Jump to content
TESTERS WANTED! ×

Final Reviews: Arccos Smart Sensors

 Share

Ratings Distribution

0%
75%
25%
0%
0%
0%

Detailed Ratings

Accuracy
Looks & Feel
Miscellaneous
On-Course
Play it or Trade it?
Setup
Testers
Equipment Type: GPS Tracking
Vendor: Arccos

Please congratulate our testers!

@Paul Hedrick

@Firebird

@KC Golf

@goaliedad30

TESTERS WANTED (4) INTL WELCOME!

SmartGrips_Hero2_720x.pngSmartSensors-ProductImage-22_720x.jpg

Which statistics are most important to track during a round of golf?

It's not a trick question. Then again, maybe it is. In some sense, every piece of data is potentially informative.

Regardless, golfers are notoriously bad at self-assessment. We overestimate how far we hit the ball and often conveniently forget the flubbed chips, 3-putts, and occasional mulligan. But if you're a golfer who wants to improve, accurate shot-tracking is vital.

Arccos AI-powered Caddie platform allows golfers to track, record, and analyze every shot.

With that, we'd like to get feedback from Four (4) MyGolfSpy members - INTL testers welcome! Each tester will receive either the screw-in sensor or a set of Smart Grips and access to the Arccos Caddie Subscription and app.

Hit the Signup button up top!

 

Looks & Feel
Setup
Accuracy
On-Course
Miscellaneous
Play it or Trade it?

The Review 09/26/2021

Arccos – Official MGS Forum Review by Glynn Stokes

·       Intro.

I am in my early 60’s and have been playing golf since was 8-9 years old. I took a 10-year break when I moved to Australia and in 1989 I took it up again. Within 5 years I was on low single digit handicap and played regular A Grade Pennant. In 2006 I damaged my knee that required 4 lots of surgery over 7 years. I returned to golf in 2013 and by 2015 I had got my handicap back to 11, which I was happy with. I then got ill which required me to change my clubs and more importantly change to Graphite Shafts. Today I play golf for fun and the social aspect it provides. If I happen to win a comp every now and then that is a bonus.

·       The Personal Questions:

·       What region do you play out of?

I live in regional Victoria and about 3 hours drive from Melbourne in Australia and are a member of Bairnsdale Golf Club.

·       How long have you been golfing?

I have been playing golf for 50+ years.

·       What kind of golfer are you?

I am an average golfer that has the skill to play really good golf, unfortunately illness, injury and age limits that ability.    

·       The Golf Questions:

·       Handicap? (Or average score)

My current handicap is 17.1

·       Strengths/Weaknesses of your game?

I have always been very good at putting, chipping and bunker play. Right now my weakness is consistency. I am really struggling with my woods and long irons.    

·       What is in your bag and how did you choose them? Touch quickly but try not to dwell on each club since this review isn’t about them

My driver, fairways and hybrid are Callaway Epic Flash, and my irons 4-AWare Callaway Steelhead Pro with graphite shafts and a Cleveland SW.  I was fitted at the Callaway Performance Centre. My Putter is a Callaway Warbird.  

·       **Do you consider yourself to be tech savvy?** Good devices should work well for Fred Flintstone as well as George Jetson.

I am tech savy.

·       **How do you currently get your yardages?**

I really have not checked my yardages since changing clubs.

 First Impressions

After a quick check of the product it looked like it would be simple to install.

Took about 30 min to install the sensors on my clubs. The only one that took a little more thought was the putter as it has a SuperStroke Grip.

 

20210925_080909.jpg.8123de093ecaf17e5a4db3500b6a188e.jpg20210925_080942.jpg20210925_134632.jpg20210925_134555.jpg

Downloading the App and activation was easy as was the setup of CaddieLink.

Had some issues syncing the sensors on the clubs to the app. It took me 3 attempts to get them all to sync.  Some sensors were identified very quickly, others took allot of moving the phone around, up and down etc before they synced. I am using a Samsung Galaxy S20+.

Downloading the course and setting up all the relevant profile info was easy.

So first time on course I had some issues. It did not pick up the first few shots so I restarted the app and after that it appeared to be working as I could see the clubs and shots appearing on the app. However it did not pick up all my putts or sand shots so I need to work out why.

The information it provides is impressive. It shows the club selected and real-time distances from the tee and to the green as you walk along. It is seamless so all you need to do is play. I use an app called mScorecard which provides scoring and allows for the input of stats and I am using this to double check the data. My phone was on my buggy so when I play next I will put it in my pocket to see if the issue with missed shots is due to the distance the phone is way from Caddielink.

My first impression is that I am impressed with the solution overall.

 

Grading

Looks & Feel (3 out of 10 points) 

General Shape / Size / Fit 

o   The product came in quality packaging and in general looks well made.

o    once the sensors are fitted to the clubs.

Customization (if any)  - None

 

Durability or build quality (with a prediction on the long-term).

 

o   Out of the box the product looks well made.

o   The sensors are set into a rubber housing with a plastic base which screws in to the hole in the top of the grip. The potential issue I can see is that the club sits in your bag on the actual sensor itself. I am not sure how well they will stand up to the constant vibration of your clubs in your golf bag as you move around the course.

o   I had Caddielink and 7 Sensors fail. (See Customer Service for more information)

Storage cases.

 

o   Caddielink is the only thing that in theory requires a case and it comes with a basic cloth bag that offers little protection.

 

 

Setup (5 out of 15 points)

Are the instructions clear and easy to understand?

o   Instructions a basic and in some cases confusing.

o   Downloading and installing the app was simple.

o   Retro fitting the clubs with the sensors was easy.

o   The SuperStroke option makes installing the sensor on your putter simple. It took a bit of thinking to work out how the sensor attached using the Superstroke Installation Kit as it did not come with any instructions.

o   Initial pairing of the sensors to the individual clubs was not easy. In some cases it required multiple attempts. Be warned if this happens there is a good chance the sensors will fail.

o   Connecting Caddielink was an issue as it connects via Bluetooth and does so automatically with out the need for verification. My phone is set to block any unverified connections.

How quickly does it charge / how long does the battery last? Is the cable proprietary?

 

o   Caddielink take about 3 hours to charge and it looks like it would last 3-4 rounds.

o   The Cable looks like a standard micro USB cable.

Did you need to ask for help or search online for an answer during setup?

 

o   No.

 

 

Talk about any Customer Service interactions you’ve had.

 

o   Caddielink failed after first round. Support sent me an email with the procedure on how to run diagnostics to verify that Caddielink had failed. Once confirmed I was shipped a replacement.

o   On the next round I had 5 sensors become un-paired. Again I contact support and received and email requesting I try to Re-pair the 5 clubs, which worked.

o   From the every start I had shot detection issues. The response from support was pretty much canned, emails that told me how to run Sensor Diagnostics, Caddielick Link Diagnostics etc. It took me 8 weeks to hopefully find what was causing the issue.

As mentioned when I run the initial setup I found that more than half of the sensors took 25-35 seconds to be identified, in fact 3-4 I needed to try several times before they worked. When I run Sensor Diagnostics I had the same issue however all but one eventually connected. I advised support that a sensor had failed and was shipped a replacement.


The app and Caddielink have a range of diagnostic tools, which is good however you need to run several in order to identify potential issues with the sensors. Simply running Sensor Diagnostics may not tell you if there is an issue with the sensor. If it is totally dead then yes, however in my case I had 6 sensors that Sensor Diagnostics said were paired and therefore in theory working. However when I ran Caddielink Link Diagnosis I found that the sensors connection was intermittent. Now things started to make sense, as this would cause the Random Shot Detection issues I have been experiencing during the test. In the end I identified 7 sensors that were either not being identified by Caddielink or were acting strangely. For example Sensor Diagnosis would tell me that 2 sensors were not paired. I would then Re-Pair them and then double-check that they were paired. If I then run Sensor Diagnostics again 5 minutes later they again said not paired.

 

 

My advise to anyone is that if a sensor is not identified within 10 Seconds you have a potential problem.

 

 

To test I have finally found the problem, I played a round and tried to use the 7 clubs that had sensors as often as possible, every shot was detected. I can only hope that the replacement sensor work perfectly.

 

 

I hope my case is isolated. I live in Australia so the package has a long way to travel and we have know idea what could have happened to the package in transit.

Most/least useful metric presented.

 

o   Providing you can get accurate data I think the club distances matrix is the most valuable.

o   However I would think that most golfers could find the amount of information presented overwhelming.

o   I would love to see a basic version that simply offers club distances, fairways hit, greens hit etc. at a much more affordable yearly subscription.

 

 

Accuracy (12 out of 15 points)

Are the yardages accurate? (compare to another method if possible)        

o   Distance accuracy is limited by the accuracy of GPS. GPS-enabled smartphones are typically accurate to within a 4.9 m (16 ft.) I found it to responsible accurate. I used a laser to verify distances and they were generally within 3-5m.

 

 

Do the calculation or “plays like” distances match up with what you would’ve come up with?

 

o   Yes – I used another GPS Golf App to verify and they indicated pretty much the same distance.

On-Course (5 out of 30 points)

Did you have to think about or remember anything to use the product?

 

 

 

o   Yes, you need to make sure the course was downloaded and that CaddieLink was connected.

o   Be warned If you log out of the course is deleted and you to download it again. I have suggested that they need to save file on the phone to resolve this issue like other apps do.

Did it interfere with your normal golfing routine?

o   Yes, you cannot simply press Start Round and expect it to detect every shot, you need to check every shot and putt.

o   Manually adding shots may be ok during a practice round however during a competition I found it distracting and frustrating.

o   I have major issues with shot detection. I never managed to record a round without the need to add shots that Arccos simply failed to detect. I could understand it missing the odd shot here and there but in my case it failed to detect on average 14-16% of fairway shots and 8-10% of putts per round. 

How intuitive was using it on the course? 

o   I use a laser to obtain distances. I would generally this to review the round.

Did you like using it?

o   No as I could not get it to work properly.

