Information-Gathering Tech That Will Help You Play Your Best

Information-Gathering Tech That Will Help You Play Your Best 

There’s no doubt that the advancements in technology have given the average golfer more information than ever about their own game. Used correctly, the latest tech can be a powerful tool to give you the edge over your opponents and the golf course, as well as give you a better understanding of your own game. However, with so many devices out there, it can be hard to know which ones are best suited to you and your game. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the devices out there now that will assist you in gathering information about your game and help you play your best. 

Video: Watch Neil Tappin and Katie Dawkins discuss how to take your golf game from the range onto the course

Understanding how far you hit each club 

Understanding how far you hit each club, including things like average distance and best distance, is probably the most useful way to use information-gathering golf technology to your advantage. Being able to go out on course and confidently understand how far you can carry a 7-iron into the wind, how far your driver goes when you hit a fade, and how far a stock pitching wedge goes is a recipe for success. 

Luckily for all golfers, there is now a myriad of devices that help you gather this information. The most commonly used device for being able to calculate your yardages across the bag is a launch monitor and a great example of an affordable, accurate, and portable launch monitor is the Garmin Approach R10. This compact device comes packed with technology that allows you to understand just how you strike the golf ball and how far you hit each club. When linked with the Garmin App, the Approach R10 can record metrics like carry yardage, total yardage, spin, attack angle, apex height, and deviation distance for all the clubs in your bag. The app then stores this information, allowing you to study the data and gain a clear understanding of your average carry yardage throughout the bag. 

Other devices that can help gather this information are GPS smartwatches. The Garmin Approach S62 GPS Smartwatch is a great example of this thanks to its shot-tracking capability. Each shot is tracked using the brand’s Approach CT10 sensors and the data is curated within the Garmin Golf app. After five rounds of using this functionality, the device will have learned how far you hit each club in your bag and start giving you club recommendations via the Virtual Caddie functionality. What’s more, as the data gets synced up with the app on a smartphone, you can look back over your round to discover which specific areas of the game you need to improve. 

Overall, there are lots of devices that can allow you to better understand how far you hit the ball. One final tip: always focus on average yardage rather than your longest. Playing you more representative, average yardage will no doubt save you a few shots on the course and stop you from falling short of your target too often. 

Hole strategy 

With your knowledge gathered on how far you hit each club, another great thing that information-gathering tech can give you is the ability to plot your way around the course. The Garmin Approach S62 GPS Smartwatch gives a full-hole view, allowing you to begin planning how you want to attack a certain hole from the tee box all the way to the green. With a 17 percent larger screen than the previous Approach S60, the hole view technology on the Garmin Approach S62 gives a crystal clear, full-colour display that highlights where you need to be placing your ball down the fairway. You can also use the touchscreen to see how far specific hazards are away as well as place the pin on the green to really fine-tune your strategy. The Garmin Approach S62 Smartwatch PinPointer technology will also help you locate the pin if you've strayed particularly offline and also offers a 'plays like' distance for when the hole has a dramatic up or downhill slope. 

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Gathering strategic information while on the course can also be done using a laser rangefinder. The benefit of this over a GPS smartwatch is that you can zap specific parts of the hole to find out how far away they are. It might be a set of trees in the distance or the lip of an overhanging bunker, but having the freedom to find the key number quickly is another way to carefully plot your way around a golf course. The Garmin Approach Z82 is a unique laser rangefinder that allows you to zap the pin or any other specific spots you require while also giving you a full-hole view through the lens of the device. This provides you with a two-in-one information-gathering device that allows you to take advantage of all of the benefits of a quick and accurate laser rangefinder whilst also utilising the strategic gains of a full-hole map. 

Knowing where hazards are

For those who want more of a stripped-back device, the Garmin Approach S12 provides the key information in a quick and easy way. As with the other smartwatches in the Garmin range, it has 42,000 courses preloaded and offers the player front, middle and back distances to the green as well as yardages to key hazards. Using the ‘Big Numbers’ mode makes these vital pieces of information easy to read all from the comfort of your own wrist. 

Ball striking

A poor round of ball striking can scupper any chances of a good score. The Garmin Approach S60 and Garmin Approach S62 smartwatches have features that allow you to study your swing tempo, a vital metric when considering the quality of ball striking. Knowing how your swing tempo affects the quality of your ball striking can really help you focus on this key element as you compete. Devices like the Garmin Approach R10 can add an extra dimension by capturing information like club path angle, club face angle, and smash factor to give you a clear picture of how well you’re striking the ball. This information can be easily used to understand why you might be hitting a slice with your driver or spinning your irons up too much. Better ball striking always leads to better results on the course. 

Wedge distances

Knowing exactly how far you hit each wedge is vital when it comes to better scoring. Knowing how far a full wedge, half wedge, or three-quarter wedge is vital information to gather if you want to better your scoring from 100 yards and in. Using a laser rangefinder on a driving range to pick out targets can quickly help you gather information about how far you hit each wedge you carry. Picking out different targets on the range for specific yardages can help you drill a specific type of shot and gain a clearer understanding of how to hit certain wedge shots. Adding a device like the Approach R10 to your information-gathering tech, you’ll also be able to accurately gather data on how much backspin you create with your wedges too. This should allow you to take this information out onto the golf course and start flag hunting more often and with even more success. 

Which product is right for you? 

As we've seen, there is a lot of tech that can help you gather information about your own game and the course in front of you - but which product is right for you? Here's our summary.

If you're looking for quick and easy access to on-course yardages like distances to the green and hazards, the Garmin Approach S60 and Garmin Approach S62 GPS Smartwatches or Garmin Approach Z82 laser rangefinder are ideal on-course companions to help you strategise. If you're looking to understand more about your own game and how you strike the ball, the Garmin Approach R10 is a device rich with statistical analysis on every club in your bag while storing key information on average carry yardages for each club. After a true all-rounder? The Garmin Approach S62 Smartwatch will give you all the on-course strategy you'll need with its yardage information, PinPointer technology, 'play like' yardages, and full-hole mapping while also recommending club selection for you.