New Voice Caddie Provides You With Your Own Knowledgeable Practice Guru
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2019-11-21
By GORD MONTGOMERY, Inside Golf
CALGARY, Alberta — There’s nothing like the having a buddy, or a caddie, on the driving range helping you with your practice sessions. Especially when they know exactly what they’re ‘talking’ about.
So while Greg van Rassel can’t personally fill that bill for everyone — after all, he is only one guy to spread among millions of golfers — he does have someone, or rather something, that can help you.
His solution is a companion that knows what it’s telling you is correct ... and no, again it isn’t Greg. Rather, he represents a threesome of portable launch monitors in the Voice Caddie line, which are available for a fraction of the cost of the built-in systems.
Such units were drawing attention at the PGA of Alberta Buying Show in Calgary recently, as the Golfing Buddies company displayed three different units. At the top end of the line, you get all the information those highly expensive indoor systems provide but at a much lower price point.
Speaking to these smaller units, van Rassel, the Sales Manager for Golfing Buddies, said that his company’s Voice Caddie is invaluable in helping golfers realize their potential with each club in their bag. The monitors provide information on launch angles, smash factor, swing speed, and for the first time, spin rates.
“They are portable launch monitors including the SC100, the SC300, and the SC200 PLUS. The biggest one on the market right now is the SC300, which actually allows you to download an app on your phone and it includes spin data, which really has become the key for portable launch monitors,” he stated.
The Complete Line Of Swing Caddie Launch Monitors Gives Golfers A Choice Of How Serious They Want To Get With The Information Provided.
“Most of these, until now, have included distance and swing speed, ball speed, smash factor ... but what teachers really wanted for their students was the spin rate data. Up until now, the 100 and 200 didn’t offer that, so guys were moving still toward the Trackman and stuff in the higher price points.”
That issue for Golfing Buddies has been solved by the introduction of the SC300, which is larger than previous models making it easier to read when you’re on the practice tee. And, most importantly, it comes with all the data housed on machines that typically cost thousands of dollars more.
Asked about the accuracy of the information these little portable units provide compared to their larger, indoor cousins, van Rassel said they are precise, especially since the spin data is now included.
One of the keys to the success of the Voice Caddies is where they line up in the marketplace.
“They’re affordable for the guy who wants to have something to practice with and something to use,” and van Rasel speaks from first-hand knowledge. “I take mine all the time to the range before I play. I set it up behind me. You put on what club you’re using and it gives you your feel for the day with each club,” because of all the data presented on each and every swing.
Over time, these machines have improved dramatically.
“The original one that came out was the 100 and it just had the digital (read-out) so you had to look back at it. Then the 200 came out and they added voice to it. Then the 300 came out and they added a larger display and spin data. That’s where they’re at right now.”
Van Rasel said the upper end system costs “Around $700. You can probably find the original SC100 for under $400 whereas the 200, with the voice but without the spin data, you can probably find it around $500.”
As to the benefit of buying into this technology, van Rassel suggests they can simply help players feel more comfortable no matter what club they’re yanking out of the bag because they’re more aware of specific yardages.
“I think what it really does is give you a feeling of confidence when you’re out there practicing. A lot of guys practice and don’t know what they’re doing.”
So while this caddie may not tote your sticks around the course, it will definitely help you when it comes to choosing the right stick for distance left on your next shot.
About the Writer
Gord Montgomery is a member in good standing of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. He is now in his 12th year of writing for Inside Golf.
He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. He’s also on Twitter at @gordinsidegolf and on Instagram at gordinsidegolf2.