HackMotion 2.0 - 2024 Forum Review

[NotScratchYet]

10 hours ago, vandyland said:

Minor hiccup here with the wrist strap, be careful as the velcro can come off. The velcro is 3 small strips which transferred to the "wrong side" and thus they would not hold anymore. I removed them and will try to glue them back. The good news is that it looks like the strap can be replaced in worst case. 

Thank you for the heads up, I will check mine the next time I practice to see if I see any signs of it coming undone.

[NotScratchYet]

Just a quick update on my swing progress so far by utilizing HackMotion.

2 weeks ago I had one of the best ball-striking days of my life.  My irons were hit centered on almost all of my swings.  The only downside was my driver was getting a little off by an overdraw or pull.  My putting of course is still in the lacking department.  I finished this round with a score of 75.  One of the best this year, and the greens were punched recently.

The next day I had one of the worst ball-striking performances ever.  My swing felt off, no power, no direction, and contact was all over the face.  The feeling that I had was the same between both days but I just couldn't hit the ball.

I spent the next 3 days working with HackMotion to confirm my feelings and check the positions of my wrists.  They were not off by much but I reverted to too much flexion at impact.  In the process of going through this, I had the realization that my swing moved too much in front of my shoulder.  I am not sure if it was the combination of the HackMotion and practice or just got the feeling again, but I moved the path more in-to-out on the downswing (feeling under my right shoulder) and the contact was crisp again.

I played again, and the game was much better.  The driver still feels a little bit off but did hit some 300-yard shots, and I am hitting a slight pull at times on my irons.  I made notes all over my scorecard to start checking the proximity to the hole.  Some of my mistakes were due to bad lies and others slight swing errors.  Overall I am progressing, I just need some fine-tuning.  Long story short, 7 over 77 for the day.

[Will A]

8 hours ago, NotScratchYet said:

2 weeks ago I had one of the best ball-striking days of my life. 

...

The next day I had one of the worst ball-striking performances ever.

Sounds like golf!

[vandyland]

Want to get back into the testing but still trying to figure out a workaround on the wrist band. Re-glueing is a no go. I think my suggestion for HackMotion would be to include multiple straps maybe? Or at least have straps available for purchase? I should probably scour Amazon to see if I can find something the same width. 

[Will A]

Played 18 over the weekend after warming up with some drills while wearing the sensor.  Hit my irons very well on the range and on the course - especially my mid-irons.  GIR on 3/4 par threes (all parred) was an especially good feeling.  Driver continued to be a problem spot - averaging only 185 after several which were very poorly struck (and not a common miss among them).

Despite all that, I tied my lowest net score ever, beat my course record by 2, and my lowest 18-hole differential by 1.7.  Shaved another stroke off my 'cap. 

If I can get my driver average back to 229 like I was a month ago, breaking 90 is well within reach.

 

[Shrek74]

5 hours ago, vandyland said:

Want to get back into the testing but still trying to figure out a workaround on the wrist band. Re-glueing is a no go. I think my suggestion for HackMotion would be to include multiple straps maybe? Or at least have straps available for purchase? I should probably scour Amazon to see if I can find something the same width. 

What did Hackmotion CS say about it?

[NotScratchYet]

15 hours ago, vandyland said:

Want to get back into the testing but still trying to figure out a workaround on the wrist band. Re-glueing is a no go. I think my suggestion for HackMotion would be to include multiple straps maybe? Or at least have straps available for purchase? I should probably scour Amazon to see if I can find something the same width. 

You may want to contact them again or reach out to @GolfSpy_APH.  I just received a replacement strap in the mail.  My first thought was they sent everyone a replacement.

[vandyland]

@GolfSpy_APH messaged me yesterday to say a replacement was on the way. So I should have it soon @Shrek74.

[Rearviewmirror]

While folks wait for replacement straps... How would you say your time with Hackmotion has translated to the course so far?

[NotScratchYet]

18 hours ago, Rearviewmirror said:

While folks wait for replacement straps... How would you say your time with Hackmotion has translated to the course so far?

That is a great question that I am struggling with for the final write-up.  I would say my ball striking has improved, but I am not 100% sure why.  I feel I have a better understanding of my swing, but currently, I am not focused on positions, but feels.  

On my ball striking my compression is better, I believe this is due to reducing my flexion at impact.  I was reading about dynamic loft and AOA yesterday and I think that makes sense.  I have an AOA of about 4-6 degrees.  If I have too much flexion it reduces the compression....based on what I read.  This has resulted in what feels like a smoother swing while compressing the ball more.

