Shots Scope Connex Review
The use of data in the game of golf has really ramped up over the past few years. You only have to look at how heavily European Captain Luke Donald relied on his statistician Edoardo Molinari at the 2023 Ryder cup in Rome to see how integral it has become at the top level of the game.
This analytical approach has filtered down into the amateur ranks and is a genuine game changer for players looking to improve their scores. Knowing what area of your game needs improvement, your tendencies and even where your strengths lie are all important components of devising a good strategy.
Shot Scope has introduced the Connex tags to the market at a very affordable $99, so we wanted to take a look and see how they performed.
(Image credit: Future)
I found getting set up with the Connex tags pretty straightforward. Firstly, you need to attach the tags to their corresponding club. Each tag is embossed with a specific club so matching these up is a pretty simple process. Once you have done this, you just need to download the Shot Scope app and enter a few details to create your account.
(Image credit: Future)
In terms of the admin side of set-up, that’s pretty much it and you are ready to get started on the course. There are a couple of useful instructional videos on the app if you are struggling with any stage of set-up which is a nice touch.
Once you are ready to play, just open up the app, go to the rounds tab along the bottom of your screen and hit the + button. You then have a couple of options. One is “Preview Course” which is a great little digital course planner for those that want to get some homework in pre-round.
The app will show you a list of nearby courses based on your GPS location, or you can just type directly into the search bar. Once you’ve made your selection you can scroll between holes to start planning your strategy.
(Image credit: Future)
To start a round, you just need to hit “GPS with Tracking” and again, select the course you require. You will be prompted to add a little information on the course such as tees, course handicap etc, but this is optional. Once completed, you’re taken straight to a satellite image of the first hole.
To register your club for the first shot, you need to press the sound wave button in the bottom right area of the screen and the scanner will appear. From here, you simply hold the tag up to your camera and the club will register with a short vibration and you are good to go. This is the same process for every shot you play with Connex and your data will begin to accumulate.
(Image credit: Future)
One of the only things I didn’t enjoy about the Shot Scope Connex was the need to carry my phone with me in my pocket for the duration of the round. This is where some of the best golf watches could have an advantage. Whilst I know I could still keep it in my golf bag between shots and pull it out to register, this is a bit of additional fuss that I don’t really want and would do nothing to help the pace of play.
My phone is relatively large and heavy and I just didn’t enjoy having it on my person for the whole round, not to mention getting distracted by the odd message between shots! However, there does need to be a trade off somewhere if you want the excellent insights the Connex tags can offer.
The satellite imagery on the app is really good and a huge help particularly if you are playing a course for the first time. You can zoom in and out at will and the images are really clear. I used the target icon a lot on my rounds with Connex and found it extremely useful and accurate for dragging around to calculate run-outs and carries to certain hazards, ends of fairways, or even front and back of greens.
(Image credit: Future)
In terms of the data collected by the Shot Scope Connex tags, it covers just about everything you could imagine. Every single shot is logged and I am not even going to begin to try and list all of the statistics compiled. As with other Shot Scope products such as the Shot Scope X5 GPS watch, there are over 100!
My favourite, and the one I believe to be the most useful is the strokes gained statistic. Here, you can see how many strokes you are losing or gaining on players at all handicap levels down to the decimal point which is a great tool when trying to paint an accurate picture of your overall game.
Ultimately a decision to purchase here will come down to whether you are prepared to put up with the need to have your phone in your pocket for the duration of the round. Obviously that is going to be a personal opinion, but I can promise you that if you can put up with the mild inconvenience, the juice is definitely worth the squeeze here.
At $99, with a free app and no annual subscription, I think that the Shot Scope Connex represents exceptional value and provides some seriously detailed analysis.
