I’m Giving Up on Arccos

[Sons_of_Pitches]

36 minutes ago, ajlacombe said:

So how does it work?  What do you do on the course?

 

It looks just like the Arccos app.  I assume you have to set the club that you are hitting for each shot?

 

Thanks.  I wonder how they make any money with this app...

Below is a link for the finer details on how it works. However, the gist of this is that you select your course and away you go. Phone can be left in the cart, your pocket, or golf bag (watch also works).  As you move around on the course the app will track where you go and drop color coded bread crumbs in places you stop for longer periods of time.   Then at the end of the hole or round (your choice of how much interaction you want to have with the app) you can can go back and tell it your score, number of putts, and length of first putt for each hole.  It uses a subscription model but doesn't require sensors and the data it produces is just as good, if not better, than Arccos or Shotscope.  The only downside that I can see at this point in time is that all the information needs to be reviewed inside the app so, no viewing the data via a web browser.  Give it a shot as you may like it. I tried it out and ended up going with the Birdie subscription for now, but may decide to upgrade to eagle to get the virtual caddie to get the weather with the play-as information.   

 

 

 

[jdvela55]

I just started using the sensors. Got a a good deal from Taylormade. I haven’t had any issues and have found them very accurate. I have no issues adding shots if I’m OB or the ball is lost. I don’t even notice the weight of the sensors. I have an Apple Watch so I’m looking forward to not having the phone in my pocket. For me the data it gives you as far as where you are losing and winning is great for me. The most annoying part is it doesn’t always catch tap in putts. I’m curious to know if the people that have issues have the newest version of the sensors. 

[bortass]

On 1/9/2021 at 5:11 PM, jdvela55 said:

I just started using the sensors. Got a a good deal from Taylormade. I haven’t had any issues and have found them very accurate. I have no issues adding shots if I’m OB or the ball is lost. I don’t even notice the weight of the sensors. I have an Apple Watch so I’m looking forward to not having the phone in my pocket. For me the data it gives you as far as where you are losing and winning is great for me. The most annoying part is it doesn’t always catch tap in putts. I’m curious to know if the people that have issues have the newest version of the sensors. 

My sensors are the sealed ones and I got them in Jan, 2020. I think the manufacture date was Nov 2019. I have had it miss some full swings but it's rare. Putting is where it seems to have the most issues for me. I am always adding/removing putts post round. I think most of the putts I need to add happened within 3 feet of the hole, so a bit more than just a tap in.

[jdvela55]

So this happened tonight at the range. Hopefully they will take care of it. 
 

 

[sniper]

Only my second round with Arccos today but went much better than the first. I wore the Link on my left pocket. Last time on my belt, the Link was covered by my pullover. It still didn’t pick up on shot 2nd putts but we’ll see on that. 

[cleverprimate24]

I originally had pairing issues as well, but have found two solutions.

 

First, I had 1 defective sensor, but a quick call to Arccos and they sent me a replacement.

 

Second, as I went to re-pair my new irons, I had issues until I figured out a workaround. 

 

*Workaround* Make sure lens, and sensors are clean. Next, hold sensor right up to a light bulb immediately before you line up the pairing circles. (Apparently they are light activated) Mine instantly pair after this process. 

 

I don't have a problem with your other concerns, most of which you get used to after a month or so with the app. And the outlier shots from your example are dropped from the averages. You can go into the individual club and see which ones were kept and which were dropped. 

Edited January 29, 2021 by cleverprimate24

[Caesar's shank]

Android user - pairing was easy and everything was fine until you actually went to play. 

Drops were clunky and time consuming to add. Don't know if there's an option to discount a shot from overall distance calculation but numerous time I'd hit my drive into hazard and go back to drop zone (local course rules for some hazards) it would affect driver distance calculation (or any club). 

Say you missed green to the left and next tee box is close by, it would skip to next hole and count the chip as the tee shot on next hole. Time consuming to fix.

Missed putts alotttttttttt. Pretty quick to fix on app.

Biggest takeaway for me was spending so much time on my phone during a round to update shots etc, hate doing that. The stats and stokes gained is certainly useful information but overall experience made a round less enjoyable. 