[vandyland]

I updated my putting post back on pg 4 ( https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/65910-hackmotion-20-2024-forum-review/?do=findComment&comment=1116987 ) where I detailed the experience I had with the putting. I think the rotation aspect is the most important for me as I want to go from 0 to -3 to -5 and then back to 0 at impact. I am going to play with my ball position to see if there is one that is better than another (i.e. forward, middle, back). I have been just slightly forward of middle lately but interested to see if there is something to be gained here, will update my putting post referenced above today or tomorrow. 

[RemingtonR]

So as far as you are in now, would you buy it for yourselves? I like the idea of this it seems like you guys are having decent results but would it be worth the high cost if you had to buy it yourself? I keep seeing ads for it and it really peaks my interest as one of my biggest issues it seems is my wrists and arms have minds of their own but the cost is just pretty high.

[vandyland]

1 hour ago, RemingtonR said:

So as far as you are in now, would you buy it for yourselves? I like the idea of this it seems like you guys are having decent results but would it be worth the high cost if you had to buy it yourself? I keep seeing ads for it and it really peaks my interest as one of my biggest issues it seems is my wrists and arms have minds of their own but the cost is just pretty high.

I will try to put a fine point on this in the final review. Right now, I don't think the "plus" ($495) product makes much sense on its own. I think you have to look at it like the "core" ($295) model vs the "pro" model ($995). I do not think there is a world where I would spend $995 on a training device/tech piece of equipment for golf. Having access to the pro model is a bit dizzying and as much I love to dive into data and the golf swing...I do not feel like I am qualified to determine what to do with all that information. Also, there is no additional coaching that comes along with the Pro model. I would think you would have to work with a coach who also used the HackMotion and could explain all the numbers and graphs to you...which would also cost more money. 

The Core Model I think I would consider buying on my own. True, it only tracks flexion/extension but it also has drills and coaching to help you battle those issues. If that is a big issue for a player (getting too cupped at the top or across the line) and/or flipping at the bottom OR holding too much lag at the bottom, this can really help without overwhelming you. That said, $300 is a lot of money for that feature and a bit of a tease when you know there is all that other info available. I would be curious if they would offer a subscription based model that was less expensive.

TLDR - The Pro model has information that is well beyond my understanding and only makes sense for a coach I think. The Core model is digestible for a curious golfer but still maybe on the expensive side for what it is.  

[Will A]

1 hour ago, RemingtonR said:

So as far as you are in now, would you buy it for yourselves? I like the idea of this it seems like you guys are having decent results but would it be worth the high cost if you had to buy it yourself? I keep seeing ads for it and it really peaks my interest as one of my biggest issues it seems is my wrists and arms have minds of their own but the cost is just pretty high.

Stay tuned...

[TTruax]

1 hour ago, vandyland said:

Very interesting review.   Have you every had lessons from a coach the uses tech to help teach...such as Golftec or Golf Defined.  As a very technical person myself...I found their coaching helped me understand a lot about the technical side of golf and how a thought can have the opposite affect in golf (such as aim right to stop a slice).  With that said...I am far from being an expert on the golf swing but I understand the golf swing (my swing) a lot better which has allowed me to look for training aids and drills (such as Hack Motion 2.0) that I might need for my golf fix.  I've wondered if having something like Hack Motion 2.0 could help identify whether my hands are slow and whether waists are an issue or not.  However, is the cost worth it? 

Thanks for your review.  

T.T.

 

[vandyland]

The app interface got a bit of a face lift this past week, see below where they have mostly added icons and made the front page a bit more "interesting." I have not yet discovered any significant changes to the actual app capability but this looks a bit more polished. 

 

For reference, it previously looked like this:

 

Edited Friday at 08:32 PM by vandyland

[vandyland]

@TTruax "Very interesting review.   Have you every had lessons from a coach the uses tech to help teach...such as Golftec or Golf Defined.  As a very technical person myself...I found their coaching helped me understand a lot about the technical side of golf and how a thought can have the opposite affect in golf (such as aim right to stop a slice).  With that said...I am far from being an expert on the golf swing but I understand the golf swing (my swing) a lot better which has allowed me to look for training aids and drills (such as Hack Motion 2.0) that I might need for my golf fix.  I've wondered if having something like Hack Motion 2.0 could help identify whether my hands are slow and whether waists are an issue or not.  However, is the cost worth it? "

 

Short answer is yes, I worked with a coach that used Trackman, GEARS and force plates. I think all of that technical data is very interesting and I am generally in favor of it. It was part of the reason I was excited about the HackMotion itself. 

