Garmin Approach X40

[North Butte]

I've played two rounds. First was 10,880 steps the other was around 11,150 if I recall correctly.

 

Today my GPS distances behaved better. I downloaded the latest maps update, maybe that helped. It definitely cured the one Par 3 tee shot that was way off yesterday. Still wanders around in a 3-6 yard range for the first minute after I stop walking. Better than my Garmin S1 used to be and similar to my Neo Ghost, more recently.

 

FWIW there are many tall pine trees lining most parts of my home course. Some hills, too.

[snagy2000]

I'm having trouble with mine. It seems to miss about 1 in 3 or 4 full swings, let alone chips. And then sometimes it registers a practice swing.

 

Not a massive issue as I really use it for distances, for which it works fine.

 

Can I ask for those of you who walk 18 holes - how many steps does it register for you? Yesterday it registered 10500 for 18 holes, which seems way to low to me.

 

Mine registers about 10K per round. However my Fitbit registers 9000 for the front nine most of the time. I'm not sure which is right as I don't have enough toes to do a test count.

[anth]

That's exactly what happened to me. The fit bit would register 10K after 9 holes.

 

This seems to register half as many steps. I think the Garmin is more accurate. I think it measures strides and deliberate steps rather than every incidental step.

 

I had other problems with my Fitbit. Waste of money in my experience...

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Unfortunately the App and Website don't let you look back and see steps for a round (as far as I can see). Historical data is only presented by the day/hour on a bar chart.

 

My walking golf season is pretty much over as I'm not as hardcore as some of you about the mud and weather. But if I recall correctly it's usually around 6300 steps for 9 holes, which seems about right based on 3 miles/9 holes at my home course and my stride is 30". However, if you use a pushcart and you push with both hands, you will get short changed on steps. Step counting relies on arm swing, so I usually push with my right since I wear it on my left.

[anth]

Thanks for that. I didn't know that. I'm going to try and remember to push with my right hand next time I'm out there

[Stuart_G]

I'm having trouble with mine. It seems to miss about 1 in 3 or 4 full swings, let alone chips. And then sometimes it registers a practice swing.

 

Make sure you update to the latest software revision - should be 2.70. There was a big fix in the swing detection in that revision. I had the same problem until I updated.

[North Butte]

Unfortunately the App and Website don't let you look back and see steps for a round (as far as I can see). Historical data is only presented by the day/hour on a bar chart.

 

Yeah, I was recalling the steps I saw on the display after the round in my earlier reply. But I think they were right. There are a few lacunae among the stuff displayed in the app including the activity-specific steps recall.

 

My walking golf season is pretty much over as I'm not as hardcore as some of you about the mud and weather. But if I recall correctly it's usually around 6300 steps for 9 holes, which seems about right based on 3 miles/9 holes at my home course and my stride is 30". However, if you use a pushcart and you push with both hands, you will get short changed on steps. Step counting relies on arm swing, so I usually push with my right since I wear it on my left.

 

I also wear mine on the left and also use a push cart (actually an electric trolley but it's a manual one, not remote). I had kind of figured by step count would be seriously under-reported due to the times I'm steering the trolley with my left hand, although more often I'm using the right. But the numbers I get at the end of the round seem pretty believable with the distance and step count jibing within reason.

 

I do notice walking down the street that if I put my left hand in my pocket, which means the X40-wearing arm doesn't really swing, it still seems to accumulate steps about like when my arm is free to swing. Do you think Garmin has some algorithmic secret sauce in there to figure out steps even when that hand is occupied.

 

I wanted to test out the hand-in-pocket thing because on cool days I keep my left hand in my pocket and used my glove-wearing right hand to guide the trolley. So if time spent with that hand on the trolley don't count AND time spent with that hand in my pocket don't count then I'm not going to get valid steps when I play golf. So far that seems not to be the case...

[anth]

I'm having trouble with mine. It seems to miss about 1 in 3 or 4 full swings, let alone chips. And then sometimes it registers a practice swing.

 

Make sure you update to the latest software revision - should be 2.70. There was a big fix in the swing detection in that revision. I had the same problem until I updated.