[Nic1972]

I received my Arccos sensors and the Link device Friday. The pairing was quite easy, struggled only with two of them but I managed to pair also those after a while. Headed to the course yesterday and played 18 holes. It missed only one shot from tee to green, I had however to add the short putts manually very often. On the third hole I hit my second shot into a ditch and used my 7 iron to get it out. This was counted as a shot (1 meter..), and it took me a while to find out how to delete this shot and add a penalty shot instead. Once I understood how to do all this I really enjoyed the whole experience. The GPS is really accurate and the caddie distances are cool. And the information about my game is really helpful. I always thought that I was a lousy putter but based on this single round I gain 0.7 strokes compared to an 8 handicapper (12 hcp myself). But I loose 5 strokes with the driver, and I actually had a good day from the tee...

Now I have to figure out how to use the Link for the hole location.

Can’t wait to play again tomorrow.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Nic1972

[Kid B]

On 2/28/2021 at 4:43 AM, Nic1972 said:

I received my Arccos sensors and the Link device Friday. The pairing was quite easy, struggled only with two of them but I managed to pair also those after a while. Headed to the course yesterday and played 18 holes. It missed only one shot from tee to green, I had however to add the short putts manually very often. On the third hole I hit my second shot into a ditch and used my 7 iron to get it out. This was counted as a shot (1 meter..), and it took me a while to find out how to delete this shot and add a penalty shot instead. Once I understood how to do all this I really enjoyed the whole experience. The GPS is really accurate and the caddie distances are cool. And the information about my game is really helpful. I always thought that I was a lousy putter but based on this single round I gain 0.7 strokes compared to an 8 handicapper (12 hcp myself). But I loose 5 strokes with the driver, and I actually had a good day from the tee...

Now I have to figure out how to use the Link for the hole location.

Can’t wait to play again tomorrow.

 

If you quick press the power button when you're standing next to a hole, it'll mark the pin location for you.

[Mookieb10]

I’m going to give Arccos another try. Like my first ex wife, I keep telling myself that putting up a bit more money will solve my problems. I now have both the Arcoss MCC+4 grips with sensors built in and the link feature. I’ll keep everyone updated.  

[wingfoot64]

I've been using Arccos since early 2015, the app shows 53k (+ or -) shots I've taken in 698 rounds, some of the rounds are partial rounds, I've played a lot of those. All in all, I have enjoyed having it and like most tech stuff will have bugs to work out along the way.

 

I've kept using the first generation sensors, I tried the newer kind but didn't like the phone in the front pocket, they rubbed my leg while walking and just bugged me.   I bought a used set last year to replace dead sensors because Arccos no longer provides them, which I get.  I don't have to pay the subscription using the first gen sensors but I will pay it when the rest of my sensors die.  I guess I will use the link, to avoid the phone in the front pocket.

 

I don' rely on it much for club selection, but I will use it to help with wind direction and strength.

 

I really like using them because my memory ain't what it used to be and I like to revisit rounds especially at bucket round courses and go back and look at how I did.

 

I like, as one other poster said for bragging rights when I hit a long drive and send a screen shot to some off my buds to rub it in.  

 

 

[ctonylee65]

The pairing process is sometimes frustrating but when when finally paired the system works really well. I would recommend investing in the Caddie Link. It's much more accurate than using the phone and also clips easily but strongly to belt or front pocket. I've lasered my distances and it's really accurate to a few yards. Putting is an issue sometimes, but fixing that is not a problem. The main issue is recording an extra putt or not recording an extra putt. The biggest thing I love about the system is their big data analyses of strokes gained. The data after rounds is the most useful data I've ever had about my game. It has really given me a roadmap as to what I need to work on. I've dropped 1 full stroke since using the system for a couple of months. For example I'm losing 2.2 strokes per round with my driver (compared to a 9hdcp, I'm a 14.4), but I'm gaining 1.5 shots on 50-100 approach shots. This data is compiled from all the shots from all over the world it's collecting daily. These numbers are not static and they change daily (i think). Overall I'm really happy with it. Quick note if you are sensitive to shaft length, the sensor does add about .75" to the club but it is not impacting swing weight (it's negligible, I weighed it). If my fellow Golf-wrxer's  can feel a difference in the swing weight more power to you! 

Edited March 9, 2021 by ctonylee65

[dukebasketball717]

so far no issues pairing the sensors with my phone.  It does not always pick up chips around the green with my SW and I don't know if this is because the high grass muffles the sound or it's because the caddy link is kind of tucked under a sweater, probably a combination of the two.  So far, I have not played this in warm weather and hope I can get better results when the weather is warm.

