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GOLF

SHOTSCOPE V3, V2, OR ARCCOS CADDIE?

The top two Shot Tracking systems on the market are Arccos Caddie and Shot Scope. Both systems are an excellent addition to your golf equipment arsenal. They aren’t absolutely perfect, and work in slightly different ways. Which one you should buy will be decided by a number of factors. I will provide the pros and cons of each so that you may make an educated decision.

HARDWARE

Arccos Caddie uses battery powered sensors that screw into the top of your Grips that connect to an App on your Cellphone via Bluetooth.

Shot Scope uses RFID embedded sensors that screw into the top of your Grips that connect to the Shotscope GPS Watch.

The Arccos sensors are larger, but I’ve used both technologies and the sensors really aren’t noticeable during a Round. Requiring batteries to work is a disadvantage though. Eventually batteries die. RFID chips are everlasting.

Shot Scope requires you to wear their GPS watch, which until the recent release of the V3 was a little bulky and ugly. That was a nonstarter for some. The V3 is a much slimmer, and more attractive device. The new slim design does require a proprietary charge cord which I’m not a fan of. The previous generation V2 uses standard USB type B which everyone has plenty of.

Arccos Caddie requires you to have your cellphone on you during your Round. This really isn’t an issue for most people, except those that don’t like anything in their pockets while they play. The App is very easy to use, and has additional benefit of providing the Player with shot and club suggestions based upon their Arccos metrics.

For me the Shot Scope watch based system is preferable. I don’t have to keep taking my cellphone in and out of my pocket for information. I also use my cellphone for other things during a Round like taking photos or videos, and accessing the 18birdies App. The fewer applications I have to switch between the better. Depending on your cellphone the GPS positioning on the Arccos App can be slow to react so it helps to have an additional shot distance device like a Laser Rangefinder. The Shot Scope watch GPS only takes about 5 seconds to lock on to your position. I have never required an additional distance device to feel confident about my next shot. A common complaint about the Shot Scope GPS watch is it’s battery life. With the V2 there is barely enough power in a full charge to play two Rounds in a day. I would estimate a full charge to have roughly 8 hours of operation. So if you play a long Round of golf, a second time around is unlikely. Especially because the charge time is relatively long as well. You should have no issue playing at least 3 Rounds of Golf consecutively on a full charge with your cellphone. Plus the newer cellphones generally have quick charge capabilities. Just 30 minutes between Rounds is more than enough to top up.

Shot Scope V3

ACCURACY

Accurate is probably the most important quality a Shot Tracking system should be. In this case Accuracy can be measured in two ways. How accurate is it on the course, and how accurate is the data it provides afterwards.

Arccos Caddie is incredibly accurate, but has two small glitches you should be aware of. The first issue you will probably notice on the course. For whatever reason a few of the holes I’ve played on some courses are listed incorrectly. 150 yard Par 3 shows up as a Par 4 on Arccos. A 479 Par 5 shows up as a Par 4. These mistakes in the Application software don’t change your stroke count. They can have you believing that you are playing better than you are if you look at your score to Par during a Round. An issue that becomes obviously apparent after a Round is Driver distance. On some courses Arccos determines Driver distance based upon where it believes the Tees are, and not from where you actually hit it. In some cases it added an additional 30 to 40 yards. As much as I’d like to believe I occasionally have days where I hit my Driver 30+ yards more. The reality is that I don’t. Although Arccos likes to believe that I do. As long as you are aware of these issues they are easy to mitigate.

Shot Scope is incredibly accurate as well, and has the added benefit of more precise putting tracking. It isn’t without it’s faults either though. I’ll begin with a glitch that blemishes the putting benefit. In order to get precise putting stats you need to use the pin placement feature at the end of each hole. You press the button that corresponds with the number of putts you made by the Pin. On the final Hole of each Round the Shot Scope V2 advances to the Finish Round screen before I’m able to register the Pin position. I haven’t used the V3 so I can’t comment on whether this glitch has been fixed. Another issue I have come across on multiple occasions is Shot Scope registering a Shot but unaware of which club you used. Fortunately a alert icon appears by the shot when you upload the data which makes it easy identify and correct it during the Round editing process.

