Advancements in technology have helped to progress golf incredibly over the past 10 years. Once just tools for professional coaches; golfers of all levels have access to a huge range of data, capturing everything from on-course pin yardages to club head speeds for each individual shot- all projected to you instantly via. a range of devices. Below we preview the 5 most essential golf wearables for 2017.
The original, and still the best. Game Golf is a digital shot tracking system that tracks and records every single shot during your round. The product comes with Game Golf tags that are ‘pinned’ into the butt of every club. You wear a small device on the waist and proceed to ‘tag’ each club before your shot. The technology then picks up that shot and registers all vital stats. At the end of the round, you download all the round information onto your computer for full analysis. Analysis includes total score, fairway accuracy, GIR, approach shot percentages, average club distances and more, all presented in an attractive and easy to understand format. If you’re addicted to golf statistics, this is the most essential tech purchase of 2017.
GPS experts Garmin have been in the golf GPS game for years, with their latest offering a huge step up in both accuracy and features. The S6 features a hi-resolution colour touch screen with a drag feature, allowing you to place the pin anywhere on the green (no more guessing pin yardages!). Swing metrics (such as upswing / downswing speeds) as well as shot distances are available instantly after every shot. The watch comes pre-loaded with 38,000 courses and connects to your smartphone so you can receive notifications during your round. In addition to a host of other incredible features, it also tells the time.
3: Zepp Golf 2 3D Swing Analyser
The Zepp Golf 2 takes all the information you would traditionally only receive from a professional coach and puts it into your hands instantly via. smartphone. The device is thumb-sized and simply clips onto your golf club. At the end of each swing, key information such as club speed, hand speed, swing plane, tempo, backswing length and more are automatically displayed on your device. This enables you to immediately review each and every shot, tracking numbers which you can use to correct individual aspects of your swing. The device is endorsed by both PGA and LPGA tour pros and the jam-packed app features coaching lessons, golf course modes and more.
New to the the range of wearables available, Aiming Pro addresses one simple aspect of your game that no other wearable can yet help you with; the device helps you to aim correctly. Simple in its design and incredibly effective in its use, Aiming Pro clips onto your belt and has a single button operation. Push the button before each shot and unique motion sensor technology will locate your target, vibrating when you have correctly positioned your body towards it. This greatly enhances stance alignment, helping you to set up correctly for each shot.
While the current golf tech trend seems to be packing as many numbers and statistics into the smallest device possible, it’s great to see that Tom Tom are still making a GPS watch that keeps everything simple and functional. A slim, lightweight GPS watch with yardage distance, score tracker and not much else, this is the perfect ‘gateway-tech’ product and ideal for social golfers who want to track their yardages only. Its lower price-point means it’s accessible to a lot more people, while its waterproof feature means you can wear it year-round.
Wearable tech is all the craze on the course and with the age we live in, there’s no shortage of tech choice. Some of it may be overwhelming, but with the right understanding on the various statistics available, these products will go a long way to lowering your score in 2017.