[Rbsiedsc]

I have very rarely had any issues with either my phone or the link picking up shots. More so i have had issues with the link finding a GPS signal but that is because of where i live. Arccos has been great for stat tracking. I still need to figure out the multi-putt feature for SG.

[Jeff Yorkshire]

I am having a problem with shot tracking with Arccos.The on course map is correctly showing where the ball is on the app but it is not transferring correctly to the website. Some holes are correct but some are completely wrong, for instance the shots on the second hole appear to be played somewhere around the 9th and 10th hole. This has happened on exactly the same holes for the last three rounds, the distances have transferred correctly but the images are wrong.

I reported it to Arccos and though they always respond very quickly the problem has not been resolved almost a month after reporting it.

I got the Arccos sensors built into the grips when I bought new Cobra irons 9 months ago and they supplied extra sensors for my other clubs, one of which has gone faulty and has been replaced fee of charge.

Other problems I have with the system are again with pin locations on greens, the location dot while I’m on the green bears no relationship to where I actually am. 
Also I haven’t found a solution to how you track shots when using winter greens.

I like the idea of Arccos but I don’t think I will be renewing my subscription when it runs out as by that time I suspect I will start having problems with the sensors which would mean having to change the grips in my irons.

[MattM97]

2 rounds in with Arccos this season and no issues picking up shots, I'm using my phone and make sure to keep the mic facing up out of my pocket and it seems to work 95% of the time. I do seem to have some issues picking up chip shots and sometimes will pick up an extra putt but those are both easy fixes especially the putts, wedge shots and approach shots are kinda annoying to fix on the course. But it's working fine and getting me the data I want. 

[ajlacombe]

I have had Arccos for about a year now and love the information that it provides, but they have their head up their butts when it comes to customer service and listening to customers, and ultimately modifying their products to satisfy customer needs.  I will try to keep this as brief as possible.

 

I started with Arccos and my iPhone 11 Pro Max (big phone with 3 mics and the end sticks out above my pocket).  I missed a boatload of shots.  I was pissed, and they wanted to replace some sensors, but I waited for the Link. I got the Link and it caught almost all of the shots.

 

Recently I started missing shots again - contacted Arccos and they wanted to replace sensors and I said, let me play 3 rounds and give you shot data so you can see what is missed.  This is kind of hard to do because my club usage profile is: Putter, 54º, Driver and everything else is WAY down in usage.

 

Tons of putts are missed, many drivers are missed and quite a few 54º wedges are missed.  In total I had about 9 clubs missing shots. I sent in the data and their response was that it is normal to miss 5-8 putts per round and 1-2 full shots per round.  I was missing about 8-10 shots per round and lots of putts.  And they are not going to replace any sensors.

 

I am deciding my next move - the BBB is most likely for a lack of standing behind their warranty, but I am also speaking out so that other people enter the Arccos realm knowingly.  The system provides great feedback and once you establish your distances it is a great system, but editing rounds is a PITA - at times you can not even get to the point you hit the shot from and it takes a lot of time.

 

I think within a year I could totally redesign their app so that people would love it rather than put up with it.  It seems like they do not make logical changes.  Obvious things like if I tee off on another hole - change to that hole.  If I did not say I was starting on 10 but all my shots are on #10, ask/change to #10. Font sizes are way too small given the available room - there are tons of issues

 

BUT the kicker is not standing behind your warranty - maybe my sensors are not dead and the Link is just crap - who knows.  The bottom line is I am pissed and I am now a word of mouth detractor, and it should never have gotten to this point.  Buyer beware with Arccos - great concept but poor implementation.

[driveandputtmachine]

So chalk me up as the opposite of the original poster.

 

I got lucky and during the Ping bonanza, I got the sensors for free because I had a set of i210 irons a Ping driver, hybrid and three wood.  Also during the cobra bonanza(last year with the golfers names, and getting 55% of of almost every item) I also ordered grips from them, with the cap holes, and I never realized, but it included sensors for the grips as well.   Since I got all of this for free, or a hugely discounted price I decided to pre-order the link for $100.

 

My use has been pretty much seamless.  I had a few sensors that weren't able to be paired, so I sent them back to Arccos and got replacements.  Using the phone was wonky to me as I didn't like keeping my phone in my pocket, and the link made this all better.  Plus the ability to mark the flag with the link improves your putting stats usability without having to make a ton of adjustments.

