Wearable technology seems to be taking over the planet these days, and a ton of these products have been introduced into the golf world over the last few years. One area that seems to be taking off is the swing analyzer category. Zepp Golf has been one of the leaders in this space for quite some time mainly because they have designed a golf swing analyzer that is easy to use, and presents information to the end user in a intuitive way.

If you go on Amazon right now you will see a TON of swing analysis systems. It’s enough to make your head spin. They are not all exactly the same, and offer different levels of data. Additionally, they present it to you very differently through their various apps.

I did some research, and reached out to a few companies who had the most notable products in the market. My goal is to let you know if this category is worth pursuing in general, and which product you should choose based on the level of golfer you are.

First up is Zepp Golf.

They are undoubtedly one of the leaders in this space, and their sensor is also being used in baseball and tennis. I’ve been testing their product for several months during my practice sessions, and am quite impressed with the kind of data it collects.

Let’s take a look at some of the key features, and how the product actually works.

Setting it up

The actual sensor itself is quite small. Unlike other products, Zepp Golf attaches to your glove rather than the shaft of your club, so you don’t have to worry about removing it when you switch clubs. I can tell you after using some of the other sensors that this is a huge benefit.

After downloading the app to your smartphone, there is some brief information you have to fill out about what kind of clubs you are using. Then you pair the device via Bluetooth, and you are ready to go. The whole process is seamless, and you can get up and running in about 5-10 minutes.

I was a bit worried that the sensor would disrupt my swing since it was attached to my glove. Once I had gotten it into a spot where the velcro attaches, I didn’t even notice it to be honest.

The Data

The most important thing for a product like this is not only what kind of data it collects, but how it’s presented to the user. The golf swing can be quite confusing, and there are all kinds of technical terms that the average golfer would have no idea how to use. I think this is where Zepp Golf

excels.

When you make contact with the ball, you are immediately given an overall swing score, and it’s broken down into several categories. Here’s a screenshot from one of my better swings:

You are also able to get a 3D rendering of your swing path, and it becomes obvious which parts of your swing are lacking based on the scores you receive. The great thing about the app is that it gives you an explanation of the different terms, and also has a video library of drills to help fix the issues you are having. Everything about Zepp Golf is geared towards the layman, which I think is extremely important.

You can see that my swing is far from perfect, and that I’m having some issues with my swing plane. Like most golfers, I am coming over the top, and this became obvious to me after just a few swings.

One thing I did figure out was that my swing was a bit shorter with my driver, which had never occurred to me. I noticed that when I lengthened my swing to get to the 270-degree goal, I was hitting some great shots. The great thing about a product like this is that you can experiment with changes during your practice sessions, and get immediate feedback. Of course you want to keep your eye on where the ball is going, that’s the most important feedback of all!

Every week you get an email that summarizes all of your swings, and it tracks your progress on all of the different categories. It even will offer up some tips on how to fix these issues as well. This is consistent with some of the more popular fitness devices out there like Fitbit, and I think it’s a great feature.

Should You Use Zepp Golf?

I’ve written before about how I think making swing changes too often can be very detrimental to a golfer. The one caveat about using a swing analyzer is that it can possibly make you worry about too many things at once.

For example, if you step up to the ball and you are trying to think about your swing plane, tempo, and hand positions all at the same time, things are probably not going to work out for you.

I believe the correct way to use a product like this is to try and tackle one thing at a time. Personally I have been working on my tempo quite a bit because I feel that is one of the most important elements of a great golf swing. Between my work with the Orange Whip, and seeing the results with the Zepp Golf sensor, I am able to hone in on the cadence of my swing. Getting the feedback after every single swing lets me know if I was too quick, or slow at my transition. That’s real information that I can use to make adjustments.

The other main issue I have to tackle is my swing plane. My tendency is to come extremely inside on my takeaway, and my big misses occur when I come over the top at my transition. I’m certainly not alone on this, because this is probably the most common swing flaw on the planet.

I believe that if I can keep my focus on these two things, and continue to use a swing analyzer like Zepp Golf to track my progress, that I will see some meaningful results on the course. Your issues might be completely different, but my point is that if you are going to use a swing analyzer I wouldn’t try to fix everything at once. Choose one category to work on exclusively, and focus your efforts there rather than trying to master everything.

Closing Thoughts

I am somewhat skeptical of how much technology is needed to fix a golf swing, but I realize that I am just one golfer. Not everyone learns the same way, and what might not make sense to me could be crystal clear to someone else.

Overall, I feel that the Zepp Golf swing analyzer system can help golfers who struggle with some of the most common swing flaws, which are rooted in your tempo and swing plane. I think Zepp does a tremendous job of compiling a ton of different data points, and presenting them to the user in an intuitive way using their scoring system. I love products that can help you make a game out of your practice sessions, and this is one of its greatest features.

On top of that, they also provide drills and tips on how to understand each part of the swing, and what you can do to help fix whatever issues you are having. Some other products out there just give you the data without any explanation or guidance, which will not mesh well with certain players.

Is using a swing analyzer a substitute for getting lessons from a trained professional? Well that depends on what kind of golfer you are. Some players need to have the one-on-one interaction of a lesson to help them understand what problems they are having, and how to go about making those changes. Using a swing analyzer is certainly not for everyone.

Additionally, some golfers might want even more advanced data than the Zepp provides, which is why I think this is a product that can help some of the higher-handicap players out there. More advanced golfers might be concerned with data points such as angle of attack, which is something Zepp does not provide. I’m going to be posting reviews on some of those systems soon, so stay tuned on that front.

This is certainly not a passive product, and it’s not going to fix your swing for you. If you have the patience and determination to put the work in to fix your swing flaws you should see some nice results over time. The bottom line is that for $150 the Zepp can provide some meaningful information about your swing, and help you understand what you could be doing differently to improve it.

You can purchase Zepp Golf here from Amazon.