- Joined
- Apr 20, 2012
- Messages
- 21,895
- Reaction score
- 14,192
- Location
- Parker, Colorado, United States
- Handicap
- 5.4
Initial Thoughts of the Device:
Spoiler
Club Tracking:
For those that are trying to get the "real" picture of their club distances, this will not help you at the moment. All the tracking information for each club takes into account EVERY shot for a min/median/longest chart. I wasn't able to use the app since I do not own an IOS product and the Android version is not out yet. Not sure what you see when using said app on the course. You can do a manual best guess from within the graph they provide you though based on the majority of shots landing within a range. It won't give you a number, you will come up with it yourself.
This has been a long process since the investment and getting to use the product. I am not complaining about the length of time simply because I would want them to deliver a sound product and not just get something out there. They did just that. I used my Swing-by-Swing phone app to obtain my real time distances over several rounds last year, so I knew going in what they should be given a good swing.
Although using that phone app was intrusive to the actual game, I became pretty fluent in entering the information. Like most apps available it tracked my distances and I was able to notate if it was anything but a good shot as well. That shot would then not be included in my distance tracking, would still be in the round, but not something that would hinder a good average number.
As with all the apps and tracking, more data means better picture.
EASE OF USE:
Nothing out there that I know of is easier to use! It is so much fun and the only negative would be yourself and remembering to tag. I'm sure it will become second nature and with only 3 rounds under my belt so far, getting better already. It works...it just works...and well!
MISS SHOT TYPE:
With having no external buttons (aside from the power button), there is no way to notate what happened. I became used to being able to notate that on my phone app and it made for much easier explanations without the memory recall. The thinned, fat, toe, whatever your favorite goto is for the miss can't be notated. It's up to you and your memory and will counted against you in the club tracking distance category for now. I don't see a way to correct this, but who knows...you might be able to adjust when editing your round down the road.
GIR's and Fairways Hit:
This can be off as well. GPS is only so good, so it's nothing against the product. Just something to think about before you sign your card. Moving the shot location on the map can adjust the tracking software to be what actually happened. It can't tell if you were just a few feet into the first cut or on the fringe of the green. Just moving it a little can give or take away either of them. I error on the side of moving the distance back as well so not to fluff when correcting.
EDITING YOUR ROUND
I'm familiar with doing that from my phone app and same holds true here. You get what you put into the information and doing the editing as soon as you can will help in remembering each hole. At least for me anyway. This is also the ONLY point where this system takes a lot of time.
PIN PLACEMENT
They cut the green in 1/3's and place the pin general to where you putting takes you. The placements were pretty good for the most part, but sometimes it was a bit off and I had to adjust, or move, the pin to where I remembered it to be. Distances on putting a general and they don't use feet per putt, only short, medium, and long.
SIGNING YOUR CARD
Once your done editing and hit the button for signing your card, your done....period. No going back to make corrections you remember later, good or bad. That occured on the first round and one hole on the second, you learn quickly to double and triple check if you want the correct information.
NO ANDROID APP
That about sums it up, not happy about it, but they are working towards it. Don't know what I missed out on.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Well, it's not even out yet and I've had great response with questions and have seen quick responses to others. I was a little concerned about it with how many times the product was pushed back, but no longer. Time will tell when the product starts to move, but nothing but great things up to this point.
TAG's BACKING OUT OF GRIP
Nothing to do with design, more of an issue for me. I sometimes have the palm of my back hand close to the butt of the grip. I've notice that after the few rounds, the tags were working their way out of some of the clubs. It was brought up by others during the testing, and the only thing I could think of was my palm is rubbing the tag and twisting it out over several shots. I've learned just to check them.
MAIN UNIT SECURE ON BELT
My first round was with multiple layers of clothing and didn't wear a belt. It clipped over my waist band just fine, but was checking to make sure it was there often. Of course I get to the green on 18 and it's not there...thankfully Kc720 saw it where I chipped from. It had slipped off and it is so light I didn't even feel it missing with so many layers. They listened to the testers and changed the clip to where it would provide more friction before the initial release. Something simple, but made the change before it went out. I highly recommend a belt, and check to make sure it is pushed down all the way if you wear a wide belt. I always take a quick drop of the hand to make sure it's secure getting in and out of a cart and after each shot, don't even think about it anymore, just automatic.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
I have been asked if it's worth the MSRP and I've answered both ways. YES and NO have been a knee jerk response, but one has to qualify it for themselves. If I had no other way to track my progress, then it may be worth the investment. Buying it today, solely on the aspect of getting your distances of each club...I would say NO. To many variables (contact category) that can not be accounted for or edited in the software at this time. The scoring clubs I can understand, we use them in a variety of ways; however, the mid to longer clubs are all a manual process or generalization.
This is SO EASY to use and the information provided without having a manual process getting into your round is THE BEST! Hands down without question. With Social Media taking it's foothold in golf, this fits in rather nicely.
Is it a manual process after the round...YES of course. Technology can only go so far, you have to manage the information regardless of what system you use to track whatever you track. Will the web based interface improve down the road, I think so. Just a few changes in regards to your ability to edit some of the data would go A LONG WAY!
You can use a phone/gps app from $15-$50 a year fee for all the tracking data. This is $250 and $50/yr after that for all inclusive package (it will function just fine without, but you will just get the basic info). What basic information will be provided after the first year I do not know.
What I do know is that if the opportunities that several have touched on are opened up (editing/deleting), nothing will touch this IMHO.
Each individual will have to make the determination if the ROI is there. The initial investment is pretty steep if you ask me, but for me and others that took the early jump...I feel we got a heck of a bargain.
WHEW!