But there is a saying in golf: Learn, Practice, Play. If you need a little more learning or a little more practice to have more fun playing, some new gadgets might help. Explore these devices designed to help make learning, practicing, and playing golf more fun.
1. TaylorMade Spider Interactive Putter
The TaylorMade Spider Interactive Putter allows you to improve your putt using real-time stroke analytics captured by a BLAST motion sensor housed within the grip of the club. Using motion capture technology, the club automatically records and syncs 11 putting metrics, such as backstroke time, forward stroke time, and tempo, to your smartphone.
Using the companion app, you can analyze, refine, and sharpen your putting prowess. The app also features step-by-step instructions so that you can start from scratch and build your putting skills until you’re sinking those killer long-distance putts. The club weighs about as much as an ordinary club, comes in both right and left-handed varieties, and has a 3-degree loft and a 70-degree lie.
2. Arccos Caddie Smart Sensor
Arccos claims that by using the Smart Caddie Smart Sensor, golfers improved their game by five shots on average in their first year. That’s a bold claim in a game where every swing matters. How could this be possible?
The smart sensor is basically a small round object that you stick onto the butt of the clubs you want to track. To get the most out of the product, you’ll want information on all your swings, which is why the new system comes with 13 smart sensors—one for each club.
Paired with the Arccos caddy app, you can see recommendations for which club to use on each hole, track how far you hit with each club, and view stroke analytics. Arccos claims this information will show you which areas of your game you need to work on to get better, quicker.
3. Garmin Approach S62 Golf GPS Watch
The Garmin Approach S62 is a smartwatch designed specifically for golfers. It features a full-color screen that displays all the information you could need on a golf course, including the following:
A virtual caddie (with club selection) Wind speed and direction Maps for over 41,000 courses Club tracking (including distances) A view of every hazard on the course
If you opt for the bundle that comes with a shot-tracking sensor (similar to the Arccos), you can also view shot-tracking information.
Further, because this is a full-on smartwatch, you also have access to a wrist-based heart rate monitor, contactless payments, and smart notifications. And, when paired with the Garmin Golf app, you can access a “strokes gained” analysis and even participate in tournaments with other golfers.
4. Garmin Launch Monitor
Another gadget from Garmin that can help you dramatically improve your golf game is the Garmin Launch Monitor. This unassuming device packs in plenty of features, especially when combined with the accompanying Garmin Golf smartphone app.
Using radar technology, the device is capable of measuring a long list of swing metrics, including club head speed, club face angle, ball speed, and even smash factor. The device comes with a mini tripod and can be used indoors or outdoors, rain or shine (it’s IPX7 waterproof). Another neat feature is that the device automatically records video of your swing so if you shank the ball you can review your form to see where you went wrong.
There are over 40,000 virtual courses available on the app for you to practice on, including virtual versions of real-world courses. That means you can get a few practice rounds in before hitting that new course with your buddies on your next golf trip.
5. TecTecTec VPRO 500 Golf Rangefinder
There are several golf rangefinder apps you can use on your smartphone, but nothing beats the accuracy of a laser range finder like the TecTecTec VPRO500. With this device, you can get accuracy to within 1 yard, making it a breeze to figure out how far that flag or sand trap is from where you’re hitting.
The TecTecTec rangefinder resembles a small pair of binoculars, but you use it with one eye only. Pull out the device, aim it at the pin, and you get your number. One major drawback with laser rangefinders is they can only measure the distance to things you can see, so if the pin is behind a group of trees, you won’t be able to measure it until you can see it.
6. Automatic Indoor Golf Putters
If your putting needs some work (let’s face it, it probably does!), you’re going to want to get in some practice reps. Because getting to the green every day might not be possible (after all, you must work some of the time), you might want to consider investing in an indoor golf putting green with automatic ball return.
There is no shortage of options. The SKLZ Accelerator Pro Indoor Putting Green with Ball Return is a popular choice and probably costs less than the number of balls you lost last year. It comes with a 9-foot putting green, squaring and alignment guides at 3/5/7 feet, and a “true roll” surface designed to mimic that of a pristine golf course.
7. Voice Caddie VC300SE
The Voice Caddie VC300SE is a hands-free golf GPS unit that can attach to the brim of your hat and with the touch of a finger, will audibly tell you which hole you’re on and the distance to the center of the green. Tap the device twice and it’ll tell you the distance to the front and the back of the green. Hold the button, and it’ll measure your shot distance.
The device comes preloaded with over 30,000 golf courses from around the world and can be updated as more are added. While likely not the most accurate GPS device on this list, it offers voice guidance and is relatively cheap. This device is perfect for a beginner golfer who doesn’t need all the features of a Garmin smartwatch or the accuracy of a laser rangefinder.
Take Your Golf Game to the Next Level
As Winston Churchill once quipped, “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.” While that is what makes golf challenging and addictive, there are some new “weapons” on the market that have been explicitly designed to take your golf game to the next level, whether you need to improve your putt or love the idea of having a virtual caddie recommend which clubs to use.
