OFFICIAL FORUM MEMBER REVIEW - Swingbyte 2 w/Virtual Coach

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Official Forum Member Review - The Swingbyte 2 with new Virtual Coach

 

 

If you read our Most Wanted Full Swing Analyzer Test last summer, you learned that while data is fairly easy to collect, just what to do with that data can be challenging for the average guy.

 

Swingbyte2 has a top performer, but the lack of instruction based on the data it provided held back its scores.  To correct that, Swingbyte is adding Virtual Coach to its App -- targeted swing instruction from the founders of Plane Truth Golf, Top 10 PGA instructor Jim Hardy and Chris O'Connell.  

 

4 of your MyGolfSpy Forum brothers are testing out Swingbyte 2 and the new Virtual Coach, to help give you a better idea of its capabilities and whether it's a worthwhile investment if you're considering a Full Swing Analyzer.  In true MGS fashion, you can expect honest, no-nonsense evaluation from your peers. 

 

So without any further ado, let's get this party started!!!

 

Here are your testers:

 

BK in Texas                             1st Impression                         Full  Review
 

MCaseyM                                1st Impression                         Full  Review

 

deejaid                                     1st Impression                         Full  Review

 

mcavoy                                    1st Impression                         Full  Review

[BK in TEXAS]

First Impressions
                        by BK in TEXAS
 
 

 
First of all...this thing is small.  Considering it needs to clip on the shaft, I don't know why I was expecting something larger.  I have a Mizuno shaft optimizer and compared to the SwingByte it's huge. Gargantuan even. The SwingByte is cute.
 
 
 

I like the petiteness of the SwingByte.  It's not obnoxious.  In fact it blends in well on the shaft and you really don't notice it as much as one would expect. I really like the size.  A+ in that department. Despite being so small, it feels solid. 

 

The clasp lock mechanism seems tough, but I'm hoping the rubber part of the clasp lasts.  Flexible rubber and South Texas usually don't go together for very long.

 

 

 
Packaging is pretty minimalistic.  It comes in a plastic case with no markings or logos or anything on it.  That's not a bad thing, just unexpected in today's world of splattering logos and slogans all over the place.  The carry-bag is a nice touch.

 

 
My only real complaint is that it didn't come with sufficient instructions for getting started.  I consider myself smarter than the average Wookie, but still needed to visit the SwingByte website for instructions just to get up and running.  Instructions were on their site though so it was all good.  Once up and running with the app downloaded, things were pretty straightforward.
 

 

 

 

 

So...like any kid with a new toy...I clipped the SwingByte to an iron and whacked a few balls into the field.  I can't get into too much before the full review but I must say the stats it spits out are downright impressive!  So far I've only played with the SwingByte as a toy.  Toys are fun.  I like toys.  Even so, I am looking forward to using this as a training aid. Should be interesting too see what happens.  My daughter and I are going to hit the range this weekend.  After a quick preview of the data and graphics I'm hoping….optimistic even....that it will help her understand some things about her swing.

[BK in TEXAS]

Review

 

So here we go…my first 4 swings.....

 

 

…. and there you go.  What in the world???? I know darn well I'm not swinging 33Ëš inside out.  And, if I hit the ball with a 48Ëš closed face, the ball would smack me in the ankle.  Darn sure that didn't happen. So what the.....

 

Sure enough, the SwingByte had rotated on the shaft.  According to the data, about 10Ëš on each swing.   

 

It was an absolute PITA to keep that thing from rotating. I suppose I could have duct taped it to the shaft but I finally gave up and just figured the SwingByte was a one swing and reset every single time tool.

 

 

DATA from that one swing…..

 

So…massive amounts of data are not this units forte.  Fine.  Understanding...accepting even...that this was going to be a swing-once-and-analyze-the-swing type of tool it began to come into it's own.

 

 

The 2 things the SwingByte is PERFECT for:

 

Answering “What if I…..”

 

…roll my wrists harder

…take the club back flatter

…bump my hip

…hit down on it more

…swing really hard

…swing really really freaking hard

 

The list is endless. 

 

The SwingByte will tell you exactly what happened in the swing.

 

 

You can even overlay your normal swing path with your “What if…”

 

 

 

And second...answering...“Why did I…..”

 

…hook that one?

…slice that shot?

…hit that one so well!

 

Smart people learn more from their mistakes than from their success!

 

 

“Why did I…..”  with Junior golfers at The First Tee of Houston

 

Last Saturday I took the SwingByte to The First Tee and spent most of the day letting these kids try it out.  These Junior Golfers were all under 13 ranging in skill from decent beginners to intermediate players (Advanced Player through Birdie level for those familiar with The First Tee).

 

One thing was for sure……each and every kid wanted to try it and get “Analyzed” as they called it.