Compare and contrast to what you are currently using or have used in the past.

o   I use mScorecard for scoring and statistics. It has the ability to record club distances however it requires more work. That said it is also free. As far as distances to the pin, bunkers etc I use a laser which is quick and accurate.

Do you play better or worse now that you’ve got a new method for yardages.

 

o   Worse as I spent more time trying to get it to work than think bout the shot I needed to play. Having accurate club distances will be of benefit and hopefully over the next 6-9 months that will lead to me playing better golf.

 

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

o   Caddielink makes life easier particularly if you have a big phone.

o   It also reduces the drain on battery in your phone.

 

 

Play it or Trade it? (10 out of 20 points)

Considering all the issues I have faced the answer should be Trade It

However, I really do see some merit in what this solution can provide. Hopefully we have resolved the detection issues and if this is the case then I will Play It until the subscription runs out.

Conclusion

This product has lots of potential and I would loved to have had it 30 years ago when I was totally committed to bring my handicap down to low single digits. Having data that allows you to identify deficiencies in your game is huge and therefore you know what you need to work on. More importantly though, it allows you to see any improvement.

I see this solution as a great tool to use in the short term as it provides one thing that all golfers should know – individual club distances.

However, would I spend $540AUD for the Sensors, Caddielink, Superstroke Kit plus the ongoing subscription of $140 per year, the simple answer is NO.  

Final Score: 44 (Add up all categories and present a total score out of 100

 

 

Callaway Epic Flash 9 Degree

Callaway Epic Flash 3 wood 15 Degree

Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid 19 Degree

Callaway Steelhead Pro 4-AW Irons

Cleveland 54 Degree Wedge Steel Shaft

Recoil Graphite Shafts in all Callaway

Cobra Vintage Series Stingray 40

Preferred ball - Seed 001

Link to review
Looks & Feel
Setup
Accuracy
On-Course
Miscellaneous
Play it or Trade it?

The Review 09/26/2021

Arccos – Official MGS Forum Review by Paul Hedrick

  • Intro. -I am just an average guy in his middle 60’s that  started playing golf seriously about 4 years ago.  Currently I am able to play about once a week.

  • The Personal Questions:

  • What region do you play out of? - I live in Virginia,USA, so it looks like I am in Mid-Atlantic region

  • How long have you been golfing? - I have been attempting to golf for approximately four years.

  • What kind of golfer are you? - I would consider myself a golf enthusiast.  Knowing I will never be great, I strive to be OK.

  • The Golf Questions:

  • Handicap? (Or average score)

My current handicap is 12.7

  • Strengths/Weaknesses of your game? - I can hit my driver well, short but well.  My weakest part of my game is most certainly my short game; I struggle with my wedges

  • What is in your bag and how did you choose them? Touch quickly but try not to dwell on each club since this review isn’t about them - My driver, fairways and hybrid are Callaway, and my irons and wedges are Cleveland.  Seemore putter

  • **Do you consider yourself to be tech savvy?** Good devices should work well for Fred Flintstone as well as George Jetson. - I am reasonably tech savvy, though as I age I do notice a definite change in this area.  I spent the first part of my career as an IT Director.

  • **How do you currently get your yardages?** -I currently get my yardages in two ways: an app on my iPhone called The Grint and guesswork.

  • First Impressions -The package arrived and I saw that it came with all the necessary parts:

wMR__uTn-5SBDT6Mw6351VCfcY44w5dM_zJNt6s1hMznV-xYJBckriZLyQRn6axRF9HoaXRgwEcCm4Vlk42UmvBesLs6JiMcnt_zsUQaTSVxoZYkFUZ8pZIQyvdL2tUB1c_2APLv=s0ivzf7j6cJFihC1xMKcLWLcq3GNAR0C_Zo1uJfxzr6J42RuCOaLt5ULo61kkFlhBYk8L8S2gLGU11N_cWqQtmUrzdTsosaQOXcCjH45pDiqBdfKLZ5aE_ZwwKFhprK65NewKdmqGB=s0uteuuWeFWZuc6WIo6ZZDwlBfGvpdRL201a6QNbqU9SFhrYOZxQ4AgnmIxqr6y430UjlTm4nTbF14En1vRNUwiDK_NvrHgpeowx_-jxFolfyt5HvaGbsdDuj3LaNLvluWtvBYGQU2=s0

 

Installing the sensors was very easy, and looked good for all my clubs except my putter: I have a SeeMore Putter and the grip made the Sensor set oddly on it, but it seems to work fine.  I can always regrip to something more standard if I find this too much an annoyance:

Downloading the app, setting up an account and parinig my clubs was simple and straightforward.  Downloading the course map I was going to play was likewise, simple and straightforward.  Where I struggled just a little bit was with my apple watch.  It seems you need to make some adjustments to the settings on the watch, which I was unaware of until setting up at the first tee.  However, once I accomplished that, the operation went smoothly.

During my first round, there was a period of adjustment on my part; learning how to get the most out of the systems.  One thing I was unable to do was measure the distance between my ball and some place along the fairway, such as a bunker or a tree I wished to avoid.  It is my understanding that this is a feature, so I will have to do some more research to understand that function.

As for the accuracy of my shots, I have this photo from the first tee.  I know I usually hit the green on my second shot of this par four, but never really had much of an idea how long my tee shot was.  On my second round yesterday, the Arccos Caddie did not record my tee shot off the same hole.  That was very frustrating in that I adjusted my number of putts to give me the correct score (3 putts! &*^%$!)

 

-nglPi9Sc98td3UjsVWJL9DTqyE91UEZ0Cv5AqybyCEvICXbFjvpwurK-lW1zn72HtBGOSoR0FHi1l1wW6VIWF7BBQzt7A76j7QAxw1ETVPPz0wyKUx2P8C94TbPP_KgFUUg8RU5=s0rbXbyTTB70i2qR5sBjfV-UETcHtDtgfCfBza8pxNrzq6qmnCEykom9O9kGclN4ny9Mf1voaD8eztsnjlUpssAIzM6D8UD72_rSP9CP8BF0RCYc_znYtwSTlVh4AOr90O5GxZAZ46=s0

 

The conclusion of my first impression is I believe this will be a valuable tool for me to get a better idea of my game and help me make wise decisions.  However I would have hoped it would have been either more intuitive in its operation or have more detailed, written instructions;  I am not one that enjoys spending endless time ‘online’ searching for answers.

 

10/02/2021 update

I just completed my third round using the Arccos system. I cannot say I experienced any issues with it today. At the course I downloaded the layout, synced up the Arccos Caddie Link and used my Apple watch for shot detection.  As I have previously mentioned I do not have a concrete way of comparing distances, but from what I can determine they appear accurate.  One thing I have noticed is everyone thinks their device is the most accurate.  Should you come up with a distance that differs from theirs, the natural assumption on their part is that your device is inaccurate.  My goal for my next round is to play close attention to yardage distances.

10/05/2021 update

I played an unexpected round yesterday discovered something.  There are three ways of shot tracking with the Arccos system; 1) with you phone and you must leave the phone in your pocket when you play 2) with the Arccos Link, where you clip it to your pocket, or 3) on your Apple watch.  I never really wanted to try option one; I like to leave my pockets as empty as possible.  I have tried the Arccos Link.  I did experience missed shots and questionable distances.  For me option 3, the Apple watch, is the way forward.  I had nearly seamless performance yesterday using my watch.  No missed shots, yardages seemed reasonable to me, and I didn't have to carry anything extra as I am always wearing my watch.

10/09/2021 update

Yesterday I completed my fifth round of golf using the Arccos.  Using only my Apple Watch for shot detection it went nearly perfectly.  I did run into a slight problem on the back nine when my watch was not showing the yardage to the hole.  After a bit of fussing with it, I discovered how to get that back.  Again, I believe that if the documentation was more instructive I would not have had this difficulty.  I noticed on my latest round I am getting recomendations on which club to use, based on what I have done with that club, not necessarily what I 'feel' I should use.  That can be a bit depressing: in my head, I always play better!  LOL  I was playing alone and there was not many on the course so I could take my time and consider the yardages presented.  I used my laser rangefinder and measured to several features on the fairway and compared it to what Arccos indicated what the distance to be.  They were very close.  I would estimate between 1 and 2 percent of each other.  This brings up something else that has always come to my mind;  how would I know which is more accurate?  Whats to say my rangefinder is rubbish?  The way I look at it is as long as I use one 'yardstick' to measure, and stick with it, I will become accustomed to it and that will become my normal.

Up until now I have only been concentrating on how to use the Arccos, and not paid any attention to post round.  I will continue to hone the operation of the system, however I will begin to look at and consider the post round statistics moving forward.

10/11/2021 Update

Yesterday completed my 6th round using Arccos.  I am still struggling with shot detection.  It was lightly raining yesterday, I do not let that stop me from playing, and was wearing a light outer jacket. Using my apple watch for shot detection, everything seemed find until on the back 9.  I noticed that on a couple of holes my driver was not detected.  Fussing around a bit on my phone I found that I had covered the watch face and that is something you cannot do.  Taking of my jacket everything started working fine again.  While I find that the systems 'works', it seems to me it is very 'fussy'; will only work under ideal conditions. 

This round I spent a bit of time post round, reviewing my clubs.  Since I did not know for certain my average yardages per club, it was a revelation to me, and will provide a good foundation moving forward with club selection.

 

 10/30/2021 Final Wrap Up

 

Grading 

Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points) 

Describe the following for the device:

  • General Shape / Size / Fit - All the pieces fit together well with the exception of the sensor on my putter.  This isn't a deal breaker, but it is a little disappointing.

  • Customization (if any) - As far as I can tell no customization was necessary

  • Durability or build quality (with a prediction on the long-term) - The sensors appear of quality build.That they have a rubber outside is a plus in my estimation, but is really too soon to determine the durability

  • Storage cases - For the most part there is no need for storage cases.  The one exception would be the Link.  I would like to have seen something more robust than a little bag.

