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Have shot tracking devices really improved your game?


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I have been pondering making a purchase of a shot tracking system and was wondering if there were any systems that have actually helped people improve their golf game.

 

In the past I have used a version 1 Microsoft Band, with quite frankly very little success. It was more of a pain to use than i got use out of it. It would register shots on incorrect holes, as well as register shots i never made. I ended up on my phone worrying about making sure the scores and yardages were accurately dictated.

 

I felt like maybe there were better shot tracking systems than the Microsoft Band, however at the same time, i have a buddy who has used Game Golf and so constantly forgot to tag clubs that the data was useless.

 

It seems to me that maybe messing with your phone or technology on the course detracts from being outside and enjoying the day, but at the same time, as most others who play this game, I want to improve my game the best i can.

 

I guess my question is this: has anyone concretely made distinct improvements to their game based on data recorded from any of their shot tracking devices or is the general consensus that they are a great idea, not executed well yet and at the current time, more trouble than they are worth?

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Let me start by saying that in order to get good useable data, you do have to do some editing and 'help' the device (whatever platform) to accurately plot shots. The closer you get to the pin, the more editing you have to do.

 

That being said, I would say 'yes', it did help me in that it made it irrefutably clear exactly where I was losing shots. I had a decent idea, but the device really made it concrete. I'm a 18 hcp with distance, but struggle with scoring. I hit the range quite a bit, but due to family, work constraints, don't get to play that much.

 

I knew already that I was a pretty good driver of the golf ball, but thought I was horrible at everything else. Strokes gained showed me that indeed, off the tee, I play to about a 5-7 hcp, but my putting wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. It's just my wedge approaches (100-130 yrds) and short game were so horrible, that I was leaving myself first putts way too long.

 

Even more so, it showed me that 100-130 yard distance was killing my scores almost double what my greenside chipping was costing me. I've used that information to practice full wedges more to become more comfortable and consistent with that shot.

 

Long story short, the shot tracking (again, provided you carefully edit shots/pin position) does really hone in on where your shortcomings are and quantify exactly how bad that shortcoming is comparitive to other areas. Most people have a sense of their strengths and weaknesses but don't really know how much it's keeping them from scoring. Strokes gained showed me I can save 8 more shots per round by practicing the full wedge vs practicing my putting.

 

Is shot tracking a pain in the a** and distract from the round? It can be, yes, depending on what system you use (I've not heard great things about the Microsoft Band, for instance), but you can find a system and routine that works best for you and then it becomes more routine. For me, I currently use a Pebble Watch in conjunction with Golfpad. I click once for each shot, but pace off my putts and write down the distances (in feet) on a paper scorecard, along with the clubs used for that hole once I hole out. I then edit after I get home, which takes about 15 min. It's a bit of a process, but I'm sure that it will be streamlined over time as the tech matures.

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Duke,

 

Thank you for your thoughtful and useful reply.

 

I think I may go buy the Arccos 360 because of it.

 

My main qualm with shot tracking is that I feel like it does take away from the concentration of playing. I do not necessarily want to be telling it what clubs i am playing, or trying to correct it mid round.

 

I am hoping that Arccos 360 works well enough so that i only have to touch my phone once a hole, in transition to the next hole to add gimmie putts or turn a pitch into a sand shot. I dont mind doing editing after the round. I do not want the technology to interfere with my focus and concentration.

 

I am a 7 handicap currently, and focus is a huge part of my game, which is something i have always struggled with. Having one more thing to draw me away from the hole is not what i need.

 

Plus, if you cannot focus on the golf, and are always focusing on the technology, how can the data the technology picks up be valid.

 

Fingers crossed on the Arccos 360.

 

Thanks again!

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I agree with Duke. I use the original GameGolf system and have 170+ rounds on it. The stats are an insight to me as they tell me where most of my misses are and where I'm losing strokes. That becomes the focus of my practice. The tagging has become such a part of my PSR that if I forget the system I end up tagging an empty belt.

 

One of my buddies just bought the Arccos system and it was pretty cool to see the shots in real time. (The new GameGolf does it too apparently.) One of the guys in our group hit what he thought was a huge drive and was a little disappointed to find out it was only 245 yards.

