Help – Swing Analysis

The Golf Mentor captures motion data from your Apple Watch and iPhone during every swing, then analyses each shot to give you feedback on tempo, speed, impact timing, and swing plane.

How Swing Capture Works

• Apple Watch — worn on your wrist/club-side arm, it detects the swing boundary using accelerometer/gyroscope data. Impact is inferred from the vibration signature at the club face. Wear the Watch firmly and snugly on your wrist — a loose Watch produces poor sensor readings and may miss swings entirely.
• iPhone — carried in your pocket, it provides additional audio impact data and GPS position.
• Swings are automatically detected — you do not need to press any button before each shot.

Watch Tips for Best Results

• Wear it tight — the Watch should sit firmly against your wrist with no gap. This is the single most important factor for accurate swing detection.
• Club-side wrist — wear the Watch on the wrist of your lead hand (left wrist for right-handed golfers).
• Golf Mentor Watch app must be open — the Watch face should be showing the Golf Mentor app, not the clock face.
• Stay within Bluetooth range — keep your iPhone in your pocket (not a cart) throughout the session.
• If swings are not being detected — tap Sync Watch in the left-hand menu to reconnect. If that doesn't help, check the Watch is worn tightly and the Golf Mentor Watch app is on screen.

Key Metrics Explained

Impact Speed

The speed of your hands/club at impact, derived from the Watch's accelerometer. Higher is generally better, though consistency matters more than raw speed.

Tempo

The ratio of backswing time to downswing time. A ratio of 3:1 is considered ideal by many coaches.

Backswing Time / Downswing Time

Individual timing components of your swing. Helps you identify whether your backswing is too rushed or your downswing too slow.

Horizontal Rotation

Measures hip/body rotation through the impact zone. More rotation typically correlates with more distance.

Hand Path Width & Depth

Describes the arc your hands travel through. Wider paths can indicate over-the-top tendencies.

Swing Plane Angle

The angle of your backswing and downswing relative to the ground.

Viewing Your Swings

• After a practice session or game, go to MyHome click the recap button on the session you have just finished (normally the first session).
• Each swing is listed with its category (full, pitch, approach, etc.) and key metrics.
• Tap or click a swing to see its full metric breakdown and a 3D trajectory animation (where data is sufficient).
• The AI Chat icon on each swing opens a conversation with an AI coach who can explain the data and suggest drills.

Swing Categories

• Full — a full swing (driver, iron, fairway wood).
• Approach — an approach or mid-iron shot.
• Pitch — a short pitch shot.
• Mistaken — motion the system detected but was not a real shot (e.g. a practice swing). You can re-categorise these.