 

One golfer in particular (my daughter) was hitting blocks to the right.  Clip on the SwingByte and sure enough…

 

 

Good swing path but leaving the face open.  We had her do a simple drill to get her wrists rolling more.  10 minutes later they were flying straight down the fairway.

 

Another more advanced kid was trying to hit up on his drives and we were able to show him the results of his efforts on the screen.

 

Which brings me to the most interesting observation and benefit of the SwingByte….at least in regards to teaching kids….

 

TELL a kid what he's doing wrong and they may or may not listen to you.  SHOW them data on an iPad with a graphic of their swing path and they are all in.

 

 

Virtual Coach

 

While good in theory, the virtual coach and suggested videos for swing faults lacked in practicality. 

 

The Coach tells you what swing faults it “detects”.  What it does not tell you is how the “detected” swing fault affects the ball flight.  The user is completely relying on the suggestion.  And, that is not a good idea. 

 

Sometimes the suggested swing fixes were opposite of what should really be fixed.  Sometimes the suggested faults were not a fault at all.  Sometimes they got it right. 

 

I would not go about making swing fixes based on the virtual coach recommendations.

 

 

Summary

 

I would recommend the SwingByte for:

1. Showing kids what's wrong rather than telling them.
2. Trying out new swing changes (What if I…).
3. Self analyzing your faults.

I would NOT recommend the SwingByte for:

1. Swing advice (Virtual Coach).
2. Gathering loads of data.

 

I'm donating my test unit to The First Tee.  There were still a lot of Junior golfers who wanted a turn with it. With a coach present to explain the data I believe the kid side of this product is the most beneficial and useful application.  I'm certain they will get a lot of good use from the SwingByte.

 

[McaseyM]

Swing Byte 2.0 First Impressions

 

Howdy Everyone, I was very excited to get the chance to demo the swing Byte 2.0, knowing that one of the (many) reasons for my high (unofficial) handicap is due to my inconsistency. 

 

Unfortunately, I didn't get the butterflies in the stomach excitement of having a package waiting on my doorstep, I was working in my garage when the FedEx truck pulled up and the driver handed me the package. It was a standard heavy duty brownish padded envelope, but I knew the contents were just what I was waiting for.

 

About 2 days after I got the MGS email that I was chosen to test run this lil diddy, I got a message from Swing Byte recommending that I take their little tutorial prior to its arrival, so that's included below the device section:

 

Device:

 

 

 

 

    

Very simple in a good way, Device feels well built, is nice and compact and doesn't dominate your vision or feel cumbersome. It has its white and black shell, with a very sturdy-feeling hard rubber hinge and softer rubber grippers for the shaft. There's a come-along style clasp to wrap it around the shaft and a spring loaded latch to secure it to your club:

 

 

 

It comes with very minimal paperwork, most directions need to be found online but if you've used any type of blue-tooth device, should be pretty simple

 

 

Other features:

On/Off/Pairing button for Bluetooth

 

Sight line is easy to align to face of club/groves and power plug hidden underneath

   

Club Set Up:

 

aligning to the grooves on the club face is simple, easiest to do after it's secured ( may need to align to front edge due to offsets)

 

 

 

Interface/ Online Portal:

 

App download was simple, then I went online and signed up for my free account, entering my DOB, and handicap. Once i got into the program, I clicked on the "Account Information" tab and filled in my bio info including height, weight, wrist (height from floor) measurements  

 

 

Then, I clicked on the  "My Bag" tab and began to fill in all my club info. If you're wanting to jump into it right away, or if you don't need adjustments to your clubs, you have the option of just doing generic/standard but why wouldn't you enter your specs to get as accurate of info as possible?? I need 1.25 inches over standard, 2* up and X stiff shafts, so i entered the info (it's easier to do it on a computer versus a phone)

 

 

 

Swing Data tab (AKA the good stuff)

 

 

Note: please don't judge my 68.5 mph swing, i was doing it indoors with a foam ball at my work and my supervisor wasn't too keen on me trying a full swing. 

 

 

Swing Byte App:

 

Main Screen:

 

 

 

Menu Tab:

 

 

Club Selection Tab:

 

(yes i name some of my clubs, it's the inner nerd and 80s cartoon lover in me)

 

SwingByte Tab:

 

 

 

 

 A few questions to which I'm looking forward to discovering the answer:

 Practice Mode:

    Does it show the follow through? (assuming it does, but the playback function has the last event dot at impact)

    How readable/usable are the views from each angle on the phone versus computer/ipad? (  for real-time adjustments, i don't have an ipad to take to the range/course)

    How many swings does it last before it slides around and I have to readjust and recalibrate?