Setup (11 out of 15 points)

  • Are the instructions clear and easy to understand? - Other than the installation instructions, there are no instructions.  In my opinion this is a major shortcoming.  As mentioned above, I would like to have seen a detailed operations manual, even if I had to download and print it

  • How quickly does it charge / how long does the battery last? Is the cable proprietary? - The cable to charge the link looks like a standard USB C.  One was provided, but if you needed you can easily find a replacement.  It charges fully overnight.

  • Did you need to ask for help or search online for an answer during setup? - No. The setup itself was fairly straightforward.  The only issue I did run into was when on the course for the first time, I had to adjust the setting on my Apple Watch.  I would have preferred to have known this ahead of time so I could just play.

  • Talk about any Customer Service interactions you’ve had - I have had only one issue where I contacted Customer Service.  On my second round using the Arccos, it failed to record my tee shot off two separate holes.  As of now, I still have not had a response.

  • Most/least useful metric presented? - I find the club recommendation, based on my history, to be the most useful. If I am vacillating between two clubs, I take a look and see what Arccos recommends, and it usually turns out well.


 

Accuracy (13 out of 15 points)

  • Are the yardages accurate? (compare to another method if possible) - Compared to my laser rangefinder and The Grint GPS app on my phone, the yardages and the Arccos system seem to be within 1% of the other readings. That always gets back to ‘how do you know the others are accurate’?

  • Do the calculation or “plays like” distances match up with what you would’ve come up with? - Again, yes, within a very small variation.

  • Are there any intermediate targets you have trouble getting distances for? - No.  I simply used my finger on the phone face and could determine distances to various locations on the fairway

On-Course (28 out of 30 points)

  • Did you have to think about or remember anything to use the product? - Yes I did.  I had to make sure that whichever shot detection device I was using had a clear screen to the club swing.

  • Did it interfere with your normal golfing routine? - Yes, it did interfere with my normal golfing routine.  If I neglected to keep the shot detection method clear to the club swing, I would have shots not recorded, and therefore would give me a false score at the end of the round.

  • How intuitive was using it on the course? - When it was working as it should, it was great.  However if something went wrong, it could take a few holes to get it back to working properly.

  • Did you like using it? - Again, when it was working as it should, I did enjoy it.  I did not enjoy it when I had to figure out what went wrong and correct it.  That can take some time, and holding the game up.

  • Compare and contrast to what you are currently using or have used in the past. -in the past I have used The Grint app on my iPhone, and before that a laser rangefinder.  As far as I can tell, it is as accurate as either, and when it is working properly, results in so much more data.

  • Do you play better or worse now that you’ve got a new method for yardages? - I have been playing better since I started using Arccos, but I cannot really say why.  I do not know, yet, if the data provided helps, or the fact that it is ‘New’ and interesting.  I will have a better handle on that in the next 6 months.

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

It seems to me that the package arrived very soon after I was informed it shipped; no real complaints here. As I have mentioned before, I would like to have more complete operating instructions.

 

Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)

I will use the Arccos systems for the year that has been included.  I will have to wait until that time to decide if I want to continue with it.  Generally I do not believe this to be a product for me, as it requires too much ‘fussing’ with.  Perhaps it is my age, but I would just rather focus on the Game, and not the technology.  This could be a better fit for a younger person with my patience than I have.

 

Conclusion

To sum it all up, this is a good system.  Perfect? In no way.  It requires way too much ‘fussing’ in my opinion.  I liken it to BMW Automobiles.  I have owned two BMW’s, and when they were running as they should, they were AWESOME.  However I was always having to fuss with them; this sensor went out, this needed adjustment, etc.  The Arccos system, again in my opinion, requires way too much fussing on the course and takes away from the pleasure of the game.  Additionally the amount of data provided is a bit too overwhelming to me.  I would have preferred shot distances, club remondation only.   Finally, perhaps I just expect too much from technology. Knowing what I know not, I would not purchase this system

Final Score: 88 (Add up all categories and present a total score out of 100)

 

 

  • Bag             1590477705_SunMountain.png.3391233ea391e8b6fde951d09bc76f6b.png  C130, 14 way Cart Bag
  • Driver         Titleist2.png.8b09d3ee0000870a77d83dce357a0efd.png      TSR1
  • Fairway      default_callaway-small.jpg.aef84328349c576af498d3d5dca1addb.jpg               GBB Epic 5
  • Hybrid        default_callaway-small.jpg.aef84328349c576af498d3d5dca1addb.jpg               Epic Flash 4H
  • Iron             lazarus.png.24092c99689747a2f7bd9cb786badde7.png              2 iron
  • Irons          635785482_Cleveland3.png.bafd9f7d003e9f8afcafc6c28e307467.png      Launcher HB, 4 through PW
  • Wedges     635785482_Cleveland3.png.bafd9f7d003e9f8afcafc6c28e307467.png      CBX2, 54 & 60 degree
  • Putter        Seemore3.jpg.1cb64ec83d2511c1ee1a386340a04d4e.jpg    Seemore Si1 Putter
  • Ball            Titleist2.png.8b09d3ee0000870a77d83dce357a0efd.png       Titleist pro v1x
  • Other        2000014788_ArccosSig.jpg.af5434230b907b708eb89aebd4125f95.jpg

 

Link to review
Looks & Feel
Setup
Accuracy
On-Course
Miscellaneous
Play it or Trade it?

Arccos Smart Sensors – Official MGS Forum Review by KC Golf

The Warm Up

Thank you for picking me MGS.  Its an honour to provide my first official review.  So I am pretty excited about the opportunity.

Like many golfers, my golf game lacks consistency.  My index is currently 8.4, but it can range from 8 to 13 over the last 3 years.  I play mostly up in Canada, so our season is short.  I have played golf for a long time.  My Dad took me to the range a lot when I was 7 or 8 and we played a lot of publics and muni’s growing up. We were both very average at best and my Dad read a lot of golf books all the time, but we loved going out together and having fun.  We did a lot of father / son golf vacations over the years, but he hung it up about 15 years ago, after getting frustrated by forced carries.  We like watching golf too, so my Dad took me to a few tournaments like the Canadian Open when I was younger, and I have been fortunate to go to a few majors over the years as well.

I am trying to get my 10 year old son to love golf as well, so we play alternating shot a lot for 9 holes and he has been getting group lessons for the last 3 years, but he still likes the milkshakes and the cheeseburgers more than the golf. He says watching golf is really boring. But he’s curious about the Arccos, so may be he will start liking stats.

My Game “Generally”

My game is probably typical for mid handicappers on MGS.  I have gone for swing instruction quite a lot over the years, but I only started getting more serious about my golf game in the last 10-15 years.  With lessons over time, my golf swing has gotten on a shallower plane and with a more orthodox overall swing with decent swing tempo. Generally, I hit a natural fade in my drives and long irons.  Misses are mostly slices, but I can on occasion hit my wedges thin or throw in a hosel rocket too.  I can’t draw a driver consistently, so I usually hit a FW on a dogleg left.  My coach tells me that I need to focus on less tension and swinging smoothly when under pressure particularly during match play, I don’t play stroke tournaments very often.  

I have been told that my steady, natural tempo has always been the strength of my game. So I generally find the fairway. No magical distance or high trajectory irons landing softly with backspin on the greens, so I am always more likely to be hitting long irons short of the green and trying to roll it on.  I play mostly in Calgary, so with the higher altitude, my distances are 5-10 yards longer than at sea level.  It can be very windy here, so that makes average distances for Arccos more tricky. 

That being said, this year, I am hitting the ball farther and hitting my irons crisper thanks to the work I did with my coach using a Trackman / GC Quad.  Also started using Super Speed sticks over the Winter to improve overall clubhead speed. 

WITB - 2021

Here’s a look of what’s in my bag.  Woods: TSi3 Tensei AV White Stiff 9 deg. – set to A1, Titleist FW Wood 917 16.5 degree Tensei Blue Reg – set to A1, Titleist 818 H1 21 deg Tensei Blue Reg.  Irons: Titleist AP2 4 iron AMT reg flex, Haywood Signature iron 5 - PW TT DG Stiff.  Wedges: TM Tour Preferred 52, Haywood 56, TM Tour Preferred 60.  Putter: Scotty Cameron – Special Select Squareback 2.0

]IMG_3021.jpg.b2df77c6fe50a12cf772b60c99feaa74.jpgIMG_3025.jpg.daef7b4f8a9033e2a492f91ec72edcd5.jpg

I have been fitted for most of my bag except my latest set of Haywood irons which I bought direct because of the Covid lockdown.  The Titleist TSi3 driver with the Tensei AV White Stiff is great.  My driver swing speed ranges from 97 – 102.  Really happy with the TSi3 driver which has true forgiveness, nice trajectory, great sound and good distance.  My old driver, a TM M3 Tensei blue stiff was great, but the shaft is now a bit too soft and so it was launching too high with too much spin even when it was set at 8.5.  Within my bag, what changes often is wedges.  I have a fitted set of Vokey’s but its hit or miss for me, so they are not in my bag right now.  I have about 12-15 wedges kicking around, but I like the old TMs. I like the feel and predictable turf interaction so I buy new ones when I can find them. My sand play particularly long greenside bunker shots are poor; however, short bunker shots on a flat or uphill lies are not bad.  
My new gamer putter which I got last year is a Scotty Special Select Squareback 2.0 which I got fitted for.  I have always been a blade guy, so this new more forgiving blade was great for rolling longer putts.  It also has a look and click sound that gives me confidence.  Short putts are where I struggle, and so I am sure Arccos will be picking that up very quickly. 🤣

The Haywood irons which is a start-up out of Vancouver is a relatively new direct to consumer model.  Josh Haywood is a very nice guy who is very customer focused, so it was an easy choice to try out.  I bought them early in the season, but only started playing them after finishing match play etc., so only playing them in the last 4-6 weeks.  I have used their wedges for the last 2 years, so I bought the iron set which I thought look and would play similar to a TM 790. Haywood has a better sound.  I took a bit of a flyer on it, but other custom options were hard to come by this Spring, so I went with it.  The irons are set 2 degrees weaker, with standard length and lie angle, so close in loft, lie and length to my stock AP2s. They are pretty forgiving compared to my AP2s, but they can be a bit hot off the centre, so it can go a bit long sometimes. The sound is good and the turf interaction is good as well. My old AP2s are AMTs, so I find the lighter 4 iron is more consistent than my heavier Haywood 4 iron, so that is why its in my bag.  

