- Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics is a significant upgrade to the Arccos platform.
- Strokes Gained data will replace the Arccos Handicap system. (Handicap metrics will remain available.)
- Compare your performance to golfers of any ability level.
- Golfers can drill down for more granular insights than before.
- The upgrade is free (included in the next app update).
While the recently released Arccos Caddie Link represents a step forward for Arccos on the hardware side, Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics is nothing less than the company’s most significant advancement since it screwed its first sensor into the butt-end of a grip.
Arccos 101
If you haven’t used Arccos, here’s what you need to know. The previous versions took your shot data and turned it into a handicap for each of five facets of your game; driving, approach, chipping, sand and putting.
It provided a scoring breakdown (percentage of birdies, pars, etc.), tracked personal bests (longest drive, lowest score, that sort of thing), all with the intent of providing insight into what you needed to work on if you want lower scores.
The platform was reasonably intuitive and inarguably advanced for its time. However, as Strokes Gained took over the golf stats world, the analytics side of the Arccos platform started to feel a little basic. The data was OK but it wasn’t overly specific and didn’t provide nearly the detailed insights that some golfers (me) crave. That lack of detail often made targeting specific opportunities for improvement challenging.
With the rollout of Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics, the company has shifted from its handicap-based methodology to a more robust and ultimately more useful Strokes Gained-driven platform.
The way I see it, the update results in three significant advancements.
Strokes Gained Analytics
With the addition of a few proprietary tweaks gleaned from the data collected over the years, as the name suggests, the platform has shifted to leverage Strokes Gained as the key metric that powers the system. It’s no small change and it makes all the other good stuff possible.
Specific Comparisons
In its previous implementations, Arccos was an almost entirely declarative platform and Arccos did most of the talking.
You drive the ball like a 12.1 handicap. You chip like a 10.6. You putt like a +2.6. (FYI, that’s my actual Arccos data).
With the new platform, the experience is largely interrogative.
How does my driving compare to other golfers of my ability? How does my approach game compare to a five handicap’s? What do I need to work on?
You ask the questions. You choose the points of comparison. And because of that, the insights you receive are significantly more actionable.
“If I want to improve my handicap by two strokes, what should I focus on?”
Not only does Arccos know the answers (Your approach game is trash, Tony. It’s trash.), but with content provided by top instructors like Andrew Rice, it gives you targeted advice on how to improve.
In that respect, there’s an intelligently aspirational element to Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics that the previous system lacked.
Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics – A Richer Data Experience
Apologies for the BS-sounding marketing jargon. That’s on me. The point I’m trying summarize is that the Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics allows you to dig deeper into your data and with greater specificity than ever before.
In doing so, it eliminates the greatest weakness of the previous version.
For me, the best example is found in the Approach metrics. In the prior platform, Arccos would show your Arccos approach handicap, your greens in regulation percentage and the distribution of your shots (percent left, percent long, etc.).
I suppose that’s interesting but when you’re trying to address a specific weakness in your game, it might be helpful to look at approach performance on a more granular level.
Detailed Performance Segments
With the new Strokes Gained Analytics platform, your stats are broken out much like the PGA TOUR’s ShotLink data. You can drill down deeper into your approach stats based on a few different factors. Segmenting the data into blocks (50-100, 100-150, 150-200, and 200+ yards), for example, provides significantly improved insights into your strengths and weakness. It’s the difference between you suck with your irons, PERIOD, Tony, and Hey, it looks like there’s a hole in your game between 150 and 200. Why don’t you spend some quality alone time with your long irons?
The app also allows you to filter your data by terrain type (tee, fairway, rough and sand).
Arccos CEO Sal Syed cites an example of how the terrain filter helped improve his game. Digging through his own data, he discovered that his “strokes gained approach” values were lower when hitting from a tee box than the fairway. Connecting a few dots, he stopped using a tee on par-3s and his strokes gained approach numbers improved.
For fans of the classics, Arccos approach data still includes GIR percentage, average distance to the pin, and your miss tendencies.
Beyond Approach
Other than sand play being pulled off the main screen and folded into the terrain filter, the individual performance buckets haven’t changed.
