Swing Things: 7 Tech Tools to Improve Your Golf Game

Want to increase ball speed? Use clubs designed by physicists. The latest [Epic Driver](http://www.callawaygolf.com/golf-clubs/drivers/drivers-great-big-bertha-epic-2017.html) from Callaway Golf was designed using research from Boeing and a physics concept called "energy lensing" to redirect the brunt of the impact on the face of the club. Callaway claims the new shape offers 21 yards of shot-shape correction, creating a straighter and more accurate club path. Ultra-light three-gram titanium bars behind the clubface also reduce how much the crown and sole of the club deflect. As a result, the face can take on more impact than before, making for faster ball speed and more distance off the tee.

The standard golf ball has two, three, maybe four layers. But now, enter the five-layer golf ball. Eric Loper, TaylorMade’s golf ball research and development director, says the new [TP5 and TP5x balls](http://taylormadegolf.com/tp5-golf-balls.html?icid=hp1-cta2-learn-more-TP5-TP5X) are the result of over a decade of experimentation to find exactly the right thickness, rebound, and stiffness to each layer. Using an intricate radar-tracking system to understand launch and trajectory characteristics during the R&D, TaylorMade tracked the coefficient of drag, lift, and spin rate from take-off to landing in real time to inform the design of the ball. The resulting combinations of materials makes for a ball that's high-tech, fast, and resilient.

Garmin, the go-to for tracking movement on cyclists, runners, and swimmers, now brings its technology to golfers. Its [X40 golf watch](https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/519298) combines standard activity tracking (like step counting and heart rate monitoring) with metrics for 40,000 courses worldwide. Turn on "green view" to see the layout of the green or a specific hole. The GPS provides precise distances to the front, middle, and back of the greens, plus course hazards. The X40, priced at $350, also comes with built-in swing tracking to measure shot distance for post-round analysis.

Not everyone can make it to the Masters. No matter. You can play the best courses across the world from home with [Full Swing Golf](https://www.fullswinggolf.com/). The golf simulator has become even more realistic by pairing high-speed cameras with infrared light waves to measure things like spin rates and rotations even before the ball hits the screen. Older simulators spent time calculating where your ball would land; this one transfers immediately from the ball hitting the screen to virtual flight on the screen.