuad | Beside the ball | Camera | — | 13 ft | — | Check price |
| Bushnell Launch Pro | Beside the ball | Camera | — | 13 ft | — | Check price |
| Garmin Approach R50 | Beside the ball | Camera | — | 13 ft | $5,000 | Check price |
| Uneekor EYE MINI | Beside the ball | Camera | — | 13 ft | $2,999 | Check price |
| Garmin Approach R10 | Behind the ball | Radar | — | 15 ft | $600 | Check price |
| TrackMan iO | Overhead | Camera plus radar | 8 ft 10 in to 10 ft 6 in | 15 ft | $9,500 | Check price |
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | Behind the ball | Camera plus radar | — | 15 ft 6 in | $700 | Check price |
| FlightScope Mevo+ | Behind the ball | Radar | — | 16 ft | — | Check price |
| Full Swing KIT | Behind the ball | Radar | — | 19 ft | $4,999 | Check price |
| Uneekor EYE XO2 | Overhead | Camera | — | — | — | Check price |
| Foresight Sports GCHawk | Overhead | Camera | — | — | $9,498 | Check price |
| TrackMan 4 | Behind the ball | Radar | — | — | $25,995 | Check price |
| Uneekor EYE XR | Overhead | Camera | — | — | $5,999 | Check price |
Room depth is the minimum this unit can work in, counting clearance behind the screen, ball flight and the space the sensor itself needs. A dash means the maker does not publish that figure, never that we guessed it. Each unit’s page lists its sources and the date they were read.
Common questions
What is the difference between radar and photometric launch monitors?+
Radar units track the ball in flight using Doppler, so they need to see a stretch of flight and generally sit behind the ball. Photometric units photograph the ball at impact with high speed cameras, so they need a clear view of the strike rather than the flight and can sit beside or above the ball.
Which is better for indoor use, radar or camera?+
Camera units are usually easier indoors, but not because they are more accurate. It is because they need far less room. Radar needs both distance behind the ball for the sensor and enough ball flight in front of it to track, which is a lot of depth to find in a garage.
Do radar launch monitors work in a small room?+
They can, but they set the floor high. Garmin specifies six to eight feet behind the tee for the R10 and at least eight feet of ball flight, which puts the practical minimum room depth around fifteen feet before you have allowed anything for the enclosure.