- Paul Graham-Fielding
GAME GOLF - IMPROVEMENT COMES FROM KNOWING YOUR NUMBERS
You’re stood on the fairway with 150 yards to the pin, it’s the 16th hole and you are on for your best round of golf for the year, your mates are with you and you've been telling them you can shoot a number, but you have never been able to prove it. This is the time. The only problem is that the pin is pulled right in to the front of the green and the green is pushed up against the lake, if you fly the green you’ll find bunkers and thick rough. What to do?
You’ve been to the range and you know -or you think you know - that your 8 iron will carry the water and give you enough loft to stop the ball quickly on the green, so you go for it...
The moment the ball leaves the club face the tear has already started rolling down your cheek, you know it’s wet. The second ball is dropped and you take aim, you’re angry so this time you try and hit the ball harder, this time the turf goes further than the ball. Round ruined, game over.
We’ve all been there haven’t we?
The one thing that will help everyone improve their game is knowing their numbers, this isn’t just because that they have a good idea of how long each club plays, it’s because it instils confidence in the ability to hit a certain club at the correct time.
When you are at the driving range no matter how big the yardage markers are, once you get a ball landing around the 150 yard point it’s difficult to gauge if its 5 yards long or short of your desired distance. Now that may not matter much when you are in the open expanse of the range but that 5 yard swing either way on the course could be the difference between making your best round of the year or getting wet and angry.
I had seen the GAME GOLF product popping up on my Facebook page and my twitter feed, and the videos were being suggested via our YouTube channel so eventually I caved, bent to the demands of social media and checked out their site. I’m glad I did.
Game Golf is a GPS shot tracking system that captures your round, your trends, and your statistics, this allows you to compare your game to some of the best golfers around the world. That’s no marketing patter either, it’s the truth, GAME GOLF is used by Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk to name a few. They’ll even prove it, you can log on to their website and see them and other Tour Pro’s upload practice rounds before they play major events.
So what does it do I hear you ask. Well the answer is nothing, well nothing that interferes with your game considering it is mapping every shot and club selection you make on the course. The GAME GOLF system comprises of a small GPS unit that clips on to your belt or waistband and a number or small plastic discs that screw into the top of your club, before every shot you simply touch the disc on the belt clip and then take your shot, that’s it, simple. All of the game tracking and analyses happens in the background, so you can focus on playing instead of note-taking.
The amount of data that this equipment provides you with is priceless, it is probably one of the best golfing aids to ever hit the market. When you have finished your round you simply plug the belt device into your computer via a USB cable and the round is uploaded to your profile. Once you are logged in you will be presented with a map of the course and a map of your game around it.
The system shows you (through easy to understand graphics) key information about your game, whether it’s the length of your tee shots, the FIR of your drives or the accuracy of your approach play. The more rounds you play the more information is collated and the more the understanding of your game grows. Your statistics can be grouped by numerous data segments: by course, time frame, lie, club etc. You can drill down on the detail as much as you want.
I started using the GAME GOLF system during the winter months so it has provided me with invaluable data about the difference in my seasonal game, it has allowed me to see the difference in yardages off the tee, understand the effect of carry distances in varying conditions and therefore help me cement my decision when I’m choosing which shot to play, and how to play it.
The great thing about this system is that it makes the optimist in us emerge, we can utilise the same equipment as the professionals so we can bring out the best golfer in us. This is the same technology that some tour pros use to map out there game on some of the world’s biggest stages. The software isn’t difficult to set up or to understand, when you first purchase the equipment it takes no more than 10 minutes to complete your player profile, select and sync the clubs in your bag and watch the tutorial videos. The box comes with several extra discs so you can have a representation of any club in your bag logged on the system, even a 1 iron if that’s your thing!
If you like a bit of competition you can join the numerous online communities within the GAME GOLF environments, compete in long drive competitions, rate your statistics against the pros or even find players local to you to meet and play against. You can also set your own targets and achievements, so even if you’re out on the course on your own you’ll have a goal to concentrate on.
GAME GOLF says “Improvement comes from knowing your game inside and out. Unlike professional golfers, everyday golf enthusiasts don’t have access to this information - until now.”
They are speaking the truth, I haven’t put the ball in the water on the 16th since owning this device.