Driving data includes Strokes Gained off the tee along with distance and accuracy stats. Arccos now will allow you to segment your data based on the shape of the hole. Are you considerably better with the driver on a dogleg-right than you are on a dogleg-left? It’s probably nothing you’ve ever considered but Arccos knows. Now that I’ve planted the seed, you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.
You’re welcome.
Short Game data can be segmented much like your approach stats. Distance ranges include 0-25 and 25-50 yards. You can filter by terrain. Traditional metrics like average distance to the pin and up and down percentage carry on within the new system.
Putting offers a similar story. You can stick with Overall Strokes Gained or you can drill down by putt length (0-10, 10-25, 25-50, 50+ feet). The older – some might say, obsolete – stats like putts per hole/round are still available but you probably don’t need them.
In with the New, Keep the Old
If you happen to prefer the old way Arccos did things, those insights haven’t been trashed, they’ve just been pushed down the screen a bit. You’ll have to scroll to find them but for fans of the handicap-driven system and other classic golf metrics, the implementation of Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics doesn’t mean you have to give up anything you loved under the old system.
Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics – Awesome without Overload
What’s truly impressive about the Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics is that despite being exceptionally data-rich, it doesn’t overpower you with information to the point that you go data blind. Initial screens provide a top-level overview of your game. Top Insights (what you’re doing well and what you need to work on) are provided as well. From there, it’s up to you how deep you want to dive into the individual facts to find the actionable insights that are important to you.
With Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics, Arccos keeps it simple for those who want it simple but doesn’t shortchange the guys looking for a level of detail that was previously lacking.
Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics – Pricing and Availability
Strokes Gained is the best part of the upgrade. The next best part is that there’s no charge (beyond your annual subscription fee) for the upgrade. Arccos Caddie Strokes Gained Analytics will be there waiting for you the next time you upgrade your Arccos Caddie app.
For more information, visit ArccosGolf.com.
Matt
3 years agoHas there been any word if the sensor technology has been upgraded since the Arccos 360 was released. I found the 360 for half the price of the Caddie sensors and was wondering i would get all the benefits of the app upgrade?
Divot
3 years agoWill need to pay the subscription fee for Arccos Caddy to access the analytics
PEB
3 years agoI easily understand why it is releavant, but my old Game Golf 1st gen is giving me the same insights. I have recommandation on which parts of my game are costing me the most strokes. Just like described here, it tells me if I have to reduce the number of putts, improve the accuracy grom 150 to 200 yds in… I don’t really understand how this is groundbraking.
Reid Thompson
3 years agoNumber of putts is irrelevant. If you miss 18 greens and chip it close, you could have very few putts but be a bad putter. Conversely, if you hit many greens and never 3 putt from an average of 35 feet or whatever, you are a great putter. Strokes gained is everything.
PEB
3 years agoWell… ok ! Maybe not the most relevent exemple with number of putts.. My comment was about the insights given to improve your score, rather than on which metric is used. I don’t know what Game Golf is using to give you an analysis of your strengths and weaknesses, but at the end of the day, it seems to me that this feature isn’t something exciting and new, it is something that already exists.
Maybe the exciting thing is that this is based on stroke gained ?
Andy LaCombe
3 years agoFYI – these sensors are light-activated, so if you practice a lot and place your clubs along a wall faced up, those sensors are turned on. This means their battery life is draining every time you do that. It also means the more you practice with a club, that one is going to be run down more than others.
I assume that is why the putter has a different sensor since it is used way more than others on the course and like for me, I putt in my backyard pretty much every day.
I really question the style of this configuration for someone that plays and/or practices a lot. The other issue is that the sensors tend to back out and if you swing towards the end of the grip and they are loose you are sideloading plastic. I am waiting for one of those stems to break off and go down the shaft – requiring a removal through the end of the grip.
I have been told that my mics might be plugged on my iPhone 11 Pro Max – despite the fact that it has 3 mics and they are indeed unblocked and clean, and in my front left pocket.
I think I my have some dead or dying sensors even though my sensors are only 3 months old. Buyer beware
steven
3 years agoI’ve only used any type of launch monitors when working on a purchase of clubs. I am currently waiting until Covid is stabilized so I can do a fitting. I would very much like to try it out.