Now on your specific question about hand SPEED, this device does not measure hand speed directly. It measures swing tempo (also not swing speed) but you can infer somethings from your graph as to when you finish your wrist set at the top and when you start to release and how you release. Again, for me, it is probably best used with an instructor but short of that I did learn that I was over-rotating through the impact zone so I have calmed down my forearm rotation and my ballflight has straightened out quite a bit (a lot less draws and hooks on course). 

[vandyland]

** Different putting grips testing **

Something I discovered in my general putting experience post -- link is here --> https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/65910-hackmotion-20-2024-forum-review/?do=findComment&comment=1116987 -- is that you are trying to limit your overall wrist movement and try to mirror your impact position with your position at setup. I tested different ball positions and then I thought "Hey, vandyland, what if you also tried out different putting grips?" Wow, novel idea! So here are the grips we are testing today:

Standard (for me) -- Picture 1 // Saw Grip (Morikawa, et al) -- Picture 2 // Left hand Low -- Picture 3

 

I did two rounds of 5 putts each way and here are my interpretations of the winning grip, per HackMotion data:

WINNER: The Saw Grip - very little rotation and had ALL my putts in the second set come into the ball square. The first set was a little squirrelly but I was also learning the stroke a bit. Here are the numbers off a 10 putt set (2 different 5 putt sets so I didn't get into a groove too much):

A ton of zeroes in the impact rotation spot which is what I like to see. The flexion/extension moved around a bit but I figure we can iron that out as we get more comfortable with the grip, clear winner. Here is the chart which shows how close it is to the benchmark. 

 

2nd Place - Left Hand Low - a decent showing and still better than the standard grip but not as strong as the saw/claw grip:

The average on rotation is slightly lower but I think that is due to a +1 on there as well but there are just less zeroes as well. Tempo got a little quick for some reason and flexion/extension moved between positive and negative a lot but still decent. 

3rd Place - Standard Grip - shocked at how much rotation there is/was in my standard grip. Does not look or seem stable when looking at the numbers:

The fact that I get as much as 6 degrees open is concerning as compared to the saw/claw which topped out at 5 but the average was down in the 3s. Also, a lot of -2 in the impact position is going to be a lot of misses to the right I am afraid. 

Overall, I think this was a pretty cool feature of the HackMotion. Obviously you still have to make actual putts on the course but I think something as simple as a putting stroke with wrist metrics is fairly clear that consistency and less overall rotation is probably best. Here is my last batch of 15 putts with the Claw Grip once I settled on that one:

This was compelling enough to where I am going to putt like this for the next few rounds and see how it goes. I expect lag and longer putts will feel strange but hopefully this helps with inside 15 ft. 

Edited 2 hours ago by vandyland

[TTruax]

15 hours ago, vandyland said:

@TTruax "Very interesting review.   Have you every had lessons from a coach the uses tech to help teach...such as Golftec or Golf Defined.  As a very technical person myself...I found their coaching helped me understand a lot about the technical side of golf and how a thought can have the opposite affect in golf (such as aim right to stop a slice).  With that said...I am far from being an expert on the golf swing but I understand the golf swing (my swing) a lot better which has allowed me to look for training aids and drills (such as Hack Motion 2.0) that I might need for my golf fix.  I've wondered if having something like Hack Motion 2.0 could help identify whether my hands are slow and whether waists are an issue or not.  However, is the cost worth it? "

 

Short answer is yes, I worked with a coach that used Trackman, GEARS and force plates. I think all of that technical data is very interesting and I am generally in favor of it. It was part of the reason I was excited about the HackMotion itself. 

Now on your specific question about hand SPEED, this device does not measure hand speed directly. It measures swing tempo (also not swing speed) but you can infer somethings from your graph as to when you finish your wrist set at the top and when you start to release and how you release. Again, for me, it is probably best used with an instructor but short of that I did learn that I was over-rotating through the impact zone so I have calmed down my forearm rotation and my ballflight has straightened out quite a bit (a lot less draws and hooks on course). 

Good stuff.  Thank you!  I think you hit the nail on the head.  When I said hand speed...i did not mean speed but tempo and placement at impact as you mention.  I sometime wonder if I have my hands are at the right position at impact and think my hands are slow getting there to the right position.   I have done and use the same tech with Golftec and Golf Defined.  But they have nothing for the hands and wrist.  