    How's it gonna fit on the pencil shaft on my putter? ( not a big deal, but i don't want to have to bring a wrap/tape with me every time to use it on my putter)

    

Virtual Coach-  

    1) does it give you specific tips for overall swing, each club or does it generalize it to groups: Driver, fairway, long iron/hybrid, mid- and short, wedges

    2) does it give you tips/tools/drills for more specialty shots on short game like partial swings, chipping, bump and run or flop shots ( i know I should focus on the basics, but if we're gonna analyze this to this degree, this could be a good feature for all players)

    3) When does the putter coach launch? ( not available yet)

 

Lots more to come: the 3D feature looks pretty sweet. Hope to hit the range this weekend!

[McaseyM]

Swing Byte (Almost)*** Final Review

(you'll see at the end)

 

 

Here's a little background about me:

I've played golf for 20+ years, but only really started taking it seriously in 2011.  I played for fun, but got sick of being really bad, so my wife bought me a Swing evaluation at GolfTec near where I live.

After the eval/lesson, I bought a package deal on lessons, using the last one to get fit for irons, which I proceeded to pick up used ( thanks eBay) and build to my own specs.

I got down to shooting bogie golf, then my twin daughters were born 5 weeks early and golf took a back seat.

When the twins were almost 18 months old, we decided to try for #3 and the third daughter was born in August 2014.  I work a 4-10 schedule with Wednesdays off ( was working a second weekend job, but recently stopped) and my wife stays home,  so when I get home at 6:30ish, it's right into dinner, then tubby, then bedtime, usually calming down around 8:30ish.

Weekends are short and Wednesdays are shorter as it's my wife's only weekday to take care of what she needs.  Therefore- I have precious little time to practice let alone play (thankfully there's a practice range 5 miles from me but only open late in the summer) so I was pumped to get the chance to try this out.

 

 

Here we go!!!!

 

1. Ergonomics

 

The SwingByte 2.0 is quite small and I never found it to be a distraction or get in the way. Lining up the sight line with the grooves took a few minor adjustments even when you think it's straight, but it became easy with more use. I had no fit issues in any club except my Spalding TPM 12 putter, but that's due to the skinny pencil shaft  ( just wrapped some tape on the shaft).

Battery life for the actual unit was good, but it absolutely killed my iPhone battery, only a 45 minute session and I was at 15-20% battery.

Bluetooth was easy to hook up, just turned on the unit by pressing on the little silver button and turned on the Bluetooth function on my iphone and voila:

 

 

It's very light weight, didn't notice any change to the club once it was on, and I had no issues with it sliding around on the club or becoming loose. No fit issue even on the fatter driver shaft for me.

 

 

As for the iPhone app, my biggest issue was with club selection action. To move up in club number/lofted club you swipe from right to left, but also push left arrow to do the same action, which to me is counter intuitive. Also, I chose to recalibrate when I switched clubs, but to me, this should be an automatic feature that pops up when you make the change.

 

 

 

90 for ergo

Swipe thing is annoying but super minor, and the battery wasting on my phone can be a big issue ( may not only be the app, but unsure what else it would be), and manually recalibrating with club change ( unsure if necessary, but I think it'll make it more accurate)

 

 

2. Ease of Use --

 

For me, this thing is very easy to use. After you attach, connect, calibrate, choose your club and swing away!! When your swing is captured, your phone beeps, and you get immediate view of your: swing path, head speed, backswing to downswing ratio for tempo, plane angle and how much greater your face angle is to plane angle. Like with photo apps, you spread fingers to zoom in and pinch the screen to zoom out.

 

Here's the navigation info:

 

 

Here's the good visual data of the swing on your phone:

 

Target line (behind showing ball path as well)

 

 

 

 Face-on 

 

 

Top (with a zoom in)

  

 

3D, allowing you to tilt the view from any direction. 

 

 

Here is where I was worried about the smaller screen of my phone, but navigations is fairly easy, just gotta practice the 3D viewing a bit to get the hang of it. 

  

 

When you get to the virtual Swing Coach, this is where it really shined for me, and there are multiple ways to track progress.

 

Swing Coach

2 ways to switch into Swing Coach

1) Click the top left menu button and it take you back to the main menu and you select Swing Coach.

Once there, you must capture 5 swings (gets most, but missed about 20-25% of my driver swings) and then it gives you your issues

 

 

2) After a swing, (or when reviewing previous swings) press the little 3 dots circle on the lower right hand side, then click the little nuclear swirl at the top of the menu hat pops up

 

 

It stores your data in the app so you can go back to it and analyze just about any of the info:

 

App info 

 

 

It also allows you to compare 2 different swings:

 

 

You can also log into the Swing Byte website to get even more detailed from address through follow through to analyze all of the info as well:

 

 

But this review is focused on the iphone app, so we can get into that stuff on a later date

 

Ease of Use Score: 95

 

2. Performance –

 

This thing is fast. It captures the information very quickly and immediately transfers it to your phone. The beep takes about 2-3 seconds after you complete a swing and all of your info becomes available.

The issues I found with it was it caught about 90% of my swings with irons, wedges, etc, but only about 80% of the swings with my woods.

