SwingU Golf App - 2023 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Testers Announced! 

SwingU Loves Golf

SwingU loves golf and believes that no golfer should have to spend a lot of money to play the game at a high level. SwingU makes world-class technology and content for golfers that are easy-to-use and affordable. They obsess over their user base and the fun & utility their users receive from using its products.

With a ton of features our testers will provide a full in depth review over a span of 4 months to cover all the features and offerings the SwingU Pro app has!

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@acatalano32

@Bluesman57

@MuniGolfer

@DeBartola_B

@tdc1

@Dave73nl

[acatalano32]

SwingU App OFFICIAL MGS Forum Review by acatalano32

Intro

Hello MGS Members!

I want to start off by saying thank you to My Golf Spy and SwingU for this opportunity. I am a first time reviewer and I am very excited to be a part of the process. My Golf Spy reviews definitely aid in my purchases for golf equipment. 

My name is Anthony Catalano, I am 31 years old, married with 2 awesome kids (5 and 2) also just got a puppy, so there is never a dull moment right now. I live in Anna, Texas which is about 45 minutes north of Dallas and I am still trying to find a home course. I have been playing golf since I was 7 years old (I should be much better at this game lol). I am a low single digit handicap, I typically shoot 74-78 with my low tournament round of 67 and my low practice round of 63. I would say I am a very decent golfer. My last actual handicap was 0.6 but that was before I moved to Texas and before my second child was born. My strength would be off the tee and putting, and my weakness would be my approach play. I miss way to many GIR. I am a part of Genesis People church in McKinney, Tx. God is a huge part of my life and my faith is a big part of who I am. 

I currently use shot scope to track my yardages and for distances to front, middle and back of the green and a pinned range finder for distances to the pin. This is much better then finding a sprinkler head and trying to walk off the number. Also, I just got the Rapsodo MLM2 PRO and I am looking forward to use the drills portion of the SwingU App. Overall, I am very blessed and thankful for this opportunity and I hope I can add some valued insight to whoever is interested in this app. At the start of this review I do not know much about the product but I am exited to learn!

 

 

First Impressions  (9 out of 10)

App was easy to download, just like any other app. Sign up was painless, a lot of things are locked for the free version of the app. Navigation of SwingU is simple, I didn’t need to hunt and find something I wanted, it’s all very simple. Using the gps is very simple as well. It shows the yardage of the hole and the plays like number in the upper right corner and the hole layout is in a satellite view. I do wish they had a mode that you could toggle between so it could be almost a cartoonish version of the hole, just so I could see water or hazards better. To get a yardage you just tap on the screen where you want to land or roll out to and it gives you the yardage from where you’re standing to that point and also gives you a remaining yardage. So if you wanted to lay up to 100 yards on a 375 yard hole, you would slide your finger or tap on the hole and you could see you needed a 275 yard shot off the tee and you could see if that would put you in trouble or not. My first impressions on the score keeping is that it is also very easy. Numbers are bold, easy to see, all of the other stats are bold as well. The one thing I keep messing up on is tracking a shot, after you hit track shot you need to the select a club (I keep forgetting that part) so when I look down once I get to my ball it hasn’t tracked anything. I also was not very impressed with the drills portion, I was hoping for more actual drills like head cover under the arm or alignment sticks in ground or something to set up and improve. The drills basically just give you practice ideas on how to play games on the range.

Overall this app is very simple, courses load up super fast when you go play, if you have an Apple Watch you can do 90% of your stuff from there. On first impressions, I would like to see some more/ better stuff on the drills section, maybe a teacher or swing coach that has drills on takeaway or rotation or something like that. More to come soon. 

The Numbers (18 out of 20)

The stokes gained portion of this app is really nice. The ability to review your round or rounds and see where you did well and where you need improvement is awesome. I know driving the ball is a strength of mine and after my rounds it was positive strokes gained. I also know approach play and chipping need some (a lot) of improvement. My excuse is the grass out here in Texas is different then California, but it was nice to have a metric to compare too.

On The Course (20 out of 20)

The overall usage of the SwingU App is so easy! From download to usage, the SwingU app is very seamless. My shot scope watch takes a few minutes to download the course when I get there but the SwingU app takes seconds. Using the Versus portion of the app confused me at first because I thought it was going to be playing against others but it is the stat tracking portion of the app. It is versus because it shows you your stats VERSUS others in your handicap range. Overall I really like the features and user friendliness of this app.

 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (8 out of 10)

To me, the good, is all the data it gives you. So much better then writing FGP on my scorecard. I like that it gives you the opportunity to mark if it was a good lie or bad lie as well. The bad, I can’t really find any bad with this app. There was nothing here that would turn me away from the app. The in-between for me would be the drills portion of the app. I know there is no one drill to fix everything but I would have liked it to have access to a lot of drills and how to set them up. The drills on the app are basically games to play on the range. They are a great way to practice but in my opinion they aren’t “drills”.

 

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

Definitely a play! I have had other golf gps apps but they were slow and glitchy. I wanted to open the app when I got to the course. I also enjoyed opening the app at home and going over my data. I am not so sure I would pay to have this app for casual play, but if I was trying to improve and wanted to grab some low hanging fruits, I would not hesitate to purchase this app for all of its metrics. 

Conclusion

so after using this app for a few months, I have grown to like using the SwingU app more than my rangefinder. There were times that I left my range finder in the bag and only used the app for my yardages. The “plays like” feature is awesome as well. It is basically the “slope” feature on a rangefinder. Also, the strokes gained aspect is great. I love being able to see my strengths and weaknesses. Being able to pin point something to practice has been extremely helpful and fun. This app was exactly what I was looking for. Ease of use and simple interface make using the app hassle free. This app tracks a lot of good metrics, so if you’re a 25 handicap or scratch golfer, the SwingU app will help guide you to better scores consistently. This app helped me go from a 0.6 to a +1.1 handicap in about 2 months. Knowing what to practice and improve on was such a great tool.

Final Score (92 out of 100)

Edited September 10, 2023 by acatalano32
Review

[Bluesman57]

The Review

SwingU Official MGS Forum Review by Dave Orzechowicz

Introduction

It's great to be selected to test the SwingU app!  I'm looking forward to trying it out and seeing how it can help  my game.  At this point, I am most interested in seeing my strokes gained (lost) numbers; I have an idea as to where I need the most work, but actually seeing the real numbers will hopefully motivate me to put in the work where it will be the most beneficial.  My handicap index, now with a soft cap from GHIN , is 15.0.  Since my purchase of Ping's 430 Max HL driver, my swing speed is back to the low 90s, with total distance down to 240 yards.

I'm a 66 year-old retiree; I have what I consider to be the ultimate retired guy job-- a seasonal gig doing maintenance at a local Muni golf course.  Think Carl Spackler without the C4.  Here in NE Indiana, "seasonal" with respect to golf is defined as mid-March to mid-November.  The other four months are recliner season.   I started playing golf around the age of 30, and used to play a moderate amount when I was in my 30s and 40s.  Work travel and then a back injury when I was 48 led me to give up the game, but once I got this retirement gig, I got bitten by the golf bug again, so after 15 years off, I re-started playing 3 years ago.  Modern lessons and modern technology had me playing better golf at the age of 64 than I ever did in my life.  My GHIN index was down to 11.8, and I was hitting my drives 25 yards further than I did when I was in my mid-thirties.  Another setback: hip replacement surgery last November.  But intense physical therapy and the new hip had me ready to play again last April.  Unfortunately, on a cold and wet day, my strong right hip overpowered my neglected "good" side, and I re-injured my back.  After more PT, I returned to golf last month, but with a whole new attitude.  No longer is my enjoyment of a round inversely proportional to how many strokes I took.  I'm just happy to be able to play.

I play a couple of times a week with some fellow old guys at work.  We play fairly seriously (no gimmes, mulligans nor preferred lies), but prioritize having fun over score.  A few of us carry flasks of bourbon, and take hits whenever anyone in the group gets a birdie.  Most days we have to modify the rules to sips after pars or even "Dave tried hard on that hole".  Anything to avoid the humiliation of going home with a non-empty flask.  Nobody keeps track of "who won", we all shoot just below bogie, and make that our goal.  Oh, I did join a country club, which, given my injuries and the weather, was probably a mistake.  And the level of seriousness I found there is just not me anymore.

