EDINBURGH, Scotland – Shot Scope, the industry leader in golf performance tracking and data analytics, announces the LM1 Launch Monitor – arguably the most in-demand golf product of 2026 – has recorded over 1 million shots every month since hitting the market. This gives Shot Scope an extensive database of amateur golfers’ club distances, speeds, and practice habits.
In the past, amateurs have only had access to launch monitor benchmark data from PGA and LPGA Tour players, but now, data experts Shot Scope, known for their own course data and shot tracking technology, are making launch monitor data available to all amateurs. For the first time, golfers can compare themselves with other amateurs of a similar age or handicap, setting more realistic performance goals instead of chasing tour-level speed and distance numbers.
Quick and easy to set up, the LM1 delivers five key metrics: clubhead speed, ball speed, smash factor, carry, and total distance, and so far golfers have been loving their LM1s, averaging at least two sessions a month, with around 60 shots in each session.
By diving into the ever-growing database of LM1 shots, Shot Scope can identify metrics about amateur golfers that have never been shared before. Let’s look at some driver metrics:
- P-Avg Carry: 228 yards
- P-Avg Total: 247.1 yards
- Average Ball Speed: 133.8mph
- Average Clubhead Speed: 95.6mph
- Average Smash Factor: 1.4
- Drivers are hit in 80% of sessions
Key Finding: It’s a Speed Problem, Not a Skill Problem
The analysis becomes particularly compelling when we examine the driver data through two distinct lenses – age and handicap. Both analyses led to the same conclusion.
Focusing on age, carry drops 51 yards from its peak (30-39-year-olds) to the 60+ bracket. Ball speed falls right alongside it. But smash factor, the measure of how well you’re striking the ball, barely moves and, if anything, improves.
Reviewing by handicap, the same pattern shows up again, completely independently. The gap between a scratch golfer and a 20-handicapper is 46.7 yards of carry and 21.1mph of ball speed, but only 0.04 of smash factor.
Two totally different ways of slicing the same population, and neither one shows a strike-quality gap worth talking about. Everyone is finding the middle of the face almost equally well; some golfers are just generating more raw ball speed. And this isn’t just a driver story: the same fall-off shape holds all the way down the bag to the shortest wedges. This is a speed problem, not a swing gap, and it argues for speed training over more swing plane tinkering.
Shot Scope has released a free eBook detailing some of the findings from the LM1 database with some tips on how you can practice more effectively over the winter months. You can download the eBook.
Get ready to play better, score lower, and know your game with Shot Scope.
About Shot Scope
Shot Scope Technologies, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, offers a range of industry-leading products that improve the way golfers access distances on the golf course, through both GPS wearables and laser rangefinders. Their innovative shot tracking devices record over 100 statistics, enabling every golfer to analyze their round, know their game, and help shoot lower scores. Shot Scope products have collected over 460 million shots and been used by hundreds of thousands of golfers worldwide, who enjoy lifetime free updates and no subscription fees – helping them to save an average of 4.1 strokes. The team consists of technology experts, golfers, and a former Walker Cup player who are passionate about driving game improvement and enjoyment through the most expansive and accessible lineup of golf products on the market. Visit shotscope.com.
Media Contacts:
KFPR
Joanne Miller
(815) 603-5119
joanne@kevinfrischpr.com
Kevin Frisch
(989) 614-0241
kevin@kevinfrischpr.com
