In this Golf Tech Head-To-Head, Golf Monthly's Neil Tappin and T3's Dave Usher have carefully selected two bits of innovative new golf tech they think will guide them to victory. Who chose correctly? Find out in the video...
Technology and golf are a match made in heaven. And nowadays, it’s far more than clubs and balls that get the R&D treatment. From launch monitors to rangefinders and everything in between, there is no shortage of gadgets and gizmos designed to make the game a little easier for recreational golfers.
And that’s the premise behind this Golf Tech Head-To-Head video feature.
The idea is simple. It’s a nine-hole match between Golf Monthly’s Neil Tappin and Dave Usher from tech brand T3, and both have picked two bits of cool golf technology intended to help steer them to victory.
Neil has opted for the Stewart Golf Q Follow Trolley and the A.I.-driven Arccos club sensors, while Dave has put his trust in two Garmin products - the Approach S62 GPS Watch and the Approach Z82 Rangefinder.
The Heritage Course at the London Club was the venue for this blockbuster head-to-head, and you can find out who came out on top in the video above.
But how did they get on with the products?
Stewart Golf Q Follow Trolley
Neil Tappin: “It works off bluetooth, so I have a little handset which is in my back pocket and the trolley just connects to that and follows you as you work your way round the golf course. It’s pretty cool - I'm completely hands-free.
“If you need to use it with the handset to use it more like a normal remote control trolley you can. As soon as it gets close to you it stops.
“I really enjoy using it. It takes a little getting used to but not much. It was a bit slippy underfoot so it's just knowing when I need to use the remote and when I can put it into follow, and it just leaves you free to do other stuff.
“When it gets really wet you can walk along just holding the umbrella - every little helps. It’s also just really good fun.”
Garmin Approach S62 GPS Watch
Dave Usher: “So the watch is telling me to hit 3-hybrid on this drive. Normally if there was a chance for me to hit driver and take the risk, I would, I’d go for it - it’s ruined many a scorecard. But on this one there’s no point in me doing it because the watch shows where your average drive will land.
“That black curve [where Dave’s drive will land] is either front of the water or middle of the bunker and I can’t hit over that. Even the voice in my head saying to go for it is quiet because it knows that’s physically beyond me to do that.
“So it’s telling me to lay up with the 3-hybrid on this nice wide bit of fairway.
“When I started playing when I was younger there was none of this technology so you were just relying on your eyes and a 150 marker on the fairway. You do feel the benefit when you use it.
“If you hit a bad shot it’s on you, it’s not because you’ve got incorrect information.”
Garmin Approach Z82 Rangefinder
“Why have you brought the rangefinder when you’ve got the watch?”
Dave Usher: “For shots like this. I can’t really see the base of the pin so I’m looking at this now and deciding where to try to put my tee shot. I’ve also got the distance to the flag - it’s saying 337. That’s about right.
"The 3-wood might go through it [the fairway] but 3-hybrid might just sit nicely on the fairway all being well and then I’ve got a nice shot in.”
Arccos Caddie
Neil Tappin: “I’ve been using Arccos for the last two or three months and it picks up every shot you hit out on the golf course so it starts giving you a picture of how far you hit every club in the bag.
“Then once you’ve got a certain number of rounds logged with Arccos it can start telling you what shot to hit in different scenarios round the golf course as it’s got this caddie function.
“I’m going to follow what the caddie says on every hole, every shot. This has got a more realistic picture of how far I actually carry the ball and actually hit it.
“It knows where all the trouble is, it knows the elevation change, it knows where the wind is and it can factor all that in before it gives you a club.”
Take a look at the video to find out more about the products chosen by Neil and Dave and who progressed to victory!
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