Arccos Air Review: Can You Finally Ditch The Screw-In Sensors?

Arccos is widely considered the gold standard in golf shot-tracking and performance analysis. Its club-mounted sensors have logged over a billion shots but they may soon be obsolete.

Enter the Arccos Air: a compact, pocket-sized wearable that tracks every shot using built-in motion sensors and GPS, powered by an AI model trained on over 1.5 billion real swings. Its primary selling point? Waving goodbye to individual club sensors - simply connect your Air to your mobile, start a round in the Arccos app and forget about it.

Surely it can’t be as accurate as the sensors though, right? That’s the question I asked myself before my testing.

Well, having spent an entire summer using the Arccos Air, this is my verdict - what I liked, what I didn’t, and whether or not this device is for you.

First impressions are straightforward. The neat packaging opens to reveal a neat, compact device and charging case. While the plastic construction feels a bit lightweight for the price tag, the Air itself weighs next to nothing and measures a discreet 2.5” by 1.5”, fitting comfortably in my pocket. The companion case keeps the unit protected between games and only needs topping up every 10 to 12 rounds.

Setup was simple. Simply turn on the Air via the switch on the side of the device and you’re met with a light underneath the crown. Pair it to your app and this light turns green, meaning you’re ready to go.

I started testing skeptical of how a single body-worn device could identify which club was pulled. Unsurprisingly, it isn't as foolproof as dedicated club sensors, correctly identifying club selection on about 60% to 70% of shots.

From where I stand, 100% accuracy without using Smart Sensors is nearly impossible, but the Air did an admirable job estimating. I did the majority of my testing at Royal County Down, a course that is exposed to the elements and a switch of wind direction or strength can completely change how it plays.

I mentioned this example in my review for the Arccos Smart Laser, but the downhill par-three 4th hole plays roughly 190 yards but typically turns into the prevailing wind - I’ve hit everything from 8 iron to fairway woods on that tee over the years depending on the wind direction.

Given those variables, it’s easy to forgive the system for misjudging occasional selections. Furthermore, accuracy improved over time: as the software logged more rounds, club detection grew noticeably sharper.

Yes, the Air makes a few mistakes, but they're easily fixed. I absolutely hate being on my phone during a round of golf - it’s four hours of my day in which I can forget about work, culture wars and my football team’s bitterly disappointing start to the new season (again). If you’re less anti-phone than me, you can fix the mistakes on the Arccos app as you go throughout your round, but I tend to fix them in the bar after the round.

This process was a little jarring for me when I first started using the Air - it was my first Arccos experience and my unfamiliarity with the app meant it took me nearly 20 minutes as I got used to everything. Post-round editing now takes under five minutes and doubles as a helpful debrief.

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The overview page of a recent competition round, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of my play.

The detail in the post-round review is impressive and a great way to learn what you need to work on - no guesses as to what mine are!

The detailed stats give you legitimate, tangible goals to aim for, whilst the app will suggest practice routines to help you improve.

Now, it takes me a mere five minutes. I also like it as a way to review my round, where I went wrong (or right, which is rare), and what lessons I can learn from this round to take into my next one.

Without doubt, having Smart Sensors would mean fewer mistakes and less editing, but the pre-round fixing process isn’t a dealbreaker for me and I don’t think it should be for you, either. However, I can understand why it would be for some. At the end of the day, the entire package here is a relatively expensive one, so having to fix these mistakes despite the financial outlay may leave some feeling they should be getting better for their money.

So, if you’re a Smart Sensors user, should you switch them for the Air? Personally, I don’t think so. If you’re bothered by having a sensor attached to the top of your grip then the Air is the way to go, but if it doesn’t bother you then the Sensors will undoubtedly be more accurate.

Ultimately, no game tracker will be 100% correct, so it comes down to what your own personal level of acceptable inaccuracies is and whether you want to spend 5-10 minutes post-round fixing them.

After using the Air all summer, it’s taken my understanding of my game to another level. An example of this is my performance off the tee. I have struggled with the driver for years and it reached a level mid-summer that can only be described as a word I must never say, but it starts with ‘Y’ and rhymes with ‘pips’. I got a lesson in August and my performance has improved, but it has highlighted that I've also struggled with my approach play to a similar level.

I’ve now identified that my iron play is the biggest weakness of my game and something I need to work on to get my handicap back down to what it used to be. I was a 4 handicap in 2024, but I’ve gone up to an 8 after two years of swing changes. Comparing my current 8-handicap metrics against my target 4-handicap gave me clear, actionable targets for practice.

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Your general progress will be displayed on the homepage and compared to your target handicap.

Further detail showing how my approach play needs work - I used to think 100-125 yards was a strength of my game!

As someone who draws the ball, I was not surprised to see I miss left more often than right.

Now for another massive talking point with Arccos - the price. The Air costs $349.99 - this price is for the software and device alone, but you get your first year of membership for free as part of the purchase. It will cost you $199.99 a year to maintain it after that.

The cost debate is a simple one in my eyes. Is it expensive? That depends. Is Arccos good? Definitely. Is it good value for money? This is the big question - and one that can only be answered by you.

At $349.99 (including one year of membership) plus $199.99 annually thereafter, the Air is a serious investment. For casual golfers playing once a week in summer, the cost-per-round is steep. But for dedicated players logging multiple rounds a week year-round, the level of insight justifies the price tag.

Then it becomes a question of whether you should go for the Air or the Smart Sensors. The sensors are $100 cheaper, so that could well influence your decision.

Whichever option you choose, you’re buying into the best tracking ecosystem on the market. With ongoing software updates expected to refine its machine learning, the Arccos Air will only get better.