I'm keenly interested in seeing how SwingU works, and how much in-game attention (other than GPS) is necessary.  I had the Arccos free trial that came with my new Ping driver, and found it beyond annoying.  It missed about a quarter of my shots, and having to remember to babysit the app while playing was just not going to happen.  Post-round editing was pure drudgery.  But what killed the deal for me once the free trial period was done was the fact that there was no option to pay month-by-month; only annual subscriptions were offered.  Given that I be paying for it during the 4 months a year that I couldn't use it was the final deal breaker for me.

I've downloaded the SwingU app, but haven't looked at it much, because I want to wait until instructions and full access are available.  Can't wait to review it!
 

The formal review follows.  Subsequent to that are updates with impressions that I had while using the SwingU app.

 

First Impressions (10 out of 10)

Downloading and registering the application was seemless and completely intuitive.  Once signed in, I noticed that my account had already been upgraded to access the SwingU Pro version, which was a nice touch.  I also would like to add that I emailed Chris Chaney, our SwingU point of contact, about not being able to select a set of tees at my home club on the application.  Chris responded in minutes, and a short time after that, all tee options became available.  I appreciate good customer service, and the above and beyond attitude of the company bodes well for any future support questions. 

I've used the application for two rounds so far, and want to hold off on comments until I get at least a few more in, but since this is the first impressions section, I want to put a coupla those in here.  I haven't used the GPS nor green map features yet, just the scoring.  Here is the screen that you get after you touch "Play" and then select a course.  Activating the Versus feature is necessary in order to get strokes gained analysis, which is the main aspect of this (or any application of this type) that I am interested in.

Once you are ready to start to record your round, this is the screen that appears on your phone:  Inputting the required information is very intuitive, and I had no trouble knowing what was required for each field.  The user inputs, in black, are selected by scrolling that field up or down.  At this point, and again, first impressions, I must say that I am not a fan of having to enter the data after each hole.  I find that it detracts from my enjoyment of the round, and having my face in my phone screen got me some perturbed looks from my playing partners, and I can't say that I blame them.  For my next round, I am going to hold off on inputting the stats until after the round; I should be able to recall all of my shots, so all I'll have to do is to write down first putt distance.
 

 

 

Aesthetics (10 out of 10) 

The SwingU app worked perfectly with my Samsung S21+ Android phone.  The maps of every hole loaded quickly, and being able to zoom in and out while determining distances to hazards, out of bounds, etc. were accomplished while keeping the maps sharp and clear.  The screen on which one is to input the various parameters necessary to determine relative handicap/strokes gained was clear and the ability to quickly scroll through the available values was smooth and, after a short time of using it, intuitive.
 

The Numbers (18 out of 20)

The yardages displayed by the app matched up closely with what my Golf Buddy GPS watched gave; usually within 2-5 yards.  When I had the time to triple-check yardages with my laser range finder, SwingU numbers usually were the more accurate.  I assume that this is the result of the GPS receiver in my phone being more precise than the one in my watch.  Obtaining intermediate distances, say to reach and/or to clear a water hazard was very easy, and I came to trust the data that SwingU gave.  Yes, my watch provides the same data, but on a tiny screen and by using cumbersome distance arcs to various hazards, rather than exact distances to specific targets.

On the other hand, the "plays like" distances were not helpful.  While the yardages based upon wind adjustments seemed reasonable, elevation calculations were not accurate.  For example, there is a 145 yard Par 3 at my club, which plays straight uphill.  Having played it a few times before being chosen to test the SwingU app, I have learned that it plays much closer to 155 yards; on a calm day, SwingU stated that the hole played like 147. I deducted 2 for this feature which I would like to use, but do not trust.

Setup:

The instructions for downloading, installing and using the SwingU app are very clear and straightforward.  Any questions that I did have were answered by viewing the instructional videos provided.   There was an problem with a missing set of tees for my club.  I sent an email to our contact, and within 30 minutes, the tees were added to the app, ready to be selected.  I was very impressed with this quick response.

For me, the most useful SwingU metric/feature is Versus, which is their take on strokes gained, together with recommended instructional videos with drills to work on in order to improve in those areas which are in most need of improvement.  On the other hand, the putting green display, showing degrees of slopes was, for me, information overload, and after trying it for one round, dismissed it as not helpful for me.

 

On-Course (17 out of 20)

At first, I tried to input all of the data for each hole as I completed it.  Not being used to this, I forgot to do so for several holes.  However, before the round was even half over, I came to the conclusion that I could remember everything required except for first putt distance.  Ever since, I just write down that distance  for each hole on my scorecard, and have found that recalling everything necessary and entering the data after the round was over was much easier to do.

I am of the type that frowns on people using their phones on the golf course, and even though all I was doing was using the app, found myself getting annoyed at how much time I needed to spend with my face to the phone display, rather than enjoying the round, the course and my playing partners. There was also the feeling that using the app to its fullest potential took away from my concentration and normal routine. For me, this is a major drawback of using the app, and deducted 3 points for it.

After using the app and limiting myself to those feature that I feel to be helpful, using the app has become second nature to me.  Yardages, and especially intermediate yardages given by SwingU are so vastly superior to those I get from my GPS watch, that it's not even close which one is better for me. Having an accurate, intuitive and easy to read way of determining intermediate yardages has definitely improved my scores, and might have even won me a drink or two about one's ability to clear a water hazard.

The Good, the bad, the in-between (18 out of 20)

For me, "The Good" features of the SwingU app is easy to discuss. First and foremost, I cannot stress enough how much the Versus feature is helping me.  I already had a feeling that my short game was my major achilles heel; however, seeing the numbers of just how bad chipping and putting were hurting my game was/is truly an eye-opener.  But even though just seeing the glaring weakness, with the big number, highlighted in orange  is motivation enough to want to improve, being provided with instruction on how to improve is exceptional.  The other feature with which I am the most impressed, because it is to helpful to my game, is the calculation and display of intermediate yardages.  Being able to zoom in and see what are the reach and cover distances to hazards and dogleg turns has definitely helped my game.

During my testing, the only part of the app which I can honestly consider "Bad" is the plays like calculation. While the yardage adjustments for wind seem to be reasonable, the adjustment made for elevation change on a hole with which I am familiar was so off that I do not have the confidence to use it, and I deducted 2 points for this.

As far as "In-between", I would point out those features that, while seem to function correctly, are just to cumbersome and/or intrusive for me. The green maps provide a lot of data; so much so, that I had trouble reconciling what I was seeing on my phone with what my eyes and feet were telling me.  Using this feature added at least 30 seconds to the time I was taking for each putt, without a commensurate improvement.  One more feature that was not useful for me is the club tracking feature.  Remembering to select a club before each shot was virtually impossible for me to do, and again, added to the time with my attention on the phone, rather than the game.  I must stress, though, that just because these two features were not beneficial for me, I am sure that many (most?) golfers will find them very useful.

 

Play it or Trade it? (17 out of 20)

So far, I've only discussed the positives and negatives of the app.  Would I use it for a tournament or a big money game?  Definitely not all of the features, but I would definitely trust it for total and intermediate yardages.  However, pulling out the phone multiple times during a round that is not necessarily being played with understanding and patient friends, I would definitely hesitate to use anything besides the GPS.

In order to have access to what is, to me, the best feature of the SwingU app, Versus, one would have to upgrade to the Pro level of software, the cost of which is currently $99.99/year.  In my geographical region, decent weather for golf is limited to at most 6 months, which brings the price to $16.67/month of actual use.  That's a tough sell for me.

For golfers that are more used to using digital assistants during rounds, do not feel put out by having to spend a portion of their concentration and time during a round interacting with their phone and have a longer season, SwingU, with all of its many benefits, would be a great addition to their game improvement arsenal.  Given the features that I would not use, and considering the cost/benefit of the app, I deducted 4 points for the overall rating.

Conclusion

The SwingU app has the ability to provide a golfer with a ton of data, all aimed at improving one's game.  At its most basic, the GPS feature, especially when using one's phone display, is vastly superior to GPS watches, especially with its ability to provide intermediate distances to hazards, out of bounds, dogleg breaks, or any location on the hole, with just a touch of the screen.  If one is willing to keep track of statistics such as the lie resulting from the tee shot, distance to the green, chips and putts taken, etc, the Pro version of the app calculates strokes gained and relative handicap values for different areas of your game, putting, driving, chipping/pitching, etc.  But what is even better is that the app will then suggest and provide videos with drills to improve the part of your game in the most dire need of improvement.  There are additional features that add to the potential value of the app, with the obvious tradeoff that you will have to take time out during your round to access and analyze the data. But the user always has the option of how much of the data they wish to use during any given round or even any given hole.  Finally, SwingU has 3 levels of feature sets, from free to $99.99/year, and one can choose among these levels based upon how much data about their game that they would like to analyze.  Customer service is top-notch, with very quick responses to assistance requests.

