Arccos Golf Review: Caddy Link takes their system to a whole new level

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One of the major technological advancements for avid golfers in recent years has nothing to do with clubs or balls, but data. Now anyone can get a complete, unbiased view of their game, aside from the score, in the palm of their hand. While there are many apps and hardware options these days, perhaps the most notable brand is Arccos Golf with their Caddy system.

In this review, we take a look at the Arccos Caddy system and their latest addition, The Link, to see if it can provide real practical value for the average golfer.

About the Arccos Caddy System

The Arccos Caddy System is a combination of sensors that screw into the top of your golf club grips and a phone app. The sensors tell the system which club you are using and help register fluctuations, while the app does the heavy lifting of the data analysis and provides a GPS track map as you play. Traditionally, Arccos required golfers to keep their smartphones in their pocket to record shots. This was a deal breaker for some and one of the reasons Practical Golf never reviewed the product.

Recently, Arccos added the Caddy Link, a a small Bluetooth clip that helps to record images away from your phone. This new addition is a bit of a game changer for Arccos. We will look at the reasons and functions of each of these in the course.

Unpacking Arccos

Out of the box, the Arccos Caddy System looks very professional and high quality. The product packaging has an Apple-like feel to it, so the company has certainly put a lot of thought into their product presentation.

Installing the system is also easy, starting with downloading the app (available on iOS and Android), registering your account, then pairing and syncing the sensors with the app. In my experience, the sensors were screwed tightly into the end of the handle, and following the on-screen instructions for syncing clubs only took a few minutes for the entire bag.

Account registration is required to store your data in the cloud and because Arccos is a subscription service. Although the first year of service is included in the price of the sensors, after that year you will be billed $ 99 per year for continued access . Previous generations of Arccos sensors had no subscription fees, so it's definitely a consideration for new users and those looking to upgrade.

In addition, major wave manufacturers Ping and Cobra have partnered with Arccos to offer "smart set" systems with Arccos sensors built into the grips, which provide the same functionality as the Arccos Caddy system and also with a subscription fee.

Playing with the Arccos Caddy

I received the Arccos Caddy sensors about a month before I received the Caddy Link for my testing, so I'll focus on playing without the Link first. As mentioned above, the installation of the sensors was quick and intuitive.

A look at the sensors that screw into your handles

After completing the installation, I was ready to leave the course. When opening the Arccos app, the system will automatically try to determine which course you are on based on your GPS location. You can also search pre-mapped courses in the database to download and prepare the map before playing. If you tend to lose your phone signal on your home job, this step is highly recommended. Once the course is set you can select your tee box, starting hole and start the round.

A view of the app to start your round

After recording thousands of shots on Arccos, I am confident that the system will record all of your full shots under the right conditions with a great emphasis on those right conditions.

First, to register your fluctuations, the system requires that you have your phone in your front hip pocket. This positioning is necessary because the app uses both the Bluetooth connection to the sensor and the impact sound to know when you've had a stroke. For many players, the need to keep your phone in your pocket while playing is a deal breaker. That's why Arccos introduced the Caddy Link, to make the system work while your phone is in the bag or golf cart, and we'll look more at the Link later in the review.

Personally, I didn't mind having my phone in my pocket after a round or two. Another requirement that did affect system performance for me was the need for daylight. Much of my golf is played very early in the morning, teeing off before there really is enough morning light to play past. Since the Arccos sensors use UV light to wake up, I've come to expect it to be a hole or two before there is enough light on the track for the system to work. I admit I am definitely a rare case in this regard as golfers playing during regular golf hours are unlikely to experience any problems. However, golfers like me or players trying to squeeze into the final holes of super twilight should definitely be aware of this limitation.

A final consideration with the Arccos system is that you cannot connect to a speaker or earbuds to play music during your round, as they use your phone's microphone. This has definitely had an impact on me as I tend to listen to something when I play alone on the court. Fortunately, this is another complaint that Arccos sought to solve with the Caddy Link.

The only place I have minor but consistent problems with the system is with pits. First, probably because there is less impact noise from putts, the sensors seem to have a hard time picking up putts. Additionally, because of the variety of putter grip sizes and shapes, there is no guarantee that the putter sensor will fit your grip properly. For me, with a standard size pistol grip, this meant that the edge of the sensor would hang over the flat side of the grip. This rim can easily snag when removing the club from the bag and lost my first putter sensor.

Arccos Customer Support says they are working on better fixes for putters, but a piece of tape over the sensor rim seems to solve the problem for me for now.

Playing with the Arccos Caddy Link

Arccos introduced the Caddy Link to resolve complaints about keeping your phone in your pocket and the inability to play music from your phone while playing. Basically, the little clip records your recordings through its own Bluetooth connection and microphone, then transfers this information to the app on your phone instead of the phone doing it itself.

It's an additional purchase for the sensors, and given their popularity since release, many Arccos users really wanted this functionality. This big question is a problem in itself as most of the negative Caddy Link reviews on the Arccos site are not about the device itself. Instead, customers are upset about how long it takes for the order to be delivered.