Of course the occasional shot is missed by both Tracking systems. Common reasons for happening are duffed shots that don’t travel far enough to register, failing to get out of a bunker, and delicate shots that fail to record as an impact. Fortunately these missed shots are easy to add during the editing process.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Arccos Caddie has one significant advantage over Shot Scope. The ability to access the Player’s data during a Round and make real time shot suggestions. It is actually like having your own Virtual Caddie with you every time you play. Unfortunately it isn’t free. The Caddie feature costs $100/year. The free version on the Application does include a basic guide though. Of course the Arccos Application counts as an additional feature as well. It provides the Player with a bird’s eye view of the Hole they are playing, and their location on it. They can see the location of Hazards, distances to doglegs, and Carry distances. Properly used Arccos Caddie can help a Player plot their way around a course quite safely.

Shot Scope has by far the best Shot Tracking system for Putting. The Pin placement technology is so simple it’s absolute genius. The GPS watch is as accurate as any Garmin GPS I’ve used, and incredibly quick. A feature that might get overlooked by some is the ability to turn off the GPS or Tracking feature before a Round. Doing so saves battery, and also allows you to use the Shot Scope to Track your Round during tournaments where distance devices aren’t allowed. For a competitive Player that’s a huge bonus.

Both technologies allow you to add penalties during a Round. Honestly though it’s not something I usually do until after during the editing process. After a particularly bad shot I just want to clear my head, and focus on the next one. Adding a penalty on my Shot Tracking device isn’t high on the priority list. For that reason the new Provisional shot feature on the V3 probably isn’t all that important to me either. For those of you that prefer to do as little editing as possible it might be a bonus.

CUSTOMER SERVICE & TECH SUPPORT

I have had the pleasure of dealing with both Arccos, and Shot Scope Customer Service and Tech Support. I say pleasure because both were excellent. In both cases it wasn’t difficult to get a hold of them. Anyone who has dealt with Customer Service over the phone or through email knows how difficult it can be in some cases. With each company Tech Support was required. The issues were handled quickly, and the results were more than satisfactory. It’s nice to know that if an issue does occur. You won’t be left to fend for yourself or be forced to buy a whole new device.

CONCLUSION

Which Shot Tracking system should you buy?

I made my decision last year before the V3 was even a rumour. I went with Shot Scope. It’s $150 less than Arccos Caddie on average. It doesn’t require my cellphone to function which frees me up to use my cellphone for other things. There’s no additional subscription fee to use it’s complete feature set. I have never had an issue with Course Accuracy. I’ve never played more than 18 holes of golf in a day so the battery capacity is sufficient. Shot Scope is very good about offering current users a special preorder price on new hardware. So I was offered a sneak preview of the V3, and a great price to upgrade. I decided against the upgrade because the size of the V2 doesn’t bother me, I prefer standard USB charging cords, a colour screen isn’t important, and the new Provisional ball feature doesn’t interest me. The V3 also comes with 35,000 preloaded golf courses instead of uploading which courses you intend to play on the App. That isn’t a hassle to me either. So sticking with the V2 just made sense for me. The V3 might be the ticket for you.

I would consider Arccos if budget wasn’t as important, and I didn’t need my cellphone for anything else. Having a Virtual Caddie available is pretty cool. Especially because it provides you with multiple strategies on the Tee, and provides you with Risky and Safe options. One of my playing partners uses Arccos Caddie, and a Laser Rangefinder to get around the course. So the relatively slow GPS location of the App doesn’t effect his play. If you already use a Laser Rangefinder then adding Arccos is a bit more appealing.

Both Shot Tracking systems should help you lower your Handicap. Shot Scope requires you to spend a little more time analyzing the data, and then adjusting your game accordingly. Arccos Caddie can help you lower your Handicap by closely following it’s suggestions, and leaving your ego at home.

Whichever you decide to purchase, you won’t be disappointed. Anyone who is serious about improving their game should use a Shot Tracking system.