As is the case with any golf aid, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting.  In the case of SwingU, the goal is to improve one's game through the collection of data.  Well... When I started tracking my information with SwingU, my relative handicap for chipping/pitching was 29.2  Most of my misses were thin shots that sometimes went through the green, and/or shots that missed way right.  Somehow, the program knew my main types of misses, and provided some short video lessons with drills to work on in order to correct these errors.  I spent a lot of time in my back yard working on these, and lately, chipping/pitching have actually been saving me strokes.  My current relative handicap for chipping/pitching is now 22, and for yesterday's round was 8!
 

Final Score (90 out of 100)

 

Mid-Testing Impressions

 

Strokes Gained (Versus)

For the first couple of rounds, I concentrated on the Strokes Gained (Versus) facet of the app.  Entering the data as I describe above was clear and easy.  But, as I suspected, I quickly became annoyed by the "obligation", as I came to feel, to enter the data after each hole.  When playing a round with friends, I had the feeling that I was removing myself from the silly banter that my group of friends and I participate in, so I feel that having to spend time with my phone negatively impacts the social aspect of golf.  I also used the Versus feature of the app while playing a couple of rounds alone.  In this scenario, I feel that I lose some part of my favorite reason for playing golf: the aesthetics of the five senses that being on a golf course brings to me.   Moving forward, I will be entering the necessary data after the round, as I suggest earlier.  It has been easy to recall the information right after the round, except for first putt distance, which I jot down on the scorecard as I play. 

Lots of negative so far.  However... However!!

The SwingU feature that I was most looking forward to is Versus, which is what the folks at SwingU call their feature for calculating Strokes Gained.  The SwingU app absolutely excelled at its execution of this feature.  The user chooses their target handicap range, and, using the numbers that the user enters during (or after) the round, SwingU calculates strokes gained relative to this handicap for Driving, Approach, Chipping, Sand and Putting.  It then provides relative handicap levels for each of these parts of the game, which is, to say the least, a bit, ummm, humbling.  The screen shot below clearly shows my strengths and weaknesses:

 

Yikes!  Looks like I have a few things to work on!  But here we see my favorite feature of SwingU so far.  The app doesn't just mock you with hard data, it offers a suggestion for the area of the game which needs the most critical attention.  In my case, which is obvious even without the orange highlighting, its chipping and pitching from 50 yards in.  And it doesn't stop there.  It directs you to selections from its very extensive library of instructional videos to help with this facet of your game.  Here's a screen shot of a sample of videos that the app recommended for me:

Two of my big problems with chips are (were?) missing to the right and blading.  Wait, let's call it what it really is: cold tops.  Two of the recommend short videos had drills that addressed these very issues, and with their relative simple fixes, have given me things to work on without leaving my own back yard 12 yard "pitching area".  Next: GPS and course management.

 

GPS and Course Management

Now that I've used the GPS features for a few rounds, it's time to update this review with my impressions.  I'll start by admitting that I was skeptical of the value that I would find in using my phone for course management.  I have been using the Golf Buddy AIM W10 watch for three years now, and have been very satisfied with its performance.  Yardages are accurate, the course library is huge, and I have never had a problem with the watch finding me as I was about to head to the first tee.  I also liked the screen with distance arcs to various hazards on each hole.  Also, of course, the convenience of checking yardages to the front, middle and back of the greens (75% of what I use the watch for) by just flicking the wrist like checking the time is a huge plus.  What I don't like is that the watch periodically seems to get lost, suddenly changing holes while I'm busy playing a shot, requiring me to manually scroll through the hole list until I get to the correct hole.  Another drawback with the watch is inherent in its required small display size.  The font on the screen with the yardage arcs to various hazards is almost too small for me to read, especially in bright sunlight.

Using the SwingU app on my phone was a completely new experience for me, and it is taking me some time get used to consulting my phone for yardage information.  However, the information that the app provides makes me strongly think that it will be worth getting used to.  I'll go through some of the information provided, using the first hole of a course that I play often.  First, here is the screen that I see as I arrive at the first tee with my playing partner:

I love the clarity of the satellite view.  The club selection is based on my manual input of approximate yardages for every club in my bag.  Note the "plays like" yardage, which takes wind and elevation change into account.  This is a pretty flat course, so uphill/downhill adjustments are pretty minimal.  The next screen shot shows what to me is a very valuable feature of the SwingU app.

After a less-than-stellar tee shot, you can see that I was left with 144 yards to the pin, which the app correctly recommended that I attempt to cover with a 9-iron.  Without further user input, the total yardage is all that is displayed.  However, I was keenly motivated to stay out of the bunker at the front left of the green.  A single tap on the trap brought up the screen at the bunker gave me the yardage to it, while informing me that I would have a 20 yard chip with my 58 degree wedge left.  (I didn't do the simple pinch zoom in order to be able to check yardages to reach and to clear the bunker.)  This feature, together with its easy to read display really impresses me.  Hitting the red "X" clears this screen and returns you to the display of the entire hole.

From this distance, I could see the pin location, so I wanted more specific yardage than just front, middle and back.  Tapping the Green Map button on the bottom left of the full hole display gives me this screen:

Yardages from my location to various parts of the green are shown, together with the recommended club to get me there.  Since I know this hole well the green slopes fairly severely from back to front and, where the pin was that day (front right, behind the right hand bunker), right to left.  Knowing this allowed me to make an informed decision on where I wanted my approach to end up, which was, of course, short and left.  In this case, I went with the pitching wedge, knowing that it was unlikely to get me to the putting surface, but hopefully a short bump and run to the hole.  That's exactly what happened; I ended up in the light rough in front of the green, 12 yards from the pin.  I missed the chip by 3 feet for a tap-in par.  Without SwingU, I would most likely hit an 8 iron 30 feet past the hole, leaving me with a knee-knocker 3 putt.  I am always thrilled to par this hole!  Next up: Green Maps.

Green Maps

I have to admit that this is the feature that I have been the most skeptical about.  Not that I mistrust the ability of the app to report slopes, nor do I doubt the benefit of having this information readily available.  My concern is that I don't want to be "that guy", walking around the green, sizing up the putt with my head bobbing back and forth between my phone and the green.  However, in the spirit of testing all of the functionalities of the app to the best of my abilities, I gave the green maps a go during my last round.  Revisiting the home screen, you can see the "Green Map" icon in the lower left part of the display. 

 

Once on the green, tapping that icon brings up an overview map of the green, with both temperature and numerical indications of relative degrees of slope and direction throughout the green.

Additionally, as indicated on the screen, double-tapping the map will zoom in on the display, also with the ability to move around the map.

 

Looking at the screen shots that I just uploaded, I have to say that this is a very impressive feature to have in a golf app!  While at the course, however, I found myself taking what I judged to be an inordinate amount of time trying to superimpose the slope map on my phone with what my eyes are seeing on the green itself.  Just guessing, I would say that trying to use this feature adds 10-15 seconds per putt in my case; none of my playing partners ever said anything, but I felt annoyed with myself every time I used this feature.  I'm pretty sure, though, that using this feature throughout several rounds would speed things up as I became more familiar with it.  For now, I don't feel that I would use this feature much.  I consider myself an OK putter, and the SwingU stats seem to bear that out.  Given my horrendous skill level at just about every other aspect of my game, especially pitches and chips, I have much bigger fish to fry!

Update

I'm now twelve rounds into the testing of the app, and I have a quick update.  As I've mentioned earlier, SwingU has identified my chipping/putting as my main area of improvement.  I also pointed out the excellent, and almost prescient suggestions that the app provided with respect to video drills.  As this is my favorite part of the app, I have religiously followed the suggestions, and practiced in my 15 yard "chipping area" in my back yard.  Improvement was almost immediate, with small, incremental increases in strokes gained in chipping and putting almost every round.  I started with s a -9.3 strokes gained in this area; to date, my average through 12 rounds improved by 4.9 strokes, and is now -4.4!  Yesterday, for the first time, I had a positive strokes gained chipping/putting (+3.2), and had an uncommon break of 80, shooting a 78 (senior tees, of course).  I am thrilled with this result, and will continue to prioritize my <50 yard game. 

Although I don't plan on using the club selection feature going forward, I will try it during my next couple of rounds, for the sake of testing completeness if nothing else.