 

As far as interpreting the data, I understood the head speed,  tempo, plane angle, but was a little unsure of  face > plane angle myself.

 

To me, the biggest plus of the device is the Swing Coach

 

After my 5 swings, here's what it found to be my swing issues (left) plus the drill options (top

Right) and even tracks you work on the drill ( bottom right)

 

 

It did disconnected 1x for me, and but only took a few seconds to reconnect

 

I feel it makes very good and accurate use of the info:

Here's just one example:

I don't always 

A. get good hip Rotation on the downswing

B. don't roll my arms over and 

C. pull/draw my arms up just prior to impact to guide the club head more than swing it

 

The Swing Coach said I lacked a “full radius swing,” (all of the above listed problems) and one of the drill videos showed me what I was doing and gave me a drill to correct it  (still a work in progress)

 

To me, the videos are great, can be a little overwhelming when you have 15+ options, but I also recognize that it gives us options when 1 drill doesn't quite work.

 

 

Performance: 95

due to missed swings which can prolong the process and get aggravating

 

 

Personal evaluation:

Average Score = 93

 

Overall, I love this thing. I like that it keeps things simple, only giving you 3 things to work on at a time and prioritizes them for you.  For me, it is pretty easy to use, but I've used a lot of technology throughout my life, so I'm pretty comfortable around computers and “smart” items.

 

I figure things out best by watching once and then diving in, so playing with this has been a lot of fun.

 

I would definitely recommend this to someone like me that is short on time and usually can only get to the range at night, when lessons aren't available. It keeps things simple and straight forward.

 

Here's the list of questions from my initial post that I wanted to revisit:

 

1) does it give you specific tips for overall swing, each club or does it generalize it to groups: Driver, fairway, long iron/hybrid, mid- and short, wedges

 

Thus far, it is pretty generic information for the swing, and the Swing Coach did not differentiate between irons, woods and wedges, more giving drills for the overall swing. However, I understand it in that you need a good foundation for your swing first.

   

2) does it give you tips/tools/drills for more specialty shots on short game like partial swings, chipping, bump and run or flop shots ( i know I should focus on the basics, but if we're gonna analyze this to this degree, this could be a good feature for all players)

 

a. Not at this point, but again, build the foundation first and then look to expand from there. For you more skilled/consistent players out there, you may not need this if you have your swing grooved and are shooting much lower, but for high cappers like me, it shows you your faults and gives you the tools to improve

 

3) When does the putter coach launch?

a. TBD

 

 

5. Likelihood of Purchase: 

If I was going to purchase a swing analyzer, this would definitely be on my radar. It was easy to use and gave good feedback that has been valuable to me.

 

I think it is priced right at around $150.  It is well worth the money, but only because of the Swing Coach feature. All of the data can be great, but it's the application of that data to improve your swing that makes all of the difference. In understand what I need to do and can check my work with this app. 

 

Once the free beta version of Swing Coach is terminated, I would be interested in a subscription to the Virtual Coach feature, but depends on pricing. If they included a certain amount of time with the Virtual Coach upon purchase, then a relatively low monthly/yearly subscription service, they could have a really good product here. 

 

 

*** I plan to do periodic updates as I continue to work with it longer and will post them here.

[deejaid]

Before I start with my first impressions I would like to thank My Golf Spy and Swingbyte for the opportunity to review the Swingbyte 2 with Virtual Coach.

 

A little about my game. I played regularly for many years, once or twice a week, getting my scores down from mid 90's scores to mid 80's in the process. Then a new job, marriage and kids made me put away the clubs in 2007 and I didn't pick them up again until this year. I decided if I was going to start playing again, I'd really try to improve my game through practice, not just go out and play ok but never really get better.

 

After sorting out my short game, I'm back shooting in the mid 80's, but I know my swing has flaws and that is where I am hoping Swingbyte's Virtual Coach can finally get me down into the 70's and eventually, a scratch player.

 

Too much to ask for a small piece of plastic attached to my club and an iPhone app? Let's find out.

 

 

 

First Impressions

 

The Swingbyte 2 arrived in a small display case that included the Swingbyte, usb cable, Quick Start guide and carry bag. I was sent some links to download some more in depth guides, but am not sure if those will be included with retail packaging or not. In this day and age manuals seem to be included less and less, but a quick hop on Swingbyte's website will get you any information you may need.

 

 

The unit seems well built, with a single button on the side, and a usb input under the rubber alignment cover.

 

 

 

I would have liked to see a longer usb cable. This one is seriously too short for charging anywhere other than attached to a computer USB port. But I don't see the logic in this as you don't need to sync the Swingbyte to a computer at all, so why would I want to attach it to my PC or Mac? It would be nice to have at least a 1-2 foot cable so it could rest on a counter comfortably while charging instead of dangling. I ended up putting a few books underneath the Swingbyte, but really, make the USB cord at least a foot long.

