Shot Scope V2 review: How well do you know your game?

When you’re handed a GPS watch capable of tracking every shot you hit and reporting back on your performance, it would be rude to not take it for a long-term test. So myself and my colleagues Dan Murphy and Jamie Perkins punched in our details and got to work.

Before we started our test we did some predictions to see just how well we know our own golf games…

Here’s what Dan, who plays off 3, had to say:

I predict that I hit 61% of fairways, 56% of greens and have 32.5 putts per round. Weaknesses? I would imagine that I get worse the nearer I get to the hole.

And scratch golfer Jamie:

So I think I would estimate my stats to be 70% fairways hit, 55% greens hit 55% and 29 putts per round.

Meanhwhile, this is what I predicted:

I already track my stats but just by inputting my round data online. Obviously this isn’t 100% accurate as distances can be slightly out compared to data thats been accurately measured. Currently I hit 78% of fairways, 63% of greens and have 30 putts per round.

So how did we get on? Watch the video to find out…

Shot Scope V2 review: First impressions

The Shot Scope V2, if you don’t know, is a GPS watch with performance tracking capabilities. Tags are put in the top of every club and paired with the watch to track all your shots out on the course. The online dashboard then offers you over 100 statistics to analyse your game, via the app or Shot Scope website.

Initially getting the watch set-up takes a couple of minutes but the steps are simple and well explained. Tags have to be screwed into the end of each grip so the watch can pick up impact and track where each shot is hit from. Tags are then paired with the app so it can recognise which club you are hitting out on the course.

From there simply search the course you want to play in the app and download them to your watch.

Shot Scope V2 review

Shot Scope V2 review: The technology

The Shot Scope V2 watch features over 40,000 golf courses, all mapped in-house. These can easily be updated by the Shot Scope team should a club make changes to their course.

The GPS watch provides dynamic yardages to give you accurate distances to the front, middle and back of the greens. It also provides distances to bunker and water hazards, regardless of your angle of approach.

The tracking function allows ever shot you hit to be plotted on a map of the course for you to analyse after play. When tracking statistics simply press the PinCollect button at the end of each hole. This enables the watch to provide more accurate statistics by plotting the location of the pin on each green.

Shot Scope V2 review: The results

The most impressive feature of the Shot Scope V2 is definitely the dashboard used to monitor your statistics. It features over 100 statistics to analyse and help improve your golf game.

There are a vast variety of stats and graphs to analyse all areas of your game. One of my favourites being the scatter charts showing your dispersion. These are great because they show both accuracy and distance in a really clear visual form.

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Another really great feature is the Medals section. You can unlock different medals each round for different achievements such as an up and down or hitting 3 greens in regulation in a row. This is a great incentive throughout your rounds to keep unlocking different medals and gives players off all abilities something to work towards.

So how did we all get on?

Dan’s stats read: 58% fairways hit, 58% greens hit and 29.4 putts per round.

Here’s his assessment:

The stat I was most pleased with was that I had under 30 putts per round, so I putt better than I give myself credit for.

And Jamie’s: 67% fairways hit, 62% greens hit and 28.2 putts per round.

He says:

The stats showed I hit more greens in regulation than I initially thought. This has given me more confidence when out on the course and hitting into the greens, especially with my long irons.

Finally, here are mine: 77% fairways hit, 63% greens hit and 27.9 putts per round.

Overall I found I am actually more accurate with my driver than any other club off the tee so when I pull out 3-wood to avoid danger this may not actually be doing me any favours.

Shot Scope V2 review: NCG verdict

I think initially we were all concerned about how bulky the watch was and if it would distract us out on the course. This definitely wasn’t the case and after our first few shots we barely even noticed wearing the watch. It is remarkably comfortable and we found it really handy to have distances so easily accessible.

One important thing to note is the battery life does run down quickly when in tracking mode so you should take this into account if you are wishing to play 36 holes in a day and make sure you recharge after every use.

Shot Scope V2 review

The statistics this watch collects really are excellent and they are an invaluable tool in helping you improve your game. But like all things it does require some effort on your part to go into the dashboard online check the course maps and sign off your round before your stats will appear.

We all really enjoyed the medals section and seeing which medals we had collected after completing each round. Dan was eventually the unofficial winner here collecting 123 medals.

The customer service team were also excellent. One of the courses we played had been altered over winter and they remapped the course and had it up and running within 48 hours of us letting them know.

Overall we really enjoyed testing this device and the statistics gave us all a new insight into different aspects of our game. If you are looking for a performance tracking device you definitely need to check out the Shot Scope V2.