Garmin vs Arccos?

In terms of stat tracking, I have used a Garmin watch and Garmin CTs for a long time, and so getting to test Arccos is really going to be fun.  In general, I love new technologies, so I am always trying new tech stuff (not just with golf), but I was happy with my Garmins until I saw my friends detailed shots gained stats on his Arccos.  

Here are two pics of what a Garmin looks like vs Arccos on the same hole at my regular track.  You can see how much better the Arccos looks.  Its interesting that Garmin just changed the look of their course maps in the last month or so.  Garmin does note if you had a rough, sand or fairway lie. So that is a little better than Arccos. I like the older version of the Garmin map to be honest since its easier to see than this current fancier Garmin graphics.  Left is Arccos and right is Garmin for the same hole.

IMG_3034.PNG.58858f74bc96ff05ac6eb59e00009021.PNGIMG_3035.PNG.30273e587ed5a754a7914d51f4a77b62.PNG 

 

First Impressions - Arccos System is Sweet!

After enrolling / registering on the website, the Arccos site tells me with my current 9 index, I could potentially improve by 3 strokes by using Arccos.  Obviously, I am pretty psyched if that happens.  Let’s see if that’s really possible…

I installed my new grips last week and they look almost exactly the same as my old one and it barely different in length and very little if any difference in weight.

I have not had GP Plus 4s on all of my clubs before.  I used to use GP Plus 4s on my woods, but I had GP MCC Midsize with no extra wraps on all of my other clubs.  After 2 rounds, I really like the feel of the GP Plus 4s on my irons and wedges.  

IMG_3026.jpg.0779543b17d1272453f7cdec3832e2de.jpgIMG_3031.jpg.1da57c20856c250b87e08839c3bf6873.jpg

Here’s a pic that shows how big the Link is compared to my Arccos GP Plus 4 grips.  Also the placement of the Link is half way down on the pocket seam.

IMG_3011.jpg.7df9d6fbd49557f0aac1c2b322cc2705.jpg 

You have to put the Link on your lead leg (left leg for right handers).  They say that it should not be on your belt buckle if you have a sweater or a vest that might obstruct it, so I have it on the outside of my pants pocket.

The Link is not very intrusive and it works pretty well.  Linking it to my iPhone was pretty simple before the round.  Turn it on and sink it to the start the round screen on Arccos.  It is supposed to work with my Apple Watch, but I haven’t tried that yet. 

The Set Up is Painless

Set up was easy.  You link each club by scanning the grip end when prompted.  It was simple and straight forward.  One small setup criticism, is that it has most club brands and models, including the Haywood Signature in the Arccos data base.  But it did not have my specific Scotty, Haywood wedge or Haywood Signature PW (it does have 4 – 9).  Weirdly, it does not allow you to manually enter it either.  May be I am not tech savy enough to figure it out, but on the App, the options to customize appear limited.

I have not figured out exactly how far my iPhone can be from the Link and still maintain contact.  I have tried leaving my phone in my back pocket or in my golf pull cart and so far it seems to be working well.  I did have some missed shots on my first 9 holes (with my driver tee shots mostly not being registered a few times), but now it seems to be fine.  I played 18 over the weekend and it picked up all of my shots except 2 wedge shots which may have been confused with my putter and wedge being pulled from my bag for around the green.  Also, one thing it defaults to for putting, is that it assumes your last putt is always 2 ft. and you can adjust that down manually later to 1 ft., but it doesn’t give an option for less than 1 ft (like a tap in / lip-out) which could be helpful for more detailed putting stats.

So far, I would say the linking of the Garmin watch and the sensors on the Garmin is easier and generally better than Arccos.  I never really have missed shots on the Garmin as long as you change the watch to each hole as you play it.  So with Garmin no link required and no phone needed.  However, you do have to replace the batteries on the CT sensors once every 3-4 years.

I really like the Arccos on the course so far.  In terms of data for each approach shot, Arccos is great. Really puts Garmin to shame. You can adjust the pin position for distance after you laser it and then it tells you elevation change, temperature, wind, etc. to adjust for actual shot distance.  It shows you how it adjusts in a detailed menu as well.  Garmin only allows pre-set dots that may or may not be that close to where the flag is.  They say the new smart club distances is a new feature I am eager to try out. The Arccos is totally mind blowing in its details on things like approach distances.  

Arccos New Beta Stats

Here's a screen for the current Beta version of some Arccos stats:

IMG_0967.jpg.ceb8d587118dae421487d6cbcda3fc3d.jpgIMG_0966.jpg.79bfd17f312bff8ee5e358fd9520dcf7.jpgIMG_0965.jpg.6a697c8567085471c1808fa9bdc5e74d.jpg

This is only after 2 half rounds of 9 and 1 round of 18, but it already has some good details on the weaknesses and strengths of my game.  I’m sure I have more than 3 things to work on! 🤣

Looking forward to seeing how the rest of the test goes.   So far so good  Thanks Arccos / thanks MGS!

Feel free to ask me questions or if you are an Arccos user please reach out and give me tips or areas I should be looking at to provide a more comprehensive review.

 

Final Grading 

Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points) 

  • The Golf Pride Plus 4 grips with sensors, look almost the same as the stock grips. They look and perform the same.  I could not sense the difference in weight from stock GP Plus 4s.  Again not a scratch golfer, so another player may feel the difference, but I did not.
  • I am deducting a point since the Link while a lot better than having the phone in your front pocket, but it is not as smooth or accurate as a Garmin CT / Watch combo.
  • For what its worth, it comes in a nice set of boxes and looks like a premium product.
  • I like the look of the Arccos App IOS system. Its slick, its too bad it doesn’t run on an Ipad (like the Garmin App).
  • I would definitely consider buying the sensors to try them after my grips wear out.

Setup (13 out of 15 points)

  • The installation was pretty straight-forward for me.  Its fairly simple and it was pretty clear once you get a hang on it.
  • I am docking two points since it doesn’t have all the major club brands listed.  Okay, I can understand if my clubs were custom or one offs, but they aren’t (Arccos has the Brands but not the models in its database), so why can’t I input them into the system?
  • Also I would think the system should allow for you to input my clubs (into the App) if its not in the system (other Brands, or custom clubs, etc).
  • The setup is fairly easy. Encountered no real problems. It was actually pretty fast doing your whole bag.
  • Switching out clubs was not as easy on the system and you can’t have extra clubs in your bag, so again a side by side comparison of 2 FWs or 2 putters (as an example) is not possible.
  • I did like the ability of the system to eliminate shots from your individual club distance stats. Something Garmin doesn’t allow, but is easy to use and great in the new version of the Arccos App.

Accuracy (13 out of 15 points)

  • I found the yardages to the pin pretty accurate throughout the test.
  • I did compare it to my Bushnell Laser and it was very close.  Its not far off at all.
  • Compared to my Garmin CT and watch, I found it varied long or short by 2-3 yards at most.  Totally reasonable in my view.
  • On a round playing with my fellow Arccos tester Paul H. (who used an iPhone and I used the Link) are yardages were pretty comparable.  Some slight differences, but again totally reasonable.  I was actually surprised by how close our yardage were.
  • I am docking 2 points for green pin locations (on Link) and putting distances.  The system is better than it was in the past (I am told), but the distances are definitely off and in some cases by a lot.  So I am manually changing the distances of my putts almost every time. 
  • I should note that if someone with Arccos has played the course before you that day.  It puts the Pin in the location set by the previous player. Just a great use of technology.

On-Course (28 out of 30 points)

  • As you can see from the various posted pictures, the App gives you detailed adjustments in calculating distance to the pin. Slope, temp, altitude, wind, etc.  Its almost too detailed, but I am definitely not complaining. My playing partners remarked that the Arccos App is very accurate and very helpful. It did improve my confidence on what to hit for my approach shots.  It also helps my playing partners with distance as well. Took a lot of the guess work out of which club to hit and how hard to hit it.  
  • Looking at my phone during my round to look at what to hit on approaches or to adjust the number of putts or the distance of putts was a negative.  It made me feel a little anti-social.  Also I had to look at the details of how the approach distance was calculated if it was windy since the strength of the wind and its direction was generally off (not blaming the App it only uses prevailing wind speed and direction in the area, not at your specific location).
  • Did try the Caddy club selection and the Caddy strategy for how to play the course with my typical distances.  Both were very good add ons for the App.  
  • The best part of Arccos is the rich amount of data I got after each round or to see the major trends in my rounds.  
  • Having shots gained data sorted and compiled in a usable way was just awesome.  Nothing comes close to it.  It really dissected the weaknesses of my game in way that I was not aware of.  As an example, it showed me that my bunker play around the greens was actually pretty good for my relative handicap, but my short to mid range putts (after the sand) were poor, I was always of the view it was my sand play that was poor.
  • As you can see from my pics in my review and some of the after comments, the data is really unmatched and (in my view) totally worth the annual cost.  

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

  • The biggest problems are missed shots and putt tracking.  This is the major Arccos problem and is clearly not as good as Garmin CT / watch in its ability to track shots.  I believe this is solvable, and the Link is a good add-on that has eliminated some of the problems.  But its definitely not full proof.  Hopefully with better software updates these issues can get solved.
  • In my view this is not a deal killer.  The approach shot distances and the post round data is so great, that I am not docking that many points for this issue. 
  • It has interesting course stats that I have never seen before like whether your putting is streaky or improves or declines over the course of a round.  As an example, my data shows that I seem to be generally better at putting in the middle of my round, but it declines towards the end of my round.
  • In other areas, Arccos also provides the ability to compare your play in the last 5 rounds to the prior 5 rounds.  It also allows you to compare you current play to your target index. It then shows you how to get to your target index.
  • The system actually gives you three tips or areas to work on to lower your handicap.
  • Customer service is excellent.  I tried to play a course not on their system and they were very responsive on the update and what they were doing to fix it.  Their customer service responsiveness overall when I was having problems with the App was excellent.

