When I watch golf on TV, I’m always amazed at how fluid and effortless the swings are of Vijay Singh or Tiger Woods. All great golf swings have three things in common: great rhythm, tempo, and timing. Without those three things, it would be difficult for the PGA players like Vijay and Tiger to unleash the amount of power on the golf ball like they do on a consistent basis. But how can you tell if you have good timing and tempo? There are plenty of swing training aids, like MyGolfSwing iPhone app, and others that claim to help you develop a proper swing tempo, but they all fall short in one aspect or another.
This past January, I had the opportunity to check out the Sonic Golf System at the PGA Merchandise Show, where I met Dr. Bob Grober, the inventor of Sonic Golf. After watching Dr. Grober give me a demonstration of the Sonic Golf System-1, I couldn’t wait to receive a test unit to see if this swing tempo training aid would actually improve my swing tempo? Last month, I received my test unit and I have been using the System 1 for a little over three weeks and the results are quite surprising.
What is Sonic Golf and how does it work?
The Sonic Golf S1™, developed by Yale physicist Dr. Robert Grober and based on cutting-edge science and modern learning theory, that uses accelerometers, wireless signals, and music processing chips to convert your swing motion into musical tones. Slow swings are low pitch, quiet tones. Swing faster and the pitch and volume gets higher. With each swing you hear your rhythm and tempo, backswing/downswing transition, and the timing and speed of your club head release.
In order to use the System-1 you need to have the golf clubs you plan on using to be regripped with the custom Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. The custom grips have a removable end cap that you remove to insert the Sonic Golf shaft insert into the club and is held in place by special o-rings inside the grip and on the insert. I ended up regripping my PW, 7 iron, and 5 iron. Once the transmitter is inserted and properly seated in the shaft, you turn on the transmitter and set the transmission channel (10 total channels). In case your wondering the Sonic Golf System-1 shaft insert is very light and strategically placed that it is not noticeable during practice. The shaft insert weighs only a little bit more than a single AA battery and that weight is located under and behind the hands.
Next you turn on your receiver and set the channel to the same one as the transmitter and your set to begin listening to your golf swing, through the included headphones. When you begin using the System-1 you’ll notice how the tone varies, depending how fast or slow you are moving the club. You’ll hear a high pitch when you move the club very quickly and a low pitch tone for a slower moving club. This is what makes the technology so amazing, is that you can get audio feedback of timing, rhythm, and tempo of your golf swing.
Does it work?
To put the unit to the test, I brought it to my golf lesson at Golf-Tec to show my PGA Instructor Justn Bently and to use it during my lesson. Justin hooked up the receiver to the computer speakers in the lesson bay, so we could hear my golf swing. Justin, took my golf club and demonstrated what tempo he wanted me to use for my takeaway and how long to pause at the top of the backswing, before I transitioned to my downswing. Just by listening, I was able to get a better understanding of what Justin was showing me, than if I had no audio feedback at all.During the course of the lesson I was able to tell immediately if I my takeaway was too fast or if my transition on my downswing was too slow. I was now more aware of what my golf swing was doing and learning what a proper and fluid golf swing should feel like, by listening to the audio feedback.
The other cool thing you can learn by using Sonic Golf System-1, is if you are releasing the club too early on the downswing. You can tell very easily if your releasing the club too early, by how weak and low pitch the sound will be at where the ball is located. With this information, you can now work on moving the sound forward, so that there is a high pitch sound at impact. I wouldn’t have been able to do this before with other swing training aids.
Over the next few weeks, I used the Sytem-1 at home and at the driving range focusing on my swing tempo that Justin had demonstrated for me at my golf lesson. And the results have been have exceeded my expectations. I can truly say that the Sonic Golf System-1 has made a huge improvement in my overall swing tempo, timing, and rhythm. Justin even noticed a dramatic difference in my tempo after one week of use. I think that any golfer of any skill level could learn a lot about their golf swing by using the Sonic Golf System, especially those just learning how to play the game.
The only flaw I could find with the Sonic Golf System-1, is the price. At $399 for the Solo Edition ($599 Pro Edition), may stop some people from purchasing the unit. To be fair, the price of both units have come down in price quite a bit, since I last wrote about the System-1 back in February.
If you want a swing training aid that will really help you develop the three characteristics of a great golf swing, than you should purchase a Sonic Golf System-1 or take lessons from a PGA Professional who uses it. After all, You really can’t put a price tag on developing good tempo, timing, and rhythm.
The Sonic Golf System-1 Solo Edition includes the following components:
- A golf shaft insert (SX-1)
- 1 belt-worn receiver/audio processor (RX-1)
- 1 pairs Sony headphones
- 3 custom Golf Pride® Tour Velvet grips that hold the shaft insert in your club
- Instructional materials/DVD
- Carrying case
Sonic Golf System-1 Solo Edition Retails for $399; Pro-Edition is $599 (includes all of the above, 1 extra receiver (RX-1), 1 extra set of Sony headphones, and 6 custom Golf Pride grips)
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Good review Rob. I have been working on a swing rebuild and changing tempo for my now shorter back swing has been tough! Do you think this is a device you will use on an ongoing basis? It is a big investment for a training aid.
Mark
Hi Mark,
If I owned the Sonic Golf System-1, I would definitely use it at the driving range and at home all the time. You’d be amazed how at effective it is. It’s worth the investment in my opinion, because you can’t put a price on developing a consistent and repeatable golf swing. The audio feedback really makes a big difference in what your swing sounds like, and that it turns helps you develop Timing, Tempo, and Rhythm.
Good Luck!
Rob