The arrival of the PGA Championship serves as a reminder, for the golf addict, on multiple fronts… and many of them are painful. It’s the final major of the season, and while a bit of golf remains to be played ahead, it’s the end of the the game’s biggest stages for 2013.
The PGA Championship also reminds the end of YOUR golf season is drawing near. We’ve hit August… we’re chasing daylight down the back nine as the sun begins set on another summer. Before you know it, courses in your area will be shutting it down for the winter and you may be pondering a January trip to get a few swings in the sun.
Before you start planning that vacation, why not make the most of the time you do have left to play now?
If you’re looking to get your game in shape before the flakes start to fly, consider these three tech-inspired golf advances for your next 18.
Start with the most basic application a mobile golf fan can imagine… then blow it out with unique features, game integrations and personalized content and you’ll have GolfLogix. The first company to put mobile GPS on the golf course is the leader of the industry and has evolved since those first models – housed in the same hardware you often see auto mapping GPS applications offered – were being offered on golf carts.
Today, GolfLogix is pushing their mobile application to over 60 smartphones, and the features they put forth are as potent as ever. Users have enjoyed access to a humongous menu of courses for years now, and tracking your performance has been a typical feature for some time as well. GolfLogix now lets users attach those features with enhanced information, allowing users not only to track personal performance on particular courses and holes, but also with various clubs. Users can review that data via new desktop software allows customized organization and presentation, so you can track your data in any fashion you like… and the comparisons to data from the past also provide outstanding reports capable of giving even the casual golfer motivation to improve.
It’s an amazing app… but our favorite feature may be the recent agreement with Golf Digest, allowing users to search, save, organize and follow a series of golf lessons (video and text) provided the one of the best editorial staffs in golf. The lessons featured of Golf Digest may be their most popular, and many have remained loyal to print to get them. This collaboration provided a unique portal for the digital duffer, and more importantly, it provides the hardcore audience with the ability to take those lessons to the course and enjoy the benefits of a virtual caddie, no matter where you roam.
At $9.99 for the annual subscription, you get everything… every club in your bag costs ten times that (if not more). For the dedicated duffer, it’s an easy decision. For the casual player looking to improve, it’s a must.
While GPS has provided power and analytics to the mobile golfer, NewSpin Golf has worked to get those benefits tied to the club. The evolution of Bluetooth application has provided that opportunity, resulting in a fantastic product of undeniable benefits for those dedicated to lower scores.
The SwingSmart Golf Analyzer places a Bluetooth-enabled sensor module on the shaft of your club (attaching directly below the grip), programmed to track multiple motion components of your golf swing. That data is sent to SwingSmart Duo, the mobile software on your smartphone, in real time. Users can evaluate various actions of their swing and adjust to improve… during play, during practice, during swings in the simulator, or anywhere in between.
The software is the power of the sale for SwingSmart. The device is unobtrusive to most and adds weight only the picky will detect. The visual appeal of the app and the presentations created from that analysis will inspire (we are especially fond of the “Save Swing” feature, allowing users to bookmark their best swings to watch and affirm positive practices any time its needed). To be certain, that analysis is almost as geeky as the tech. However, it’s simple, intuitive functionality makes it easy for the casual golfer to appreciate knowledge generally saved for the instructor.
It’s a powerful bridge to build, and for that, we find SwingSmart (available for iOS and Android) may be a wise investment ($249 for the entire package).
OptiShot Infrared Golf Simulator
Ask any golfer you know worthy of admiration, and without hesitation the vast majority will agree: nothing helps your game more than the game itself. If you don’t play, you don’t improve. This has given the golf simulation industry plenty of motivation to innovate, and when we consider all factors, we find the latest offerings from OptiShot stand above the rest.
There is some give-and-take debate to be had. Other simulators offer more elaborate hardware features with a larger menu of courses, and at this moment the software is only available for Windows, leaving the Apple crowd without access (at least for today).
That said, what this system lacks in star course power (its got great courses… but if you only watch the majors, you may wonder) is compensated nicely by additional features – training programs and exercises to provide education, tutorial programs to target improvement in specific facets of your game, data collection and reports to track progress, and other applications aimed at collecting and analyzing your performance to specifically target and improve your skills.
Beyond that, we reflect on three additional specs and raise a flag of support for OptiShot, starting with size – this simulator requires only 8.5 feet of swing space to play. This unit also claims 16 total swing sensors, one of the more elaborate setups available, and (once again) designed specific to instruction over entertainment. Last but certainly not least, the price point – at $400 retail, this simulator may be the most affordable lesson available today.
The best part… this tech will keep your golf heart happy and swingin’ well into the winter, no matter where you live, no matter what you want (instruction or relaxation)… and nothing helps the golfer improve – and smile – like more golf.
If your aim is to improve the enjoyment of the game, we’re certain these tech offerings will wet your appetite. If you’re looking to ramp up your analytical view of instruction and improve your handicap… you need to get in this game. Enjoy!