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

  • I am definitely playing it.  I believe I have convinced 10-12 other people to buy it or try it.
  • Is it perfect? Not quite, but it’s a very good product.
  • If you could combine Garmin’s CT and watch with Arccos data analysis it would be perfect, but its close.  The Garmin putting stats were never useable in my view, so Arccos provides good data if you input it correctly.
  • I love the quantitative side of Arccos.  Its better than trying to use your own intuition to diagnose your problems with your golf game.  
  • In terms of my handicap / index…  Arccos indicated it could improve my Index by 3 strokes.  It decreased by 2.1 when the season ended and that was in less than 2 months, so its definitely possible.  In fact, I think my index could potentially drop by 4-6 strokes with this new data and their tips on the areas of focus / improvement. 

Conclusions

I really like the potential of the technology and the useable data of Arccos.  Its definitely designed for players that serious about improving their game. Its definitely not for beginners or those that don’t like tech generally.  I will be using the Arccos data over the Winter with my coach to figure out areas for improvement.

I can see that for some people its too much data, but I believe Arccos does a good job analyzing your game and providing useable pieces for the average golfer.

One thing I would suggest to Arccos is for those that want only basic data, may be they should provide a lower annual price point. The current price is likely fine for more serious golfers who want the detailed data.  Arccos actually has more detailed data available for even more serious golfers called ATLAS, but it’s an expensive add-on written report.  I may have to try that in 2022.

Final Score: 91 / 100

 

:titelist-small:  TSR 3   9.0  GD Tour AD - DI 6S Stiff

:titelist-small:  TSi 3  15.0 GD Tour AD - DI 6S Stiff

:titelist-small: TS3  21 Hybrid Tensei AV Blue 65 HY Stiff

:titelist-small: U-510 19 Utility Iron HZDUS Smoke Black 6.0 Stiff

:Takomo:  5-PW 101T Irons - KBS Tour Lite Stiff - Official Tester 2023

:vokey-small: Vokey SM9 52 F - 12 Nippon NS Pro 950 Stiff

:vokey-small: Vokey Forged 56 M - 10  DG S200

:taylormade-small: MG3 60 - 12 NS Modus3 Tour 105 Stiff

image.gif.2bc8a27613a423a3721fd3b955802132.gif  Scotty Special Select - Squareback 2 - 35”  / Super Stroke Slim 3.0

 :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

 :titelist-small: Players 4 bag  image.png.939559f85230fe16347ecf2765438915.png    :redrooster:

 :Arccos: Official Tester - 2021 & Loyal MCC Plus 4 Sensor User

Link to review
Looks & Feel
Setup
Accuracy
On-Course
Miscellaneous
Play it or Trade it?

 

December 1, 2021

Arccos Caddie / Sensors / SmartLink – Official MGS Forum Review by goaliedad30

Intro – About me

I’m a low handicap golfer (index fluctuates between 2 & 4, typically, mostly right around 3). I’ve been playing for 53 years … started when I was 6. I play most of my golf in the San Francisco Bay Area, but do travel regularly, and have played courses all over the US, as well as Canada, the UK, and Ireland. Since I retired a couple of years ago, I’m now playing close to 200 rounds per year.

 

I’m generally a strong iron player, and good around & on the greens. My driver is inconsistent. On days I’m driving it well, I’m usually near or under par; on days when it’s not working, I’m likely in the high 70’s. My scores this year range from 69 to 84. I’m playing a TM M6 driver (10.5*, stiff shaft), and TM p770 irons (Modus 105 S). Wedges are Cleveland RTX4 (50/54/58) and the putter is a TM Spider X. (Driver dispersion from the app below; you can see what I mean!)

 image.png.310116e78bf5c6936f598e368927bd73.png

I’m tech savvy (a retired Silicon Valley senior executive), but on course, I really don’t want much interaction with technology. I get yardages from a Garmin G80, and use a laser rangefinder for distances inside of 100 yards or so.

First Impressions

OK, enough about me! Let’s talk about the Arccos Sensors, and Caddie Link products!

The products arrived in slick packaging that was super easy to open and understand. The sensors themselves included 13 club sensors, and one putter sensor. Here are the boxes, and the inside with just the putter sensor left in it (the others are installed in my clubs!) I didn’t use the putter sensor, since I also received a specialty sensor for my SuperStroke putter grip.

 

image.png.e29f61b538e29e11dcbbfb5cbb5e3187.png

image.png.e43ced130a155c3332a5128d32680a0a.png

The sensors were super easy to install, and the quick start guides were easy to follow. I did have to head to the Arccos Academy website for the video on installing the SuperStroke adapter, but it was very straightforward to accomplish.

image.png.acd887483633e5f286f44351714f373d.png

I’d already registered with Arccos, downloaded the app (Android phone, Pixel 3XL, with GoogleFi service), so it was easy to pair the sensors. One at a time, I pulled them from the bag, focused the camera on the sensor, and it paired pretty much instantly. If you’re familiar with depositing a check with a mobile app from your bank, scanning a QR code, or using an app to scan a passport into a frequent flyer account, this will be just as easy.

With the sensors paired, I moved on to the Caddie Link device. This is one of the big selling points for me; I do NOT like to carry my phone in my pocket while playing. I typically keep it in the cart or zipped in my bag. The idea of having a small device clipped to my belt that captures the data with no user input is exactly what I’d like to have on the golf course for tracking shot data.

Pairing the device was as easy as turning it on while it was near my phone, with the Arccos app open. Truly plug & play! It’s very small, and uses a single multi-color LED to communicate status, all of which is spelled out clearly in the startup guide.

image.png.d9ef238af1aa4e2898353db1a66eb5ad.png

 

image.png.8e6fcf256db4f0c5beea570f28a331db.png 

image.png.fb582e5796d29eef64446216e840713f.png

Overall, the unboxing, registration, pairing, and startup experience was very simple, and easy to understand. I was extremely pleased with how quickly I went from “boxes received” to “ready to hit the course”; the whole process probably took 15 minutes at most.

Grading

Looks & Feel (9 out of 10 points)

The sensors, Link, and app were all generally really simple and straightforward to use. There is lots of data available, and the navigation is pretty simple. I deducted one point because certain parts of the interface, especially on the phone, are somewhat clunky or difficult to use. In particular, the sensor diagnostics (more on the later) and the add/edit shot/add penalty functions aren’t super easy to use on course (especially since I am not wearing my reading glasses). 

The data provided from the analytics is top-notch, and the drill-downs are obvious and very deep. For example, here’s a view of my distances, along with GIR percentages for each club. Super useful, easy to consume, yet you can drill down in detail as far as you want. A great UI! 

image.png.e7e90345fc33c87c495e6fe6e3172944.png 

 image.png.037458d0423b7bf20f71ee661b08cde8.png

 

Setup (15 out of 15 points)

The setup is one of the areas that Arccos really shines. As noted above, the sensors install easily, they pair quickly, and setting up my profile was super easy. This is one of the areas they’ve really gotten right.  

Accuracy (10 out of 15 points)

Accuracy is sadly a mixed bag in my book. On the positive front, as long as the sensors were working, long shots were tracked VERY accurately, with essentially zero interaction. Bunkers (both fairway and greenside) were also inconsistent. I found that perhaps 30% of bunker shots were missed (or in some cases, double counted). Putts were a mixed bag, and especially short putts were relatively poorly tracked. I’ll cover this below in the on-course section, but that really meant I needed to constantly check the phone for missed shots or putts. Unfortunately, I prefer not to have technology interaction on the course, so that was a real negative for me.

 The yardages provided were accurate, and the “Ask the Caddie” generally gave me the same input as I’d already arrived at myself. I was also impressed that the “SmartDistance” yardages and ranges coincided with what I already knew about my game. I know how far clubs go (on reasonable strikes, my misses are hole high, left or right), and I know how to hit them with different distances and trajectories. The data provided confirmed that. For a golfer who doesn’t really have a good handle on how far they hit the ball, this data could provide a MAJOR boost to their game.

 image.png.2d96ea119ebad9a4f348530949df0b8c.png

As an example, I know my 7i is a 145-153 club (depending on weather, elevation, etc.), and I know that my misses tend to be right (I’m afraid of over-hooking it, so don’t finish the shot if there’s trouble left. That’s exactly what the drill-down data showed!

 image.png.4819367fed600aa765bcd111469d3bf8.png

Overall, long game accuracy from tee/fairway/rough was very good (unless a sensor was broken). Bunkers, greenside, and putting was a mixed bag.

On-Course (20 out of 30 points)

On course for me was a mixed bag. I had significant sensor issues (6 of 13 failed over the course of about 20 rounds), and found early on that bunker shots and putts were inconsistently tracked. This meant that ultimately, if I wanted accurate data, I felt like I needed to check my phone after every shot to determine if it recorded correctly, and if not, to edit / add shots as appropriate. I found this to be a major detriment to my golf routine, and definitely played worse when I was focused on “tracking” versus just playing golf. 

I also struggled to adapt to the need to mark the hole location, in order to get solid data about short game and putting performance. The tool was easy – press the button on the Link while standing by the hole. I just never got to a habit of making sure I did it! I suspect as I use the system more, I will develop this as a simple habit (probably as soon as I walk onto the green). 

One of the allures of tracking using the Arccos product was the ability to get great, insightful data while not having to interact with a device after every shot. On the handful of days it accomplished that, it was an absolute joy to use. Sadly, it was too inconsistent in executing that, so it meant that I had to change my routine to accommodate the system; that to me is a major drawback relative to the value proposition I think Arccos is selling. 