 

I'm actually on 2.80. Maybe I shouldn't have updated! LOL

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Unfortunately the App and Website don't let you look back and see steps for a round (as far as I can see). Historical data is only presented by the day/hour on a bar chart.

 

Yeah, I was recalling the steps I saw on the display after the round in my earlier reply. But I think they were right. There are a few lacunae among the stuff displayed in the app including the activity-specific steps recall.

 

My walking golf season is pretty much over as I'm not as hardcore as some of you about the mud and weather. But if I recall correctly it's usually around 6300 steps for 9 holes, which seems about right based on 3 miles/9 holes at my home course and my stride is 30". However, if you use a pushcart and you push with both hands, you will get short changed on steps. Step counting relies on arm swing, so I usually push with my right since I wear it on my left.

 

I also wear mine on the left and also use a push cart (actually an electric trolley but it's a manual one, not remote). I had kind of figured by step count would be seriously under-reported due to the times I'm steering the trolley with my left hand, although more often I'm using the right. But the numbers I get at the end of the round seem pretty believable with the distance and step count jibing within reason.

 

I do notice walking down the street that if I put my left hand in my pocket, which means the X40-wearing arm doesn't really swing, it still seems to accumulate steps about like when my arm is free to swing. Do you think Garmin has some algorithmic secret sauce in there to figure out steps even when that hand is occupied.

 

I wanted to test out the hand-in-pocket thing because on cool days I keep my left hand in my pocket and used my glove-wearing right hand to guide the trolley. So if time spent with that hand on the trolley don't count AND time spent with that hand in my pocket don't count then I'm not going to get valid steps when I play golf. So far that seems not to be the case...

 

Yes NB, I also noticed the X40 does pick up steps even when my hand is a pocket. I also noticed that it picks up steps if you hold your hand out in front of you like you were pushing a cart, provided you walk briskly enough. It seems to capture around 90% when not walking normally. On the other hand, it registers little to nothing in the grocery store when pushing a cart at a relatively slow speed. I also noticed no false steps when working at my desk even if I'm moving my hands around a lot. Overall I think Garmin did a good job with making use of the sensors/algorithm to be as accurate as possible.

 

My chief complaint about this thing still is activity mins-- it makes little to no sense.

[North Butte]

Agree on the activity mins. It gave me just a few for the first round and then 100+ next day at the same course. Pretty whack.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Agree on the activity mins. It gave me just a few for the first round and then 100+ next day at the same course. Pretty whack.

That's exactly what I've seen. Keep any eye on it and if it gives you trouble call Garmin.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

Can anyone compare this watch to the garmin s6.

 

battery life?

hazards/doglegs/layup distances (this is probably most important)

ease of use

 

 

i don't care so much about fitness tracking, heartbeat, steps counted

i do think i'd like the tempo tracker on s6

i like the thought of adding hazard points myself on courses i play a lot which supposedly the s6 does.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Can anyone compare this watch to the garmin s6.

 

battery life?

hazards/doglegs/layup distances (this is probably most important)

ease of use

 

 

i don't care so much about fitness tracking, heartbeat, steps counted

i do think i'd like the tempo tracker on s6

i like the thought of adding hazard points myself on courses i play a lot which supposedly the s6 does.

 

Check out the S20. No tempo tracking but feature rich otherwise. S20 costs less also.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

Can anyone compare this watch to the garmin s6.

 

battery life?

hazards/doglegs/layup distances (this is probably most important)

ease of use

 

 

i don't care so much about fitness tracking, heartbeat, steps counted

i do think i'd like the tempo tracker on s6

i like the thought of adding hazard points myself on courses i play a lot which supposedly the s6 does.

 

Check out the S20. No tempo tracking but feature rich otherwise. S20 costs less also.

 

will do... i should mention i'll be buying used on ebay. prices for all three are similar when you find a deal.

 

seems like the majority of golf blog websites review gps watches as if its the only watch availble. they all say the same things. rarely give real world examples and how each compare.

[Stuart_G]

Check out the S20. No tempo tracking but feature rich otherwise. S20 costs less also.

 

If you are not interested in any of the fitness/activity tracking, I would agree with that (or the s6 depending on the desired features). The x40 display is smaller and for some harder to read than the display on the 's' models and the single button on the x40 means more steps to get to any particular screen besides the main one (e.g. hazard info, green view, yardage tracking).

