Can AI help your Golf Swing?

Let’s talk about AI.

Well, more specifically AI swing analysis apps.

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There are a lot of AI swing analysis apps swirling around, so I tried out three of them, and I definitely have some thoughts. So, here we go—

1. Golf Fix- Of the three apps that I tried, this one is the most basic as far as swing advice. It features a free version that allows you to upload swings, and a subscription plan that dives deeper into the swing analysis, monthly reports, and swing comparisons.

I only tried out the free version because I don’t believe the subscription is necessary, even for beginners. This app is easy to use as it allows you to easily import a video from your camera roll and then gives a swing rating on a scale of 10 followed by a quick analysis with a slow-mo video of your swing.

I have to admit that I enjoyed this app. It isn’t over the top with the technique and gives simple drills with video explanations.

I also like that it gives you a snapshot of your swing in a picture collage, so if you want to compare it to your pro of choice, it makes it simple.

Golf Fix swing collage

Tip: Upload a swing from a professional or a friend that you admire and rate it. It will be easy to study the things they do correctly and then have the snapshot collage of their swing to compare to yours. As long as the video is in your camera roll, you can upload it!

2. Sparrow-Golf – This app is a little more intense than Golf Fix. It features the same free option and subscription option; however, you cannot view the entire swing analysis without a subscription.

This app features a deeper analysis of each point of the swing and places red, yellow, and green circles on the areas that need work or the areas that are already good.

My problem with this is that it compares you to, in my opinion, a seemingly random male professional. As a female, I struggle to relate to that comparison, seeing as it did not ask for my gender, my height, or my build.

These things make a huge difference in how a player swings the club, so overlooking those elements can cause issues.

Tip: I imported my swings into both apps and compared the results. It’s easier to find a common theme, even if it’s just setup-based.

3. SWEE AI – This app describes itself as using cutting-edge AI golf coaching technology, providing in-depth swing analysis, and a personalized practice routine.

Sounds great, right? In order to unlock all of those fun perks, you have to pay at minimum $25 per month.

Well, I signed up for the free trial, and if I liked it, then I would have considered paying the subscription for a while. Yet, I canceled the free trial within an hour of downloading it.

Honestly, it took me way longer than it should have to realize that it wasn’t even recording my swings because the camera was too far away—maybe that’s on me—but nevertheless, it provided basically no how-to instructions and importing a video was not an option. (Also, a tripod is required to use this app…it says suggested, but trust me, it’s required.)

In addition, it took a long time for the app to do its thing. It kept freezing, and the SWEE logo would spin for a while, and it was pretty disruptive to my practice.

After I finally figured out how to record, I found myself waiting for a while to receive the feedback, and—like I mentioned—it interrupted the rhythm of my practice. And while it was very detailed, I took it as a con instead of a pro.

By detailed, I mean it had a seven-point analysis for ten sections of the golf swing!

Talk about a lot to read through during a practice.

It rated my first swing as a 9 out of 10—not trying to brag here, because the point is with essentially 70 components (trust me, it had suggestions for my ‘near perfect’ swing) to read through, I felt as though I had received a 2 out of 10.

For example, it rated my knee-bend at setup as extremely poor. The color RED was next to that section, needing immediate attention.

I mean, despite how it may sound, I’m not personally offended that I received a 0 in knee bend, but for the record, I would just like to state that it seems a little aggressive.

By no means were my knees locked out.

I’m a tall, long-limbed female, which brings me to my previous point—did it even take that into account? At no point did I have to fill out my height, gender, age, or body frame.

These are HUGE factors in the golf swing!

0/10 Knee Bend

Once again, this app compared me to an average build man, which not only will I never look like that, but I will never want to look like that.

I think it’s extremely important, especially when learning the golf swing, for a coach to recognize gender/body differences and compare swings accordingly.

I also found that none of these apps ever alluded to my open club face at the top of my swing. That was something my human swing coach had to point out to me. If you ask any coach, club face awareness is a crucial part of improving the swing.

In addition, none of these apps took camera angle into account. I’m not talking down the line or face on, that’s obvious. But I mean camera angle along the feet line or hand line. That can make a big difference in how the swing angles appear and can significantly alter what needs to be fixed.

It’s yet another small thing that makes a monumental difference in the golf technique—and something that a human swing coach would never overlook.

All in all, do I think that AI can replace a golf coach? The answer seems obvious at this point—that no, I don’t.

At the end of the day, each golf swing is unique and personal, and only another human who’s been around the game for a long time can truly understand that.

No one’s swing, not even the best golfers in the world, is “perfect” as far as robotic standards. For example, Scottie Scheffler’s foot movement, Nelly Korda’s lack of knee bend (feels oddly personal), Dustin Johnson’s left wrist—the list goes on.

I would argue that forcing these players to change their natural imperfections would result in some pretty poor golf on their part.

It’s the beauty of the game, isn’t it? How different each person swings it, and how differently they think about the movements and the strategies.

But I do believe that AI can help you when you’re in a bind, especially with setup. I will humbly admit that I bent my knees a *smidge* more at address and began to hit better shots.

In addition, it also noticed that my hips were not square to my shoulders at address, which made a big difference in my alignment and shot-making ability.

So, my suggestion is to download a basic app like Golf Fix and use it more as a setup aid, but leave the deep analysis for an actual human swing coach.

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