We first met the guys at Ernest Sports at Demo Day to get the details on their latest launch monitor and followed up with them once we were on the show floor.
At the convention center, they had a split booth setup, like many of the other companies using launch monitor or simulator hitting bays. One area was for business, while the other was for testing out their products.
ES B1
The follow-up to the ES-12 and the ES-14 is the ES B1. It’s the latest personal launch monitor from Ernest Sports. There are a few key differences with the ES B1 compared to its predecessors.
- It sits behind the direction of launch, instead of in front of the player.
- It’s the first of their personal launch monitors to use a rechargeable lithium battery instead of a 9V battery.
- Instead of having to be sent to the company for firmware updates, the ES B1’s firmware can be updated via the app.
It will measure 6 data points:
- Club Speed
- Ball Speed
- Smash Factor
- Vert launch angle
- Spin rate
- Distance (you can choose between carry distance or total distance)
Lastly, like the previous models, it will work with the Shot Tracer app.
Launch: End of February/early March, 2020
MSRP: $550
You can see their full line of products, including the ES B1, on their site: ernestsports.com
My full-time job has always been in the IT world, but I’ve also spent the better part of a decade writing product reviews and helping cover large industry-only trade shows. It was only in the latter part of 2019 that I put two and two together and realized I should be doing the same thing for something I’ve loved my whole life — golf. This is the culmination of a hobby that started as a child, a hobby that turned into a passion as an adult, and finally a passion that turned into The Golden Ferret.