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)

My single biggest issue during the test was sensor failure. Over the course of 20 or so rounds, I had 6 of the 13 non-putter sensors fail. The diagnostic tool is great, and one of the other sensors just needed to be re-paired, but 6 actually had to be replaced. On the positive front, the customer support was outstanding! The diagnostic tool would generate a report, which I emailed to the support department right from the phone, and a replacement sensor was usually in the mail within 24 hours. That said, I’m playing golf 4-6 days a week, so given shipping time, that meant if a sensor failed, I would have to remember that, and manually edit for that club for at least 2-3 rounds. 

If the failure rate is really that high, it seems that perhaps each box should ship with some extra sensors, designed to provide immediate replacement. Then the replacement shipped from Arccos could go to my stock on hand for future replacements.  If I had perhaps 2 extra sensors, then I wouldn’t have noticed this issue nearly as much.

Play it or Trade it? (15 out of 20 points)

In general, I LOVE the concept. When it works seamlessly, the data is super-useful, and can really direct where I focus my practice time. For a low handicapper, finding exactly where to spend the time to get from a 2 to scratch is very helpful. That said, I really dislike the amount of interaction it took, and how much that distracted from my on-course focus. For me, this is a useful tool in practice and casual rounds to gain insight into where my game needs improvement. I would never use this in a competitive round due to the distractions it provides.

image.png.a3976744b167846e9a5c8dd5042294f4.png 

To me the target profile for the device falls into some combination of the following:

·        A golfer that’s a “stats geek” – really loves to dive into the data

·        Really uses the data to fine tune both club selection and practice focus

·        Currently does NOT have a good handle on club distances and miss tendencies

·        Love to interact with the technology on the course

Conclusion

The Arccos system provides FABULOUS data. It really focuses your attention on where to work for game improvement. In my case, it confirmed much of what I already knew, but for many golfers, this data could be very eye-opening. When it works, it truly seamless. Unfortunately, between significant sensor failures and other “misses” (putts, bunker shots), it requires too much constant interaction on the golf course for my taste. I feel like I’m being asked to fit my routine to the system, versus the system integrating easily with my golf style.

Final Score: 74/100

 

Link to review

47 Comments




So what I asked my wife to do is to simply open the app and log-in.  Turn on Caddielink, check that it is connected, click Start Round and play. This is how it should work. The last thing I want to think about when I am playing in a comp is if the app is collecting all the data. It should be seemless.


BTW if you log out it does not save the course so you have downloaded again.

So what was the result. Absolutely woeful. It missed the first and second hit so it said she hit her 9 iron 301m. Overall it missed about 40% of the shots. 
 

So to make sure everything was setup correctly, I just spent an hour double checking the sensors are all working. 5 clubs it took 3-4 tries to get the verify the sensors were connected. However the one on her 5 hybrid looks like it is dead.

Will put in a support request for a replacement, luckily she only has 12 clubs so was able to use one of the spares.

I plan to go with her next time and drive a cart so I can then run the app and see if we can get a full round of data.

I am not sure if it is because we use Samsung phones but to date I have found that this products data capture very inconsistent.

Link to comment

Yesterday morning started with me checking that all the sensors on my wife’s clubs were all working.

 

We then went to the course and I used a cart as I am still on crutches to follow her around the course and basically run the app. I plugged her phone in to the USB on the cart so that I could have the screen on permanently. The only other app that was running on the phone was MiScore which is the official PGA Australia scoring app.

 

Caddielink showed it was connected and so we began. I was never further than 7-8m away from her during the round. Things started better that they had before as it actually detected her first hit. This only happened twice for me in the 12 rounds I played.

 

Everything was going perfectly until we go to the 7th. It detected her drive, but not the next shot. I added it and it then detected the rest of the shots on 7. On 8 it did not detect here tee shot, I added it and it detected the rest of the shots. On 9 it worked perfectly. On 10 it did not detect her 2nd  or the PW shot. This intermittent non-detection of shots continued for the rest of the round and I kept on adding the missed shots in order to ensure we had data for a complete round.

 

One thing I did notice was that the PW was not being detected. This morning I again run diagnostics on the sensors and found the PW sensor said it was not linked to any club. However it was being detected up until the 10th. I re-paired it without issue.

 

Overall, it missed detecting 18 shots of which 4 were puts. 
 

Here is the last 4 rounds, my last two and my wife’s first 2. As you can see on my wife’s first round it indicates she only played 14 holes. Basically it stopped working but still closed the round when she finished playing the 18th.

1D2C1902-C88E-480A-906D-C21465B32125.jpeg.6baead25952d9380c73e4eed5a637754.jpeg

 

So at this stage I have to say that I am not very impressed with Arccos. We are yet to playa round where it detected every shot and you  generally do not have the time to be reviewing every shot when you are playing in competition.

 

Another issue that women may find is that they will require Caddielink as my wife often plays in a skirt like yesterday and therefore does not have any pockets to put the phone in. 

 

So far from the research I have done, Arccos seems to work well on iPhones but not on Samsung (Android). Hopefully now that Arccos is working with Samsung to develop a Wear OS watch app they will improve the reliability of the product. One thing I hope they do is develop the Wear OS app so that it is compatible with other Android watches.

 

One other issue I found was that it can take many attempts to access the rounds on the app. I get the following message
 

B945B41D-E8E5-4151-A6A1-A9DAE581D92C.jpeg.f1dbf0b1fbba702ebb4c9af1b94303f8.jpeg

Link to comment

Today I asked my wife to wear shorts with the idea of her having the phone in her front pocket. She was not happy as the A5 is quite a big phone but said ok.

 

The idea was to see if not using Caddielink made any difference. The simple answer was no. Overall it missed 11 shots and 12 putts. On 3 it only detected 2 shots, her drive and 5 hybrid. I have to admit she was really happy to hit her hybrid 299m.  It did not register a shot on the 11th but did detect 2 Putts.0ADC8B7F-46FB-4F7B-AE4D-512082EF06AD.jpeg.de08d246ddf2ede693ff9170148d7f56.jpeg

 

They are forecasting up to 100mm (4”) of rain over the next 5 days so I doubt we will be able to get another round in for at least 7-8 days as the course is already water logged.

Link to comment
On 9/30/2021 at 7:50 PM, KC Golf said:

Post "First Impressions":

Played a couple of 9 hole rounds and found a few more data points and some recurring issues:

- Took my Garmin watch with me to see how accurate the yardages were compared to Arccos.  Interestingly, there was a 1 - 7 yard difference between the two Apps with most yardages differing by 5 or so yards.  Garmin was generally longer than the Arccos. Again, I didn't have my Garmin CT sensors on my clubs, only the Arccos sensors and the Link, so not sure if that made a difference in the accuracy of the Garmin.  After lasering a few pins with my Bushnell, it appears the Arccos is more accurate on actual distances.

- Shot misses on Arccos still seem to be fairly common on putts.  In many cases it just doesn't record my shorter putts.  Its too bad the microphone doesn't pick up the ball hitting the bottom of the cup.   I would say on the plus side, I have not had any missed drives (Driver / FW) after my first round with Arccos.

- I would also say the putter sensor (Non Super Stroke) that comes standard with Arccos has fallen off in my standup bag a few times already.  One of the guys I was playing with thought I was upset since I started emptying my stand bag by putting it upside down and shaking it. 😂  Fortunately, I haven't lost the putter sensor yet, but it sticks out slightly from my Scotty Cameron Pistolini Plus grip.  I can take a picture of it, if you are curious. I never had this problem with my CT putter sensor.

- Sometimes I get extra putts with Arccos.  I thought it was an issue with carrying 2 or 3 clubs to the green and it was confused.  But with putts and green side wedges, it appears to pick up another member of the foursome if he or she hits a wedge shot in my area of the green, even if I am not practicing or swinging.  It seems to record the other persons shot as my putt.  For instance, I was on the green in reg on a par 3.  Made a 2 putt and was walking off the green and I look at my Arccos and it says double bogey with a 4 putt.  Had to remove 2 putts and re-enter my putt distances to accurately track my putting data.

- I tried to add a missing hole on my Arccos App on purpose today by starting the App only on the second hole.  I inputted the details of the first hole as a missed hole by adding all of my shots later.  Unlike Garmin which won't allow you to add data for a missed hole, Arccos was painless.  Extra points to Arccos.

- One thing I am surprised by is that you can't run the Arccos App on the iPad.  So you can only see your data and the holes on a web browser or the iPhone App.  Garmin allows you to see your data on their App on an iPad.  The reason why I point to this, is on one of my par 5 holes at my home course, the hole picture doesn't show the back tees, so you can't see the distance of the drive on the iPhone screen.

Other Impressions:

I am really enjoying the stats and the feature rich data on the course and after the round.  Its accurately characterizing the weaknesses of my game overall or a particular round.  It is also noting what went well in my round too.  The analysis of how my game is trending is great too.  Here are some of the trends identified by Arccos:

IMG_3045.jpg.26291440ddc613e0c21f3daf2e042c6e.jpg

I am very impressed with the distance to the pin data with the various factors involved in its calculation: temp, slope, altitude, wind direction / strength and how each variable adds or subtracts distance.  It seems to be very accurate or may be its giving me confidence, so my approach shots have been better.  Arccos has gotten me a few closest to the pin shots and won me a few dollars, but its too bad Arccos can't read my putts to make some Birdies.  

 

KC Golf, great write ups with good detail. I have a question for you regarding Arcos vs Garmin.  I too have Garmin w/ CT sensors and after all is said in done I would be curious what your opinion is on if it is worth switching to Arcos if already invested in Garmin?    Are the pros/cons worth the re-investment?

Link to comment

Joel C,

Thank you for the note.  Here are some of my initial thoughts on the difference between Garmin CT and Arccos.

- GPS Accuracy about the same for distance to the pin and shot distances.  I would say that Arccos when you are using it for approaches has a better system that allows you to place the pin in roughly the exact spot of the pin. As you know Garmin only provides basic pin options and only one number. I have been very impressed with the distance to the pin calculations which blows Garmin to shame with slope, temperature, altitude and wind factors to calculate your distance to the pin.  The wind is usually off, but since it shows you how it calculates the distances with each adjustment, it provides surprisingly good advice on the course on distance to the pin.  See screen shots below.

