Buying guide for best golf swing analyzers
When you watch professional golfers play, you’re probably always amazed at how easy they make the game seem. They always know exactly what club to hit from where on the course, and they always seem to dial in the correct distance.
The secret? Beyond daily practice, the pros have tons of data available to them. A pro player, along with a caddy and a personal teacher, has studied his or her swing from multiple angles. The pro has every measurement you can imagine available.
You, as an amateur player, probably aren’t going to have a personal teacher or caddy always on hand, unfortunately. But you can collect data about your swing, thanks to golf swing analyzer hardware. A golf swing analyzer measures clubhead speed, clubface rotation, clubhead angle, shot distance, and other data points.
To learn more, check out our shopping guide, which has all the details you’ll need to choose the best golf swing analyzer. If you’re ready to buy, consider one of our recommended models.
Key considerations
Types
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Standalone hardware: Some analyzers are small hardware devices that sit on the ground or on a stand. You’ll place this device behind your ball or parallel to it, depending on the instructions. In addition to measuring data points, the device may also record video.
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Glove-mounted: Some analyzers have a sensor mounted on the golf glove. This is convenient, as you’ll always be wearing the glove and won’t have to remember to move the sensor from club to club.
- Club-mounted: A popular type of golf swing analyzer will use a sensor mounted to the top of the golf grip. Many golfers like this style, as it’s out of the way while adding very little weight to the club. It’s also an accurate means of collecting data. However, this type of sensor can pop loose in the middle of a backswing, which can be frustrating.
Features
Want to really enhance the enjoyment of your device? Here are some features that you’ll want to seriously consider when picking a golf swing analyzer:
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Smartphone app compatibility: Compatibility should not be a problem for analyzers, as they typically work with either iOS or Android devices. If you have an older smartphone, though, you may find some incompatibility problems.
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Data storage: You’ll want an app that can store data for a long time so you can compare your progress over time.
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Swing comparison: One of the best options an app can give you is the ability to compare your swing to a pro’s ideal swing. It matches your data points to the pro’s data points, helping you find areas where your swing needs improvement.
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Multiple sensors: Although a golf swing analyzer with multiple sensors costs more, it can be more convenient to use. If the sensors attach to the club grips, you can insert the sensors on all of the grips before your round. This saves time versus moving a single sensor from club to club during the round.
- Types of information: Nearly all analyzers will measure swing speed and swing plane. If you’re looking for hitches in your backswing or the angle of the clubface at impact, though, you won’t find these items with every golf swing analyzer model. Think about what you want to track, and then verify the device can handle those measurements.
Golf swing analyzer prices
Golf swing analyzers are expensive pieces of equipment. So you will want to use them often for both practice and on the course to gain the biggest benefit from your investment.
Basic swing analyzers will cost $50 to $150. These devices may only measure swing speed. Or, if you’re purchasing a sensor system, it may have only one sensor that you must move from club to club before you hit.
Advanced swing analyzers will cost $150 to $500. These usually will be sensor systems with 12 to 15 sensors in the kit. Some may even record video from a separate piece of hardware while measuring your swing data.
Nearly all swing analyzers come with a free smartphone app that you’ll use to save and study the recorded data.
Tips
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Keep the smartphone nearby. Some analyzers require that you keep your smartphone in a front pocket while playing to ensure the data is synced with it. If you don’t normally store the phone here while playing golf, this may be uncomfortable for you. We’d suggest hitting some balls on the range with the phone and analyzer in the proper positions. You then can see how it feels before taking it out on the course.
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Understand your battery options. Swing analyzers will run on batteries. Commonly, these models will use a rechargeable battery. You just need to remember to charge the device before you want to play. Some analyzer units run on watch cell batteries, which can become expensive to replace over time.
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Shaft clamp analyzers are not popular. Some of the earliest golf swing analyzers used a bulky piece of hardware clamped onto the golf club shaft. These units sometimes will pop loose during ball contact, which is extremely frustrating. They also add weight to the club in an odd position, which may affect your swing. This design is not commonly found in today’s market.
- Ask for help if you need it. If you’re unsure how to interpret your golf swing analyzer data, consider scheduling some lessons with a golf teaching pro. The pro can help you figure out how to adjust your swing based on the data.
Other products we considered
Looking for a good deal? The Rapsodo R-Motion Swing Analyzer only ships with one tracker, which saves you some money. Just switch it from club to club. The Game Golf Live Tracking System is an even less expensive option. It also uses a single sensor attached to the club to measure your swing data. For those with a bigger budget, Golf Game recently released Golf Game Pro. It uses the latest technology in its sensor to provide greater accuracy with less input required from the player. If you don’t want sensors attached to your club, the FlightScope Mevo is made with you in mind. It uses a small piece of hardware sitting on the ground that measures your swing and sends the data to a smartphone.
FAQ
Q. Will a golf swing analyzer actually help me improve my game, or will it just give me a whole lot of data?
A. As with any collection of data, the information is only useful if you can figure out how to interpret it. You’ll receive a lot of data from the analyzer. But the key is understanding the data, so you can adjust your swing. Some golfers enlist the help of a teaching pro to interpret the data and make the swing adjustments needed.
Q. How can I actually use the data from the swing analyzer without becoming overwhelmed?
A. For some people, the analyzer may generate almost too much data. To work with the data efficiently, focus on one part of your swing that you’d like to improve. Maybe you want better distance accuracy or to hit a straighter ball. Just focus on the data related to that particular part of your game that you’re trying to fix.
Q. Are golf swing analyzers actually accurate?
A. If you’re expecting PGA Tour–level accuracy in measuring your shots, you’ll probably be disappointed. However, for the average golfer, the accuracy of these devices usually will be adequate. As a general rule, a tracker attached to a glove or club grip will be more accurate than standalone hardware.
Q. Will the swing analyzer get in the way and hurt my score while I’m using it?
A. Modern golf swing analyzers are made to be lightweight and inconspicuous. The device should not affect the balance of your club while you’re swinging. You probably won’t even know it’s there. Sure, you could blame the analyzer hardware when you shank a tee shot into the water. But it’s far more likely that you just hit a bad shot.