 

Worth the investment IMO.

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I am currently using the Skygolf tracking system with a Linx GT watch and iPhone. I really like the system because it does capture swings if I forget to tag (can fix instantly on phone) and then I can choose the club after the fact. The system has allowed me to look at my game and similar to Duke has allowed me to confirm what I felt were the strengths and weaknesses of my game. I also did learn my fairways and wedges do not go as far as I thought but the rest of my clubs were pretty spot on (on wedges I had lofts adjusted as a result of this). The system does not interfere with my routine at all. Did my scores go lower?? Am I a better golfer?? So far my handicap has not really moved since I started using it 6 mo. ago however my score range has gotten tighter but since you keep 10 of your last 20 my best 10 average is still right around 80 (last 4 rounds were 81,79,80,81). Is this improvement?? My overall range of scores is lower but my low scores are really not much lower, I have just eliminated that really frustrating round high score. Your mileage may vary depending on your game and the areas you need to improve upon.

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I have used Shot Scope V1 for over a year now, and on the course it is amazing (I don't have to do anything apart from PinCollect).

 

What have I learnt?

 

I can't find a driver that is better than my R1. I have tried a few!

I need to improve my putting from distance.

My scoring average is getting tighter (similar to sirparalot) - I put that down to not 'chucking' a round.

I changed from a 3 wood to a 4 wood which improved my par 5 scoring.

 

I love looking at the overheads and working out if I could sneak another club down before the water or if I should focus on taking different lines.

 

I would say I enjoy golf more because I use a performance tracker, nothing like seeing a new long drive!

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I have the original Arccos system. I've used it for almost 2 years and have maybe 15- 18 hole rounds and 8- 9 hole rounds with it, I don't think I can trace any particular improvement to the use of the sensors. I'm not sure the stats you get from Arccos are granular enough to really dive into your weaknesses. You get handicaps in 5 areas, but for example your approach handicap is 12. Does that mean you are terrible from 75-125 and great from 175-200? Also, I have a really good putting handicap but I'm not sure what that comes from. I could be fantastic from long distance and terrible from 3-5 feet.

 

There are some good features like the ability to look at your shot distribution on iron and tee shots and on the whole it does provide insight about the relative strength and weaknesses of your game real vs. perceived. I would also add that web dashboard took a giant step back in the latest release. Not really topical- just wanted to get that off my chest.

 

**Edit- wanted to add that it does appear to have some of the granularity to the stats in the new dashboard, I finally was able to access the new version and get it to work.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've been using the Game Golf Original for nearly two years now (received just prior to Christmas '15), and have been using it extensively. I have found that I've also ingrained the tagging system into my PSR, so that I too, will tag an empty belt if I forget to bring the system (which happens rarely).

 

As mentioned by Duke, I have been able to definitively find my areas of opportunity using the system, and can also say that I've been able to work on all aspects of my game, thanks largely in part to the fact that I know where I fall short (quite literally).

 

From an overall perspective, I'm at the point where I need to be hitting the range on a weekly basis (for which I have not yet set time) to be able to improve my current scoring and handicap. Using systems like Game Golf and Arccos, you will also be able to see immediately the potential benefits of knowing where you need the most improvement. At that point, it will be up to you to take advantage of that information.

 

Here's my personal opinion pertaining to the system I use, and my observations of a friend of mine who is currently using the Arccos 360 system.

- The Game Golf Original is no longer offered new, from what I understand. I have found it to be a blessing in that the device is stand-alone, so you don't need to worry about getting signal for the unit to function properly (I've never had an issue with the GPS here in Utah, where I live, in Arizona, or in Florida). In addition, you don't need to worry about your phone having enough battery life to run the app.

The down side to the unit that I'm using, is that I'm not able to make modifications to the shots or score on-the-fly. Therefore, I need to keep a running tally of my actual score (penalty strokes, number of putts, etc.) on a scorecard (which is easy for me), then make the necessary modifications when I upload the round afterward. The position of the pin may also be different from where the app indicates, so that also needs to be noted (or can be tagged, then the stroke removed during editing to show where the final pin position was actually resting).

