SpinPoint's $499 Delta is a four-camera launch monitor with real limits, Joe Lagowski finds

SpinPoint Golf's Delta, a four-camera launch monitor built by a small team in New Zealand, is set to launch at $499, Joe Lagowski Golf says in a first-look video posted Thursday, October 29. Lagowski called it "by far the cheapest quadroscopic golf launch monitor" he has seen. In the same 30-minute video he lays out the trade-offs that come with that price.

What it measures

The Delta reads ball data only: ball speed, vertical and horizontal launch angle, spin and spin axis. Spin and spin axis require SpinPoint's own golf balls, which come in the box, Lagowski says. A normal ball works, but you lose spin data. There is no club data yet, though he says the company plans to add club speed. SpinPoint quotes a top ball speed of 300 km/h, about 186 mph, and has no impact video replay.

How it works

This is a wired unit that hands nearly all the processing to your PC. The box includes a USB 3 hub and cabling, and SpinPoint sent Lagowski an extension cable so it would reach his computer. The ball sits about 50 mm (roughly two inches) behind the device, and the hitting area is currently 8 by 7 cm. Lagowski compares that with about 10 by 10 cm on the Square Golf Home Edition and says SpinPoint wants to make it bigger.

It connects to GSPro out of the box through GSPro's open API, not an official connector, and it also works with mini golf, he says. The YouTube description says there are no extra subscription fees for third-party software. It carries a one-year warranty. Lagowski plans to test whether left-handers can hit over the low-profile unit.

Price and timing

The prices aren't final, Lagowski says. He cites a target of $749 in Australia, compared with $1,200 there for Square's two-camera Home Edition, and says SpinPoint is aiming for the Christmas holidays. Buyers can sign up for notifications on the company's site.

First swings

On his early shots Lagowski says distances, spin and spin axis "seem great" and the unit feels responsive. He also saw some very high spin numbers and suspects the proprietary balls, which he plans to test against a GCQuad.

For now, treat the Delta as a promising budget option for a home sim, with two catches to weigh before ordering: you need its balls for spin, and you get no club data. Wait for head-to-head accuracy tests before buying.