Zepp Golf: Review of multi-sport sensor that can improve your swing

iWorld Australia August 6, 2015 Zepp Golf, Zepp, Zepp Golf, Zepp Golf analyser 0

Shane O’Hara reviews Zepp multi-sport sensor for golf, which has helped him make improvements on the course

By Shane O’Hara Thursday 6 August 2015, 16:07 UK

The Zepp Golf sport sensor in action Photo: Zepp Golf

The Zepp Golf aid is a tiny 30mm x 30mm x 11mm, three ounce device that claims to be able to replicate much of the information that can be gained from the trackman system that we see all the top pros use while avoiding the five-figure price.

One of its unique psychical selling points is that, opposed to most swing aids, you wear it on your golf glove rather than attach it to the shaft of your club.

How does it work?

The owner downloads an application (free) to their smartphone or tablet. The device is then synced with this app via bluetooth where the app then displays all the information it receives from the device. Analysis of the data gathered can give the user an insight to improve their technique.

Some of the main features of the swing it analyzes are:

Clubhead speed
Club plane
Hand plane
Tempo
Backswing degrees
Hand speed

First impressions

Device

I am generally quite skeptical of this type of device, I do love the idea of being able to see your swing path that we are used to seeing on modern TV coverage, but at low cost. I had often recorded my own swing on the range to hopefully see if I was making any fundemental mistakes, but the inforomation I hoped to gain the most – clubhead speed and the path of my club, were pretty much impossible to guage by the naked eye. I had used a similar product once before, the attach-to-club version, but I found the need to change if from club-to-club on each stroke was a major inconvenience. I eventually stopped using it as it was too time consuming. I had optimism for this device, solely because you put it on when you began playing and took it off when you were finished, no adjustment inbetween. The device itself is tiny, weightless and slick, the user certainly wouldn’t be aware they were wearing it.

Usage – The app:

Syncing between the devices via bluetooth (to an android phone in my case) is a piece of cake. The application prompts you through the steps until you are ready to start swinging. It is well laid out and simple to navigate. There are numerous instructional videos that explain the more advanced elements of data that the Zepp device calculates, well worth it for the novice to invest a few minutes understanding each aspect before you begin. As with most new pieces of technology, it takes a little time, but the interface is quite simple and you’ll know exactly what you’re doing after 30 minutes.

The information

I am an 18-Handicapper of very modest ability. After spending time over lunch understanding exactly what sort of statistics I should ideally be aiming for, I set off to the range. Throughout my golf career, I have learned to play a pretty reliable, unspectacular, low ball-flight fade. I hit a dozen 7-irons on the range, then sat down to analyse the information. I could easily navigate through each of the shots I had just played and see an enormity of detail about my swing. Plenty of detail provided, but even the more jargon terms were easy to understand via the visual computerised golfer on screen. A few presses on my phone later and I was comparing my 7-iron swing with a split screen of that belonging to 2012 USPGA Champion, Keegan Bradley. I could also see an entire breakdown of his striking statistics versus my own. I was sold instantly.

How have I used the information

I could see the fundamental and consistent mistakes in my swing straight away. I was coming in quite steep on my downswing, which instantly explained my natural fade. My club plain was averaging 22 per cent, compared to most pros, like Keegan, at around 10{fa76ff8d89001c4e403402728e1a7786cd25c7bdb58a18ff0a8051c7751c2729}. So, I hit another dozen balls, concentrating on my club path being wider and less steep. I did shank a number of these, but after analysing, I could see that on the balls I had stuck well (which also travelled further than my original swings as a result of a flusher contact) my club plain was becoming more consistant, at around 15{fa76ff8d89001c4e403402728e1a7786cd25c7bdb58a18ff0a8051c7751c2729}. Instant information, instant improvement. I have now spent approximately 3 x 1 hour stints at the range using the app, and have developed and began to feel comfortable with my newly adjusted and pretty consistant swing. I have also had the time to play 3 rounds in the past few days and have indeed noticed some immediate improvements in my shot-making and my scoring, having saved seven strokes on my handicap over the three rounds total.

Would I recommend the Zepp Golf Sensor?

Without a single doubt. After only a few hours of use it has made more positive impact on my game than the handful of lessons I have paid for over the years. It should be pointed out that this is more of a practice aid, it is designed to improve your swing on the range, which you can then perfect and bring onto the course. It also won’t calculate any putting data but on full strokes and pitch shots it is invaluable. It is a complex piece of kit, but provides and displays all your information and elements of the golf swing in an extremely easy to understand way. There are so many golf products out there in this price range…GPS finders, distance markers and club attachment aids but it is as impressive an accessory as I have seen. Without doubt, any golfer who uses this device correctly will give themselves a more consistant swing and therefore lower their handicap dramatically. An invaluable accessory for anyone serious about improving their game, it’s a lifelong coach for the price equivalent of a few lessons.