Online Coaching Can Be More Effective With Arccos Data

Leveraging the Top 3 Insights in Arccos Caddie App’s Player insights is an easy way to see the highlights and lowlights of your current on-course performance. This is an easy way to see what is working for you, and what you need to work on. What is great is that there are corresponding tips related directly to your ‘weaknesses’ from our ambassadors who are industry leading professionals. From there you can practice more or research drills to help address these aspects of your game. 

However, when we know in our gut that it’s best to bring in the professional(s) to help salvage the wreckage of our game. While there is a comfort to having a coach in-the-flesh watching you hack away, remote-based coaching is more accessible than ever. Remote based golf instruction is almost as old as the Internet itself, dating back to the days of instructional DVDs, sending swing videos by email and over-the-phone consultations. 

Fast-forward to 2021 and there is a plethora of online coaching options to help you connect with coaches from all around the world. Two major trends have converged that have made having a remote-based golf coach every bit as easy and effective as having an in-person instructor: video conferencing & online coaching platforms, and unprecedented on-course data – and data sharing – provided by Arccos. 

Here’s an example of how it works together to create rapid game improvement.

Sharing Data With Your Coach

What is nice about using Arccos data with your coach, is that you can’t hide from the numbers. Your coach can objectively review your data and assess without bias how you have been playing. 

If you’re going to work with a remote-based instructor, you should supply your designated coach with your on-course Arccos data. There are a few simple ways to do this. The most manual way to do this is if you take some screenshots of your data, like Smart Distance and Smart Range, and your player insights that live inside Arccos’ Strokes Gained Analytics feature. 

A second option would be to set up a video call, log onto the Arccos Players Dashboard and do a “share screen” or “present” with your coach. Finally, there’s the Arccos Professional Dashboard, the most powerful and convenient option. Available free for PGA Professionals and other instructors, your coach can set up an account and real-time access to your Arccos player profile (as well as any other students they have using the system). 

Related: Get More Out of Your Lessons With Arccos Data

Data Analysis

While you may think that you need to work on a specific facet of your game, your coach can evaluate your Arccos data, and use their knowledge to determine the focal points of your lesson(s)—afterall, you are working with them for their expertise. 

Your remote-based coach is going to have a treasure trove of data to pour through, and even without video will be able to draw informed conclusions about anything from swing path to ball flight. However, it is extremely easy to kick it up a notch with videos as well. 

Technology has made it easy to record your own swing and share videos, or have video calls with your chosen coach. Work with them to see their preferred setup for them to get the ‘best view’ of your shots. Recording a series of swings from behind (for swing path and plane) and head-on (for setup, hip turn and weight transfer) is usually a good start for any coach. 

Or should time and budget allow, make a trip to see your coach at his or her home course, club or instructional facility. This in-person visit will help you both establish a baseline to work from moving forward. From there, you can determine if you should meet regularly, or if you can continue with remote lessons, exclusively.

Many instructors will have access to swing analysis software with playback capabilities, drawing tools and side-by-side comparisons with PGA and LPGA Tour players. This powerful technology provides a rich visualisation and comparison / contrast of your swing as you implement swing changes. 

Drills and Execution

After a full analysis of your Arccos data and assessment of your golf swing, your coach will recommend a series of drills for you to work on at the practice range, or even at home. They may have demonstrated these drills while you were together or put them on video and uploaded the clips to the cloud for easy sharing. These recommendations will be akin to what you’d find in the Stokes Gained Analytics Feature in the Top 3 Insights section (highlighted above).

Expectation and Goal Setting

Once the data sharing, initial consultation and lesson or game plan is in place, it’s time to get busy getting better. But first, talk to your coach about setting short- and long-term goals, as well as what your expectations are from the instructional program. Set your target handicap in the Strokes Gained Analytics feature to see where you stand against your goal across driving, approach, short game and putting. 

Now get out there and golf.