Wondering why you always shank it into the high grass every time you use your nine iron? There’s an app for that. Or rather, an “appcessory” as tech types call it. So now, instead of hiring some plaid-panted, visor-wearing imbecile to tell you to keep your left arm straight between his stories about the time he caddied for Vijay Singh eight years ago, you can use technology to help you out.
It’s called SwingTip, and while it’s definitely not the only swing analyzer on the market, it’s surely the most sleek, simple, and helpful one we’ve come across. Despite its compact form factor, this little piece of hardware can belt out a boatload of useful performace data.
And it’s dead simple to use, too. Just sync it with your iOS or Android smartphone, clip it to your club, and swing away. Using a fine-tuned triaxial accelerometer and some fancy pattern recognition algorithms, the unassuming little clip gathers extremely detailed information about your swing, then beams it back to your phone via Bluetooth so you can see it in a 3-dimensional readout. The sensor is incredibly spatially aware – not only can it track your swing trajectory, but it can also detect your club head speed, club face angle, impact zone, and swing tempo.
And better yet, it takes all this information, analyzes it right after you swing, and offers up simple, no-nonsense tips on how to improve (or in my case, gives me praise for having such a flawless swing and invites me to next year’s Masters Tournament). These tips are immensely helpful, and for some reason we found that it’s much easier to take criticism from your smartphone than it is from a retired caddy with a permanent sunglasses tan. Plus since you won’t be paying by the hour to use SwingTip, you can practice on your own schedule and play at your own pace.
You can pick up one of these badboys for $120 online, and download the companion app for iOS and Android for free. Now all you need is an app that’ll bring back all those balls you shanked into the pond.