Rob
3 years agoI’ve had arccos for 18 rounds now, 12 with new irons/wedges/driver. The data it gives out has been tremendous in identifying new iron distances and stat tracking. The new updates is unbelievable and a huge improvement over an already great product.
Do the sensors miss the occasional shot, yes, but I’ve found that if my phone screen is facing out in my pocket it doesn’t miss many (1 or 2 yesterday). I use it for gps as well and the “plays like” distances have been a huge help. My handicap has dropped 6 strokes since I’ve started using it, and identifying what I need to improve to get the rest of the way to single digits will keep me paying the $99 annually.
MARK
3 years agoI’ve found that I never miss a shot (except for sand) when I put my phone in my pocket speaker up.
PalO
3 years agoThe upgrade totally change the value proposition from Arccos. Now I know where I suck in the approach game, not only that I suck. Tried Golfshot and ShotByShot. This is way better. No missed shot with the phone in my front pocket. The Link is however too expensive.
Alex B
3 years agoI’ve used Arccos for over 3 years now and it always worked pretty well for me. Shot detection worked flawlessly: I only had to manually add tap in putts and multiple sand shots from the same bunker when I’d fail to get out.
Last winter, as part of the Ping promotion, 4 other golfing buddies of mine all got it for a free trial at the same time. I thought they would love it, as they were huge golf stat junkies. However the system failed to consistently track shots for every one of them! I made sure they had the same setup I did (phone in pocket, etc) and it just didn’t work over several weeks messing with it. Once the trial ran out and they had to pay their $99 annual fee, they all took arccos off of their clubs.
So out of 5 potential customers, only 1 is still using the system due to consistency issues. This is a pretty small sample, but it does make me wonder what arccos’ “success rate” is, and why it seems to work well for some and not others.
Paulo
3 years agoThe software upgrade looks great however I had real issues with sensor performance which would make it even more frustrating
Bob Seven
3 years agoI use the Cobra Connect by Arccos so I am excited to see how this will help my game.
Adam Younger
3 years agoThis looks very interesting, but the annual fee is something that I do not really like. $99 a year. For me I have started to do more of a manual entry type thing where I try to write down all my shots that I take on a notebook then I transfer them to this digital notebook I have. It does take some time, but I find it very valuable for myself.
I create course templates/drawings where I then draw out my shots and where I went.. I then can go back to all my rounds and look things over. It won’t have those strokes gained etc. for certain things, but for me I like the process so far!
Scotty
3 years agoat 62 years old….10 handicap…i’m pretty confident i know how/where/why i shoot good/bad shots…don’t think i’d spend the money for analytics especially since i don’t play a lot of tournament golf or play with guys that like to put a wager on a round…nice concept though…
Anh
3 years agoJust bought the ShotScope V3 and it’s super easy to set up and use. Only have about 5 rounds on it so still waiting for some numbers to come in. Only thing about it is to remember to mark the pin when you make your last putt so that it knows where the pin is. And when your buddies give you the short putts it screws up the system a bit. Great data so far and the system is super easy to use and don’t need your phone.
Chris
3 years agoI’m a ShotScope user too. How do you use the data you collect?
I wish ShotScope would incorporate strokes gained. Besides tracking how far your clubs go, I have yet to figure out how to efficiently identify weak parts of my game.
Anh
3 years agoI haven’t been using it for very long (less than 10 rounds) still trying to make sure that I mark pin positions after putts. I have had to run back to the pin a couple of times to mark.
But from what I’ve seen the putt lengths made vs missed will be a big factor in what I will working on in my game..
Hoping that they will add features in the future.
Olli
3 years agoBeen using shotscope V3 as well past 20 rounds. Data for me has been good improvement for tee shots (misses and what clubs to use meaning training driving accuracy or leaving it more in the bag) other is gir misses and success rate for clubs for approaches. More birdies since loonikg in data and aiming to hit the ball to more successful club lengths for approaches. Has changed way I play certain holes on my home course especially if some aspectbof game feels off for the day. Shotscope has been great overall.
Chuck
3 years agoI’ve been wanting to try these out and maybe this is just the kick in the pants I needed to actually do it. Great article.
David Van Vliet
3 years agoI’ve been using Arccos for years. I’m more excited about this update than the Caddie update. This tells you exactly where you are losing strokes and should be concentrating your practice.