Once I received my Caddy Link, I found the installation process simple again: the Arccos app immediately connected to the Link and recorded recordings without any problems, even with the phone in the bag .

All in all, the main benefit I've experienced using the Caddy Link is the ability to automatically set the pin location by standing next to the flag and pressing the device button. Previously, the pin had to be set manually in the app to get accurate put data, which I rarely took the time to do, so this feature really helped with the accuracy of my put statistics. The Caddy Link has its own battery and Arccos states that it should last 2 laps fully charged.

Using the Arccos App

I had no problems with the hardware side of the Arccos system. Still, it would all be useless without a functional app, so I'm happy to report that Arccos has built a very good one that provides a valuable user experience.

The Arccos app gives you a lot of valuable information to make smarter decisions on the trail

On the track, the Arccos app provides map and GPS distances for courses around the world. I've used a lot of GPS apps, and both in accuracy and design, Arccos maps are as good or better than any other. In addition to basic GPS distances, the app can also display playing distances, taking into account estimated wind speeds and slope to the green. These features can be turned off in "tournament mode" to ensure the app is compliant with USGA rules regarding remote equipment.

What really sets Arccos' GPS functions apart from other apps is when it is combined with the data the system collects.

The Power of Data

With the sensors, the Arccos Caddy system knows which club you hit, and when combined with GPS locations, it knows where your shot went. This is the real benefit of hit tracking, transparent and unbiased facts about how far you hit your clubs, how close you are to your target and where you miss.

On the course, this allows the app to be your virtual caddy and make club recommendations based on how far you can really expect to hit the ball under the current conditions and the accuracy from the tee, all optimized for data from your past performance. You can access this virtual caddy before even on the course by viewing hole previews with optimal strategies and alternatives displayed so you can plan the round and make better decisions. While this is undoubtedly a significant benefit to golfers, I believe the greatest value of the Arccos system is found off-course as a game improvement tool.

After all the rounds I've played with it, I am convinced that the Arccos system knows my game better than I do. It knows what I'm doing well and where I usually miss, so that alone can really help my practice strategy.

Arccos also knows the games of many other users and of all different skill levels. This allows users to use the power of acquired hits to truly understand their game. Introduced by Mark Brodie and explained in his book "Every Shot Counts," strokes were better measured in relation to the mean. Until recently, these types of metrics were exclusive to Tour players, providing statistical performance metrics for all game facets rather than just scores. By leveraging the collected data from users, Arccos is in a strong position to reliably provide this data to all golfers.

First, this will allow you to compare your game with others at the same handicap level, a handicap that Arccos automatically creates based on your scores. More importantly, Arccos also allows you to compare your game with the handicap level you want to achieve . For a golfer with 15 handicaps, this could mean comparing yourself to a handicap of 9 and clearly seeing the holes you need to improve to get to some numbers. With Arccos you can compare yourself with Tour averages; however, that's probably not the best thing for your golfing ego.

In addition, while not a full-fledged instructional system, Arccos will provide tips based on your game's main weaknesses.

For any golfer who is serious about improving or at least fully understanding their game, this data is truly invaluable and undoubtedly the greatest benefit of the Arccos product.

Conclusions

Let's have a look at the pros and cons of the Arccos Caddy system:

Benefits

Easy to set up and intuitive user interface
Accurate recording of images in normal use
Best in Class with GPS and Course Mapping
Powerful Analysis by Data Collection and Comparison

Disadvantages

You must keep your phone in your pocket or purchase an additional product
In some situations, such as playing golf in the dark, shooting cannot be done
Continuous subscription of $ 99 / year required after first year
Minor problems in keeping wells

In my opinion, I think most golfers should consider the sensors ($ 179.99 USD) and the Caddy Link ($ 129.99 USD) as a set and look at them at a total cost of about $ 300 USD. Even for golfers like me who don't mind keeping their phone in their pocket, the Link's added features really complete the product.

On the face of it, I think the system is well worth the price for any serious golfer considering it. For about half the cost of the latest generation of drivers, the system offers a lot more that can really help your game more than the new club would.

The only thing that stops me, however, is the ongoing subscription fee. It's easy to get addicted to the data Arccos provides, but a part of me rebels against the idea of ​​constantly having to pay $ 99 year after year to keep using it.

Arccos' main competitor, Shot Scope, offers a robust automatic shot tracking system for a similar cost, but without ongoing costs. You can also use a GPS watch.

Other hardware options are also available. If you own a Garmin golf watch, some models, such as the Approach S62, offer stroke tracking at no additional cost after the initial purchase. They also have their CT-10 sensors. In my experience, however, these products are generally much lighter in the data analysis, with the strokes achieved being either very basic or nonexistent.

For those already using GPS apps, the "premium" functionality of these apps comes at a subscription rate with Arccos, and none can probably integrate your own data into the course as seamlessly as Arccos can. Probably the best way to think about it is based on cost per round. As someone who easily plays 100+ rounds in a year, is Arccos worth paying a dollar a round for? With that perspective, it becomes an easy yes.