This pocket-sized device will help improve your golf game – Photo courtesy of Arccos
If you ask any golfer what’s at the top of their wish list, chances are they’ll say the Arccos Air. This small but mighty device is the official sponsor of the PGA tour and the unofficial tool of every golfer looking to improve their game.
The golf essential, which is compact enough to slip into your pocket, uses motion sensors, GPS, and AI models to deliver personalized post-round insights on where players gain or lose strokes and what to practice.
Since launching in March, Arccos has gathered tons of insight on golfers’ biggest mistakes, trials, and triumphs. I asked co-founder Sal Syed for his 5 best expert tips on how golfers can improve their game based on Arccos’ data, which has been gathered from thousands of players.
5 tips for transforming your golf game
1. Golf with a purpose
The key to lowering your handicap on the course is to golf with a purpose, according to Syed.
“The people who stay stuck out there hitting bucket after bucket of 7-irons on the range with no real target in mind aren’t golfing with a purpose. The people who improve know exactly where they’re bleeding shots,” Syed told 10BEST.
“Wanting to play better isn’t a good enough plan. Comparing your strokes gained to a real target: a 10-handicap, a scratch golfer, etc., tells you exactly which part of your game is the problem.”
2. Your golf game is more than just your best shots
Syed blamed cognitive bias for golfers mistakes. “Golfers remember the one time they absolutely flushed a 7-iron and hit it 170 yards, and then they use that number every single time they pull that club, even though their real average would show they are 15 yards shorter,” he said.
After looking at the Arccos data of amateur shots, experts determined that 40% of all approach shots land short of the green — eight times more than the shots that go long.
“When you make decisions on only your best shots, it doesn’t necessarily set you up for success.”
3. Pick the right golf club for your game
For casual golfers looking to improve their game, Syed recommends they stop picking a club based on their best-ever shot. The Arccos co-founder said golfers need to “be honest with themselves.”
“If you’re 150 out and you always reach for a 9-iron because you crushed it once, just be honest with yourself: your actual number is much shorter. Grab the 8, play to the middle or back of the green, and don’t go flag-hunting when the pin’s tucked behind a bunker or water. And don’t rely purely on gut feel. Adding the Smart laser rangefinder or even the Meta AI glasses can tell you the wind, slope, and adjusted ‘plays like’ yardage math for you instantly.”
4. Play to your strengths — and use data to help you determine them
For golfers looking to play their best game while having fun, Syed said it’s best to take the guesswork out of every shot. Understanding your play history, what club to hit, and where to aim will take away the stress that playing a golf guessing game brings.
“That’s where today’s technology can really help. It gives golfers personalized information that helps them make more confident decisions, play to their strengths and ultimately play better golf while having more fun,” Syed told 10BEST.
5. Opt for golfing tools like Arccos Air
If you really want to take the guesswork out of your game, you’re going to want the Arccos Air. The pocket-sized device was created to give all golfers access to the same game-changing on-course data that pros have had access to for years, according to Syed.
“What we’ve seen is that golfers who use [the Arccos Air] actually understand their game, and cut their handicap by about 25% on average in the first year.”