- Shot tracking: I would say tracking the shots themselves, Garmin has very few missed shots.  Arccos is not nearly as good.  As you have heard from other testers, the shot tracking can be hit or miss.  I think it revolves around the tracking devise, watch, phone or Link if it is obstructed in any way. iy can cause the system to miss a stroke.  I have never found Garmin to be a problem for shot tracking.  That being said, once I got used to the Link, I have had far fewer problems on the course.  But it does mean, I look at my phone very frequently while playing the course.  So I know from talking with Paul H. a fellow tester that shot tracking misses are a major frustration.  I have fortunately had no bad sensors so far, but that does sound like an issue for other testers.  I would say, Arccos is very good at replacing these defective sensors for free.

- Link Issues: the Link is still a work in process but its better than having your phone in your front pocket. The iWatch seems to work well for others.  By trial and error, I think the Link is not very accurate when you press the button next to the pint (to place the pin location on your Arccos green).  I manually place it on the App instead by dragging and dropping it.  Unfortunately, unlike the Iphone, the Link does not provide walking tracks on your phone.  Kudos to Arccos in that if anyone has played that day before you, then it automatically tracks that and shows the pin position.  Great idea with perfect execution by Arccos.

- Putting. With Arccos, you get more precise distances for first, second or third putts. You have to manually adjust it during or post round, but its pretty easy to do. It defaults the last putt to 2 ft (I wish it could be automatically adjusted to 1 ft). Then with this better data tracking, it translates to better putting data.  I have never found Garmin's putting very accurate, so I have basically given up on it.  So again Arccos is better.

- The Cost with Garmin you need a watch and the CTs that can be more than the Arccos sensors and the link depending on the price point of the watch you buy from Garmin.  But if you look at it in totality, I think the Arccos is more money since you have to pay the annual subscription. Also if you buy the sensors in the grips you have to buy new grips as well. You can buy sensors like the CTs, but I did not try that. Garmin does not have subscription fees, but their data is pretty basic.  

- Useable Data:  In terms of data post round. As you have seen, Arccos' data is unreal. Everything from shots gained to advise on the short comings of your game or strengths of your game as well. Just fantastic data points that also allow you to improve all aspects of your game.  I have cut my short comings on the green considerably and so my putting has improved systematically over the course of the test.  I wish my approach shots were better too, but they are getting worse.

- Club distance tracking.  No contest.  Again Arccos is a clear winner. It allows you to take out outliers from your data, tracks your distances with precision.

- Caddy assistance: One area that I really like on Arccos is their Arccos caddy function.  It allows you to preview the course you have never played before and tells you want clubs to play off the tee and how the how looks from satellite images. It also gives you this advise on the course as you play it. I tried this twice last weekend and in both cases I was able to see how the various holes on the course were laid out and so I think it really helped me to play better without any local knowledge

- iPad App? One thing I wish Arccos would do is allow you to download a iPad version of the App, so I can see the shots and data in that App format.  You can look at it on the laptop with the web, but it is not as slick as the App.  I would note, Garmin allows you to see the data on an iPad with their App.

Bottom line:  I would personally sell the Garmin watch and CT's and buy the Arccos.  Its definitely expensive since I will have to replace my grips again next year.  Some may disagree with me on that verdict of Arccos over Garmin, since the Arccos shot tracking misses can be frustrating or the annual cost may seem too much.  

In my opinion, just the rich level of data alone post round makes it worthwhile. Like almost anything related to golf equipment its never cheap, but I think its really worth it.  Also this Winter, I will be able to show my data to my golf instructor so I can tailor areas to improve my game indoors before Spring.

I have not lowered my index by 3 as promised by Arccos, but after less than 1.5 months, I am down close to 2 points  in my index. In all honesty, I think I should be able to improve my index by 4-5 strokes since my putting has improved by close to 4 strokes gained over this period. Also, I have a better sense with empirical evidence where my game is right now and where it needs improvement.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions regarding my review of the pros and cons, please feel free to post them, so I can answer them.

KC Golf

PS.  Here is the Arccos approach shot data that you get while you are playing the course.  Completely blows Garmin away.

 

IMG_3046.PNG.f0430f1d65ace8a1982b35ef2ccfb6a6.PNG     IMG_3047.PNG.8ed183adabd4bd823c0b38282904fd75.PNG

 

Link to comment

Wooo hooo, the doctor said I can play golf again.

So I have been working with Arccos Support to try to workout why it was not detecting shots.

Yesterday I installed the sensors back on my clubs and went through the Re-Pairing Process. I found one on my 8i that was not responding.

Arccos had asked me to check that the clubs were being Identified using Caddielink and Link Diagnostics. I found that 2 were not being in identified. They also asked me to hit the ground with each club to see of Caddielink was detecting a the hit.

6D2AE897-7E85-43AA-A079-E5BF1669F127.jpeg.7459eb9f0ad0e0dc630ee052e089fdf7.jpeg

As you can see my 4i and 9i are working perfectly however my 3W was being identified but the hit was not.

in total I found 3 clubs that were being Identified but not hit recorded and 2 that were not even being ID’ed.

I sent all the screenshots to Arccos. I also asked if this issue could be caused by faulty sensors and said that today I was going to run tests to check the sensors.

This is what I did and what I sent to Arccos Support.

So I have spent the 2 hours today testing. Here is what I did.

Un-paired all sensors.

Removed all sensors keeping them in order so I new which one came off which club.

Then re-installed in reverse order so that no sensor was back on the original club.
Then took my bag outside into the sun and started the process to Re-Pair them.
Some were identified quickly, some took 15-25 sec, while 4 would not work at all. 1 was off my Dr, 1 was off the 3W, 1 was off the 8i and 1 was off the PW.
I then run Sensor Diagnostics to confirm all the clubs were identified and that the pairing had worked. The 7i and AW both stated Not Paired.
I then tried to Re-Pair the 7i and AW again and like before they worked.
I then run Sensor Diagnostics and both were identified correctly. 
I then fired up Caddielink and checked that each club was being Identified. Once again the 7i and the AW were not.
Again I run Sensor Diagnostics and both again stated they were not paired. I also run it again on the 4 that it could not see just to double check and all 4 did not respond.
I then took each club and hit the ground to make sure that Caddielink was detecting the hit. Found I had to hit the ground quite hard in order for it to detect the sound however it did on ones that were identified.
 
So before I started writing this I Re-Paired the 7i and AW. I just went down and checked them again and once again both were un-paired. I have to say that that is weird. Usually once a sensor or device is connected it should not just disconnect.
 
On the plus side Caddielink appears to be working perfectly. Yes I had to hit the ground harder than I thought I would but that makes sense as there was no impact with a golf ball which would make it louder.
 
So what now, looks like I have 4 dead sensors and 2 that are not doing what they are supposed too. Interestingly when I look at the data it confirms that these were the sensors that were detecting hits randomly. What does concern me is that I have now had 5 sensors fail and 2 that are not working properly. I use a buggy and the course once you get off the fairway can be quite rough in places so the clubs do bounce around in the bag however I would have thought that in reality that should not have caused them to fail.

 

Link to comment

Wooo hooo, the doctor said I can play golf again.

So I have been working with Arccos Support to try to workout why it was not detecting shots.

Yesterday I installed the sensors back on my clubs and went through the Re-Pairing Process. I found one on my 8i that was not responding.

Arccos had asked me to check that the clubs were being Identified using Caddielink and Link Diagnostics. I found that 2 were not being in identified. They also asked me to hit the ground with each club to see of Caddielink was detecting a the hit.

6D2AE897-7E85-43AA-A079-E5BF1669F127.jpeg.7459eb9f0ad0e0dc630ee052e089fdf7.jpeg

As you can see my 4i and 9i are working perfectly however my 3W was being identified but the hit was not.

in total I found 3 clubs that were being Identified but not hit recorded and 2 that were not even being ID’ed.

I sent all the screenshots to Arccos. I also asked if this issue could be caused by faulty sensors and said that today I was going to run tests to check the sensors.

This is what I did and what I sent to Arccos Support.

So I have spent the 2 hours today testing. Here is what I did.

Un-paired all sensors.

Removed all sensors keeping them in order so I new which one came off which club.

Then re-installed in reverse order so that no sensor was back on the original club.
Then took my bag outside into the sun and started the process to Re-Pair them.
Some were identified quickly, some took 15-25 sec, while 4 would not work at all. 1 was off my Dr, 1 was off the 3W, 1 was off the 8i and 1 was off the PW.
I then run Sensor Diagnostics to confirm all the clubs were identified and that the pairing had worked. The 7i and AW both stated Not Paired.
I then tried to Re-Pair the 7i and AW again and like before they worked.
I then run Sensor Diagnostics and both were identified correctly. 
I then fired up Caddielink and checked that each club was being Identified. Once again the 7i and the AW were not.
Again I run Sensor Diagnostics and both again stated they were not paired. I also run it again on the 4 that it could not see just to double check and all 4 did not respond.
I then took each club and hit the ground to make sure that Caddielink was detecting the hit. Found I had to hit the ground quite hard in order for it to detect the sound however it did on ones that were identified.
 
So before I started writing this I Re-Paired the 7i and AW. I just went down and checked them again and once again both were un-paired. I have to say that that is weird. Usually once a sensor or device is connected it should not just disconnect.
 
On the plus side Caddielink appears to be working perfectly. Yes I had to hit the ground harder than I thought I would but that makes sense as there was no impact with a golf ball which would make it louder.
 
So what now, looks like I have 4 dead sensors and 2 that are not doing what they are supposed too. Interestingly when I look at the data it confirms that these were the sensors that were detecting hits randomly. What does concern me is that I have now had 5 sensors fail and 2 that are not working properly. I use a buggy and the course once you get off the fairway can be quite rough in places so the clubs do bounce around in the bag however I would have thought that in reality that should not have caused them to fail.