Club Selection

I've played two rounds since deciding to try the club recommendation feature.  For the first round, I almost never remembered to select the club that i was going to use for the next shot; for the first 6 holes, I think that I remembered to use it 4 times, two of which ended up being duffs.  I grew frustrated with trying to remember to start and stop the process, and gave up using it.  The second round was a bit better, and I collected some worthwhile data on four clubs, all of which verified my manually-inserted yardages, which I based on Trackman data and past performance during my playing this year.  While I suppose that this might be a valuable feature for some, given my reluctance to be using my phone while playing golf, together with my fairly established knowledge of what clubs to hit from various yardages, this feature would not be of value to me.

[MuniGolfer]

SwingU – Official MGS Forum Review by MuniGolfer

Intro-

Hi everyone. My name is Riley, and I am super excited for my first MGS member test. I am from Utah, and as my username suggests, I play mostly little municipal tracks near my home. I am 39, and have been playing golf since I was around 7. I am married to an amazing wife, and have twin boys who I can’t seem to get into golf yet, but that’s ok. They are awesome kids. I work as a QA Automation and analytics engineer for a financial trading software company, so this test should be right up my alley. I am an 8.8 handicap with decent distance off the tee. I have never been able to drop lower than an 8 handicap though, fluctuating up and down over the last twenty years. A couple years ago I was ready to quit and decided my mindset around golf had to change. I now tend to care less about score or playing, and get more enjoyment out of practicing and the journey of trying to improve. I have used the free version Golf Shot for years, but during this journey I noticed it wasn’t giving me enough data to make meaningful practice inferences about my game. I tried Golfshot pro, MyTaylormade+ and some others, but they all felt clunky. Then I found a strokes gained spreadsheet on the web and started building out my own tracking system that I have felt gave me more of what I needed, with just having to type in  distances.

I found, quickly, that my approach was a weakness. I was aiming too often at pins and giving myself tough up and downs. I am still trying to change my mindset here. This has me extremely excited to try SwingU and have all my data in one place with less data entry, guided practice, etc. I think I will see improvement.

My plan for testing is to get out on both the championship and par 3 course at the club I play most, as well as others near my home. I am also going to test putting in past rounds. As I get enough rounds in, I really want to try out the lesson feature and see how the drills compare to stuff I have researched or learned from past coaching. I will be paying close attention to the UI, it’s ease of use, and the accuracy of the data. I will be testing this using my phone only, no Apple Watch, so hopefully that might help some who are interested in using SwingU similarly. My experience with other similar apps is some are good with phone and others with a smart watch, so it will be interesting to see if this one leans to one or the other. For this to stick around long term, it will have to be easier to use and manage than what I do currently, and hopefully see benefit from the guided practice.

First Impressions (8 of 10)-

My first impressions are a mixed bag. The initial look at the app feels a little less clean/organized than some of the competitors. Of the ones I have used, I think the look and feel of Golfshot and MyTaylormade + / OnCourse, look nicer upon first log in. However, after I spent some time using the different features, it felt like a more functional flow than the other two.

The one problem I did find was the on course logging is a little confusing at first. You wonder why the distances on approach are broken up as they are and what constitutes each type of lie. I think a little bit of a tutorial in the app when you login for the first time would be helpful. They do send you some starter videos when you register for the pro account, and they are helpful. Once you understand that you mostly just need to be consistent with how you log, it becomes pretty easy. Honestly, it’s the best of the apps I have tried. It is similar to Golfshot, but I think it simplifies some things that make it so I don’t have to carry my phone in my pocket or take a long time logging after each hole. MyTaylormade is really clunky, imo. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, trying to log each shot in the location you hit from and set the pin location is extremely annoying. For a strictly phone user, I don’t like wearing a watch when I play, this is the best strokes gained tracking I have encountered so far, even being easy enough to be able to log everything after your rounds, if you prefer. You would just need to take a couple notes on your scorecard as you went and you would be fine. I have tried a few other apps that I didn’t like enough to continue paying for and settled on my own spreadsheet solution, but this beats that as well.

The prescriptive drills are what I have used the most so far. I am not sure if their predictive analytics can pick up from my logging that I struggle with posture and a few other things that aren’t immediately clear from just looking at my individual stats, but so far the drills have felt tailored to me. Stuff I have been working on for a while with coaches and from videoing myself. I am excited to get a better feel where it’s just getting lucky, or if there is some machine learning magic built into those recommendations.

My final thought for my early impressions, is that SwingU’s customer service has been fantastic. I know I am a tester and they could be more focused on making sure I have a good experience, but from hearing what other users have said and reading some online reviews, I think I can say they just are on top of stuff. They respond quick. Their updates to courses are ridiculously quick, and they seem to be extremely passionate about helping all golfers get better, from the CEO down to the developers

 

Aesthetics (17 out of 20)-

The look and feel of SwingU seems a little more functional than stylish, if that makes sense. While it is not a bad looking app, by any means, there are others that are a little cleaner looking, but the navigation isn’t necessarily better. The simple green, yellow, black, and white color scheme was not distracting and was clear to read. If I compare to Golfshot and MyTaylormade+ On Course, I prefer the look of MyTaylormade+--it feels a little more Apple or Ikea like, clean and stylish--but the navigation is very similar. Contrary to my first impression, against Golfshot, I think SwingU is a little cleaner. I grew to prefer it, after extensive use. It put the main things I needed to look at before a practice session right when I opened it. It also seems easier to navigate than Golfshot. There was nothing superfluous, just the main things you use most on the toolbar, with everything else, that you may only use once or twice, in a hamburger menu.

These images show the difference between the home pages of SwingU, Golfshot, and MyTaylormade+, in that order.

Filling out your bag and setting distances was the easiest I have found so far. However, I track the carry distances with all my clubs, because I have a personal launch monitor, and it’s what I base decisions off of. SwingU calculates totals, which sometimes made me annoyed with the caddie feature, but I will get more into that later.

I am taking off 3 points for the more functionally based aesthetics. I could probably take off only 1 here, as I think functionality is a big part of the look and feel with apps, but I do think it could be a little prettier. It does fit the SwingU branding well, however.

 

The Numbers (17 out of 20)-

This is probably the most important aspect and really the point of using this app, the analytics. While very in depth, and mostly well done, some aspects took a little while to figure out. The first, as I discussed in my first impressions, was the tracking. I mentioned the instructional videos on strokes gained and how they track it in SwingU, and they are also listed in the drills videos in the app itself, but I still feel they should be the first thing that come up when you enable SwingU Versus (the name for the portion of the app that does the strokes gained analysis).

Second, the relative handicap seemed confusing at first. Figuring out why in some places it would compare me to the target I set, where others it compared to a scratch, which made me scratch my head (terrible pun, I know). It took me watching the community call and reading some of the posts from @Wrong_Fairway to understand why.

The results you get, once you do get through the items mentioned above, are great. You get a full round breakdown, which is hugely beneficial in planning your next practice session, and it gives you a prescribed drill after the round. You will also get a recommended practice area for your game on the home and stats pages that are based on the last few rounds. I found if I had two practice days between rounds, I would work on each. At first, the post round drills seemed so targeted to me that it was scary. I was wondering if my AI overlord had turned on the camera to see what I was really doing wrong. However, as I kept using the app, the drills seemed a little more general, and I got a lot of repeats that weren’t really needed. You can go into the list of drills, though, and find something you actually need. One thing that is missing from there is strategy help. I find my approach struggles tend to be bad course management more than strike. I wish there were more than just mechanics in the drill videos. 

All that said, I did see improvement using the app. I added or replaced in my regular practice a short game drill, an approach drill for the range, and 2 putting drills that have seen me improve my strokes gained putting from -9 to -3 against a scratch. My GIR percentage has improved from 37% to 46.3%. My scrambling and sand saves have also improved a little. The only thing that has stood pat is my driving, but that is already the strongest part of my game, at +10 to scratch, so I am more than happy to see it stay stable if I can improve the rest. I plan to keep updating this thread as I continue using the app and see if I can improve my approach, short, and sand game, and hopefully my handicap.

While I have been very pleased with SwingU, and am abandoning my old spreadsheet, I am deducting 3 points for the learning curve of the data entry and the confusing stats on different pages.
 

