Approach R50 - Recent Threads

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

Atarikid — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 14:11:59 GMT

[quote userid="122080" url="~/outdoor-recreation/golf/f/approach-r50/437440/plans-for-updates-implementing-customer-requests/2036791"]Most Importantly, I feel Square are proactive in pushing updates and bug fixes, unlike Garmin thus far.[/quote]

Absolutely. Given the price difference and the level of support provided the Omni is by far the more sensible choice.

Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

uofi1998 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:51:47 GMT

Team Garmin,

I've been on this forum for over a year, and use the R50 just about every day. Generally speaking, it's a solid 8.5/10.

However, it seems as though this forum isn't moderated like it used to be. It used to be there was a guy named Cody that would interact and respond to questions, and it at least seemed like our product requests would find their way into the next iterations of software.

Now when we make a request, we get directed to another site where you put in a product suggestion, and it goes into what appears to be a black hole.

A lot of what folks have requested - especially things like Scrambles and beefed up range features - don't seem like crazy requests when taken in totality with what the unit can do. The problem is nobody knows what is being reviewed and attempted to be implemented so we just keep asking for the same things and don't really get any kind of response.

It wasn't this way previously, but now it is...

Would somebody from Garmin please offer us some kind of insight into what will be added next, and when?

Thank you.

-DP

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

bmcg80 — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 12:49:58 GMT

Your experience with the impact location is interesting, in all the videos I’ve managed to find online the impact location has been found to be accurate. While a lot of reviewers maybe have a financial interest in giving positive reviews, I’ve always found Joe Lagowski to be fair and impartial, and he’s only had good things to say.

And while I wouldn’t claim that the Omni is better than the R50, I feel like the data it’s producing is as good as the R50. Most Importantly, I feel Square are proactive in pushing updates and bug fixes, unlike Garmin thus far.

I really hope that Garmin changes their approach to the device, as it has so much potential. I just couldn’t wait any longer for that potential to be realised.

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

Atarikid — Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:42:22 GMT

[quote userid="122080" url="~/outdoor-recreation/golf/f/approach-r50/437440/plans-for-updates-implementing-customer-requests/2036643"]along with ball impact location[/quote]

We recently had the opportunity to test the new Omni Square for two days. Based on our experience, it is definitely not better than the R50. We encountered several misreads, including instances where the device detected right spin when the shot clearly had left spin. Spinrate measurements were also inconsistent and not particularly accurate, similar to what we've seen with the R50. Additionally, the shown impact location was incorrect more often than it was correct. It's possible that future software updates could improve these issues for the Omni. However, launch monitors positioned in front of the player and relying on forward-facing cameras will never be able to determine impact location with complete accuracy. For precise clubface impact data, an overhead-mounted system is required. That's how it works and very possible the reason why Garmin is not adding this for the R50. So buying the Omni for impact location you will be disappointed for sure.

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

bmcg80 — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:47:08 GMT

I sold my R50 recently due to a combination of factors;

• Frustration due to the lack of engagement from the company with users, combined with slow update frequency that often hasn’t included even the most basic of user requests/suggestions.

• I personally found that the impact video replays were pretty useless/time consuming to review, and there’s no way to collate that information. I feel like an impact location graphic would be far more useful, and have no faith that Garmin can/would implement that.

• Cost - Given the price of some of the new competitors, and the lack of development of the r50 so far, it was really hard for me to say it represented value for money.

I’ve since ordered the Square Omni. I’m still waiting for delivery so haven’t tested it, but early reviews look positive. It’ll give me everything that I liked about the r50, along with ball impact location, and crucially I feel optimistic that they’ll continue to push the potential of the unit - something I couldn’t say about Garmin. And I still had £1400 left over!

I’d had dozens of Garmin products over the years for running, swimming, cycling and golf, and this is the first one I’ve regretted buying. Hopefully they can come good with the r50, but they need to up their game, especially with the increased competition.

RE: Future Direction

Atarikid — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 10:28:02 GMT

Knowing Garmin’s track record with previous products, I unfortunately don’t expect any major new features for the R50. The hardware is what it is at this point, and I assume there are inherent limitations that can’t easily be overcome.

From a business perspective, the R50 is likely no longer a significant revenue driver. Its launch excitement has long passed and as you mentioned, several lower-cost alternatives have entered the market offering a very similar feature set. That said, the R50’s built-in touchscreen is still arguably the best available in this segment.

Looking at the customer support for the R50, the assistance provided by the help desk is consistently below par. In many cases, the responses suggest that the staff do not fully understand the issue being reported or the feature request being proposed.It just gives a bad impression of their 'engineers'. Assuming they still have anyone working on the R50 at all.

From Garmin’s standpoint, it probably makes more sense to focus development efforts on a new device with upgraded hardware and expanded capabilities (for example using cameras and radar would be a killer but will be almost for sure a device you need to place on the ceiling).Something that can once again differentiate itself from the competition and generate renewed market interest.

It's sad but that's how business work, I guess.