 

Link to comment

After posting my final review I was thinking about the cost of Arccos and what would best improve my game. Spending $540 AUD plus $140 per year on Arccos or spending that amount on lessons. Down under lessons are $70-80 for half an hour.  That equates to approximately 8 lessons plus 2 ongoing per year.
 

I know for a fact that having 8 lessons over let’s say 6-8 months, you should see a big improvement in your game, then add 2 a year after that and you can only get better. 

Link to comment

I finally decided to take on the Arccos + the Link.  I'm going to compare it to the SkyCaddie SX500 in terms of distance accuracy.  I'm just basically mainly interested in the club distances & getting the gapping correct.  Hopefully I'll be able to contribute more to the thread later.  🙂  

Link to comment
9 hours ago, golfinnut said:

I finally decided to take on the Arccos + the Link.  I'm going to compare it to the SkyCaddie SX500 in terms of distance accuracy.  I'm just basically mainly interested in the club distances & getting the gapping correct.  Hopefully I'll be able to contribute more to the thread later.  🙂  

I found my gapping results were very similar to my gapping analysis on the GC Quad. I think the Arccos is actual real world on the course distances so it should be even more accurate vs 10 shots on a GC Quad with each club.  My Driver, FW and Hybrid were off between 3-5 yards for avg distance vs “Smart Distance”.  Obviously GC Quad provide other data like carry yardage and ball speed, but Arccos provides another great data point. 

So hopefully you will find the same thing.  

Please let us know. 

Link to comment

6 replacement sensors arrived yesterday and I spent the morning setting them up. The bad news is that 1 appears to be faulty.

I then played a round and the good news is that Arccos recorded every Wood and Iron shot and only missed 4 short putts which is a huge improvement. 

Playing again on Sunday so hopefully the trend continues.

Link to comment

I can't believe how many problems people have! I have Gen 2 sensors that sat around in a drawer for 2 years before I even tried them out. They have worked nearly flawlessly all season long.  I put tape over the ends and in an opaque bag for the winter but fully expect them to work fine when I reinstall them next season.  I sure hope that's how it works, anyway...

Link to comment

I was most interested in this review. I received free sensors earlier this year because I owned the appropriate Ping clubs. They installed easily and paired flawlessly. I gave them a good workout during the free trial period. I use an Apple Watch but had to wait until I had several rounds under my belt before I was “allowed” to use it with the app. I wasn’t really crazy about having the phone in my pocket during the round. The app worked well with some occasional shot detection issues. Overall I liked using it and once I was allowed to use my Apple Watch it as less cumbersome. But at the end of the trial period I didn’t feel that the app’s features were worth the annual subscription price. Maybe it’s a sign of age but it seems many companies are going to a subscription model but I’d prefer to buy something and just use it. I suppose if I was a better golfer who played competitively in local tournaments this would provide as much data about my game as I’d ever need to prepare for competition.

Link to comment

@Clayton I was also surprised. The failure rate was close to 50% for me. Without the sensor failures, my review would have been in the 90-point range. The small misses of short putts, and inconsistency with bunker shots would have been acceptable in my mind as a trade-off for the rich data set I got. What's odd to me is that there seems to be a bi-polar distribution here; many people seem to have zero sensor issues, and those of us that had problems had huge problems. That makes we wonder if there's a manufacturing lot / tolerance issue, so sometime you get a poor batch (which get packaged into groups of 14!).

I absolutely LOVE the concept; if/when it becomes truly transparent, I will use it much more.

Link to comment

Finally I have 14 sensors operational. I played yesterday, I had a 86, Arccos score was 83 - it missed 3 short puts which is understandable. Am now looking forward to in reality to starting the testing again as this is the first time I have got consecutive rounds of complete data.

On the plus side I also now have 4 spare sensors as Arccos support sent me 5 more replacement sensors.

I will continue to provide feedback as I add additional rounds. 

Link to comment

This is an interesting summary of some ARCCOs stats for 2021 released on their blog today:

https://ca.arccosgolf.com/blogs/community/end-of-year-recap-2021

The interesting stats I saw:

- Arccos is pretty global: With rounds being played at over 44 thousand courses in 163 countries around the world

- The average improvement for a new member is over 5 strokes

- Arccos Caddie members are 5 times more likely to get compared to the average golfer. 

 

Link to comment

The god news is that I have now managed to play 8 rounds and everything appears to be working correctly. On the negative side during the last round the sensor on my 4 iron stopped working after 4 holes. Luckily the guys at Arccos sent me a few spares. 

Now it is all working I have excluded all the old shot data as it was compromised and are starting again to build consistent data and therefore get abetter understanding of distances for each club. 

Link to comment

Sensors have been working perfectly and I have to admit that I am impressed with the data. I have had to change my swing so that I sweep the ball with my irons instead of hitting down as the impact has a tendency to trigger my illness. It is still work in progress but slowly starting to become consistent and it is good to be able to know the distances I am hitting each club. 
 

On the negative side, I had two more sensors fail last round. Luckily Accros sent me 6 spare last time.


 

 

Link to comment

Removed the sensors today. I notified Arccos that I would not be renewing my subscription and they immediately terminated the service which should lasted to October.

No big issue since I have stopped using it anyway.

Final analysis - for the average golfer I see this product as a total waste of money. The only benefit is that you know how far you are hitting each club which can be achieved with a bit more effort with apps like mScorecard. It is simply provides data and lots of it, that I believe would overwhelm most golfers. It does not tell you how to fix the issue you have in your swing or putting, it simply confirms the fact you already should know. 

They need to dramatically improve their quantity of the product. I did not have one single round where every stroke was detected, in fact on average 10% were not detected. I had 9 dead sensors. I just tested all the sensors prior to putting this up for sale and found the putter sensor died, is has never been used.

I was using Samsung and reading other reviews it appears that testers are having more success with Apple phones.

The one good thing I can say about Arccos is that their Support team are very impressive.

The last thing I want to say on this product is that I was delighted to be allowed to test it and provide everyone my personal experience and feedback on the solution. Thank you Arccos and MGS.

Link to comment

I agree.  I love the app for course management (hazzards, lay-ups, etc..).  The sensors often missed shots, crapped out, and are dorkey looking.  CS was outstanding getting new sensors ( putter sensor twice and about 6 or seven regular sensors) to me in about 4-5 business days.  I live in a big golf region of N.C. about 20 miles from Pinehurst.  I play 2 rounds almost every weekend.  I am just as happy using the rangefinder and pencil and paper for notes.  I got the sensors free because of buying Ping irons last fall so I tried it out.  Its an impressive platform however too much time wasted making sure the sensors were working before rounds.  Too many missed shots and putter sensor was not impressive.  So why should I have to stare at my damn phone the whole round when I'm trying to enjoy the company I am keeping as wall as nature?  So needless to say, s***** data goes in and you get s***** data feedback.  The sensor knobs come off this weekend and I won't go back.  Sometimes tech just gets in the way of personal progress.

Link to comment
On 8/4/2022 at 2:35 PM, cleve00 said:

I agree.  I love the app for course management (hazzards, lay-ups, etc..).  The sensors often missed shots, crapped out, and are dorkey looking.  CS was outstanding getting new sensors ( putter sensor twice and about 6 or seven regular sensors) to me in about 4-5 business days.  I live in a big golf region of N.C. about 20 miles from Pinehurst.  I play 2 rounds almost every weekend.  I am just as happy using the rangefinder and pencil and paper for notes.  I got the sensors free because of buying Ping irons last fall so I tried it out.  Its an impressive platform however too much time wasted making sure the sensors were working before rounds.  Too many missed shots and putter sensor was not impressive.  So why should I have to stare at my damn phone the whole round when I'm trying to enjoy the company I am keeping as wall as nature?  So needless to say, s***** data goes in and you get s***** data feedback.  The sensor knobs come off this weekend and I won't go back.  Sometimes tech just gets in the way of personal progress.

Fully agree, much more fun stirring up your playing partners than looking at your phone.😃😃😃😃

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

117 Comments




8 hours ago, JerryB said:

Oh, neat! Would probably be a really good way to get a handle on club distances and such, eh?  Signed up for the opportunity, hoping for the best!

Yes.   It's not without its quirks, but I love it.  It does definitely help with distances!  And helps you find weaknesses and strengths in your game.  

Link to comment

Already use Arccos and I love it.  It is nice to play a round and look back at shots through the round.  Only downfall is I cannot link app to my Fitbit Sense for distances on my wrist, miss this as I previously was able to on my Samsung active watch.  Good luck to those who apply.

Link to comment

Would love to get my first crack and testing! I have been working hard to improve my game, and MGS has been a huge part to my success. I have been looking at this system for the last couple months, and it seems very interesting! 

Link to comment

Looking forward for the chance to use this tech. Currently use Golf Shot Plus to track my stats but looking for something new. 

Link to comment

Would love to be an Arccos tester as I have tried several other app based tracking programs. Would like to see how Arccos compares to them in tracking my games stats. 

Link to comment

If I am going to have a caddy...

He better be able to look up at me

...with that... what are you stupid? look

when I make a wrong club selection... and make me put it back in the bag

Link to comment

I'm probably one of the only golfers that doesn't use any statistic tracking system.  I mean I have the SkyCaddie but I only use it for distances, I don't track shots with it.  it's too much of a pain in the ass!  I'm hoping that Arrcos is easier to use. 

Link to comment

 Currently using gamegolf and have been looking to jump ship. From what ive read, Arccos is a solid system and would love to test it out.

Link to comment

as a stat junkie, I'd love to test these and see how much value they add to (or how much they simplify) my stat tracking and insight generation

Link to comment

I have been using Golfshot Pro for the past few years.  I have been seriously considering other options.  Arccos is deffinately one of the options I have been considering.

Link to comment

I currently have the Golf Tags and my score has dropped by seven strokes. I would be curious to see the difference with the Arcos system.

Link to comment

Have been using The Grint exclusively for over a year, very interested in not having to manually input all my shot info.

Link to comment

×
×
  • Create New...