On The Course (17 out of 20)-

The on course data entry is the best of the apps I have tried. BE AWARE, you do need to watch the intro videos and be consistent in how you track lies to get the best results, but once you do it is quick and easy. I also appreciate the decisions they made on what to track. That is part of the simplicity, but provides the required strokes gained data. It’s as simple as GolfShot is for just its standard entry, and easier than its strokes gained setup. Compared to MyTaylormade+ it is heads and tails above. MyTaylormade requires moving the pin to the exact location, marking your locations, etc. You have to constantly have your phone or interact with your watch to track your location. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about missing shots, like with Shotscope or Arccos. You can even add your round after the fact, if you don’t want to have to interact with an electronic device at all on the course. Just keep track of your approach yardage and your first putt length on your scorecard and the rest most people will be able to remember as they recall their round. 

Shot tracking is easy. Just click the green Track icon on the left side of the screen, then stop tracking at your ball. That said, you will need to have your phone with you or a smart watch, which may be annoying for some users. For me, I didn’t use it a lot, other than drives, since I already have my carry distances pretty well defined from my launch monitor.

The caddie feature was ok. I found the wind direction wasn’t always accurate, since it is based off the closest weather station, which could be miles away. Also, I would like to see the recommended tee club be based off the DECADE recommendation where it recommends a club based on where you have 70 yards of landing space side to side. My experience was that it would often recommend driver when I really needed to club down to stay short of water and other trouble. However, if I zoomed in to pick a landing spot it would always recommend the right club.

Possibly the most beneficial, on course feature are the green maps. I will ignore the app's threats of removing the feature when I took screenshots, as I understand the reasoning behind that and there is no way it could know I am reviewing it. The maps helped me save par many times when I did not see much beak and would have missed a putt, had I not consulted it. I don’t have a smart watch, so I can’t say how they were when using one, but on the phone they were great. You could zoom in to a specific region and get a very detailed idea of what the putt might do. I can see why the tour want’s to do away with the greens books now. It’s a huge advantage. The only problem is, you do need to carry your phone with you on the green, but that is the nature of using an app like this. You can also turn this and some of the caddie features off if you are using it to play in a tournament.

One thing I could not figure out was how it decided where to put the pin on the green. I tried moving it on the screen, and went through the settings, and still couldn’t figure out how to get it in the right spot when it was different than reality. Add into that, the larger Green distance, on the right side of the window, seemed to be to where the app defines as the pin, I was a little confused. This required me to use my range finder, in addition to the app, although it was usually close enough to the center and provided front and back values that I could conceivably just use the app if I wanted.

I am taking 3 points off for some of the quirks with the caddie feature and the pin issue. If I find out the pin issue is user error, I will update my score. The caddie feature may also get better as I get more and more familiar with it, but we will see.
 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (8 out of 10)-

The good:

The recommended areas of practice and drills are very helpful. I saw improvement throughout my game by utilizing them, more so than my old stats tracking spreadsheet and my own analysis from other apps I have used. The green maps are amazing, and one of my favorite on course features. I didn’t always use them, as I tend to prefer to putt to what I see, but it was helpful on more subtle breaks.

The bad:

The SwingU versus feature has to be enabled, even if you have the right account type and it has a learning curve to use. If you keep that in mind, it isn’t the worst, but some apps out there seem a little easier to figure out at the start.

The inbetween:

The caddy isn’t always the best on wind or club recommendations, but it’s good enough that you will see benefit. It also got better as I spent a little more time with it, so I may see it improve as I continue to use it.
 

Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20)-

I have really liked the SwingU app and will continue to play it. I will still be using my range finder, in conjunction, but this will guide my practice and rounds. I have already told myself I will pay for the premium subscription when my free period as a tester runs out, assuming I continue to see the benefit. Unless anything drastically changes with the app, which I don’t see happening.

 

Conclusion

SwingU has made a great on course and overall golf stats app. It offers simple strokes gained stats entry, caddie features, green maps, and practice help that are second to none. For those that want automatic shot tracking, you won’t find that here, but I feel the simplicity of use makes the interaction with your phone as minimal as possible. It feels more like a yardage and green book on your phone, with stats tracking that isn’t much more involved than writing your score on a scorecard. There is a little bit of a learning curve, and it’s not the prettiest golf app out there, but it has become an integral part of my golf game.
 

Final Score (86 out of 100)

 

-- UPDATE for latest software version --

 

 

Edited October 24, 2023 by MuniGolfer
Update and formatting

[DeBartola_B]

Hello MGS Members!

INTRODUCTION

I am excited to finally get an opportunity to be a tester. I truly love reading all the reviews of various products and, like most of you, use those reviews to make purchases. Although I have not commented as much in the past, I have been reading this forum for years and hoping that this process will get me more comfortable posting and getting into a rhythm of how this forum runs.

As for me, my name is Blake DeBartola. I am 33 years old, a father of 4 (ages 8 to 1 year old). We live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, in a friendly little community that is covered in golf cart paths and golf courses. I literally drive my golf cart out to eat, to the grocery store, to my kids' schools, and everywhere in between. It is a great place to be a golfer and an even better place to raise a family.  I have been golfing since I was a kid, maybe 10 years old, but didn't really start to get into it until I was in college. I always grew up playing a bunch of different sports and played college football at Georgia Southern University (Picture below of me attempting to block SEC DLineman). 

When I was done playing football, I needed a way to "express my competitive spirit" (aka I was driving my wife crazy), so I naturally started playing golf. I had always played a little before, but this is when I started trying to practice and get better. It was an interesting time for me because I didn't really have anyone to play with; my friends had never really played before. So it was a great combination of getting them to pick up the game and making new friends who already golfed. With that, I have been able to organize and lead a yearly golf tournament that has grown from 4 guys to over 32 this past year. I am sure, like many people, this is the event that is circled on my calendar every year, and my performance, equipment decisions, and every little advantage I can try to get revolves around whether it will help me win that tournament. (Picture below of me winning the tournament in 2022, no comment on 2023 results).

The strength of my game is certainly off the tee. I can hit it far, and for most courses I play, it sets me up to have short iron or wedges on basically all Par 4s and the chance to get home in 2 on all Par 5s. As it stands today, I am a 7.8 handicap, which to me is kind of a tipping point between a really good golfer and just a pretty good golfer. I have good rounds and bad rounds but am fighting to make my good rounds much more consistent. In that fight, I have tried to shave fractions of strokes off by looking at everything for an advantage: course strategy, equipment setup, practice methods, etc. I believe SwingU can provide me with some data to better understand where I need to improve and, more importantly, how to improve. I am excited to get started and looking forward to being able to provide all the members insight into my journey and how I think this product can help me be a better golfer.

As far as my plan for testing goes, I plan to use this app in a different way every time I play to see how much it benefits me. Currently, I use the Grint app, but only for score tracking and the small amount of free stats it provides. I typically don't love using my phone all the time on the course, and I do not wear a watch while playing. So, throughout this process, I want to play rounds and use this app in varying levels of involvement in my rounds: inputting data after the round, only using it for distances, using it for scorekeeping, and then using it 100% for everything, including club selection. This will give me a good gauge of how valuable this information is for me, and hopefully, I will be able to communicate it to you guys to determine if it is something you are interested in learning more about. If at any point during this review there is something specific you would like me to show or do on the app, please reach out on this thread or via DM, and I will be more than happy to include it in my next weekly review.

Looking forward to getting this started, I've got a round scheduled at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in 3 weeks. If I hit the ball in the water on 17, then I will blame SwingU for the wrong club selection!

 

First Impressions

Turns out that I previously downloaded and created an account for this app but just have not used it for a few years.  I am sure this is the period when I was trying to find an app that worked for score/stat tracking and handicap tracking.  Anyways loading and opening up the app is as simple as any app on an iPhone, and quickly navigating thru the home screen and some of the other offerings was smooth and simple. Below is the home screen when you first log into the app, it has your basic stats listed in the middle, a link toward all your played rounds and then a button to start a new round.  The black bar on the bottom is how you navigate thru different areas of the app.

On the play tab you can search 1,000 courses they have available (seriously I typed in every course I can remember playing and they had everything).  I was quickly able to find a few that I play regularly and saved them as my favorite courses.

The drills tab was a bit overwhelming, there are a TON of drills available for you to review.  I will admit that after I carded my round of 88 with 38 putts I felt slightly attacked how much they insisted I use a couple putting drills.  But that is how the app works, it determines all your data and provides input on how to improve.

I was finally able to get on the course and use it this weekend and wanted to share a few things that I really enjoyed about it.  The first one is this map that shows varying distances when approaching the green.  It really allowed me to have some thought of club selection and not just take the closest club to the pin.