 

 

From what I have read of other swingtrainers, The latching mechanism is what makes or breaks a product. If you can't get the trainer to lock securely on your club you'll never get accurate readings and can possibly break the unit. Swingbyte's latch locks on securely and I felt confident it wouldn't come flying off during a swing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lining up the Swingbyte on the club can be a little troublesome at first, but I quickly got the hang of getting the Swingbyte's alignment mark lined up with the scoring lines of the face.

 

 

 

 

Once the Swingbyte was installed on my club it was time to sync the unit with my iPhone. I downloaded the Swingbyte app and turned on Bluetooth. Then I opened up the app and created an account and set up my bag, which was simply listing my clubs and their lofts, shaft flex and lengths.

 

 

 

I then turned on Swingbyte by holding down the button and waited for the green light to flash. I did have some trouble connecting via Bluetooth to the Swingbyte. In the 'settings' of my iPhone it showed that Swingbyte was connected via Bluetooth, but inside the actual Swingbyte app, there was no connection.

 

 

 

Cycling the unit off and on got it to connect in the app after a few attempts.

 

 

 

Once Swingbyte was connected to my iPhone I familiarized myself with the interface and took a few practice swings in the yard.

 

 

 

The interface was nicely laid out and very intuitive. Not much need for instructions as everything was easy to figure out. The easy to use interface should make its use at the range more appealing. No one wants to have to pull out an instruction manual to use a complicated swing trainer during precious range time.

 

 

 

I now have the Swingbyte ready to go so it's off to the range to put it through its paces.....Stay tuned!

[deejaid]

I enjoy practicing.  Going to the range and hitting balls is almost as enjoyable as going out and playing a round, but not quite.  Being a self-taught golfer with no formal lessons, I learned what I could from books and videos, but never had someone tell me my swing faults or recommend drills on how to fix them, until now.

 

 

This is the Swingbyte 2 with the all new Virtual Coach.  Swingbyte claims this is the first AI powered mobile coach to help players identify their swing faults and customize a lesson plan to fix them. Let's see if it helps mine.

 

 

Ergonomics

 

The Swingbyte 2 clips onto the shaft of the club just below the grip.  The latch is easy to open and close and seems to latch securely.  The Swingbyte looks like a piece of iOS hardware, sleek and unobtrusive.  While looking down at the ball I didn't really even notice the Swingbyte was attached.

 

 

 

Once attached to the club, pressing and holding down the button sync's the Swingbyte to your iPhone.  I did have some trouble getting it to sync correctly early on.  I needed to sync the Swingbyte first in my iOS "Settings" tab.  I then needed to turn off the Swingbyte and open the app, and reconnect via Bluetooth inside the app.  It took some time to figure this out, but subsequent sessions were much easier to sync.

 

 

 

 I charged the unit and took it to the range and had plenty battery left after a large bucket.  I'm sure the Swingbyte would last as long as most lessons or range sessions would last.   The USB cable for charging the Swingbyte could be a little longer as you can't even plug it into a wall outlet without it dangling, putting undue stress on the USB port.  I ended up using another USB cable I had on-hand.

 

 

 

Score: 85

 

 

 

Ease of Use

 

Once you set up your account and tell Swingbyte what clubs are in your bag, it's easy to get started within the app.  No need for the small Quick Start sheet they include in the packaging. 

 

Just swing your club (and make contact with something..ball, tee, etc.) and an audible beep let's you know Swingbyte has recorded your swing.  It's really that simple.  

 

There are two modes inside the Swingbyte app, Practice Mode and Virtual Coach.  Practice Mode records your swing and shows the animated club path and club data like Swing Speed, Attack Angle, Path, and many others.  This data, along with the swing path animated graphic gives you a good idea of what your club is doing throughout the entire swing.  This information is saved to the users account and can be viewed on other mobile devices and PC's which is a nice feature.

 

 

Seasoned players will be able to interpret this data and make adjustments to their swing.  But for the majority of casual golfers, this is just a bunch of data, but Swingbyte's Virtual Coach is here to interpret it for them.  

 

 

 

Score: 100

 

 

 

Performance

 

Clicking on the Virtual Coach tab brings you to a screen that allows you to select the club you want to work with (I choose my 6 iron) and then asked me to take five swings.

 

 

I began taking my swings and after each I could hear the audible beeps confirming it had recorded my swing.  After my 5 swings I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket and saw the Swingbyte app was "Processing" my swing data.  

 

 

Unfortunately, this is where Swingbyte ran into its first problem.  It seemed to get hung up "Processing", so I closed the app and reopened it to start again.

