Today’s article comes from the web’s #1 equipment reviewer, Golf Assessor. The Golf Assessor team has reviewed hundreds of pieces of golf equipment and they were kind enough to look at swing analyzers for us today. Please enjoy and let me know what you think down below:
Twenty years ago the only ‘golf swing analyzer’ would have been watching video tutorials by David Leadbetter and trying to establish what you are doing wrong with your swing in comparison.
Swing Analyzers now come in a vast array of shapes and sizes and are either a phone based application or an actual golf swing device. When working out what you are looking for or needing from a swing analyzer you should keep the following in mind:
Build Quality
When it comes to build quality, you’re looking at two completely different things – software or hardware. How does the golf swing analyzer perform? Is it durable? Does it have a long battery life? Does it need upgrades or add-ons?
You also have to consider where you put it and whether it’s actually practical to use or not?
From our experience, most people will want a lightweight device that is attached onto the top of their grip. There are plenty of other methods, but this is the best in our opinion.
As for a software application, there are also certain minimum requirements. It needs to be compatible with iOS and Android. There also needs to be a strong connectivity with a decent range. A 360-degree view option for analysis is ideal, and an easy interface along with accurate data helps tremendously as well. Then it simply comes down to the extra specific features of each swing analyzer and how those features separate certain devices from the rest of the pack which can be the most difficult part of purchasing a swing analyzer.
Ease of Use
When you’re considering which swing analyzer to buy you want a device that is not only designed well but is also easy to use. How easy is it to set up the sensor? Does the data read easily? After that, if you can get the sensor and the app to connect at the same time that will make your life a whole lot easier.
Club calibration is one issue that not many have found the answer to dealing with. Let’s face it – that’s the boring part, so it needs to be over and done with as quickly as possible.
Once you’re ready to go, the dashboard is the most important thing. You need to be able to find your way around the menus, features, and statistics quickly and easily. Storing your swings and finding them shouldn’t be a chore, and any split screens, comparisons, and other imagery needs to be clean and uncluttered.
And of course, there is the data. It’s so hard to find that balance between supplying too little and too much data. In our opinion, the data just needs to be informative and provide the necessary information for you to improve. It’s hard to explain in words, but you’ll know when a device has succeeded in this department because you won’t have to think about it, everything will be presented seamlessly.
Value for Money
Cheap definitely does not equal good value so please keep that mind! It is, however, good to have certain price points in your mind. For $100 or less, you have to set realistic expectations. Once you start heading above $150, you’re then getting into the crutch numbers where you should be confident in the quality of what you’re purchasing.
And if you’re being asked to cough up north of 200 bucks, well, you should demand cutting-edge quality in return.
Based on all three of the points above, let’s pick out two Golf Swing Analyzers for you:
Epson M-Tracer Swing Analyzers
From the moment you open the box you know you have a quality product, not to mention how well it performs on the range.
In terms of features, the M-Tracer is faster, easier to use and more accurate than most of its competitors and that is something we’re certain of.
The M-Tracer is able to record data at a rate of 1,000 samples per second, which is a whole lot faster than most analyzers on the market and is the main reason why it is accurate to one-tenth of a degree.
The 3D view is a very cool feature and is one I found myself using a lot in conjunction with the V-Zone to analyze the finer details of my back-swing, down-swing and follow through. The Epson device also comes with a library of professional golf swing references to compare your swing with, which is incredibly addictive. The best part of this device though is just how simple it is to use.
If you are looking for the best middle-of-the range swing analyzer then we highly recommend the M-Tracer.
Zepp Golf 3D Swing Analyzer
The first time we used the Zepp Golf 3D Swing Analyzer, it didn’t feel right having the device clipped to my glove which made using the device a little awkward. It took a number of shots to trust the device wasn’t going to fly off my hand and also the device also recorded some strange data.
After the initial process was over, however, the Zepp was magnificent. To be fair, the Zepp 3D doesn’t have the full suite of features as some of the bigger guns, but it’s clear focus on the core elements of swing analysis and user-friendliness are as good as the best in the business.
Setting up and calibrating the device is incredibly easy, and the dashboard reflects this simplicity. There is some product-specific jargon to learn, but it’s not very complex.
In summary, Zepp has produced a user-friendly swing analyzer at a super affordable price, and because of that, we have given it our Best Value vote.
So there you have it, the three most important things to consider if you’re in the market for a swing analyzer and two products to check out if you’re still trying to do some last minute holiday shopping.
I hope you enjoyed today’s piece and have a great holiday season from The Golf Assessor team and us here at The Golf Academy.
The first item on our list is a classic putting mat for indoor practice during the winter. Putt-A-Bout takes the classic panel putting mat one step above its predecessors with this 9ft-3ft artificial green. This design features a kidney-shaped design with three different holes to aim at along with two “sand traps” behind the holes to keep any long putts from rolling under chairs or couches.
and 