A couple of notes that I did not see covered. You can filter the data by number of rounds and also on handicap. So if you are striving to be a single digit handicap, you can set the filter to a 9 handicap and it will show you how your game compares to players with s 9 handicap.
I also like on the driving section it shows what the average driving distance is for that handicap.
The other thing that I don’t think was mentioned is that if you hit the stats button for any given round, you see the strokes gained for the individual round you have selected.
Tony, I’d like you to redo your debate on No Putts Given Given this update and Link now being released.
Reid Thompson
3 years agoYeah, that debate was terrible. I don’t either one even used the products.
Colm
3 years agoArccos: Concept is great, Customer Service is outstanding, performance of the actual product is DREADFUL. Misses loads of shots and rinses your phones battery (maybe gets you 18 holes from full Samsung Galaxy Note 10). If they ever get a handle on this horror show, I’ll will sign up immediately
Keith
3 years agoI’ve been a long time user, and I agree the battery life is DREADFUL. That being said, I’ve just got the Link and I just went a full 5 hour round and only used 30% of my phone battery – I wasn’t using the Caddie app during the round.
However, I did have an issue where it picked up some extra shots around the green with my wedge, but I have a feeling thats the way I was carrying my wedges.
Phill S.
3 years agoKeith, Did you pre order the Link? If so, when? I pre ordered mine in July 2019 and trying to get an idea where I am in the queue. Thanks!
Josh H
3 years agoI would like to try it
Jeff C
3 years agoVery impressed with this update. I have used the system since the 360 sensors were first released, this company has come a long way. I almost jumped off the bandwagon a year ago, but glad I stuck it out. Arccos is one of the main factors in lowing my handicap, went from 19 HCP down to 13.2 HCP.
Don M
3 years agoThe upgrade looks useful. I like the fact that a user can control data granularity. Sometimes it is nice to look at the bottom line first.
Andy G
3 years agoMissed shots and an annual fee. Where do I sign up?
Bob Petrowski
3 years agoThe Arccos system is a good way to ruin a round of golf. You have to edit strokes after nearly every hole you play, you cannot stream music on your phone because the system will not run in the background, and if you change clubs for a certain course you have to modify you set to record shots properly. All the messing takes time away from focus on the next hole and your shot routine. I bought Cobra F9s with Arccos grips and got new grips for my other clubs which is much nicer than adding the little sensors to the end of your clubs. That way they are out of your way and will not fall off from going in and out of your bag. I tested the system on and off for the free trial period but in the end the constant editing overrode the benefits of the data. A good laser range finder is much more helpful and fun. I will say that the best thing about Arccos is their customer support and service which is excellent.
Colm
3 years agoThis is a spot on review. Such a shame. Would be great if it actually worked
David
3 years agoBob, I’ve been using Arccos for over 4 years and there is rarely a missed shot, if there is I edit after the round.. I don’t set the pin location during the round and adjust it afterward, as well as adjusting the lie. The new Link will allow you to stream music. I use a range finder for most of the round, but use Arccos to find a lay-up or carry distance. To me the benefit is the after round review.
Ray
3 years agoI 100% agree with David on this. I use mine the exact same way. Mostly use my rangefinder and do my editing after my round. It’s very beneficial to see where you are missing shots. If you are just a weekend warrior maybe its not for you. And I rarely get a missed shot.
Paul
3 years agoBeen using this for 5 1/2 years. Gen 1 switched to Gen 2. Rarely misses a shot. Battery life is never a problem. Have played 36 holes and still have battery left. Cannot bear the thought of playing without this. I too edit shots after the round if necessary, just play gold during the round. Use my Apple watch for yardages and the phone for shot detection.
Walter
3 years agoBob, I been using Arccos for almost two years and like the others have said it rarely misses a shot. However, I do have to make adjustments for putts mainly those lite tap in ones.