 

The bad.  Sure every once in awhile when taking multiple clubs to hit a shot it hears what it thinks is a shot that isn't and I have to delete it.  Happens once a round or so.  This is something I think could or can be fixed, and maybe it will be.  Are there other little issues?  Sure.  Like I go through and check to make sure if it shows I hit the fairway or green or bunker when I did.  Considering most consumer GPS products are only +/- 15 or so feet for accuracy, that is understandable.  Plus if your course has spotty cell phone coverage this will also affect the ability of your GPS to give accurate numbers.  The better the signal the better the location accuracy.  I also make sure my shots are tracked during the round, it has missed a few, but not many over the last year of use.  The big thing was moving the link to attach to my right pocket, I have played the last four rounds for instance without it missing a shot and it has missed three I remember in the last 15 rounds.  Carrying your clubs grips pointed at the ground, and setting them down rather than tossing them can help accuracy too.

 

Caddy, um I don't use it.  I have my iron shots distances in my head already, I get them from the app mixed in with real world.  I have though about using the caddy function, but have not tried it as of yet.

 

The good.  Strokes gained.  SOOOOO much easier than trying to remember everything, pace it off and enter into a spreadsheet.  strokes gained versus GIR, FIR< and total putts does not give you but maybe 30% of the needed stats to know where to practice.  I rarely could remember to pace off a putt, and whos to say my pacing is perfect like it was in high school and college before rangefinders became a thing.  Guesstimating things leads to poor stats and doesn't show where your issues are.  I have been able to pinpoint problems (too many missed GIR) and implement fixes, and see my Strokes gained increase versus whatever handicap I want to rate myself against.  Versus the handicap I wanted to judge myself against I was a -2 in strokes gained approach, I am now a +0.1, my short game still blows as it is a -0.2 versus the handicap I am judging myself against.

 

All in all the Arccos is a good system, but it can only be as good as your cell service, GPS accuracy, and windy days can cause problems.  So can driving a cart with music playing too close to where you are hitting from because it can affect the microphones ability to hear impact with an activated sensor.  Is it perfect?  Nope, but perfect would require a HUGE expense, I am talking in the neighborhood or 4 to 5 grand.  Look at what the PGA tour uses, lasers shooting every shot from a military grade GPS devices known location, and the people to run it.

[Scottytoohottie]

I started using arcos about 5 weeks ago - was pretty happy with it but now it says I have to have at least 8 clubs paired when I paired all 14 clubs weeks ago out of the box - what gives? 

[jg1166]

23 hours ago, Scottytoohottie said:

I started using arcos about 5 weeks ago - was pretty happy with it but now it says I have to have at least 8 clubs paired when I paired all 14 clubs weeks ago out of the box - what gives? 

you can do a diagnostic of sensors. Occasionally you can loose a pairing when system/app upgrade.  If the sensor has gone contact starter at arccos and they will replace for free

[TheDominator273]

So my phone isn't compatible with the app, does the link solve that completely or does the link need to pair to the app as well?

[Frankensteins Monster]

On 10/10/2021 at 9:09 PM, TheDominator273 said:

So my phone isn't compatible with the app, does the link solve that completely or does the link need to pair to the app as well?

You need the app to transfer the data from Link to servers.

[one_under_at_the_turn]

Does anyone have experience using the Arccos grips?

[dodint]

On 1/14/2021 at 12:45 AM, jdvela55 said:

So this happened tonight at the range. Hopefully they will take care of it. 
 

 

 

This post was sneaky useful. I have a bunch of screw-on sensors I don't really need anymore now that I have my set of G425 with embedded sensors coming. I figured I would keep these for non-Ping clubs that I try out. 

I recently sent a Ping G20 4-wood into Ping for a reshaft/regrip and requested an Arccos grip. They sent it back without a sensor in it. Thinking of the quoted post, I grabbed a dead screw on sensor out of my bag and removed it from the casing, similar to the picture above. Ot turns out the dissected sensor fits perfectly in the embedded grip. I am going to test it out during an outdoor round on Friday. 

The only issue I can think of is that the sensors in the housing have an exposed battery when you remove them; the replacement sensors that go into smart grips have a small piece of rubber backing on them. I suppose it's possible a housing sensor placed in the grip could run the risk of premature failure from being exposed to the elements despite how snugly they fit into the smart grips. Not a huge factor for me as these would've sat in my bag unused and been thrown out in a few years anyway. Incidentally, the 'broken' sensor came back to life after handling it out of the housing which is good luck for me.  