[FairwaysToHeaven]

thanks. it seems like a small deal, but fewer button pushes or quicker access to features on a gps watch matters. if i want hazards or ability to move pin on a green i don't want to click through 3 screens.

 

which watch does the best in displaying multiple hazards. anyone comment on how easy it is on s6 to touch portion of the fairway to get distance to that point. seems like with a small watch this would be tough.

 

right now i'm leaning s6 although its a little older i might be giving up battery life and autoshot features of s20

[North Butte]

I've used Garmin G6 style handheld GPS units with the "point to a spot" maps and so forth. I personally find that frustratingly fiddly on a G6 size screen and wouldn't even consider trying to do a similar touchscreen deal on a watch. Even a huge monster sized watch like the S6.

 

I've been using the X40 lately and while it's not a major distraction at times I do notice it's on my wrist while playing golf. The S6 would be, what, nearly 3x as large overall? For me the S6 is too big for a watch and too small for a touchscreen-mapping GPS.

[Stuart_G]

No experience with the s6 but I did have a s3 with the ability to select a pin location for the green view. I can tell you that a large finger combined with a small screen doesn't give a lot of precision. However, if you use something else besides your finger - like a pencil - you can get fairly precise. Just an extra step to get the pencil out.

 

 

I've been using the X40 lately and while it's not a major distraction at times I do notice it's on my wrist while playing golf. The S6 would be, what, nearly 3x as large overall? For me the S6 is too big for a watch and too small for a touchscreen-mapping GPS.

 

Everyone is different in their sensitivity - but I can say that for me, there was no difference between using the x40 and the s3 (which is the same size as the s6).

 

[BlackDiamondPar5]

thanks. it seems like a small deal, but fewer button pushes or quicker access to features on a gps watch matters. if i want hazards or ability to move pin on a green i don't want to click through 3 screens.

 

which watch does the best in displaying multiple hazards. anyone comment on how easy it is on s6 to touch portion of the fairway to get distance to that point. seems like with a small watch this would be tough.

 

right now i'm leaning s6 although its a little older i might be giving up battery life and autoshot features of s20

If you want minimal interaction with the device, I know most of them are like that. To access hazards you definitely will need to push buttons or touch a screen. There really isn't a right answer except what's right for you.

 

My opinion is that if you don't need fitness tracking go with the s20,perhaps the s6. If battery life or auto shot are important then the s20.

 

Also as Stuart pointed out, the x40 display is a bit smaller and could be problematic for some. For reference I wear 1.5 readers and have no issue reading the smallest numbers when in daylight.

[Stuart_G]

My opinion is that if you don't need fitness tracking go with the s20,perhaps the s6.

 

Just a side note, actually I was surprised to find out the s20 has fitness/activity/sleep tracking. It just doesn't have the heart rate monitor that the x40 does. Had I realized that, I might have got it instead of the x40. Although, I must admit I round faces of the s3/4/6 to the square face of the s20.

[nitram]

Can anyone compare this watch to the garmin s6.

 

battery life?

hazards/doglegs/layup distances (this is probably most important)

ease of use

 

 

i don't care so much about fitness tracking, heartbeat, steps counted

i do think i'd like the tempo tracker on s6

i like the thought of adding hazard points myself on courses i play a lot which supposedly the s6 does.

 

If you're not interested in any of the fitness stuff, I'd for sure suggest the S6.

 

 

Battery life is about the same

The rest of your list I'd give to the S6.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

i've eliminated the x40. down to s20 or s6. like the looks of each

 

it comes down to s6 having tempo training and having touch targeting. basically being able to touch any point on the fairway and get a yardage...and

 

the s20 having auto shot function which automatically tracks shot and club distance if entered and then being able to view this after the round on pc.

 

i may look into the TruSwing also, where the s6 has 3d view but both watches compatible.

[snagy2000]

as of last week, it was still not approved for USGA qualifiers.

 

Based on what? I haven't seen any official list maintained by the USGA. Are you saying there is one some place?

