LAS VEGAS -- There's no shortage of wearables debuting 2015 International CES this week, including one that's designed specifically for your golf club.
Epson announced on Monday the M-Tracer golf swing analyzer, alongside the Runsense GPS wristband.
The M-Tracer is essentially a wearable for the golf club. It attaches to the bottom of the golf grip and collects data in real time about the swing. It tracks and records the swing path, speed, face angle at impact, tempo and other measurements that track performance. The analyzer is intended for all skill levels and gives feedback whether you're a beginner or an advanced player.
There's also a built-in GPS that keeps track of routes traveled, laps and other measurements. It works with a corresponding iOS or Android app, which houses all of the data from each swing. The app creates a 3D image of the swing path and then compares it to one of a professional golfer, so users can see how they can improve. The device, which runs on a built-in rechargeable battery, saves up to 200 swings at once.
While the concept is certainly innovative, it's not entirely new when it comes to golf and is a part of a larger trend to help people perfect their sports skills. For example, Zepp Labs has a product that embeds tiny sensors to the bottom of baseball bats to track metrics like bat speed and angle at impact. There's also a smart tennis racquet and smart basketball that coaches users on how to improve their skills.
The M-Tracer will launch in March and cost $299.
Meanwhile, the Runsense is, not surprisingly, targeted for runners and those training for big races like a marathon. The device measures, analyzes, compares and shares performance data about runs (distance, calories burned, speed and so on). It offers continuous heart-rate monitoring, too-- a rare but nice perk that's becoming more sought-after in fitness wearables these days.
Heart-rate trackers that continuously collect data about your heart let you see how it handles both rigorous and everyday activity. It also looks at standing heart-rate (when you're not moving), which is a key indicator of overall health.
The Runsense will ship in the second quarter and cost $199.
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