Finally, I've had to contact Game Golf's support department to request new Tags twice, and their customer support team has gotten progressively worse. The last time I contacted them for replacement tags, my order was canceled and re-established 3 times, took more than 3 months for the tags to arrive, and of the three tags that I ordered, only 2 were correct.

 

- My friend who uses the Arccos system loves it, as it provides the real-time ability to update and modify your shots, scores, ranges, and also gives you and idea of how you're hitting the ball, right now. However, he now carries an extra battery in his golf bag, as he's not able to get through a full round of golf using the app on his Galaxy S8, and requires at least one full charge to complete 18 holes. Additionally, on more than one occasion (in rural/mountainous areas) he has been unable to get the app's GPS to sync with his location, and therefore has not been able to record the round at all.

 

All in all, purchasing one of these systems (regardless of whether it's Arccos, Game Golf, or one of the many other suppliers) can certainly benefit your game. I wish you all the best in your final decision.

 

-Bishop

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I've been using the Game Golf Original for nearly two years now (received just prior to Christmas '15), and have been using it extensively. I have found that I've also ingrained the tagging system into my PSR, so that I too, will tag an empty belt if I forget to bring the system (which happens rarely).

 

As mentioned by Duke, I have been able to definitively find my areas of opportunity using the system, and can also say that I've been able to work on all aspects of my game, thanks largely in part to the fact that I know where I fall short (quite literally).

 

From an overall perspective, I'm at the point where I need to be hitting the range on a weekly basis (for which I have not yet set time) to be able to improve my current scoring and handicap. Using systems like Game Golf and Arccos, you will also be able to see immediately the potential benefits of knowing where you need the most improvement. At that point, it will be up to you to take advantage of that information.

 

Here's my personal opinion pertaining to the system I use, and my observations of a friend of mine who is currently using the Arccos 360 system.

- The Game Golf Original is no longer offered new, from what I understand. I have found it to be a blessing in that the device is stand-alone, so you don't need to worry about getting signal for the unit to function properly (I've never had an issue with the GPS here in Utah, where I live, in Arizona, or in Florida). In addition, you don't need to worry about your phone having enough battery life to run the app.

The down side to the unit that I'm using, is that I'm not able to make modifications to the shots or score on-the-fly. Therefore, I need to keep a running tally of my actual score (penalty strokes, number of putts, etc.) on a scorecard (which is easy for me), then make the necessary modifications when I upload the round afterward. The position of the pin may also be different from where the app indicates, so that also needs to be noted (or can be tagged, then the stroke removed during editing to show where the final pin position was actually resting).

Finally, I've had to contact Game Golf's support department to request new Tags twice, and their customer support team has gotten progressively worse. The last time I contacted them for replacement tags, my order was canceled and re-established 3 times, took more than 3 months for the tags to arrive, and of the three tags that I ordered, only 2 were correct.

 

- My friend who uses the Arccos system loves it, as it provides the real-time ability to update and modify your shots, scores, ranges, and also gives you and idea of how you're hitting the ball, right now. However, he now carries an extra battery in his golf bag, as he's not able to get through a full round of golf using the app on his Galaxy S8, and requires at least one full charge to complete 18 holes. Additionally, on more than one occasion (in rural/mountainous areas) he has been unable to get the app's GPS to sync with his location, and therefore has not been able to record the round at all.

 

All in all, purchasing one of these systems (regardless of whether it's Arccos, Game Golf, or one of the many other suppliers) can certainly benefit your game. I wish you all the best in your final decision.

 

-Bishop

 

The current Game Golf Live belt unit can be used exactly like the original Game Golf Classic, if you want. That's what I have and I never carry a phone when playing golf. I tag shots during the round and download them afterward, just like with the Classic.

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Ive been using Game Golf for about 2 years. Its the only tracker Ive ever used, so Ive nothing to compare it to. All I can say is that thing is pretty slick.

It will certainly shine a light on your weakness. I just thought I knew the weak part of my game. Boy was I wrong. Yes. it certainly has helped me lower my HC,

within a couple months, I had dropped 5 strokes off of it.

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