The FlightScope Story: Tracking the History of Flight in Golf

A company that started by tracking bullets now sets the standard for tracking golf balls. FlightScope’s journey spans continents and decades, built on a commitment to precision that began in South African defense labs and evolved into technology used by golfers worldwide. From measuring muzzle velocities to calculating launch angles and spin rates, radar technology has transformed how we understand and play golf. Here’s how it works.

From Defense to Drives: The Unlikely Beginning

In 1989, Henri Johnson founded EDH (Electronic Development House) in Stellenbosch, South Africa. His vision had nothing to do with golf. Johnson wanted to develop Doppler radar technology to measure the speed of projectiles leaving gun barrels. Defense contractors and forensics teams needed this kind of precision to understand ballistics with pinpoint accuracy.

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EDH delivered its first defense radar to a South African customer in 1991. That technology eventually reached more than 40 countries and remains in use today. But Johnson recognized something beyond the immediate applications. Those radar waves bouncing back with precise measurements could do more.

FlightScope entered the sports industry in 1995 with the Speedball system for cricket bowling. Tracking a cricket ball was a natural extension of the technology. If you can track a bullet, you can track a cricket ball. The real transformation came two years later.

In 1997, FlightScope began developing the first golf tracking technology. Before then, golfers could see where their ball landed, but understanding the flight itself was mostly guesswork and feel. FlightScope changed that.

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The Tournament System: A New Era Begins

By 1999, FlightScope produced the world’s first launch monitor for golf. They called it the Tournament System. It provided only three data parameters by today’s standards, but golfers could finally see objective data about their shots. Club head speed and ball velocity were no longer matters of debate. The numbers were there.

The company filed a patent for innovative phased array technology in 2002, specifically developed to track golf balls. FlightScope didn’t aggressively pursue patent approval, and within a year, competitors entered the market. The company had the technology and expertise to stay ahead regardless.

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In 2003, FlightScope launched “The Game” at driving ranges around Japan. This driving range solution provided users with real-time ball-flight data, along with resources to improve their game. The technology was decades ahead of its time. What we take for granted now was revolutionary in 2003.

Going Live: FlightScope Hits the Airwaves

In 2004, FlightScope became the first 3D Doppler radar technology system used for a live TV broadcast during the Battle of the Bridges and the Nedbank Challenge. Viewers at home could now see more than just golf. They could understand the physics and precision that separate good shots from great ones.

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The International Tennis Federation certified FlightScope’s tennis serve speed accuracy in 2005, proving the technology’s versatility and precision across sports. Golf remained the primary focus, and the company made a move that positioned it at the heart of the industry.

In 2008, FlightScope moved its headquarters from Stellenbosch to Orlando, Florida. South Africa remained the home of research, development, and most manufacturing, but Orlando placed FlightScope in the center of the golf world. The company eventually expanded to offices in the United Kingdom, Poland, Japan, and South Korea, establishing its presence on four continents.

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The Portable Revolution

The FlightScope Prime arrived in 2009 as the first truly portable tracking unit with Bluetooth technology and battery operation. Launch monitors had been stationary equipment until then. Coaches could now take precise measurements anywhere. Fitting sessions moved to the range. Players practiced with data in real conditions.

The X series launched in 2011 with Wi-Fi capability and the debut of mobile apps. Technology was shrinking and becoming more accessible, but FlightScope maintained its accuracy standards. The company has always refused to compromise on precision for the sake of convenience.

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In 2014, FlightScope introduced the Xi, its smallest unit to date for golf consumers, along with the FlightScope Skills App featuring various challenges for practice and benchmarking against tour players. That same year, FlightScope won the Stevie Award for New Consumer Product of the Year. The industry recognized what the company had accomplished.

The Tracer and the Big Stage

Anyone who has watched golf on TV in the last decade has seen FlightScope’s work, whether they knew it or not. The FlightScope Tracer launched in 2015 and made its television debut at the US Open at Chambers Bay. Those shot traces arcing across the screen show exactly where the ball is going. FlightScope technology has made the game more engaging for millions of viewers.

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The company expanded beyond golf in 2016 with FlightScope Strike, the first multifrequency radar to provide comprehensive data for baseball and softball, including pitching, hitting, and ball flight parameters. The technology that started with bullets and moved to golf balls was now tracking fastballs and home runs.

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