[Rearviewmirror]

19 hours ago, vandyland said:

** Different putting grips placeholder **

Something I discovered in my general putting experience post -- link is here --> https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/65910-hackmotion-20-2024-forum-review/?do=findComment&comment=1116987 -- is that you are trying to limit your overall wrist movement and try to mirror your impact position with your position at setup. I tested different ball positions and then I thought "Hey, vandyland, what if you also tried out different putting grips?" Wow, novel idea! So here are the grips we are testing today:

Standard (for me) -- Picture 1 // Saw Grip (Morikawa, et al) -- Picture 2 // Left hand Low -- Picture 3

 

I did two rounds of 5 putts each way and here are my interpretations of the winning grip, per HackMotion data:

WINNER: The Saw Grip - very little rotation and had ALL my putts in the second set come into the ball square. The first set was a little squirrelly but I was also learning the stroke a bit.

 

2nd Place - Left Hand Low

 

Very interesting stuff! I've been using the Japanese butterfly grip for a while now with my LAB DF3 and it's been great.

[Glenmore5]

On 8/16/2024 at 2:34 PM, Glenmore5 said:

Its now Friday 16/8/24..2.28pm in Syd Aus and the unit has arrived...Easy to set up and use....As this is a training aid...I cannot use it in my match play semi final tomorrow (Sat) and will go out on Monday for a test run..

 

Pics follow...

 

Official MGS Forum Review by Glenmore5

General

This training aid..‘HackMotion’ has audio and vibration feedback and gives you options on whether you play a signal at various times of the swing…contact for one and you definitely know when you are in the right zone..

This is the ‘Pro’ v and also allows you to check on your putting stroke..

Testing Grounds

Initially tested this in my back yard on a number of occasions…probably 20 mins sessions…amazing how you think your swing looks compared to the actual..PS…haven’t posted vids to avoid embarrassment….

Of course couldn’t hit balls…just hard practice swings taking a lot of divots…

Then progressed to the driving range…..went there half a doz times..1 hr each session..

Initially couldn’t seem to get into the groove….my strength is my short game and after hitting numerous wedges and flushing them…HM was telling me that I didn’t have ‘Enough flexion in transition’…weird…then tried practice swings only…and boom….got the ‘Green’ light…

Then to the putting green..again my strength…HM was again telling me that I was not within guidelines…even though the roll and putting speed was excellent….

Grading

Overall grading is 95

First Impressions (7 out of 10)

I have attached pictures of my sessions above.

This aid (IMO) is good for those who are extremely technically minded and want to work on their angles/set up (which are important) etc….I am a feel player not one that needs to work out whether I am in the right space to hit the ball…don’t get me wrong….I often work with my pro to make sure that I have the right angles to hit the ball where I need to..just that if you follow this aid to the letter…it MAY put you in the wrong space for your game.

Perhaps use this aid with your pro to see if it suits your game or where you want to go.

Aesthetics (10/10)

Overall Aesthetics is excellent…great fit for my hand and size..quality of unit and case is first class.

The Numbers ( 20 out of 20)

Setup:

Took me a while to understand ‘Flexion and Radial/Ulnar Deviation’…

Charging is quick…I charge after each session (as I do with most devices).

The online answers are fine to comprehend. Feedbacks are welcome and usually answered by the tele team within a reasonable time frame.

Have had a vid call with HM (Raimonds) and he and his colleague were very interested in the outcome of my initial testing..

They also took on board my query about the lack of feedback on well struck shots.

I found their metric about incorrect extension extremely useful and have concentrated on this since…I am now more aware to of extension at impact and now know when I have done that correctly…

 

On-Course ( 20  out of 20)
 

The positives of this aid was that I didn’t have to think about it on my wrist..ie;; other than trying to get the right plane etc…which didn’t end up being difficult.

It isn’t obtrusive and no different to wearing a gps watch.

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

As I have suggested earlier…great aid to find out where your angles etc are.Certainly has highlighted where improvement is needed in my game…suffice to say that I am more conscious of the extension angles and shaft lean..

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

I would play this only to keep and update on the important angles needed in a golf swing.

Not convinced that the asking price (presume $1k) warrants the aid.

Certainly useful for the majority of golfers.

Was hoping for a desktop option for my Mac…unfortunately not…

Conclusion

Great training aid…and I emphasize ‘AID’.

Use this with your pro to make sure your angles are on track and maintained.

Perhaps a reduction in the price could attract more buyers.

 

Final Score ( 95 of 100)