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GOLF

GOLF ONGOING REVIEW UPDATES 2019

The value of ongoing reviews

When I started the ongoing review format last season I wasn’t sure how effective it would be. The results were staggering to say the least. Products I originally assumed wouldn’t stand the test of time actually did. In fact I am still using some of them. I also learned that first impressions are more about personal bias, or effective marketing than actual fact. Kudos to the successful marketing departments out there.

This season has been no different. Some of my early impressions haven’t been correct, and time has shown the occasional flaw I wouldn’t have noticed in a traditional review. So after four months of testing, which is around the halfway mark for my ongoing reviews. Here are a few updates on the products I’ve been putting to the test.

Taylormade Project A Golf balls

If you would like a complete review on the Project A golf balls check my previous blog post. The ongoing review of the Taylormade Project A golf balls has come to an end because I actually began testing them last October. Simply put the Taylormade Project A isn’t for me. I’m not saying it’s a bad golf ball. Quite the contrary actually. It Spins well off the Irons, and Wedges. It is one of the best balls I’ve ever tested on the greens to putt with. Where the Project A is lacking is distance. In the simulator it constantly came up with slower ball speeds than other balls I had tested. It was obvious on the course as well where I would be short off the tee or on long approach shots. If I was a naturally long hitter than the Project A would be perfect but I’m not.

My first impressions of the Project A were great! I loved the Spin I was seeing in the simulator, and it felt so good off the Putter. It’s why I chose to do an ongoing review in the firsat place. It took a couple of months out on the course to realize that distance was going to be a serious issue for me.

Swing Caddie SC200

I can tell you that my initial impressions of the Swing Caddie SC200 were fueled by excitement for the product. First and foremost the Swing Caddie SC200 does what it’s supposed to do. It is an accurate portable launch monitor. I’ve tested it right alongside a brand new GC Hawk by foresight and it was within a yard in acuuracy. Now I will say that the accuracy was poor on total miss hits. The Swing Caddie is much better at reading swing speed and ball speed, but fails at trajectory. Of course total miss hits are easy for almost any golfer to notice so just ignore those numbers and move on. Where the Swing Caddie SC200 really shines is in the hitting bay. Hitting into a net gets boring real quick without some sort of launch monitor tech. I’ve spent up to 4 hours swinging in a hitting bay with the Swing Caddie. The more swings you take, the more data it compiles. This is a feature I wasn’t originally interested in, but have come to rely on as the season progresses. The SC200 tracks your average swing distance with each club. As you improve the numbers will improve. You will also become aware of weaknesses in your game that you maybe weren’t aware of.

There have been a few flaws with the Swing Caddie SC200 that you should be aware of. The SC200 needs to be positioned on a surface that’s level with the hitting surface. Sounds simple but it can be a pain at times. Most of the Ranges in Canada only have mats to hit off of early in the season. This means that I have to bring something for the Swing Caddie to sit on in order to raise it up to the correct level. If it isn’t just right it can provide you with incorrect distances. The remote that comes with it is relatively easy to use, but I have found myself having to be within a foot of the screen to get it to work sometimes. Otherwise I have enjoyed my time with the Swing Caddie SC200 thus far.

Arccos 360

The Arccos 360 Golf Performance Tracking system might be the product we were most excited to test. Manny a Cobe Life contributor installed it on to his complete set of clubs, and we couldn’t wait to see how it worked.

The first impressions were poor because 4 of the sensors that came with the kit were faulty. Fortunately Arccos replaced them quickly through their customer service department. Out on the course the Arccos 360 system does what it’s supposed to do most of the time. You need to keep monitoring what the Arccos 360 system is successfully registering. Now at first we thought it was entirely the Arccos 360 system’s fault but there is a certain amount of user error you should be aware of. We noticed after a few rounds that some of the shots weren’t being recorded. Well the Arccos 360 system doesn’t know when you’ve duffed one. If you completely flub a shot and end up walking only a few feet forward to take your next shot. The Arccos 360 assumes the previous shot was just a practice swing. Even shots that you might have considered successful chips can be missed if they traveled more upwards than outwards, and your next shot is with the same club. So you need to be aware of these situations. Another habit you need to develop is remembering to hit your gimme putts. Something Manny wasn’t used to, and it’s best to hit them firmly to ensure that they register.

