There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
There were a lot of innovative, impressive and helpful things for golfers on the market in 2021 and we tried as many of them as we could. Some were downright awesome. Others left varying amounts of room for improvement.
Here are the highlights of our 2021 We Tried It tests and golf equipment reviews.
Technology
Foresight Sports GC3
Data-minded golfers anxiously awaited the launch of the Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor. Its older brother, the GCQuad, is the Holy Grail. So is the next addition to the Foresight family as accurate?
We put it to the test. Check out the results below.
Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor
The launch monitor market is on fire, especially in the “mid-tier” category. Tiger Woods invested in Full Swing after installing a $50k+, top-of-the-line camera-based simulator in his home. That might be a stretch for most of our readers, but Full Swing’s latest personal launch monitor release is more accessible, at $3,999.
What do the numbers say? Does it live up to the competition?
The Oura Ring
The Oura Ring hit our radar during the 2020 NBA playoffs. That pandemic, pre-vaccine, playoff season had all the teams isolated in a bubble to try and prevent COVID-19 infections. The players were wearing a ring that could possibly work as an early detection system for infection by monitoring subtle changes in body temperature.
Body temp was a secondary function of the Oura Ring as the primary job of the ring is to assess sleep. Because sleep has such a huge impact on our waking-hour activities, shouldn’t improving one’s sleep also improve daytime performance?
That prompted us to wonder …
“Could I sleep my way to lower golf scores?”
TAG Heuer Connected Golf Edition Watch
Would you pay $2,550 for a golf watch? If yes, it better do everything and then some right? Curiosity mandated that we explore a smart watch from a company with a rich history of making high-end timepieces.
In a world of Apple Watches and FitBits, can a luxury brand compete?
Whoop 4.0
Whoop has become the official fitness wearable for multiple organizations including the PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, CrossFit, The First Tee, the Women’s Tennis Association and Boston College Athletics. Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy wore Whoop trackers prior to this year’s Ryder Cup.
Many golfers are using Whoop to improve their performance. We had to check it out.
Rapsodo MLM
More feature-rich than the competitors in the $500 price range, Rapsodo evaluates shots from a practice session using a suite of accuracy data.
But do you get what you pay for? Does a smaller price tag mean less data?
Customization Tools and Services
The Golf Garage
The Golf Garage specializes in refinishing, restoring and personalizing golf equipment. The main objective is to “make golf look good.” As technology advances, the demand for personalization continues to skyrocket. The golf industry is no different.
If you’re thinking about personalizing your equipment, we gave it a try so that you can trust that your customization will look great.
TaylorMade MySpider EX Putter Designer
The online design interface allows golfers to create customized versions of TaylorMade’s Spider EX putter. The MySpider EX designer gives you a bunch of options. The math moves quickly into large number land when you try to calculate the total number of different putters you can make.
Thinking about designing your own clubs? We tried it out first so you know what to expect.
Evnroll CustomER Putter Designer
You design a custom Evnroll putter that meets both your play needs and your aesthetic sensibilities. From head to hue, the putter properties are decided by you.
If you want to make your next Evnroll your own, we tried the service so that you get the most out of your customization experience.
Cayce Custom Headcovers
Stock headcovers are so 2005. Cayce gives golfers some unique options in a market often ruled by minimum order quantities and stale, repetitive designs.
We went through the process of designing our own headcovers to let you know if it’s worth it.
Training Aids, Fitness Programs and Fittings
(TPI) Titleist Performance Institute
The premise of TPI is simple: Lead golfers and industry professionals in a continuous discovery that examines how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. Put another way, TPI assesses a golfer’s physical capabilities and whether that limits or enhances specific movements during a golf swing.
But will TPI make you swing like Tiger Woods? We went to Titleist headquarters to find out.
FORME. Driven By Science!
Forme is the brainchild of Dr. Stephen Liu, orthopedic surgeon and sympathetic son. When his mother was undergoing treatment for cancer, Liu often helped her breathe by pulling her shoulders back, thus opening up her lungs.
With athletes in mind, Forme created the Ace tee and sports bra, a wearable therapeutic designed to correct and train alignment of the spine/neck/shoulder/hip and increase joint movement, reduce injuries, boost recovery and provide better breathing for higher oxygenation.
After successful results with U.S. Olympic teams, NBA, MLB and NHL athletes and both the men’s and women’s U.S. national rugby teams, Forme is beginning to infiltrate professional golf.
Does it do what it claims? Will it help you recover faster and shoot better scores?
Forme Science Pro Short
We were impressed with the Forme Therapeutic Shirt so we thought we would give the pants a try.
Did we see the same results?
Lagshot Swing Trainer
Essentially, the Lagshot is a 7-iron with a little more heft and a very flexible shaft. According to the Lagshot literature, it “promotes ideal tempo, sequencing throughout your golf swing and boosts lag so you can hit longer, more accurate golf shots.”
But does it work?
Edel EAS Putter Fitting
Are all putters the same? Some of you believe changing the putter will not influence your putting. Essentially, you believe a golfer will score the same regardless of the putter you play.
You may already be a great putter but with a putter that fits you, you can putt even better.
We went through Edel’s comprehensive putter fitting to detail the benefits for you.
Soft Goods
MNML Stand Bag
The MNML MV2 golf stand bag might seem like another everyday golf bag. However, with a few hidden surprises, that isn’t the case.
Should you consider a MNML stand bag?
The Sun Mountain Boom Golf Bag
Ah, the eternal debate: To music on the course or not to music on the course. That is the question. If you’re pro music, the Sun Mountain Boom could be the bag for you. Consider it the 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner of golf bags and on-course entertainment.
But does the speaker quality pass the test? And is the bag any good?
Under Armour Spieth 5 SL
The 2021 version of the Spieth shoes ditched the spikes and took on the growing spikeless trend.
Do the Spieth 5’s perform as well as the other top spikeless shoes on the market?
Terry
5 years ago
A lot of us are playing Maltby irons. No one does a review