 

 

 

[Frankensteins Monster]

On 12/11/2021 at 12:24 AM, one_under_at_the_turn said:

Does anyone have experience using the Arccos grips?

Used both grips and sensors. Sensors make it easier to put clubs in and out of the bag. If you don't to that, I switch wedges in and out throughout the season and sometimes switch driver shafts. Can't do that with the grips unless you buy some extra grips.

[dodint]

You can mix and match. I use the screw on sensors for clubs I am trying out. Once I know I am keeping the club I order a grip for it.

[TomBomb51]

I want to share my experiences with Arccos and I too am moving on...

 

I had it for 2 full seasons here in upstate NY. I really enjoyed the data collection as I am a geek for numbers and stats. It was even nicer when I changed driver shafts during the winter last year so I could compare distance and fairways hit between the 2 shafts. I really loved this portion, it includes so much useful information. Being able to look back at good or bad rounds is awesome and I will miss that. Did it help me become a better golfer? I don't think so, but it is still fun to dissect the numbers and data after a few rounds.

 

Now on to the reason I am leaving.

 

I have spent tens if not hundreds of hours working with support to try and smooth out the entire experience when you get to the course. I think it has actually gotten worse over the 2 years I have been with them. I have a very easy and basic setup:

Samsung Galaxy S21

Samsung Galaxy Watch 3

Phone stays in my pocket for shot detection (not an issue at all)

 

The app on the phone is decent at best. I dont really use it during the round since, well, I just dont want to fiddle around with my phone during a round. I want to concentrate on golf. Starting a round is easy, just choose what hole, what watch and be on your way. 6 times out of 10, it starts up fine and I can just go play. The other 4 times out of 10, the watch wont sync with the phone or the GPS doesnt lock on (which is not a phone problem, I can see my location fine on other apps). Once you hit this point right before a round and it isnt working properly, you're done. I dont want to be riding down the fairway to my next shot, force closing apps and restarting devices to try and get this to work (which I have done dozens of times and the main reason I am fed up).

 

Their troubleshooting steps are basic. They even have told me on multiple occasions to factory reset my devices. The watch is annoying enough to factory reset but isnt a huge issue. I am NOT going to factory reset my phone because your janky system doesn't sync properly.

 

I usually will get an email from support months later saying "HEY! Just so youre aware we pushed an update to the app and it should help with the problems you have been seeing" but yeah, that never works. Everything will work some 60% of the time. 

 

It isn't worth paying $100 a year for a system that is ineffective and unreliable when you get to the course.

 

I went ahead and bought a Precision Pro R1 rangefinder for the "weather elements" feature that I really loved about Arccos. Yes, I will miss all the data, but I will just write down all my stats on a scorecard and post round, upload them to The Grint for free and get my stats that way. Sure it wont be club stats, but at least I will have an idea where I need to improve for any given time period.

[Barefoot_Golf]

I gave the Arccos a run this season. I took a long time off from the game. Left as scratch, came back as a 5ish. Used it to dial in my distances as things had changed somewhat. After that, I didn’t find much use in the system, especially having to be linked to a phone or a clip at all times. Personally, I know where my misses are and where I need to improve and paying extra money wasn’t worth it to me. Have friends who love it, guess it’s just not my thing.

[dodint]

What did the watch add to the experience that the phone alone didn't do?

 

I play with a Garmin watch in golf mode for distances, but it is not tied into the Arccos system.

[TomBomb51]

On 1/22/2022 at 8:17 PM, dodint said:

What did the watch add to the experience that the phone alone didn't do?

 

I play with a Garmin watch in golf mode for distances, but it is not tied into the Arccos system.

I also had a Garmin watch that worked great for golf. Once I signed up for Arccos though, I got rid of it and got a Galaxy Watch 3.

I just wanted all 1 system and on the watch, it gives you the "Arccos Caddy", which I never used, but it suggest a club based on your previous rounds.

What it is great for though is the "plays as" yardages as well as the true yardages. It accounted for wind, temperature, slope etc and spit out just 1 adjusted number...front back and middle. I found it to be VERY accurate and really trusted it. But as my post above states, thats when the whole thing works. Which was far less often than it should have so I have moved on.