If you want to improve your golf game, your phone can be the best tool available. It’s with you at all times, and through it, you have access to information, lessons, and guidance in the blink of an eye.
But the internet can be a tricky place to navigate, and you have to wade through all the bad stuff to find the good stuff. The solution? The best golf apps on the market.
We’ve done the wading for you, so you don’t have to experiment with dodgy apps before finding the one that does what you want.
You can expect to pay a small fee to get the best out of most of these apps, but they all have relatively comprehensive free versions as well.
Here are the golf apps we recommend. Well worth the space they take up on your phone!
Best Overall: 18Birdies
18Birdies is a feature-packed app that can do it all. Using GPS and real-time data, golfers will have up-to-date information at their fingertips about the course they’re playing, like wind data, current temperature, and humidity.
The best part is that it’s easy to use! The GPS loads quickly, the images are detailed and easy to navigate, and the yardages quickly pop up on the screen.
If you’re using the basic version of 18Birdies, you’ll be able to track every single shot, use the GPS rangefinder, and get information on:
- Greens in regulation
- Scores and score distributions
- Par averages
- Penalties
- Targets
- Betting history
After your round, you can review your stats and post your score in just three taps to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed.
The premium version will provide more data and insight into your performance and includes the following advanced features:
- Caddy+ which includes personalized club recommendations
- Advanced GPS
- Strokes gained
- Live coaching
- A.I. swing coach with auto-capture tool
- Advanced course data and stats
- Side games and rewards
- Tournament set up
- Access discounts
Data App: Arccos Caddie
Arccos Caddie has been around for eight years, but it’s still known as one of the best data trackers you’ll find in the golfing world.
One of its best features is the artificial intelligence-powered GPS rangefinder, which uses wind speed and angle, slope, temperature, altitude, and even humidity to provide you with the most accurate yardage possible.
It also has Caddie Advice, which is tailored to your game and provides insight on the best way to play each hole. The app also uses machine learning to work out your average shot distance per club and then recommends clubs for you to use on each upcoming shot.
If you want extremely detailed data, you can purchase Arccos Smart Sensors—which screw into the top of the clubs you use—or Arccos Smart Grips, which have these sensors embedded into them.
Pair the sensors with your app, and you’ll get much more detailed information on the mechanics of your swing. You do need to have your phone close by for this, but if you want to leave it in your bag instead of your pocket, you can also purchase the Arccos Caddie Link, a Bluetooth device that clips easily to a belt and stores your data for later.
Video Analyzer: V1 Golf App
The V1 Golf App is an excellent video analyzer that helps you see precisely what minor issues with your swing prevent you from improving.
The free version is extremely detailed, allowing you to video record your swing, play it back in slow-motion or frame-by-frame, and use drawing tools to measure angles and make notes on what needs improvement.
You can save these videos to the cloud and organize them into categories so you can easily find them again later. The app also includes free lessons.
It’s especially helpful if you aren’t working with a coach and analyzing your shots yourself. But you can even share your swing videos with a coach so they can make notes and help you to improve. If you’re looking for a coach, you can connect with nearby coaches on the app as well.
While the free version is very feature-heavy, you can upgrade to the pro version at $6.99 per month or $59.99 per year for even more features and no ads. It’s the next best thing to a home simulator!
Course Plotting: Golfshot
Golfshot is like having a gadget caddie in your pocket, and it offers shot tracking, club tracking, scorekeeping, and distance to the green.
If you want the best features of this app, you’ll need to upgrade to premium. It costs just $49,99 per year. It opens up excellent features like real-time distances, detailed hole flyovers, club recommendations, and the thing we consider to be the best feature on the app, the Augmented Reality feature.
This feature uses your phone’s camera and layers detailed information over the live picture that you see on your screen. This is handy for seeing what’s over blind rises or around blind corners, leaving you with a well-rounded picture of the hole you’re about to play.
Scorekeeping: The Grint
This handy app is incredibly easy to use for keeping your score. Keep track right in the app as you’re playing, or take a snapshot of your paper scorecard after your round, and it will store the information for you.
As well as this function, it has an accurate GPS feature for over 10,000 courses, a Golf Handicap Tracker, a live score tracker, and if you can’t find the course you want, you can request it to be added, which is done within a few days.
Conclusion
Can you ever download too many of the best golf apps? While you can download just one that does what you need, you never know when you might need a bit of a mental boost on the course or quick video analysis to make sure your form is spot-on.
If you’re an avid golfer, you can’t go wrong with these apps. Use them wisely, and you’ll find your game improving, even if it is subtle. But use them! Even if you feel only a slight difference in your skill level, they’re designed to make every round easier and more fun, so you’ve got nothing to lose.
Have fun and swing away!
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- Best Golf Apps That Can Help You Improve Your Game - April 25, 2022
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