 

I began taking my swings with my 6 iron again.  After my 3rd swing, I noticed the Swingbyte rotated a bit on my shaft and was no longer square to the club face.  I readjusted the unit and took my 4th swing and the Swingbyte rotated again.  This was not going well.  I took the Swingbyte off my club, wiped down the shaft with my towel and attached the Swingbyte again.  I decided to start over for a 3rd time.

 

I successfully took my 5 swings without the Swingbyte moving out of place and pulled out my iPhone to see the app was "Processing".  This time though it said "Virtual Coach was unavailable.  Strike three.

 

 

I left the range that day discouraged and frustrated.  It felt as if I spent more time troubleshooting the Swingbyte than hitting shots, which made the session feel like a waste.  Undeterred, I tried again...

 

 

I didn't have time to go to the range so I decided to hit some practice balls in the backyard.  I again selected Virtual Coach and began my 5 swings with my 6 iron.  This time.....success!

 

 

 

 

With a Swing Score of 54, the Virtual Coach analyzed my 5 swings and quickly decided that either my right elbow was too low, or my shoulders were turning too flat.  It presented a video explaining what the problem was, then had multiple drill videos to watch.

 

 

The drill videos are short, 2-3 minutes each, which I feel is the perfect length.  No need to watch for 5-10 minutes, the drill videos were thorough and concise, and are well done.

 

After watching two of the videos I clicked on the "work on this fault" button at the bottom of the screen.  This takes you to a practice screen and asks you to take 10 shots.   After each shot, a bar graph shows your progress.  A blue bar means a good swing, a pink bar a poorer swing.  

 

 

 

 

After 10 swings the results are shown.   

 

 

 

 

Great!  I've made progress.  My Swing Score was now 67.  I now have the option to try more swings or move on and watch more videos.

 

Once I got the Virtual Coach working, it was super simple to use.  The interface is very clean and intuitive and it was fun to try and get higher Swing Scores.

 

 

 

SCORE:  90

 

 

TOTAL SCORE :  90 out of 100

 

I think Swingbyte has a real winner here.  Being a beta release, the software bugs are understandable, and I assume they will get them worked out in time.

 

The biggest problem I see is the Swingbyte's latch.  I said early in my review that the latch seemed like it would keep the Swingbyte secure, but unfortunately, I had some problems with the unit rotating on the shaft of my club which then skews the data.  It's hard to take full swings if you are afraid the unit might slip and give you faulty data.

 

Also, Virtual Coach is free during beta only.  It is unknown what it will cost in the future which might deter some perspective buyers.

 

That said, I think the Virtual Coach is a great training tool.  It is fun and easy to use and gives you feedback to actually improve your swing, which should make more efficient use of your range time.  I'd recommend Swingbyte to anyone that wants to improve their game, but might not have the time or money for private instruction.

 

 

 

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

Before being selected to test Swingbyte, I read the Swing Analyzer Most Wanted on Golf Spy as I was interested in purchasing a swing analyzer.  I felt it would be a great way for someone with limited time to practice smarter, not just pounding bucket after bucket of balls without any real feedback.

 

I think with the addition of Virtual Coach, Swingbyte has jumped to the front of the pack of swing analyzers and for around the price of a new wedge, it's something I'd definitely buy.

 

 

 

 

 

That's it for now,  I need to get back to my lessons!

[mcavoy]

This is a great opportunity to test a new product and hopefully improve my game or at least be steered to the proper areas for improvement.  Last year I achieved my all time low index of 3.1.  Since then I got sick, changed jobs and well......you know the rest.  Things haven't been the same.  Currently at a 4.9 but its what I'll call an honest lie.  I record all my scores but I play a lot at a course I know very well.  That 4.9 wouldn't travel very well right now.  I'm a little lost in the swing and was hoping SwingByte would help me pinpoint where I'm going wrong.

 

 

Like the others here the unit arrived in a padded mailer with the unit housed in a plastic case and included a sunglass type carry pouch.

 

 

The alignment mark used to line the unit up w/the leading edge of the clubface is etched into the moveable cover for the USB charging port (more on that later).

 

 

As others have mentioned here, the metal latch mechanism seems pretty robust and mechanically I think it is up to the job to last for the long term.

 

HOWEVER I agree completely with BK in Texas' concern about the rubber.  The rubber that forms the hinge at the back of the unit and the "spring" at the clasp side is fairly thick.  However the pins that form the hinges are small and no matter the thickness of the rubber the holes where the pins go through would be the likely source of stress risers.  It may be a good idea that despite the nice storage bag to store the unit outside of your golf bag when not in use especially if you live in a warmer climate.

 

As the others have stated, the device came w/no instructions save for a tri-fold "getting started" pamplet stored in the base of the case w/minimal instructions.  It was necessary to go to the Swingbyte site to access instructions for downloading the app, setting up the bag, and pairing the device w/my Iphone.  Not terribly difficult but since we are testing it would have been nice to have some instructions included w/the device, even if they are still in Alpha stage.