This was a great visual to me to see the distance to the “fat” part of the green and giving yourself more wiggle room with a miss left or right.  Very helpful and something that is difficult to do from 160 yards in the fairway.  As for the club suggestion next to the distance you’ll have to disregard that for now.  The app asks you to track every shot and every club before your swing and then stop tracking when you get to the ball.  To be honest, this is just too much for me.  It is difficult for me to remember to do this when I’m walking up to a putt or a chip shot and focusing on my next shot.  This is a feature that would be better suited for someone with a smart watch.  Also, I tried to manually input my distances as I know them, but it does not seem it allows me to do so.  The last in game feature I wanted to show was the green maps and to that note please know this is the last green map I will be able to share because when I screen shot it it sent me a notification that screen shots are not allowed and doing so again will lock me out of the green map feature.  But because I like you guys so much I am going to share this one with you.

This is a really cool feature but to me it just seems like information overload.  I can see how this can be extremely valuable, but I would need to really get into the weeds on this for it to be a tool for me.  I suppose that’s why I had 38 putts on Saturday…

Next, I want to show some of the strokes gained stats that were generated from just this one round.  All these stats are all set against a scratch player, which is different than the strokes gained stats you see on the PGA Tour.  The PGA Tour sets theirs against the Tour average.  The way SwingU does it is obviously the best way for amateurs and casual golfers to compare themselves.  Below are some the stats that don’t completely embarrass myself that I am willing to share.

Lastly I wanted to share the email that SwingU sends you when your round is completed.  I know this is not much but I love these, it’s a way for me review my round quickly and get a refresher of what went well and what went wrong.  Overall this app has way more data and information available than anything I have used in the past (Grint, 18Birdies, GHIN) I am excited to figure out exactly what data will help me both on the course and off the course as I continue to put more rounds in.  I am scheduled for 2 more rounds this week so I should get to 3 round minimum to determine a handicap and start to build these strokes gained stats up a little more.

 

First Impressions (9 out of 10)

This app offers a refreshingly intuitive experience, in my opinion. Navigating the app store to find it was a breeze, thanks to the absence of confusingly similar names. Downloading and logging in were equally straightforward processes. Upon launching the app and bypassing the login screen, everything you need is right at your fingertips. The interface is thoughtfully designed, with clear labels and easy navigation.

I'm not giving it a perfect 10 out of 10 because the app's simplicity sometimes hides its full potential. For instance, it took me a while to discover the course explorer section, a hidden gem in their catalog. This feature deserves more prominent placement on the home screen, as it's one of the app's standout offerings.

Overall, this app prioritizes simplicity while delivering a wealth of data for users to draw their own conclusions. As a data enthusiast, it provides precisely what I crave—minimal fluff and pure, unadulterated facts.

 

The Numbers (20 out of 20)

This is where this app truly sets itself apart from other golf tracking apps, and its standout feature is its unparalleled ability to provide valuable insights based on the data you input. Beyond offering precise distance measurements for every imaginable spot on the course (the green distance chart, as mentioned in my earlier review, is particularly impressive), SwingU excels in delivering two major metrics that offer distinct perspectives: Strokes Gained and Relative Handicap. These metrics are further divided into subcategories, including Drive, Approach, Chip/Pitch, Sand, and Putting, which contribute to an overall score or rating.

Strokes Gained utilizes your data to assess how many strokes you gain or lose compared to a scratch player. On the other hand, Relative Handicap evaluates your performance in each subcategory relative to golfers of a similar handicap. For instance, if your driving was stellar but your putting struggled on a day when you shot an 80, you might be rated as a 2 handicap for driving and a 25 handicap for putting. Despite a round differential of approximately 8-10 strokes, this analysis provides a clear breakdown of your performance in different aspects of the game.

While I've logged only about 10 rounds into this app, I haven't delved fully into the intricacies of these metrics yet. However, my initial usage, coupled with the suggested drills and practice plans the app offers, has already yielded positive results for me.

 

On-Course (18 out of 20)

The more I committed to utilizing this product, the more I appreciated its capabilities. It truly shines when it comes to intermediate distances and providing hole-by-hole layouts. I discovered its immense value on courses I hadn't played before, where gaining a better understanding of hole layouts and strategic aiming points helped me save multiple strokes. Initially, I cross-referenced the distances with my rangefinder, but as the app consistently landed within 1-2 yards of accuracy, I grew to trust it completely.

The app also boasts a wind feature, which I admittedly overlooked. While it could offer a glimpse into general wind speeds in the area, I'm not inclined to rely on any weather type apps. The only aspect of the app's on-course performance that didn't entirely win me over is the process of inputting scores after each hole. This required a round or two of trial and error to get the hang of, but once mastered, it only takes about 20-30 seconds in the cart before your next tee shot. It's not that the process is overly complex, but I've found it necessary to input all data while it's still fresh in your mind, especially regarding the first putt distance.  This is just something I don’t always love to do while playing and found the data can suffer when I try to input after the round.

 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (17 out of 20)

I'd like to touch on a few aspects of the app that haven't been covered extensively in other sections, without reiterating points already made.

First, the practice drill section is impressively extensive, offering a wide array of drills tailored to areas of your game that need improvement. While this is undoubtedly valuable, my personal philosophy on golf instruction differs slightly. I'm somewhat cautious about relying too heavily on instructional videos to learn. Many of these drills are simple and don't require major swing changes, but I mention my hesitancy to dive too deep into golf training videos and potentially get lost in the information overload. Personally, I tend to avoid this approach.

I previously highlighted the course explorer section's benefits, which allowed me to familiarize myself with a course before playing it. This feature gave me insights into the optimal distances and club choices for aiming at the most forgiving parts of the fairway or green. It essentially helps you establish a game plan for your round, which, in my experience, often leads to improved scoring.

However, I must deduct three points for a relatively minor issue: the app's lack of integration with GHIN handicaps. While this may seem trivial, it's somewhat frustrating to have to manually input scores, especially when striving for simplicity and minimizing the number of apps and devices. It's worth noting that the app developers may be working to address this, but it's an inconvenience that warrants consideration. Perhaps the real question is whether the deduction should be aimed at the folks at USGA and GHIN instead.

 

Play it or Trade it?  (18 out of 20)

In the realm of golf data, this app stands out as one of the best offerings I've encountered in a user-friendly format. As I've mentioned, I've logged only 10 rounds so far, but I'm eagerly anticipating the opportunity to explore how these metrics evolve over the course of a full golf season or two, especially when paired with various practice plans and strategies.

The only drawback, in my opinion, is the need to have your phone with you on the course at all times to fully harness the app's capabilities. The golf course, for me, is a sanctuary where I often seek a break from technology. Embracing this app to its fullest extent requires constant phone presence, which can be a minor inconvenience.

Nevertheless, this is a product I intend to continue using. When I commit to using it on the course, I genuinely appreciate its performance and the valuable insights it provides.

 

Conclusion

SwingU sets itself apart from other golf apps by delivering personalized data tailored to enhance your game like no other. At its core, it's a superb GPS tool, offering easy access,  intermediate distances and comprehensive green maps. However, it has the potential to become your virtual caddie, providing invaluable guidance throughout your rounds.

The app's value hinges on how extensively you embrace its offerings. If you fully commit to utilizing its features, it undoubtedly justifies its cost and then some. However, if you only intend to use it for scorekeeping and basic GPS functionality, you might not find it as worthwhile.

I've personally experienced some of my best rounds when I've leveraged the app's full capabilities. It helps keep you locked in and focused before and during your round, contributing significantly to your performance. I intend to continue using and experimenting with this app for the foreseeable future, as it has proven to be a valuable asset in my golf journey.

 

Final Score (92 out of 100)

[Dave73nl]

SwingU app on iOS 16.5.1 – Official MGS Forum Review by Dave73nl

 

Introduction.

Okay FIRST AND FOREMOST thank you MyGolfSpy and SwingU for this testing opportunity! 

Okay and next the elephant in the room, sorry! I’m not a native English speaker so my choice of words and building sentences will be odd or strange now and then but hey; that’s the international character of MyGolfSpy at it’s best!

At the moment i received the mail that i was chosen to do the test i was driving through the Scottish highlands for a holiday trip with my girlfriend so I wasn't able to write down a proper introduction. I had to play some golf!

I’m still there but on my ‘rest day’ i have some time to introduce myself. I’m Dave, 50 years young and I live in the Netherlands. I have played golf for almost 12 years now and been privileged to play on some really nice courses like the 'Twenty-Ten' Ryder Cup course on Celtic Manor, Turnberry (before Trump killed the logo) and the ‘Old’, ‘New’ and ‘Jubilee’ course in St. Andrews

 

 

Now i’m a bit older i take my golf more serrious. That means that I play a little more and I try to fit golf more and more in my everyday life. I work as a therapist in a mental health hospital and I really enjoy the peaceful state I get in as I play my rounds with friends or allone.