 

The R&A and the USGA have revised Appendix IV, Section 5 to provide that, when a Local Rule permitting the use of DMDs is in effect, there is a breach of Rule 14-3 only if a player uses the device to access information that is prohibited by that Rule. Therefore, effective 1 January 2016, functions which were previously prohibited from residing on a DMD, may now reside there, provided that such functions are not accessed by the player during the stipulated round.*

[Old_Lefty]

Any more reviews on this unit ? Worth the purchase ? I do like the compact design .

Thanks gb

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Any more reviews on this unit ? Worth the purchase ? I do like the compact design .

Thanks gb

I still like mine. You can read my posts throughout this thread. My only chief complaint is "activity minutes" is erratic. Step counting and heart rate are lime any other fitness device. For golf, shot and stat tracking I give it high marks. I definitely think it's worth it if you want a golf and fitness combo.

[jbucher]

I picked one up last Thursday. I do the activity function as I am a cyclist and like the fact I can use it and get my tracks from it. This morning I did the registration and updates to make sure everything is in order. I used it for a bike ride this afternoon to meet my wife who commutes on her bike from time to time. 10 + mile ride for me both the bike computer and X40 close in mileage and most functions. I saved the ride when done and couldn't find it in connect app. Synced with the PC and found it there, just had to learn where they put it, not a cycling event from the start. So after the first day and activity so far so good. Tomorrow I hit the course with it and see how it goes. I have been using a S 20 the last year.

Jimmy B

[anth]

Biggest issue for me is the failure to pick up swings. I reckon it registers less than 50% of my shots, and then will pick up a random practice swing or even a thump off the club in the ground.

 

It's not a deal breaker but it's does make the track clubs function useless. The GPS will also sometimes freeze i.e. Won't update the distance as you walk. It's more a delay than freezing, but it can be annoying.

 

They also changed the activity minutes at some point - it seems really inconsistent now.

 

All in all not disappointed with my purchase as it fulfills the 2 main functions I wanted - steps and golf GPS

[Stuart_G]

Biggest issue for me is the failure to pick up swings. I reckon it registers less than 50% of my shots, and then will pick up a random practice swing or even a thump off the club in the ground.

 

Do you have all the latest updates installed? Mine was like that before I updated the software. If you are up-to-date and it still acts like that, contact garmin support. Other than the fact that the update rate can be dependent on the quality of the satellite signals, much of that behavior is not normal and they will likely replace the unit for you.

[ABG]

I picked one up last Thursday. I do the activity function as I am a cyclist and like the fact I can use it and get my tracks from it. This morning I did the registration and updates to make sure everything is in order. I used it for a bike ride this afternoon to meet my wife who commutes on her bike from time to time. 10 + mile ride for me both the bike computer and X40 close in mileage and most functions. I saved the ride when done and couldn't find it in connect app. Synced with the PC and found it there, just had to learn where they put it, not a cycling event from the start. So after the first day and activity so far so good. Tomorrow I hit the course with it and see how it goes. I have been using a S 20 the last year.

Jimmy B

JImmy, I'm looking at either the X40 or S20 as I want a dual function running watch/golf GPS. Are the activity tracking functions of the two the same, with the X40 have HRM and the S20 not, or is the S20 not as sophisticated in its fitness tracking?

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Biggest issue for me is the failure to pick up swings. I reckon it registers less than 50% of my shots, and then will pick up a random practice swing or even a thump off the club in the ground.

 

Do you have all the latest updates installed? Mine was like that before I updated the software. If you are up-to-date and it still acts like that, contact garmin support. Other than the fact that the update rate can be dependent on the quality of the satellite signals, much of that behavior is not normal and they will likely replace the unit for you.

 

Great question for him as I rarely have a swing missed except for short bumps/chips by the green.

 

Biggest issue for me is the failure to pick up swings. I reckon it registers less than 50% of my shots, and then will pick up a random practice swing or even a thump off the club in the ground.

 

Do you have all the latest updates installed? Mine was like that before I updated the software. If you are up-to-date and it still acts like that, contact garmin support. Other than the fact that the update rate can be dependent on the quality of the satellite signals, much of that behavior is not normal and they will likely replace the unit for you.

 

Great question for him as I rarely have a swing missed except for short bumps/chips by the green.