 

As Deejaid noted, pairing was a little problematic but not all that difficult.  Was unable to understand why the Iphone said it was paired w/the unit but the app was still showing it not connected.  A combination of restarting the app and turning off/on bluetooth on the Iphone resolved the issue.

 

After using it on the range a couple of times some observations:

• The device was rather difficult to latch on to longer clubs i.e - the driver because of the shaft thickness of the driver shaft just below the grip.  Attaching the device to wedges for example was much easier.
• Conversely, the device was more prone to move out of alignment on shorter clubs due to the narrow radius of the shaft on those clubs at the attachment point.  On wedges I found it necessary to check the alignment of the device after every couple of shots since it would start to move out of alignment quickly (I'm a bit of digger so this was caused by shock of impact).  On longer clubs like the driver the device would stay securely positioned.
• The cover for the USB charging port where the alignment mark was etched would tend to dislodge a little when using wedges (due to impact) or shorter clubs causing the unit to appear mis-aligned at times when in fact it had not moved or shifted.

 

I'm still struggling to interpret all of the data it throws at  you but was able to identify two areas I needed to address:

• On takeaway I was taking the clubhead back a little outside of the target line.
• Clubface was a little more shut at the top than I would like to see.

 

Working on this I was able to see some pretty rapid improvement but as I said I'm still struggling to interpret all the data.  Would have been nice to have some more comprehensive documentation included but will continue to use it and study it as I have time.

[mcavoy]

1.  Ergonomics.  It is not that difficult to attach to the club in general.  For the longer clubs it was a little difficult to stretch the rubber part due to the larger cross section of the shaft near the grip on the driver.  It got easier as the clubs got shorter.  However, I found that on shorter clubs like wedges that the device would begin to shift and rotate out of alignment after a few swings.  It is important to check the physical alignment of the device on shorter clubs frequently otherwise your data will get skewed and be useless.  This was not an issue on longer clubs.  Be careful when re-aliging the unit not to accidentally shut it off by pressing the power button.  For me at least it was in a position that made it easy to hit when turning the unit to re-align it.   The bluetooth connection was generally reliable however it did drop the connection a couple of times for no good reason.  Also, just getting a connection could be a little troublesome.  There were times when on the Iphone it would say it was paired but in the app it didn't recognize the connection.   So I had to turn the bluetooth off on the Iphone and back on and then re-pair.  As for battery life, unfortunately I was not able to use the device as much as I wanted so I can't tell you how long the battery lasts but my sense is that a charge is probably good for most people's purposes.    Score 85 (marked off for tendency of device to rotate on shorter clubs and wonky bluetooth connection)

2.  Ease of use.  The unit did not come with a quick start guide.  It did come with a small fold out guid on how to attach the device to the club.  Prior to receiving the unit I received an email from Patrick Cerone which included some links, one of which was entitled "Swingbyte 101".  Following that link led me to this link:  http://blog.swingbyte.com/post/72701431643/i-got-my-swingbyte-2-now-what-do-i-do.  In this link is the instructions for pairing which includes the following: "2) BLUETOOTH: Hold down the power button on your Swingbyte 2. The yellow light (power indicator) will flash about 5 times and then stay solid. The orange light (Bluetooth indicator) will flash a few times and then turn off. (View this on YouTube )".  I found this to be exactly backwards where the orange light was the power indicator and the yellow the bluetooth indicator.  That said once I figured that out setting up the unit with the app was not all that difficult although hopefully production units will ship with a small manual.  The unit was mostly charged when I received it and it did not take long for it too charge fully.  We were asked to comment on the swing coach and frankly I didn't use it.  For my purposes and what I would use a device like this for a virtual coach feature does not interest me.  I'm only interested in instruction where I can have direct feedback from a live instructor.  Score 75 (marked off for lack on manual and available pairing instructions being inaccurate.)

3.  Performance.  The unit works fairly well once you have everything set up.  When you make a swing that the unit measures impact on it will make a beep to let you know it is sending information to the app, which happens fairly quickly.  Again we were asked to comment on the Swing Coach function here and I just didn't use it.  It did though work well for what I wanted.  For my purposes it is useful to me to verify plane and path.  It was nice to be able to verify that I am a single plane swinger which I have always felt I was and strive to be.  I've been a fairly low single digit (3.1 low index) and have been playing a long time so I was wanting to use the unit to identify what was causing me some accuracy issues.  I was able to use the device to identify a couple of things right away.  First on takeaway I was taking the club away a little more to the outside of my path than I was aware of and at the top my clubface was more shut than I would have liked.  When I addressed those two issues my dispersion tightened up considerably.  So it worked for what I wanted it to do.  Score 100

4.  Total score and personal evaluation.  While I did like it and it worked for what I was looking for it to do the unit is not without its faults.  There is the aforementioned bluetooth balkiness and tendency of the unit to move out of physical alignment on shorter clubs.  Also the backwards pairing instructions.  There was no manual provided and in order to do completely evaluate it having documentation would have been helpful,  even in beta form.  There was a couple of times when I was so focused on what I was doing I forgot to update the app when I was changing clubs so I had taken it off of my 8 iron and put it on my driver.  It would be nice for some kind of auto-recongition of that error from the device with a distinct warning beep of some kind otherwise you run the risk of generating useless data.  I found the power switch for the unit to be easy to hit when repostioning the unit after it had rotated out of place.  Would be easy to accidentally turn it off.  Overall its a nice unit but required a little more attention than I wanted.  That said I could recommend it to others who are looking for the same things I was.  Score 87.

