To paraphrase the popular EF Hutton commercials in the 1970s, when Tiger Woods talks, manufacturers listen.
As a Full Swing Golf, Inc., ambassador and investor since 2015, Woods has been an advocate for the company’s innovative technology, going so far as to credit its Pro Series Simulator and Virtual Greens as reasons why he won the Tour Championship in 2018.
Tiger Woods, a noted data junkie, used a Full Swing monitor on the range at this year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
Courtesy Full Swing Golf
Soon after, the 15-time major winner asked Full Swing Golf if it could build an advanced launch monitor that he could use as a range companion piece to analyze swing data.
In October 2021, he got his wish. The Full Swing KIT launch monitor, producing real-time analytics and using micro-Doppler radar technology, hit the market. Woods, a data-driven junkie, immersed himself in the product as he rehabilitated from back surgery. He contributed constructive feedback during beta testing.
“I went in depth on this one working with Full Swing to make sure this was going to be the most powerful and consistent launch monitor that I could trust my game to and put my seal of approval on,” Woods said via a company statement. “That meant once I couldn’t test myself anymore, it was time to call in a team of people I trust to give me the trust on how it was performing, and we couldn’t be happier.”
Adds Full Swing Golf COO Jason Fierro: “To know Tiger felt so confident that the data he was getting from KIT was accurate, that when he put it down at the Masters this year for the first time in a real tournament, that was a huge win for us and our stepping-off point.”
Not resting on its laurels, Full Swing Golf continued to push the needle by officially announcing a partnership with Titleist earlier this month—just in time for the holidays.
In short, Full Swing Golf partnered with Titleist and implemented its Radar Capture Technology (RCT)—applied to the first golf balls developed specifically to enhance readings for limited-distance shots—as a complementary upgrade. To clarify, RCT allows players access to data with their preferred Titleist golf ball.
“Working with the Full Swing KIT team, the result of months of testing has shown a reliably strong ‘signal’ that enables greater spin capture that leads to improved accuracy across ball data metrics,” says Jeremy Stone, vice president for Titleist Golf Ball Marketing .
It works this way: RCT provides clear radar imaging of the ball, resulting in remarkable indoor spin measurement accuracy. That, in turn, impacts numerous data points within the KIT monitor.
With 16 points of data built on ball flight apex, ball and clubhead speed, carry and total distance, face and launch angle, as well as spin rate, the KIT monitor serves as a portable solution for golfers intent on playing year-round, and for instructors as a teaching aid.
Playback of every swing, thanks to the built-in high-resolution camera, can be accessed via a mobile app or on the monitor. On playback, users can study their swing alongside data points. Up to four metrics can be viewed on the OLED screen at once.
There’s also a dispersion chart that illustrates how far left or right a ball has been hit from a virtual center line, applicable to outdoor and indoor use.
“You see so many people on the driving range working on their game, but they have nothing behind telling them any information about their shot or the club path, so we want this to be a game-changer,” Fierro says.
He adds the device opens the door to many more users.
“There are a lot of teachers using devices that are $15,000 to $25,000 that their students won’t be able to afford or will spend that kind of money on,” he says. “Now we’re delivering a unit that gives you just as good, or better data, than those devices at the higher-end price point of $5,000.”
How Titleist, one of the top ball brands, got involved was due more to a whim than anything. When the KIT monitor first hit the market, Titleist was one of the first OEMs to purchase it.
Titleist engineers researched KIT’s technology, soon reaching out to Full Swing Golf’s research and development department to suggest a possible partnership. Both sides walked away excited about new radar technology coming out that Titleist could incorporate.
For Titleist, the growing personal launch monitor space coupled with Full Swing Golf’s affordable price point piqued its interest. And having the Woods brand attached certainly didn’t hurt.
On the flip side, Fierro says Full Swing Golf wanted to find a way to leverage the Titleist ball technology. Having the ability to scope a cleaner ball image indoors using radar-based technology was appealing. Titleist could help take the KIT monitor to the next level, especially indoors.
“As soon as we saw the Pro V1 RCT ball for the first time and the impact it could have for our players indoors around the world, we knew we had to partner with Titleist to make this happen quickly,” says Full Swing Golf CEO Ryan Daughters. “The increase in accuracy, particularly with spin and projected carry distance, has been amazing and we can’t wait for players to enjoy the new experience.”
Setting up the KIT monitor doesn’t take much effort. Full Swing Golf has a support team available just in case.
The Full Swing KIT monitor connects to other devices and can easily travel in a golf bag.
Courtesy Full Swing Golf
The KIT launch monitor works in conjunction with a free app, or users can opt for a $99 premium version upgrade. Even Siri can get in on the act, having the ability to direct users to a specific data point.
The premium version allows for unlimited storage for all sessions. Broken down, it means the data can be stored in the app for 90 days, or in the cloud. It also has a starred session feature that remains favored as long as the user prefers. Want to compare a swing from seven months ago to one that is more current? Just call up that data on the premium version.
By comparison, the free version is more limited, allowing saved data from a previous session on the KIT.
It should be noted that the device connects to tablets, iPhones, air pods and the Apple Watch. Weighing about 5 pounds, it fits comfortably in a golf bag.
Imagining what the future holds, Fierro again summons the words “game-changer” about training aids. The hope is that the device becomes as ubiquitous as splendid green fairways on a summer day for professionals, casual players and instructors.
“It’s really picking up steam and we can feel the momentum in the golf community,” Fierro says. “We can hear the chatter and we see more content being created around KIT. And with Tiger being such a global brand, it’s creating a lot of interest from the global market.”
.