oddjob27
Active member
Thought I'd give a shot at doing a product review.
Recently, during the last Amazon Prime Day, I ran across the PhiGolf WGT Edition golf "simulator". I say "simulator" because I don't think it's quite a simulation in terms of what a golf simulator should be. Let me get this out of the way - you are getting what you pay for. It has some good, some bads, and really only one great. I'll start with the great. It is great for entertainment. If you are looking to play golf with friends and family at home it is great fun. I think the biggest benefit of this is that it is a less intimidating way for those who don't play golf to get into the game.
Phigolf comes with the sensor, "Phigolf Swing Trainer", USB cable, wrist strap, and instructions. The packaging is very nice as is most packaging with Korean products. Having lived in Korea myself for a year, even pizza is packaged in boxes that I wouldn't want to throw away - haha! The "Swing Trainer" is a mini half club with a blue shaped weight at the end of it to replicate a golf club. I'd say it is similiar to my PW. The "Swing Trainer" also has a mechanism built in so that on medium to fast swings a "click" noise is made. When doing wedge shots and putting, it won't click.
The Phigolf sensor is a Bluetooth connected accelerometer. It connects through the Phigolf app and is compatible with WGT. There is one course available for it, but if you want access to the entire list of WGT courses for Phigolf, there is a subscription fee of $2USD/month. The Phigolf app has several features such as course play, driving range, and mini-games (closest to pin, distance, etc.) - I will also add that the Phigolf app graphics aren't the greatest, feels a little outdated. This is where the goods and bads start to present themselves. Again, as far as entertainment purposes go, Phigolf can be and is a lot of fun. But reviews online have also shown that people start to lose interest pretty quickly, which is why I think the WGT aspect does help add to the experience.
To get started, you turn on the unit by pressing the center button and open the app. Once the BT connection is made you're good to go. When it comes to the swing process, it can get a little finnicky. You get into a ready position, hold still until it says "Ready", and then make your swing. You can tap the center button and rotate the sensor/club to change your aim. It is a bit sensitive and takes a little getting used to, but once you get the sequence down it isn't bad. You can also use your tablet/phone to aim, change clubs, settings, etc.
Because it is accelerometer-based, it basically takes those numbers and calculates them to give you your swing analysis numbers. These include distance, clubhead speed, tempo, face angle, path, and attack angle. But be warned that these numbers should NOT be taken as fact and accurate. For example, my driver swing speed is generally around 125mph according to ForeSight systems and Phigolf comes out to an average of 110mph. Distance is not as accurate, but videos online have shown it to be pretty good for short iron shots. That being said, I would take distance and swing speed as a grain of salt.
Where Phigolf does do fairly well, in my opinion, is the face angle, path, and attack angle. Again, don't take it as super accurate, this system has its limitations. Where I find benefit from this is in understanding general adjustments that I need to make on my swing. I generally have always had an out-to-in path and an open clubface aka... slicer. This is where I find the most benefit in working on my swing. Because it does sense that, I'm able to start working on my mechanics to become more closed and in-to-out. The other nice feature is that it creates a digital rendering of your swing.
Buy it or not? Well, it depends. For a budget golf "simulation" system, you have to keep your expectations in check. It's using an accelerometer that calculates your numbers and translates that into the app. And since it's not tracking a physical ball, it misses out on a lot of contributing factors. Again, I find the benefit for swing improvement more on the reference points of club path, face angle, and attack angle to make changes to my swing but would not rely on them as accurate numbers. For entertainment purposes, I think this has a lot of value for fun. At $240, I think it's not a bad price for what you can get out of it. If it goes on sale for sub-$200, I think it would more worth it.
Hope you enjoyed my review, never really did a product review before. Would appreciate any feedback! Also, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!
Recently, during the last Amazon Prime Day, I ran across the PhiGolf WGT Edition golf "simulator". I say "simulator" because I don't think it's quite a simulation in terms of what a golf simulator should be. Let me get this out of the way - you are getting what you pay for. It has some good, some bads, and really only one great. I'll start with the great. It is great for entertainment. If you are looking to play golf with friends and family at home it is great fun. I think the biggest benefit of this is that it is a less intimidating way for those who don't play golf to get into the game.
Phigolf comes with the sensor, "Phigolf Swing Trainer", USB cable, wrist strap, and instructions. The packaging is very nice as is most packaging with Korean products. Having lived in Korea myself for a year, even pizza is packaged in boxes that I wouldn't want to throw away - haha! The "Swing Trainer" is a mini half club with a blue shaped weight at the end of it to replicate a golf club. I'd say it is similiar to my PW. The "Swing Trainer" also has a mechanism built in so that on medium to fast swings a "click" noise is made. When doing wedge shots and putting, it won't click.
The Phigolf sensor is a Bluetooth connected accelerometer. It connects through the Phigolf app and is compatible with WGT. There is one course available for it, but if you want access to the entire list of WGT courses for Phigolf, there is a subscription fee of $2USD/month. The Phigolf app has several features such as course play, driving range, and mini-games (closest to pin, distance, etc.) - I will also add that the Phigolf app graphics aren't the greatest, feels a little outdated. This is where the goods and bads start to present themselves. Again, as far as entertainment purposes go, Phigolf can be and is a lot of fun. But reviews online have also shown that people start to lose interest pretty quickly, which is why I think the WGT aspect does help add to the experience.
To get started, you turn on the unit by pressing the center button and open the app. Once the BT connection is made you're good to go. When it comes to the swing process, it can get a little finnicky. You get into a ready position, hold still until it says "Ready", and then make your swing. You can tap the center button and rotate the sensor/club to change your aim. It is a bit sensitive and takes a little getting used to, but once you get the sequence down it isn't bad. You can also use your tablet/phone to aim, change clubs, settings, etc.
Because it is accelerometer-based, it basically takes those numbers and calculates them to give you your swing analysis numbers. These include distance, clubhead speed, tempo, face angle, path, and attack angle. But be warned that these numbers should NOT be taken as fact and accurate. For example, my driver swing speed is generally around 125mph according to ForeSight systems and Phigolf comes out to an average of 110mph. Distance is not as accurate, but videos online have shown it to be pretty good for short iron shots. That being said, I would take distance and swing speed as a grain of salt.
Where Phigolf does do fairly well, in my opinion, is the face angle, path, and attack angle. Again, don't take it as super accurate, this system has its limitations. Where I find benefit from this is in understanding general adjustments that I need to make on my swing. I generally have always had an out-to-in path and an open clubface aka... slicer. This is where I find the most benefit in working on my swing. Because it does sense that, I'm able to start working on my mechanics to become more closed and in-to-out. The other nice feature is that it creates a digital rendering of your swing.
Hope you enjoyed my review, never really did a product review before. Would appreciate any feedback! Also, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!