5.  Likelihood of purchase.  It would be on my radar if I was looking for a device of this kind.  My big decision would be if I wanted a device of this type that resides on the club (and thus necessitating removing it and reinstalling it every time you switch clubs) or a glove mounted device like a Zepp swing analyzer.  I do like the idea of the Zepp as it seems like you could take it on the course if you wanted but not sure I would do that.  I'm more interested in a tool like this more as a swing calibration checker if you will - especially seeing as I just started a new job (today!) that is going to have a lot more travel than I've done lately and my practice time is going to be cut even more than it has in the last year.  Is it worth it?  As they say, price is what you pay and value is what you get so I would say yes as long as the price isn't more than $150 (or much more anyway).  $169?  No.  Score 85.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Initial first impressions are up from BK in Texas and MCaseyM!!!!

[Hula Rock]

Looks like a solid build !!!!!

[revkev]

Nice - I'm looking forward to the reviews.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

deejaid's 1st Impressions post is up!!!   

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/14929-official-forum-member-review-swingbyte-2-wvirtual-coach/?p=185050

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

And mcavoy's 1st Impression is up!!!   

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/14929-official-forum-member-review-swingbyte-2-wvirtual-coach/?p=185052

 

So what do you guys think so far????

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

First reviews are up -- here's Deejaid's.....

 

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/14929-official-forum-member-review-swingbyte-2-wvirtual-coach/?p=185051

[revkev]

Nice review Dejaid - what does it retail for? 

[deejaid]

Retails for $149.  Although a quick Google search shows it for as low as $119.  It that price it's a really great buy.

[KCLeo12]

Seems to be they have the same problem as the first swingbyte. They don't stay in place on the clubs and move. But overall the new features seem very cool.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

McaseyM's review is up...

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/14929-official-forum-member-review-swingbyte-2-wvirtual-coach/?p=185034

 

Our guys are doing some awesome work here!!!

[BK in TEXAS]

My full review is up.  Took a little longer than expected due to the winter break at "The First Tee".  Now that we're back in full swing (pun intended) I was able to test the SwingByte out on several Junior golfers.  I will say....every kid loved that thing!

 

http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/14929-official-forum-member-review-swingbyte-2-wvirtual-coach/?p=185032

[McaseyM]

Just found out that SwingByte partnered with Cleveland gold for wedge fitting.

 

 

 

 

Here's the link:

 

http://m.clevelandgolf.com/US_wedge-analyzer.html

 

I've decided to make this the year of my short game, which will include wedge and putting work, and possibly fitting for adjustments/upgrades.

 

I find this pairing to be pretty awesome, in that it will take your actual swing info into account to suggest Cleveland wedge bounce and grind that would best fit your swing

.

There is a free app for it, but only for the iPad, not my phone, so I'll have to borrow my wife's.

 

I don't look at this as the 1-stop perfect wedge fit, and not sure if I'll end up with Cleveland wedges, but getting the possible ideal bounce and grind preferences for my swing will be a helpful place to start.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[EthanSterlingPrice]

Just found out that SwingByte partnered with Cleveland gold for wedge fitting.

 

 

ImageUploadedByMyGolfSpy1457204257.868379.jpg

 

Here's the link:

 

http://m.clevelandgolf.com/US_wedge-analyzer.html

 

I've decided to make this the year of my short game, which will include wedge and putting work, and possibly fitting for adjustments/upgrades.

 

I find this pairing to be pretty awesome, in that it will take your actual swing info into account to suggest Cleveland wedge bounce and grind that would best fit your swing

.

There is a free app for it, but only for the iPad, not my phone, so I'll have to borrow my wife's.

 

I don't look at this as the 1-stop perfect wedge fit, and not sure if I'll end up with Cleveland wedges, but getting the possible ideal bounce and grind preferences for my swing will be a helpful place to start.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app

they were doing that at the golf show I went to the other day. You take a few swings using a wedge they have with a sensor on the shaft and then your swing path and plane pop up on an iPad just like McaseyM says. Even shows how much shaft lean you have at impact. If you get the chance to try it it's pretty neat even if you aren't looking to buy.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy mobile app