Review: Shot Scope GPS tracking system
Our Shot Scope review took place on the course at Moor Allerton in Leeds.
Shot Scope are a Scottish company formed in 2014 and have been making waves in the golf industry with their GPS device which claims to be the first fully-automated performance tracking system. It doesn’t need to be synced on the course with a phone or other device.
Shot Scope conforms to the Rules of Golf and can be used in competitive play as it doesn’t give any information to the player during the round.
One of the potential pitfalls of game-tracking devices is they rely on the player to to tag their clubs before or after each shot.
Shot Scope claims to take that hassle out of the process – and we were keen to put it to the test…
Shot Scope review – First impressions
I still find the set-up process with any device like this a bit daunting.
I’m much more of a switch it on and go sort of person. I have no patience.
The main device is a fairly large wristband which comes with a set of tags for your clubs. Each tag is labelled accordingly.
Simply download the app to your mobile and or desktop, put the tags on your clubs and you’re good to go.
The set-up time was quick and painless. Although I was little apprehensive about heading on to the course with fear I hadn’t set it up properly.
Shot Scope review – The technology
So how does the Shot Scope actually work?
The wristband is able to “sense” the tag during the swing. It can tell the difference between a practice swing and an actual shot.
All golfers have to do is record the number of putts they’ve had each hole. This is done with the wristband by the hole so it can note the pin position.
After the round sync the wristband on your desktop and the round stats will be available on your computer and on the mobile app.
Shot scope review – The results
There’s a line of flashing lights that will let you know when the wristband has a GPS signal and has picked up the course you are on.
This a massive bonus as with other devices you have to spend time telling it which course you are playing.
And with the three loops of nine at Moor Allerton – making three different courses – I often tell it the wrong one.
The wristband itself does look a bit bulky but it’s not very heavy at all. You can barely notice it after a couple of holes.
The strap is soft and has plenty of sizing options.
I really like the fact that you didn’t have to think about the device at all apart from when on the green.
If you forget to add your number of putts it is possible to add them post-round.
Once you get into a habit of using the Shot Scope, it will simply form part of your routine when picking the ball out of the hole.
After recording your putts, which takes about a second to do, the device will know that you’re ready to move on to the next tee.
So after going out and playing nine holes I was keen to go and see what data had been captured.
Would it be accurate? Would it have missed any holes out? Would it have worked at all?
Those anxieties were put to bed very quickly and I was really impressed with the quality of the data and the way it’s clearly displayed.
You can analyse your performance on a hole by hole basis with a flyover map showing your route to the green.
Or you can look at more detailed data on distances for each club, fairways and greens hit, putts per hole etc.
Shot Scope review – NCG verdict
I can’t say I’m one for pouring over my stats after a round. I usually want to find ways of forgetting what has just happened.
But that’s not going to help me improve. Knowing where my common misses are and how far my clubs actually go is really going to help me shoot better scores.
The Shot Scope really is an excellent way of analysing your performance in real golfing situations.
How far you hit driver on the range isn’t really relevant. How far you are hitting driver when air and ground conditions are taken into account is.
You may hit your 5-iron 175 yards in practice but when hitting uphill into a stiff breeze, it isn’t ever going that far.
The best thing about the Shot Scope is the fact I can simply switch it on and go and play golf.
Some may find recording the putting a bit of a chore but I think it really helps you try and avoid three-putting.
People say there are no pictures on a scorecard but when your using a device like Shot Scope there’s nowhere to hide. It’s a warts and all account of your round.
I’m a huge fan of the way this device works, the way it doesn’t add any hassle to my round and the way I can easily access the data afterwards.
It also also given me some targets to try and improve on the next time I play.
The Shot Scope, which has an SRP of £185, can be purchased from the Shot Scope website.
Equipment: Bushnell Neo iON GPS watch review
Equipment: Arccos Driver GPS distance tracking device review
GolfBuddy WT5 GPS watch review
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.
