Simulator balls
Simulator golf balls: two standards, and buying the wrong one gets you nothing
Titleist sells the same Pro V1 in two different simulator versions, RCT and RPT, at about seventy dollars a dozen each. They are not interchangeable, and Golf Sim Oracle publishes which launch monitors each one actually works with.
All componentsThere are two simulator golf-ball standards and they do not interchange. Titleist RCT carries a radar reflective marker inside the core for radar launch monitors; Rapsodo RPT prints a pattern on the outside for the MLM2PRO's camera. Titleist sells the same Pro V1 in both versions at $69.99 a dozen, and Rapsodo's own product page answers the obvious question in the negative: an RCT ball returns no spin measurement on an MLM2PRO, quoted in full below. Golf Sim Oracle checked what six reviewed launch monitors publish about ball requirements and found that three makers state a position and three publish nothing at all. Two of the three that answered also sell a ball of their own, which is the pattern worth noticing. Silence is not the same as "any ball is fine": it means the maker has published nothing we could read, which on a $65 to $69.99 repeat purchase is worth knowing before you buy a box. Every figure here is quoted from the vendor page named beside it, read on 2026-08-10. Golf Sim Oracle does not test equipment.
2
Incompatible ball standards
3/6
Makers publishing a position
1
Monitors needing a ball for spin
$69.99
Per dozen, either standard
Asked directly, by Rapsodo, about Rapsodo
“Would a Titleist RCT ball provide spin measurement on a MLM2PRO?” “No, RPT golf balls are required to provide a spin axis and spin rate measurement.”
The same page adds: “Rapsodo Golf is working with Titleist to calibrate the MLM to be compatible to acquire a spin rate metric, when an RCT ball is used.” That is a statement of intent, not of current support, and it is the only place either company addresses the other’s standard.
Rapsodo: Titleist 2025 PRO V1 Golf Balls w/ RPT, read 2026-08-10
The two standards
One reads the ball from the inside, the other from the outside.
Titleist
RCT: Radar Capture Technology
A radar reflective marker inside the ball
“Internal radar reflective marker optimized for indoor spin capture. Engineered for radar-based launch monitors to provide the most accurate golf ball data in an indoor environment.”
FlightScope: Titleist Pro V1x RCT Golf Balls for Launch MonitorsRead 2026-08-10
Rapsodo
RPT: Rapsodo Precision Technology
A printed pattern on the outside of the ball
“The unique print pattern on the exterior of the Titleist RPT golf balls is specifically designed for compatibility with the built in Impact Vision camera on the MLM2PRO. This camera measures the spin rate and spin axis of the golf ball during the initial flight.”
Rapsodo: Titleist 2025 PRO V1 Golf Balls w/ RPTRead 2026-08-10
What each launch monitor asks for
Quoted from the maker’s own page. An empty answer is recorded as an empty answer.
| Launch monitor | Sensing | Ball standard | What the maker publishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rapsodo MLM2PRO | camera | Required for spinRPT | “A Titleist or Callaway RPT Golf Ball is required to show spin numbers.”Rapsodo, read 2026-08-10 |
| Garmin Approach R10 | radar | Optional, maker publishes a gainRCT | “Golfers receive a more precise measurement on their Approach R10 portable launch monitor, including up to a 30 times more accurate reading of spin rate and up to a 50-percent increase in carry distance accuracy.”Garmin, read 2026-08-10 |
| SkyTrak ST MAX | camera | No special ball asked for | “Use a clean, white ball with a logo or a marked line. Set the ball up with the logo or line facing SkyTrak for better spin readings, whether indoors or outside.”SkyTrak, read 2026-08-10 |
| Garmin Approach R50 | radar | Nobody publishes a position | Not published |
| Bushnell Launch Pro i | camera | Nobody publishes a position | Not published |
| Swing Caddie SC200 Plus | radar | Nobody publishes a position | Not published |
A maker that publishes nothing has not told you a normal ball is fine. It has told you nothing, and on a repeat purchase at this price that is worth separating from an answer.
What they cost, as each vendor prints it
Nothing here is averaged or converted. Two Rapsodo pages print two different prices for the same balls, and both are recorded.
RCT
Titleist Pro V1x RCT
$69.99a dozen
Named as working with: FlightScope Mevo Gen2, FlightScope Mevo+, FlightScope X3C.
Listed as sold out on the date we read the page.
FlightScopeRead 2026-08-10
RPT
Titleist 2025 Pro V1 with RPT
$69.99a dozen
Named as working with: Rapsodo MLM2PRO.
Rapsodo describes it as exclusively available at Rapsodo.com in the US.
RapsodoRead 2026-08-10
RPT
Replacement RPT balls, either brand
$65a dozen
Named as working with: Rapsodo MLM2PRO.
The FAQ price for restocking, which is lower than the product page for the Titleist version.
RapsodoRead 2026-08-10
Questions people ask
What is the difference between RCT and RPT golf balls?
Do I need a special golf ball for a golf simulator?
Will a Titleist RCT ball work with a Rapsodo MLM2PRO?
How much do simulator golf balls cost?
Where to go next
What software each monitor runs
The same question one layer up: the ball decides the spin figure, the software decides whether you can play a course with it.
What five years costs
Balls are a consumable on top of a subscription most buyers do not know they need.
The monitors themselves
Space requirements and accuracy claims, sourced to the manufacturer and dated.
Every quotation above is the vendor’s own wording, read on the date shown beside it. Golf Sim Oracle does not test equipment and has not verified any accuracy claim independently.