Earlier this year at the 2025 PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, among all of the golf swing training devices out there was one in particular which captured the attention and curiosity of the THP Staff when we saw it, that was the BAL.ON Smart Kit.
Learning how to use your feet, weight shift, and the ground better is an area which golf instruction has found much benefit in recent years thanks to in-studio pressure plate devices. However, those locations can be extremely difficult to find depending on where you live, and that is where BAL.ON comes in. At only 2mm in thickness, these look to bring all of the precision and accuracy of full pressure ecosystem to a much larger audience thanks to their insole driven design.
Quick Take
One of the most impressive innovations in feedback driven golf learning devices to date. The BAL.ON smart kit design has taken balance and weight shift training from something that had to be done in a training/fitting location, to something that can be done literally anywhere you can swing a golf club. Impeccably fast, easy to use, and offers more information than you can imagine. Though at times the depth and breadth of information can seem overwhelming, the app itself does a fantastic job of both guiding and educating on how it impacts each individual person.
The BAL.ON Origin Story
The BAL.ON story is one of the more impressive the golf training industry has seen. Created from the minds and passion of scientists, engineers, creators, innovators, and athletes who wanted to bring pressure measurement to a much wider audience in a far less cumbersome manner, the brand is on a mission.
They are driven by all of that German engineering and are also backed by Continental. Yes, that Continental. Though many here stateside simply link the brand to tires, they are one of the leaders in innovative technology present day. Founded in 1871, the brand has over 150 years of knowledge which has been key in their relentless pursuit of advancing the world in all industries, not just automotive anymore. With the brains of the team behind BAL.ON and the material as well as electronic sensor innovation of Continental, the Smart Kit seeks to offer the first fully mobile high performance pressure measurement system for the masses.
BAL.ON Smart Kit – Design is Everything
You might be wondering, just what is in this Smart Kit? Well, it is a combination of both hardware and software to make the BAL.ON system tick. On the hardware side of things, the Smart Kit is made up of a high quality zipper storage case that houses both in-soles, two wireless “Smart Pod” transmitters, two clips, and a handy dual charging dock with cable.
Obviously, the insoles are what draw the most immediate reaction because they are super thin coming in at only 2mm in thickness, they are also available in four sizes which cover (US) 4 to 12.5, though for this review the XL worked fine with my size 14 skis as well.
Each insole features eighteen “Force Sensing Resistors” (FSR) which experience changes in electrical resistance whenever pressure is applied onto or near each point on the material. After each recorded swing, that data is then sent to the “Smart Pod” which clips onto each sole after it is installed and transmits to the app almost immediately for full processing and breakdown.
As for the software, the BAL.ON app is one of the most thoroughly well thought out that I have worked with for a training device possibly ever. From account setup to the step by step walkthrough which it gives you for each and every aspect of use, it is clean, functional, and easy to understand.
Not only that, upon unboxing it was immediately clear that this is something designed to last, which should be expected when it comes to German engineering.
BAL.ON Smart Kit – Ease of Use
All of the attention to details when it comes to the construction of each part of course means very little if it isn’t easy to use. For BAL.ON, there are two pieces to this puzzle, once again the hardware, and the software.
On the hardware side, the insoles are so thin that you can install them by putting them under your current insoles, or on top of them. I tested both orientations and saw no issues either way. However, it is worth noting that within the app it will ask you to identify which way you installed the soles, and this is critical. Initially, I had mine under the insoles of my shoes but didn’t select that setting and it entirely changed the readings as the app is so fine tuned that it will adjust based on the pressure differences of direct contact versus indirect.
From there, there are clips which slide into the base which is attached to the main body of the foot shape via a thin strip of material. This runs up the outside of each foot and is clipped onto the shoe at a 45-degree angle, from there the Smart Pods are attached.
This is where the software comes back in and the app will walk you through pairing each Smart Pod to your device, even allowing you to name them. It truly was an easy and straight forward installation with time from unboxing to up and running taking mere minutes.
