Golf tracking statistics apps compared

[markTHEblake]

Which ones have you used and whats your thoughts, there are some new ones out there for automatically tracking/plotting your shots around the course that use your phone only, and AI to determine where you played from.


Arccos (https://uk.arccosgolf.com/)phone/tags
Golfshot (https://golfshot.com/) apple watch
Gamegolf (https://shop.gamegolf.com) phone/tags
Golf pad (https://golfpadgps.com)phone/tags
18 Birdies (https://18birdies.com/) phone
Fore by Foresight (https://fore.foresightsports.com/) phone, now Bebrassie (https://www.bebrassie.com/en)
V1 Game (https://v1sports.com/athletes/v1-game-app/) phone, now Roundabout (https://www.roundaboutapp.com/)
Garmin Golf (https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/garmin-technology/golf-science/garmingolfapp/) garmin watch
Shotscope (https://shotscope.com) shotscope watch/tags
Taylor Made (https://myroundpro.com/)OnCourse (https://www.taylormadegolf.com/mytaylormade-oncourse.html) apple/android/samsung watch

[Kelsey86]

I use golf pad with tags, and find it pretty decent. Distances are pretty accurate. One minor inconvenience is having to manually enter in if I land in the fairway or not sometimes, and in bunkers, but I suppose given it doesn't map bunkers it's understandable.

[exmrblonde]

I’ve got 26.3 K shots and 342 rounds logged with Arccos and I can’t fault it.
Putting details need a bit of tweaking post hole or post round - not just the number of putts - but the distance of the first putt- which obviously impacts the putting SG rating.
Only other time I see issues is when one of the sensors’ battery starts going flat - those shots obviously don’t get registered and need to be input manually until you can replace it.

I don’t really use the caddie feature for club selection, but it does come in handy trying to pick a line for blind shots (which just about all of these types of apps do).

The data is INCREDIBLE !!
I already know driving is my strong point, putting is poo and approach play is so-so, but when analysing approach play, I see club by club info. It helped me work out there was something NQR with my 7 iron as it was consistently short and/or left.
Checked the loft/lie and it was 3 degrees further upright than my specs and had 3 degrees more loft. A quick bend and things were back on track.

Next is my 4 iron. Distance is too close to my 5 iron for my liking. Will check if loft is out once we get out of lockdown before I start looking at the other possible reason - me.

Can’t recommend this technology enough !!

[AndyP]

I've used GameGolf and now Arccos. The analysis that Arccos provides is much better than GameGolf.

[Stuart]

I just use my Garmin X40 watch - information is fairly basic, but with enough data points, can be useful. Depends what you are after really.

For me, it helped me to quantify a problem that I had 'gut feel' identified at the top end of my bag. Over the past three years my driver average distance was 261 metres, but my 3 wood was just 210, while my 4 iron and 3 hybrid both averaged about 185. That 50m gap between the driver and 3 wood was massive, particularly off the tee, where I was finding my choice was either risking driver but having a wedge in, or playing safe with 3-wood but leaving myself with a 6-iron. The hybrid was basically redundant, and I normally only used it around the greens as an alternative chipping club off tight lies.

I used this data as a basis for a fitting recently, and it helped the fitter to identify much better gapping options to setup a 3 wood to average about 230 metres, and a 2 hybrid around 205. Problem was that the quoted price for those two clubs was around $1100. So, thanks to Matt, I now have a Sim 2 13.5 'rocket' three wood, and now just need to find a 15/16 degree hybrid with a heavy x-flex shaft ...

[andylo]

Arccos, set and forget in terms of in-game usage.

The analytics does make sense to me too.

[Toolish]

I've used GameGolf and now Arccos. The analysis that Arccos provides is much better than GameGolf.

I used gamegolf for a while and found it didn't really give me a lot of value analysis wise, that said I found it difficult to get the correct pin position which throws putting stats way out!

What does the Arccos analysis do better?

[AndyP]

What does the Arccos analysis do better?
Mostly the Strokes Gained analysis, which you can view at high level (Driving, Approach, Short, Putting), or at a lower level, such as distances across those high level measurements.

For example, Arccos is telling me that my approach game sucks. I'm losing an average of 2.6 strokes in approaches across my last 10 rounds compared to my current goal of a 6 handicap. The other parts of my game are overall on track. Within that, I can see that 1.1 of that is lost for 100-150 shots.

The app is also tells you directly, via the "Overall" tab, what three things you should work on. For me that is 100-150 approach shots, par 3 tee shots, and shots from the fairway (common theme). It also tells me that 0-25 chips, 3-8m putts, and driving accuracy are helping my game the most compared to that 6 handicap goal.

[BobsYourUncle]

I use GolfShot, which is fairly basic, but just got some free Arccos sensors to try out (still waiting on shipping).

[simmsy]

Ive been using V1 Game this year. I love that i don't need any hardware, just the app on my phone. I have it paired with my watch which makes it better at detecting each shot. For putts you simply put in how many putts from how far as you're walking to the next tee. You also able to locate exact pin position by standing next to the hole. Strokes Gained and all that is there and easy to digest.

[CobraSS]

Your missing Shotscope - Watch and Tags, I use this system, via the V3 watch and tags, and I am very happy with the stats provided and gps tracking. They also are constantly updating and provide very good after sales support, when required.

www.shotscope.com

[simmsy]

yeah meant to be a good system. reason i went V1 is that it works straight off an apple watch if you have one. the shotscope watch is $300ish? i'd rather an apple watch for about $100 more.

[markTHEblake]

I have been using Garmin golf for about 5 years, as I have the S20 Watch. Garmin is a world leader in GPS technology, but their golf and statistics and shot tracking is really below standard. If your primary focus for golf tech is stats and shot tracking, get something else. I think Garmin is just trying to do to much with too many products, instead of doing one thing well.

The watch doesnt pick up most drives, fairway woods, nor many irons if no divot, yet it easily adds in extra shots for unknown reasons. The individual club tracking statistics are full of errors it is not reliable, including incorrect plotting of the last shot detected on any given hole and we cant edit the location of where that shot finished. There are so many ways they could improve this, say with a single click of a button to report that a shot was hit from that spot. Garmin tell us to get the CT10 tags to help with shot detection, (and i got 3 for half price from support) but they have their own annoying issues, the batteries need replacing every few rounds or remove or replace them.

On the upsides,
- the golf software is free, so your data wont be deleted if you stop paying the subscription or the service shuts down.
- Garmin have just announced their 2nd Launch monitor, the R10, hopefully their golf product will improve.
- Customer service is ok- at least they respond . they told me that they know their interface needs improving and are working on that. I will stick with Garmin for a while longer, at least while the watch is still working.

If you also use the Garmin, here is a tip i discovered with much trial and error. The Scorecard statistics dont correlate with the individual Club performance statistics. for example in one round the scorecard might reflect a different Fairways hit % than the club. After each round you can go through the shot tracking and check the little icons, eg if tracking incorrectly reported the Drive as missed the fairway, you need to edit shot location to drag it to the fairway, which is clunky. If you only change the scorecard data to reflect the fairway was hit that wont change the individual club stat.

I tried MyRoundPro twice on my Samsung watch, couldnt understand how to record a shot, fiddled buttons forever and got nowhere, and gave up. Sorry TM, anything that take more than a couple of seconds doesnt work for golf. However their stats appear to be amongst the best around. and its free.

V1 or Fore look very interesting, am sure we shall see a lot more of golf tracking using AI very soon, especially on Apple gear. V1 would work just fine by leaving your phone in your golf bag if you are a walker.

[dM.]

Has anyone used DECADE and if so how have/are you finding it?