Future Direction

shaungab — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:21:58 GMT

The launch monitor market is moving incredibly quickly at the moment. Since the R50 was released, we've seen a number of new products enter the market, many offering similar feature sets at lower price points.

Over the last few years I've owned several launch monitors including a SkyTrak, Garmin R10, and a FlightScope Mevo+ with the Pro Package. Each has strengths and weaknesses depending on how you use it.

I bought the R50 very early because I saw it as a platform with huge potential and expected Garmin to continue developing the software and feature set over time. While there have been some improvements since launch, progress feels slower than I had anticipated, particularly when compared to the pace of innovation elsewhere in the market.

Reading through this forum, there are numerous feature requests that users have suggested which, in my view, would add significant value to the product.

Looking at the market, it feels as though there are two broad groups of users:

Simulator golfers who primarily want to play virtual golf using platforms such as GSPro.
Practice-focused golfers who use a launch monitor primarily for game improvement, skill development and structured practice.

When the R50 launched, I felt it was well positioned to serve both groups. For me, the practice side was always the primary attraction, while Home Tee Hero and simulator play were useful additions. I already had GSPro available, but I spend far more time practising than playing simulator rounds.

This leads to my question for Garmin's future direction.

Since release, Garmin appears to have focused much of its development effort on the all-in-one simulator experience. Do people think Garmin intends to significantly expand the practice and game-improvement side of the product as well?

Features such as randomisers, combines, more detailed practice modes, additional performance metrics, historical analysis and structured training tools feel like areas where the platform could become much stronger. Much of this appears to be software-driven rather than requiring new hardware.

SkyTrak, for example, does a good job of serving both simulator and practice users, while FlightScope has traditionally been very strong on the data and improvement side. At the moment, the R50 feels to me as though it is leaning increasingly towards the simulator market.

I'm genuinely interested in hearing other owners' views. Do you think Garmin sees the R50 primarily as a simulator product, or do you expect significant investment in the game-improvement and practice experience over the next 12-24 months?

The answer will probably influence whether I stay with the Garmin ecosystem or eventually move to a platform that is more focused on player development.

RE: Future Direction

shaungab — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:28:12 GMT

Sounds like your in software the same as myself. I agree, there is a lot of value to attract through software, and we seem to be tinkering around the edges, instead of making valuable steps forward

The echo chamber is clear, other then bug fixes, I can not think of a single feature that has come out as a result of the feature requests that I have seen on here. At this rate, I think garmin are loosing ground to their competitors, the hardware is good, the software is developing too slowly.

maybe this is the problem of garmin having so many products, vs a company that has a single product line where they are invested in the market and all their energy and investment goes towards it

RE: Future Direction

3952987 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 09:11:37 GMT

I would bet that there isn't a dedicated product or engineering team for the R50 and it's split across something like the whole Approach range which results in us seeing very little improvement and time dedicated to bug fixes like the water hazard drop issue that's been around for months.

The R50 has huge potential which can be realised with software development only, hardware updates aren't needed to squeeze another 30-50% more value out of this unit.

This forum used to be a great place to raise issues and feature requests but Garmin now need everyone to use the official feature request route which makes this place a little bit of an echo chamber.

There's improvements that can be made to the club and ball data for game improvement and there's a whole load of features that could be added to the HTH software to make practice more fun and engaging. There must be a backlog somewhere within Garmin that covers both of those.

Would love to see a roadmap for the product so we know what to expect and what not expect and roughly when.

I've started checking this forum and the unit every few days in the hope that there's another update coming, alas I am regularly disappointed.

RE: Future Direction

HoboGTS — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 07:52:17 GMT

Didn't consider that, although the subscription money in essence is for what it can do currently, not for what it can do in the future, as potentially they may add loads and make it significantly better and offer different packages at different costs. Who knows, but I get your point.

RE: Future Direction

uofi1998 — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:23:26 GMT

There is an ongoing $199 software subscription cost so I think it’s reasonable to ask questions.

RE: Future Direction

shaungab — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:40:24 GMT

I would add, At the moment, Garmin is getting no ongoing revenue from me and iIsuspect others who lean towards practice and improvement. If garmin need to fund the development of really good practice features, then i know that i would then be willing to subscribe to HTH, or HPH (home practice hero) although ideally it would be all under one subscription. Yhe increase in the number of people subscribing would fund the development cost. I think we all have to be realistic and recognise there has to be revenue attached for garmin for it to make sense for them to build it, we still get the benefit of no ongoing fees for most of it, but a more advanced software mode feels like something i would be willing to pay for, the hardware is great, but the software is lacking a large part of the market.

i wish we could put up a poll to understand what type of user we all are, it would really help garmin understand the demographic of us as users

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

uofi1998 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:15:04 GMT

You may be on to something... would just like to know what's in the works like we used to get. Truth be told, I like the system with its extreme ease of use, but I've gotten to the point where I'm wondering about other products just for the practice options... and I don't really like having to use Awesome golf on my ipad, which interprets the data differently than the R50... and I don't want to invest in a gaming computer and GSPro software subscriptions since I'm already invested in this... but I think about it... because we aren't getting what we used to get.