Chris Hansen
3 years agoWhile this looks very interesting, I already have the SkyCaddie SX500 that gives me the data, although not as a strokes gained view. Too expensive to add or switch…
Jeff
3 years agoI’m incredibly intrigued by this. Do you have to do anything special to tag where the pin is? I’m in love with this idea but worried about the finer details (e.g., if I tap in a 12″ putt with my wedge, does that screw up my metrics?). I use The Grint for this stuff but find the manual GPS tagging to be burdensome – so having it automatically tagged with my clubs sounds amazing. I’m just nervous about spending $250 on something and then having issues on the part of my game that’s hardest to track now (chips & putts). Any insight from Arccos users would be amazing because if it’s significantly easier than The Grint and covers those around green pieces better, I’m all in.
David
3 years agoIf you use a wedge to tap in a 12” putt, all you need to do is after the round change the club to a putter. Also when you are putting from off the green you can change the chip, and data will be changed from a GIR to a missed green and adjust both putting and chipping stats.
Michael Cahn
3 years agoI have tried it at Golf Galaxy and it is pretty cool. There is so much technology being thrown at us to improve every aspect of our golf game. I feel it is taking away from the enjoyment of the walk and the feel of the swing and the sight of the ball flight..
David
3 years agoI usually don’t look at Arccos during the round. I use it for analytics and a review after the round. and looking at club data. I actually prefer looking at my stats after the round than stressing about then during the round. I find it much less stressful than anything I have ever used
Walter
3 years agoSame here, but periodically I do pull out my phone to add a putt.
Kevin Polischuk
3 years agoArccos is a very interesting system for gathering info about your game. But since I just received my Shotscope G3 because of your research it’s something I won’t be considering. I could have gotten the V3, but like Arccos, for me it too much information to download and analyze. I just want F-M-Back to enjoy the game I love. Keep up the great work. Look forward to the next episode of NPG. THANKS Kevin
Nick Harrison
3 years agoNot cheap, but no more than the cost of a decent driver, and for this level of feedback, well worth the price!
Ray Cosme
3 years agoSimply Awesome
Phill S.
3 years agoWill these added features be available if you don’t have the Link? (If not, then it will only add to my frustration level to the delay in receiving my Link that I preordered in July 2019!). What is the relegate for this application update?
Thanks for keeping us informed.
Marcus Capper
3 years agoPhil.S, I don’t use Link, use iPhone and they are available in the phone app if you have downloaded the latest version and would be available on the desktop dashboard too.
Ben
3 years agoHas nothing to do with the link. It is just a new way of presenting the data that they gather on your game.
David Ambrose
3 years agoExcited for this feature! I read that it was coming, so I rushed out and got the 2nd generation sensors before they were all gone. I’ve played a few rounds with it and still getting the hang of it. The general stats kind of reinforced some of my problem areas, but the new strokes gained def gives you a more precise breakdown.
Question, I’ve already been diving into the stats and I notice when I change the target handicap, my stats drastically change and not joe expected. The original O handicap is one number, I try a few other “target handicaps” and then go back to 0 and that number is now completely different than when I started.
Anyone else notice this? Possibly still a few bugs?
David
John Connell
3 years agoI definitely want to try this as I have become much more analytical the last two years and this has helped me lower my handicap by 3
TennPoke
3 years agoI have been an Arccos user since the original sensors. I have since moved onto Gen2 sensors. I have loved the data and the platform, but have been frustrated (as a data nerd) that I couldn’t go deeper into the data and even get access to my raw data to do my own dives. But, this new data is AMAZING, I am already getting better ideas about where to work on my game than I was with the data from my 345 previous Arccos rounds (which I still get the benefit of). I would still like to have a quick way to “tag” a club for when I switch a sensor to a different club so that I could more easily compare drivers, hybrids, putters, etc…
Robert Black
3 years agoNever used this system is it available in UK, with the pressure on playing faster how much time is needed to input data? If I can find a supplier in Europe I’ll give it a go!
Barry Schwartz
3 years agoThis looks like a really good upgrade to this system. I haven’t pulled the trigger on a system like this, still relying on a phone app (Golf Logix or 18Birdies) to track shots and results. Trying to convince myself that spending $250 plus annual subscription fee will add enough additional value and information. Thanks for the great write-up.
One thing that seemed strange were the yardages shown in the first set of images. The second from the left shows yardage by club, and if those are real, some of the gaps are very strange. 20 yards between the 4 and 5 and only 4 yds. between the 5 and 6.? Maybe these aren’t real.