What we have been most impressed with is the club suggestion system when out on the course. The Arccos 360 doesn’t just suggest the appropriate club based on distance. It factors in your successful shot percentage with each club as well. In a situation where you would normally choose to hit Driver off the tee, it might suggest you choose a 4 Hybrid instead because your chances of finding the fairway are greatly increased with that club, and your approach percentages are almost the same with either your wedge or 7 iron.

Ping G SFT Driver

When it came to selecting which Driver I would be doing an ongoing review of, first impressions were important. I did some extensive testing in the simulator of a number of different Drivers before selecting the Ping G SFT.

So did I choose correctly? The jury is still out on that one. The first question on everyone’s mind is, does the Straight Flight Technology actually work? I can confidently say that it does. Will it straighten out a swing that’s way over the top with a club face totally open to path? Hell no. What it will do is make closing the club face easier, and create a sweet spot slightly closer to the heel of the club where most Beginners tend to hit it. There are times when my swing is just atrocious, and I can’t blame the club for that. When my swing is working though I’ve never hit it that straight with any other Driver.

One issue I’ve had is generating a decent smash factor to increase ball speed. Now I know that part of the issue has been the balls I was using, but even with practice balls in the simulator my Smash Factor has been relatively low. I’m sure part of it has been me, but so far the Ping G SFT does not appear to have a Hot face.

Winn JumboLite Grip

If you follow me on cobesports on Instagram then you will know how excited I was when I first tested the Winn JumboLite grip on my putting mat at home. It felt like sinking putts was going to be automatic when I hit the course. I will say that my putting has improved. It just hasn’t improved as much as I expected it would. Brand new the grip felt absolutely perfect, but after a few months it’s already lost some of it’s cushion in the hands. It’s obvious that this grip has some durability issues because already the rubber on the butt end is beginning to peel, and the grip itself is getting a touch hard in spots. For someone who golfs maybe once a month it’s fine but for an addict like myself durability is a concern. This is the first “jumbo grip” I’ve used, and I won’t be going back to regular sized grips. The next grip I choose won’t be as large, but it will be made of a more durable material. A soft grip is nice in the hands, but as the wear sets in the feel changes. That is something you don’t want to have to deal with when putting.

I don’t mind the look.

Acer XK Chipper

The Acer XK Chipper, or Flipper as they call it because of the increased loft didn’t impress me much out of the box. Be honest would you be impressed? First of all it’s made by Acer. This is a company known for making inexpensive computers, not golf equipment. I’d Tag them on social media but it appears as though they don’t have a golfing social media account. It’s not particularly impressive to look at, and the build quality is about as plain as can be. Still after last season I felt it was time to test a Chipper, and quite frankly I’m glad I did. Using the Acer XK took a bit of practice, but so does any new club. Once I got a feel for it, my results with it have constantly improved. Would I suggest it to anyone having troubles around the greens? Yes, a resounding yes, but it does have a few limitations.

Keep in mind that this is a $60 club so you shouldn’t expect it to be perfect. What the Acer XK lacks the most is Feel. It doesn’t have a Milled face, or a special insert that took years of R&D to design. It’s just plain old steel with 5 horizontal lines across the face. The reason I’m constantly improving with this club is because it takes a lot of use to get used to how hard you need to hit it. Correct weight is achieved through muscle memory not feel. If Spin is your goal then this isn’t the right club for you. I’ve managed to make the odd Chip check up a bit, but for the most part using a Chipper is about rolling it all the way to the hole. It’s so easy to use that I honestly don’t care if I miss the green. In fact sometimes it’s better to come up short than leave myself a long putt with lots of break. With the Acer XK chipper I can fly some of the break and leave myself an easier roll to the hole.

Ongoing Reviews are the best indication

I can tell you that if I only spent a day with some of these products my conclusions would be very different. Even a week would have yielded different results. The only reviews that genuinely inform you of a products worth are ongoing reviews. Anyone who says different is flat out lying, ignorant to the fact, or biased through marketing.

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