I hope this ruffles feathers a little... I'm being polite about it... but it just doesn't seem like we get the support we used to.

RE: Home Tee Hero enhanced course wishlist

Kolchak357 — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:02:55 GMT

1). Oak Hill Country Club (East Course), Rochester NY

i know they have held some majors here. Might make a great enhanced course.

2). Shinnecock Hills would be another very good enhanced course. The raised greens would look really nice. Plus some links style enhanced courses would add to the variety. Great history at this course and the 2026 USOpen is being held here.

Home Tee Hero enhanced course wishlist

Kolchak357 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 04:10:54 GMT

I’m really enjoying the Home Tee Hero enhanced courses. What courses would you like to see get the enhanced treatment next? Here are a few I would love to see. What are your top 3?

1) St Andrews Old Course

2) Oakmont Country Club

3) Merion Golf Club (East)

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

HoboGTS — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:40:04 GMT

Indeed.

Personally, I suspect some of the requests will likely be incorporated into future updates, as quite simply, the competition is offering these at a price point which is reducing, so if Garmin wish to keep selling the R50 to the public, then they simply need to compete.

The issue to hand is us current owners have no idea on what future upgrades may look like, and would honestly just like to have an idea on what Garmin's plans are, but as the OP said, we get very little feedback, which to be fair is Garmin's rights as we aren't contractually entitled to anything, but its not great PR.

RE: Plans for Updates, Implementing Customer Requests

Dan_Robbo — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:07:58 GMT

Personally I feel they're pushing us to the "Feature requests part" so that it keeps any negative / request posts off this forum which anyone can view, everything requested seems to fall on deaf ears, I've already said my piece on here about range etc but again just ignored. I agree some of these ideas you've mentioned aren't ground breaking technology, and shouldn't be too difficult to implement considering what they have already made in this device.

I'll be interested to see if you get a reply or will it typically be ignored and brushed under the carpet. even a reply saying "we are working on this and that but its proving difficult to iron out bugs etc" would keep a lot of people happy just to know that it hasn't been forgotten about and there is still support

RE: What does my R50 shut down in practice mode?

Garmin - DK — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:00:57 GMT

Thanks for the report, 3471128 . I would first and foremost recommend ensuring that the software on your R50 is up to date.

If it is already, can you please explain in more detail what happens when your R50 shuts down? Does the data still get recorded, or does it not even get to that point?

Please also include a video of what is happening, if possible.

What does my R50 shut down in practice mode?

3471128 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:41:01 GMT

My unit began to shut down in practice mode after I align and prepare to hit the first shot??

Approach R50 - Feature Request: Random Distance Practice Tool with Handicap Scoring (Like TrackMan Combine)

1053178 — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:57:54 GMT

Hi Garmin team and fellow R50 users,

First off, I’m really enjoying the Garmin R50 – the accuracy, portability, and ease of use are top notch. That said, I wanted to suggest a feature that could take the practice experience to the next level.

I’d love to see a Practice Combine Mode added to the R50 – similar to the Combine feature on TrackMan devices (as shown in this video: LINK

Here’s how it could work:

The device randomly selects a series of target distances (e.g., 60y, 90y, 120y, 150y, 180y, 210y).
The user hits a set number of shots to each distance (e.g., 3–5 shots).
Each shot is scored based on proximity to the target and dispersion.
At the end, the user receives a score or handicap-style rating, showing how their performance compares by distance and overall.

Why this would be great:

Simulates on-course variability better than block practice.
Helps identify strengths and weaknesses in specific yardages.
Makes practice sessions more engaging and measurable.
Adds competitive and goal-oriented structure to training.

I know Garmin is always updating and improving the ecosystem around their launch monitors, and this feels like a natural next step to help players train smarter and more purposefully.

Would love to hear what the community thinks — and if Garmin might consider it for a future update!

Thanks for the great work and for listening to user feedback.

Best regards,
Aaron [emoticon:c4563cd7d5574777a71c318021cbbcc8]

RE: Approach R50 - Feature Request: Random Distance Practice Tool with Handicap Scoring (Like TrackMan Combine)

uofi1998 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:46:47 GMT

Yeah... you and a lot of us. Many of us have made similar requests, and for good reason. Hope they listen.

RE: Approach R50 - Feature Request: Random Distance Practice Tool with Handicap Scoring (Like TrackMan Combine)

7452182 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:42:21 GMT

Bump!

RE: Approach R50 - Feature Request: Random Distance Practice Tool with Handicap Scoring (Like TrackMan Combine)

7452182 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:41:54 GMT

Bump!!!

RE: Can face impact be added to an optical launch monitor like the competitors?

7452182 — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:32:09 GMT

Big upvote!

any word on this either way Garmin?

Can face impact be added to an optical launch monitor like the competitors?

5577833 — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:51:54 GMT

I was wondering is there a feature request to add face impact location and mapping to the Garmin R50? I dont even know if it is possible with an optical monitor or not.