David
3 years agoBarry, there can be explanations for the yardage differences. The more rounds you have the more accurate the data is. There is another screen that shows range smart range. I use smart range more than smart distance. I carry PW-6I in my bag and then Hybrids. The data consistently showed my 6I and 7I smart distance about the same, but the smart range for the 6I was about 7 yards longer. I suspect I have a gaping issue with either my 6 iron or 7 iron. I put my 5 iron back in my bag and I now have a 8 yard gap in smart distance and my smart range gives me a much better overlap in clubs.
Without the data I would not have realized I need to make an adjustment
David Flick
2 years agoToday May 8th 2021. I ordered my grips not the plug in sensors. The caddie link although expensive definitely solves most of the unrecognized shots with the exception of tap in putts. Rate of play is supposedly no more cumbersome than using an existing app. Making corrections after the round and noting total putts. This YouTube review is what sold me. A buddy has the cobra clubs that came with them and loves them. He skipped the caddie link and uses a battery brick to solve any potential battery issues during his round. If this company got signed with Ping and Cobra that means something to me. The representative stated they have some.things in development that are going to make this even better coming soon. It seems this is like a Tesla Once you have it you don’t need to constantly upgrade yearly. The caddie assist is what I really look forward to for at a glance club selections with percentages of landing areas based on club selection. When you go almost $500 in on buying all the accessories and then paying for grip installation they know it’s not a gimmick. They have more golf swing data than any company in the world and using it to only improve the product. Keep up the great work.
https://youtu.be/PMBP6VvQvZo
JimO
3 years agoI like to think positive. If I turn it into Strokes Lost then it’s a positive number right?
Chris Roach
3 years agoArrcos is an amazing tool to analyse your game. Data can surprise you and lead to significant improvement.
Ranny Reynolds
3 years agoJust upgraded my Caddie App. Looks great.
Mitch O'C
3 years agoHaving been an Arccos user the last 4 months I can say it is hugely helpful. Logging into the app and seeing the new SGA information I couldn’t be more excited to take this information into account to help me reach my target handicap the next time out on the range, and taking that to the course!
Rick Palmer
3 years agoI have always loved your info and your podcast on this changed my mind about this one especially now that I don’t have to keep phone in my front pocket. Great job you all do for the golfers of the world. Thank you
Waffle House Tour
3 years agoWent deep down the analytics rabbit hole when I did the update to the app this morning. Really insightful. Lots – maybe too much information. However, the saving grace – they designed it to also do thinking about what is most important for you. The “pick your target handicap” filter and then the top 3 “what to work on” insights really help you filter out what’s most important. Some of my “what to work on” surprised me (ie 100-150 yd approach being #1) until I really really thought hard about it – and it made sense. But I would not have come to my own conclusion to focus on that. So we’ll see. I’ve set a new goal. Looking forward to seeing how this helps achieve it.
Josh G
3 years agoEvery single time I read about Arccos, especially this article being one of the most thorough in some time, I think to myself “gosh it would be fun to look back on the last year and see MY data”. Which lends itself to JUST START NOW DUMMY conversations in my head. So the conversation continues in my head, “Do you really want to know what you don’t know?”. 2020 man. Prayers welcome. 🙂
Mark Russell
3 years agoI have used Accros for a couple years, the feedback is great. Can’t wait to ty this out.
Mark
3 years agoI was able to download the update today. Lots of information included. Did point out a couple areas for improvement that I did not think were weak. The others kind of knew that they were. Will be interesting to see with more practice on those weak areas how long it will take to show improvement.
Andy LaCombe
3 years agoArccos is great in concept and the data is outstanding – the problem for me is that it misses a ton of shots. That means I have to go back and edit in the shots. I have ordered the Link but that will not be here until late September. I hope that will work because the frequency of missed shots is far too great – like 25-30%
Mark B.
3 years agoArccos looks like a great piece of kit. It really breaks down your game into important categories so that you are able to pinpoint the areas of your game that need the most attention. I think the addition of the Caddie Link and Strokes Gained has really made this product a game changer. It is on my wish list.
Gurra
3 years agoJust updated the app on my phone as soon as I saw this and wow. Totally different beast right now and I look forward to dig in to the statistics a bit more and see what I need to work on! Great job Arccos