Okayyyy how do i get around my rounds without the app i’m going to test? I am an active guy so I bought myself a Garmin Fenix 6X pro a year ago and this marvelous machine is a hell of a rangfinder! It tracks my shots, it gives me all the (play like) distences, and tracks my scores. If i’m not sure ore the course is not updated i always have my cheap chinese laser rangefinder. Sounds good huh? It works like a charm so why do I wanna test the app?

Wind Speed & Elevation. Club Recommendations. Green Reading Maps For 13,000+ Courses. Hole Insights & Hole Notes. Strokes Gained Analysis for Each Part of Your Game. Relative Handicap for Each Part of Your Game. Post-Round #1 Game Improvement Priority. Post-Round Personalized, Prescriptive Drill. Extensive Library of Performance Practice Drills and Informative Videos.

Do i need to say more?

I never used the app before, I have used Golfshot for a while but stopped when I got the Garmin.

What do I want to gain? That i have a better understandment what's wrong with my game and get the right drills to get better!

That's all for now, o no… The app didn’t have the course I played today. Now my Garmin was off track also but it knew that the Course exists… -1

As soon as I get the acces i will start testing it! I play from 27 so I will have a lot of time on the course to test it!

 

First impression (2 x 9 hole rounds in)... (10 out of 10)

Okay my first thoughts after my second 9 holes are wow... It's getting better and better but also more and more...

Let's start this part with the thought that I am a typical male. Meaning i don't RTFM! (read the f*cking manual!) like any other and just start using the object or in this case the app,

It felt nice and smooth! After filling in all the data for the first round I thought: 'Okay, but how does the shot tracking work then?'. While waiting to tee off and thinking how this could even work i saw the icon at the bottom of the screen left 'Track'... Okay let's try that one! And there was a popup with a club selector... Here comes the first thing I noticed I had to do to get better results; fill in the right clubs to represent my bag! Okay after i did that it worked as a charm. 

i also used my Garmin 6X Pro at the same time so i had some comparing data. I saw the club distances on my SwingU were longer than on my Garmin... (okay let's be fair everyone wants to be a bit longer so that wasn't a big problem). I missed the screen on my app where I could see the ball's landed and were shot from where in the course. I missed that because I love that feature in my Garmin app. When I opened the score in my laptop browser after getting a mail about my round I saw that it was there! So okay not on the app but on a website with even more data and I loved that!

 

(ps 2 different day's so different data )

And under: a hole played without the versus mode on and a hole with...

 

My first impression is solid, fast and good! My Garmin gives info about the course in the display but I have to manually maneuver a short distance to see the distance till the hazard, in the app I just point at it and it gives me the distance and even what club I need to hit after that... I like that. It works fast. I like that a lot too! After i put my bag to the ground and look at what kind of shot i have left i take my phone and in a few seconds it is on the exact point with up to date data to think about the next shot!

I missed the option to put in the putting distance but when I selected the versus mode in my second round the data fields to enter after a hole dubbled! That's nice but that took me some time after the round at home to figure out what they ment and re-entered the data as it should be.. Okay that didn't felt 'easy' and a bit strange maybe it is the learning curve and it improves over the rounds. It toop me a lot of time to fill in the scores and I Feld I was more entering data then enjoying the fact a made a birdy  (and I don't make many!)

The Company behind the app is very reachable for asking questions and on there website are some video's too. They are active on the forum and in the mail and even had planned a Google Meeting that was open for us testers but also for all people who were interested and I like that kind of thinking. 

What would I like to see as a change? I would love to see an option where you can manually input the place where a ball lands. With chirurgic precision I sliced a ball in the pond for example but I could only end the shot where I stood or dropped my ball again. I also would love to put in extra data for the power I put into the shot. For example when I play a 75% PW because I wanted to roll against a full GW shot or make a chip with a 5 iron out of the woods (yes I am an adventurous golfer that explores all assets of the course). Also i would like the option to input the lie of the ball i'm gonna track.

So how was my first impression? I really like the app and it really got me into the app based rangefinders again! Because of the spreed and easy to use 'ness' in the course I noticed I wanted more and more info about how much room I had on that part of the hole. When I needed the pin distance I still took out my laser, it's more of an and-and solution for me at this point.

In the next weeks I'm gonna focus on more rounds on the app, looking at the questions asked in this threat and trying to answer them as accurately as possible so you get the info you want! and gonna watch the recording of the Google Meeting because i was a bit late at the meeting (yesss the horrible late night competition 4 ball 70+ members playing from the back tee's with 120 meter shots... ) Also i'm gonna watch the instruction's on Youtube and gonna do what it suggests me to do for drill's and practices. I also created a free account next to the paid one so I can see the differences at the course. It's a lot but I like it!

AND I WANNA FIND OUT IF IT BENEFITS HIGHER HANDICAP PLAYERS TO PLAY BETER GOLF (all that data )

 

 

Aesthetics (8 out of 10) 

The app does give you a nice contrasted view over the hole in full screen. This is the standard for those kinds of app’s and they use the Google maps data for the satellite views on the holes so it depends on when the pictures were taken. In sunny conditions you get a nicer view of the hole from the sky than when the pictures were made in winter. The data is not customizable where you get it on the screen or in the color you want but that’s okay by me. It’s clear to see also when the sun shines on it. I would position the ‘track the shot’ button on the other side of the screen. With bigger screen phones it’s nearly impossible to push the on screen button with only one hand because the button is on the far left AND bottom site. When i type this i think; is it a left handers app because it’s ideal for them?! The installation, same as any other app...

 

The Numbers (12 out of 20)

The yardages are very easily switchable between yards and meters and were like you suspect by a GPS device easily within 5 yards of the laser. This is more than okay for my golf game and I did use the playlike calculations a few times when I was playing in the UK with some more difference in height in the course. On the courses a played was no green map available.

The setup was easy but it did have a little learning curve to understand how the versus modus works. If you play from a lower (0-10) handicap it’s easier to fill in the data in versus mode but in my case it wasn’t helpful at all... The feedback I got was ummm how do i say it. Easy? If I'm constant in my driving I get like 200 yards with a nice solide slice in it. It's not fashionable but I'm fair and that means that my second shot with a hybrid is something in the range of 150/160 yards... I know it is short but that's my game and if I get recommendations that my weak spot is 170/200 yard approaches then I think, that’s no rocketscience… The last few weeks I had the privilege to play a lot and train less so I naturally gained some distance just by playing more regularly and I skipped the training/practice drills for pure golf. I will give it a try if i’m in the offseason and gonna practice more then play so i will update about that part for sure. 

The battery life was okay if you use it as I do. I trigger the screen, watch my data and turn off the screen again and put the phone back in my pocket. I use an iPhone 12 with 90% of battery health and iOS 17 beta 3. It easily accompanied me in this way of use for 36 rounds BUTT when i used it as an allway's on device it couldn't last me 12/13 holes. Because of the screen time as well as the GPS ussaget it drains the battery fast…

 

On-Course (10 out of 20)

I think the biggest help for my play was the way I could get distances to hazards and course info by clicking on the layout of the hole. It was very useful and a feature I really loved using, especially on the courses that I didn't know. Everywhere I put my finger on the layout I got instant yardidges and that gave comfort in choosing my club and playing with more confidence and ease.

But then the rest…

The tracking feature was one I wanted to use with every shot because I could compare that to the Garmin data as well but it just didn’t work. Oldo every time i took a shot i triggered the button and stayed on the spot till it said 0 meters. I toggled the screen off and walked up to my ball and when i opened my screen again sometimes it just was back in the track button instead of a number of meters. When I triggered it again for the next shot it looked like it added up the shots so in the end I stopped tracking my shots at all. It did take too much time also and in our foursum other players told me I slowed them down. On my Garmin I get instant data instead.

The green reading feature wasn’t available on the courses that I played so I stopped trying after a few courses. Could be a really useful feature but my putting is not my weakest part so I didn't miss what  already didn't have...

And then the elephant in the room... Even if you use a paid version as I did you get a LOT of e-mails… I understand if you use a free version of software you get them because nothing in this world today is for free but some days I got upto 3 mails from partners with deals or newsletters or… a big no go for me.

The battery life was good. I used the app in my hand , not mounted on a trolley so the screen was off between shots and even after a day of 36 holes using it in this way I still had some juice in my iPhone 12.