There will of course be the question of comfort. No, you do not feel them under your feet, especially when under the standard insole, but I also didn’t notice them when placed on top, despite having giant feet. You can however feel the clips of the transmitters slightly on the outside of your foot, but they didn’t add any pressure or rubbing for me, I just knew they were there. A cool thing is also that you can leave them in your shoes all the time if you want, I wore mine to the course and range a few times, even when I wasn’t using the app. So no, you won’t necessarily have to worry about putting them in and taking them out all the time.
BAL.ON Smart Kit – Metrics for Days
If you made me describe the amount of data that BAL.ON provided during testing in a word, it would be immense.
BAL.ON uses two sources of data, the pressure data via the sensors in the soles, as well as video with the smart phone. However, you can also simply use the heat map screen to get real time feedback on your movements and pressures. Though I did this on the range several times, the whole package comes to life when syncing pressure with video.
This intertwining of sources is part of the apps “Swing Review Mode” and it will absolutely humble you. In the setup of this mode, you can select any club in the bag (even putter) and choose how many swings (1, 3, 5, 10) as well as if you want the app to auto mark the video for positions (trust me, just say yes) and there is also a beta for auto swing detection so you don’t have to press record each time.
The beta worked flawlessly for me as after setting up my phone for the right view, which it walks you through, I could just swing and after each impact it cut and transmitted the data. I would expect that to move from beta to a full time feature soon considering just how well it functioned.
Once swings are recorded for the entire session, the app then processes your metrics including address, backswing, impact position, and total force in order to then use AI to compare them to their database consisting of the best swings in the world. After processing, there is a world of data at your fingertips. The depth of the app for breaking all of that data down is incredibly good. It constantly gives you recommendations and references for “ranges” of pressure locations and shifts to help understand how you can be more efficient in your swing.
As I said though, it can be humbling. Coming into this review, I have been on the struggle bus when it comes to getting my weight shifted to my front foot on the downswing and into impact, BAL.ON totally exposed me for just how bad it is at times. It recommends irons end up about 70% or more on your front foot, I struggled to get to 60% initially. Even though we “feel” things in golf, those feels aren’t always real, but with the data I was given, it was most certainly shown what I felt was reality.
Diagnosing the Data
What do you do with all of that information though if you aren’t an instructor or someone completely obsessed with instruction jargon? This is where BAL.ON is focused on helping people make those incremental improvements via a blueprint to help your efficiency. Not only is each portion of your swing scored on a 0-100 scale, but the AI Smart Coaching gives recommendations on areas to focus on and includes videos to help.
During my time working with the device, it gave me several setup videos as I was a bit back footed initially, as well as the expected drill clips on weight at impact. Best of all? They are simple and easy to digest. Beyond the recommended videos, there is also access to a ton of others which include both instruction as well as professional swings captured in the app so you can compare visually to where you are, or in my case, aren’t.
In total honesty, the app is so good that it makes you overlook the sensors. These are insoles doing exactly what full pressure plate systems do, without costing thousands upon thousands of dollars. With the app, they get to shine, and the more you use the device, the more data it tracks for your metrics, and it opens up even more potential for improvement.
The data you get here is deep, but BAL.ON has done an amazing job at making it as easy to digest as possible. The basic transitions and shifts in the swing are easy enough to understand, especially with the breakdowns when you tap on each metric, but when you get into the total pressure readouts it can get to be a bit like drinking from a firehose if you aren’t careful. However, if used in conjunction with a trained eye, things could be taken to incredible levels of improvement.
The Details
The BAL.ON Smart Kit is one of the coolest training devices we have seen in some time, not just because of the information it provides, but also the quality of the hardware and app ecosystem it is created from. While we mentioned this is bringing pressure sensors to a larger audience in terms of accessibility, the $599 price tag is still a sizable one which could be a lot to overcome, though it does certainly deliver in terms of performance even with the price.
Currently, the BAL.ON kit is available for purchase directly from the company at www.bal-on.golf
