Sunday, June 2, 2013

Golfsense gets MashButtons Father's Day Gift Pick

We have what can easily be the best Father’s Day gift idea of the year for the golf enthusiast.  This tiny tech toy allows you to slide over your glove strap, sync to your portable iOS or android device, to monitor, analyze, and tell you just how bad your swing really is via Bluetooth. This lightweight golf companion detects acceleration, velocity, tempo, position and posture by calculating sensor data over a thousand times per second. The GolfSense also calculates your club swing within 3 mph of doppler radar and laser systems to tracks each swing’s data using GolfSense Cloud Sync, to get recommendations on the fly or from the comfort of home on your tablet. Sounds good on paper, time to see if it can keep up.
I was hopeful but at the same time had a lot of doubts for this monitoring device  as it talks a big game and when you see it, you wouldn’t expect it’s capabilities. The GolfSense sensor is lightweight and does not move during use thanks to the rubber strap you slide your glove’s velcro close through. With only one button it is fast to sync then it is time to download the GolfSense app and profile setup is fast and free. The app’s tracking was fast and responsive, I used on my iPad indoors, and on my iPhone 5 at the driving range, recording each swing with just a click of a button, you really don’t even need to be in view of phone or tablet. The reason in which I used with my tablet was to see recommendations on how to improve my swing, mostly slowing down the backswing for me.
Sounds perfect right, well make sure you are working with the proper equipment as I put to use on 1st gen iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone 4, and iPhone 5. While using on the Mini and the 5, I had great experience, the older iOS devices, not so much. When using on the first model iPad and on the iPhone 4 there was a lot of lag in recording data and sometimes not recognizing the swing. The device still worked but for those short of patience in a game that requires calm and focus, it quickly gets turned off. The only other thing I worry about for the device’s longevity is the rubber strap, it is attached and unable to be removed, so I am hoping that if they stretch or snap it would not result in having to purchase another $129.99 pocket golf instructor.
GolfSense is a great teaching tool or both newcomers to the sport without sticking out like a sore thumb and equally well for the seasoned golfer.The amount of data is great for the analytic side of me, it is easy to go back and analyze, putting the GolfSense’s data into use is a whole different story, at least for me. The only thing missing is GPS  distance tracking and it would be the greatest friend a golfer could have. While I do worry about the elastic strap living in the Arizona heat and removing to charge between use but aside from that, this was one of my favorite gadgets in a long time and would be a much appreciated gift for the father out there that wants to improve or at least better analyze their golf game, whether you are looking for ideas for that favorite parent or looking for ideas to casually drop.