So considering everything it slowed down my playing between the point I played better because of the better judgement of the coming shot and I was to flow for the foursome.


The Good, the bad, the inbetween (15 out of 20)

Good is the fact it uses a mobile device with Google maps for hole overview. You always bring your mobile device and most of the time it’s full enough to use. It’s easy usage and full screen interface makes it easy to read and use the data.

The tracking feature doesn’t always work as it should. Sometimes it just won’t end a shot, not even when you push the endshot button. It says it stopped but keeps on adding yardiges to the next shot. I stopped using it after a while. The score data in the versus mode is not intuitive and after a few rounds I stopped that feature as well. Strokes gained isn’t a big feature in my usage anyway.

I would like to edit the feature of adding the kind of shot you took when you track it. What I mean is dat for example i played a low shot i7 in the trees. It tracked it as a normal i7 shot but it was a pitch or even half swing shot instead.

 

Play it or Trade it? (14 out of 20)

Play it for the easy hole lay-out and distances on a bigger phone screen then my garmin watch face or as a real extra but if i'm honest, it could be every gps based golf app for that… It DID help my game on the courses i didn’t play before for the layout and i took my time to think about my next shot so that's worth something…

As I said earlier I think it’s a big extra for lower handicap players to get a better inside view and look where they can win or higher handicappers who really wanna invest in playing better by using the training video’s and really put the effort and time in it to progress.

I’ll play it for the next few months for sure!

 

 

Conclusion 

For low handicap golfers who need more insight about the real weakness and strength of their game I see a lot of potential but for higher handicap golfers the data is far too much. If you could couple it to your iWatch i also see more potential but for me, a casual hcp 24/28 golfer with a Garmin 6X Pro i stopped using it after a round of 10-ish

If you don’t have a watch at all it is a great tool for looking for hazard yardidges etc. It’s fast enough for that but using the tracking option doesn’t work smoothly all the time and sometimes not at all.

Do I pick it up later? Yes for sure because I think it has hidden potential. Because of the great range of training video’s it could be a really good training partner in the off season and for looking up the right training.

Would I pay 9 dollar a month for it? I guess not at the moment… Now the weather is getting worse here in the Netherlands and I will be playing more alone and in two balls I will give it another chance because I won't feel the pressure of playing too slow.

A big nogo for me is the amount of mails you get from SwingU and SwingU partners… If you pay for an add free version you don’t want daily emails with offers and such, On some days it’s up to 3 e-mails a day.

 

Final Score (69 out of 100)
 

My testing goal was: Can I replace my Garmin Fenix 6X Pro with this app and never look back?

Not yet...

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Dave73nl
Typo’s and editing picture.

[Woody83]

Congratulations to the selected testers.  A very unique opportunity.  Looking forward to what all of you have to say on your reviews.  

[Q22Golf]

Congrats! I’m very curious, especially any comparisons allowed!

[acatalano32]

Really excited to be a part of this and can’t wait to share my thoughts and findings

[NickyBobby]

Intrigued to see how this works for the testers. Have fun!

[MuniGolfer]

Excited to get started with this, see how it compares to some others and how it benefits my game.

[Derek Lusk]

Congratulations Testers!! This is a great opportunity for you. Can’t wait to hear what you think about this app and how it works for you.

[russtopherb]

Congrats all!

[PJVicary]

What a great opportunity. Looking forward to seeing the results of this test.

[Jonesie]

Congrats to the testers!

I’d be interested to hear/read how it stacks up against Garmin golf in particular.  Have fun tinkering. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Way to go testers. 

[GolfSpy_BEN]

Congrats to the testers! I look forward to all the unique things you all plan to do, to put this app through it’s paces.

[Paul Hedrick]

Congratulations to the testers.  I am looking forward to reading your reviews and experiences with this application.  I am always looking for new ‘tech’ for my golf game.

[MDGolfHacker]

Congratulations testers!  Interested in seeing how this works for the testers.

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I have received emails from them all the time with golf news and such. I was always interested in the app but never pulled the trigger. This will be interesting to follow along. 

[tmerick]

screenshots and accuracy tests lets goooo!

[cojobro77]

Congratulations Testers! 

[Brian A]

Congratulations to the those chosen. I use the free version and am interested in hearing what the pro version can really do for me. 

[Madden B]

Congrats everyone, I think that this is one that my dad was really curious about for us moving forward. I will have him read all of these reviews once they are up!

[Caddie1966]

Looks like a great crew to evaluate this app. Looking forward to your reviews and insights.

[Josh Ross]

14 hours ago, DeBartola_B said:

Hello MGS Members!

INTRODUCTION

I am excited to finally get an opportunity to be a tester. I truly love reading all the reviews of various products and, like most of you, use those reviews to make purchases. Although I have not commented as much in the past, I have been reading this forum for years and hoping that this process will get me more comfortable posting and getting into a rhythm of how this forum runs.

As for me, my name is Blake DeBartola. I am 33 years old, a father of 4 (ages 8 to 1 year old). We live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, in a friendly little community that is covered in golf cart paths and golf courses. I literally drive my golf cart out to eat, to the grocery store, to my kids' schools, and everywhere in between. It is a great place to be a golfer and an even better place to raise a family.  I have been golfing since I was a kid, maybe 10 years old, but didn't really start to get into it until I was in college. I always grew up playing a bunch of different sports and played college football at Georgia Southern University (Picture below of me attempting to block SEC DLineman). 

When I was done playing football, I needed a way to "express my competitive spirit" (aka I was driving my wife crazy), so I naturally started playing golf. I had always played a little before, but this is when I started trying to practice and get better. It was an interesting time for me because I didn't really have anyone to play with; my friends had never really played before. So it was a great combination of getting them to pick up the game and making new friends who already golfed. With that, I have been able to organize and lead a yearly golf tournament that has grown from 4 guys to over 32 this past year. I am sure, like many people, this is the event that is circled on my calendar every year, and my performance, equipment decisions, and every little advantage I can try to get revolves around whether it will help me win that tournament. (Picture below of me winning the tournament in 2022, no comment on 2023 results).

The strength of my game is certainly off the tee. I can hit it far, and for most courses I play, it sets me up to have short iron or wedges on basically all Par 4s and the chance to get home in 2 on all Par 5s. As it stands today, I am a 7.8 handicap, which to me is kind of a tipping point between a really good golfer and just a pretty good golfer. I have good rounds and bad rounds but am fighting to make my good rounds much more consistent. In that fight, I have tried to shave fractions of strokes off by looking at everything for an advantage: course strategy, equipment setup, practice methods, etc. I believe SwingU can provide me with some data to better understand where I need to improve and, more importantly, how to improve. I am excited to get started and looking forward to being able to provide all the members insight into my journey and how I think this product can help me be a better golfer.

As far as my plan for testing goes, I plan to use this app in a different way every time I play to see how much it benefits me. Currently, I use the Grint app, but only for score tracking and the small amount of free stats it provides. I typically don't love using my phone all the time on the course, and I do not wear a watch while playing. So, throughout this process, I want to play rounds and use this app in varying levels of involvement in my rounds: inputting data after the round, only using it for distances, using it for scorekeeping, and then using it 100% for everything, including club selection. This will give me a good gauge of how valuable this information is for me, and hopefully, I will be able to communicate it to you guys to determine if it is something you are interested in learning more about. If at any point during this review there is something specific you would like me to show or do on the app, please reach out on this thread or via DM, and I will be more than happy to include it in my next weekly review.

Looking forward to getting this started, I've got a round scheduled at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course in 3 weeks. If I hit the ball in the water on 17, then I will blame SwingU for the wrong club selection!

Heck yeah man, glad to see you picked as a tester. GATA! We should link up and get a round in one day soon.

[DeBartola_B]

4 minutes ago, Josh Ross said:

Heck yeah man, glad to see you picked as a tester. GATA! We should link up and get a round in one day soon.

Thanks man, looking forward to it! Definitely threw that picture in for the few Eagle fans in here.  Absolutely I would enjoy that.

[TheProfessor02]

Congrats testers, excited to see how this one goes! 

[Sluggo42]

congrats testers- Ive been trying the base app (free version) and its been OK, but I've found that it freezes up a lot. Looking forward to hearing the unlocked versions abilities=

[Dweed]

Congratulations testers. As I've shared, I really will be interested in hearing about how user friendly this app is, especially for us older tech challenged crew members. Until very recently, I finally upgraded to a 4G phone. I had to retire my old commo wire reels hooked to my field phone. The 4 cranker kind.