Does Wearing A Watch Affect Golf Swing?

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Golfers can be rather finicky about what they are wearing when they golf.

Some need the perfect fitting shoes, the perfect fitting pants and even the shirt that is comfortable.

Others don’t seem to be bothered by any of those items and can play golf in anything.

But, what about a watch?

Does Wearing A Watch Affect Golf Swing?

No, in most cases the watch will not affect the golf swing.  Unless you are wearing an expensive/heavy watch or a poorly fitting watch, the golf swing will not be affected.  In fact, many golfers wear a GPS watch to provide accurate yardage information and to speed up the pace of the game.

As far as overall performance, if the watch is properly fitting and is not too heavy, the golf swing will still be fast and accurate for the professional or highly skilled player

Should An Amatur Golfer Wear a Watch?

Yes, we would recommend every amateur golfer wear a GPS golf watch that can provide yardages that carry certain hazards and the distance to the front, middle and back of the green on the hole that you are playing.  It also can help collect your score and other vital data.

Gone are the days of having to find the nearest sprinkler head in hopes of finding the correct yardage to the middle of the green.  The golfer, using a GPS based golf watch, can have rather accurate information on shot distances.  This not only provides the golfer an advantage, it saves time in having to try to walk off your distance.

Golf Rangefinder vs Golf GPS Watch: Which one is better?

While some golfers prefer a Rangefinder as their yardage device, the golf GPS watch does provide multiple yardages.  I have found the front and back yardage often times more beneficial than the exact yardage to the pin. For many amateur, understanding your needed carry distance to get over a front bunker is often more important than the exact yardage to a specific pin.  WHere the exact yardage does become rather helpful is inside of 100 yards.  The best combination I have found is to wear a GPS golf watch and have a Rangefinder.

Are Golf GPS Watches Worth It?

Not all golfers wear a watch while playing, but many will put on as soon as their round is over.

Do Professional Golfers Wear Watches?

Yes, on occasion, if a professional golfer has a sponsorship from a watch company, you will often see them wearing a watch, even sometimes during play.  For those that don’t wear one, they will often put one on for their interview sessions with the media to help promote the sponsors that are paying them to wear a watch.

As far as a GPS watch, these are not allowed on the PGA Tour, plus they have a caddie to provide any yardage they would need to compete on the tour.

Why Do Yardages Matter?

At the end of the day, all golfers, regardless of skill level need to know two things for sure when they step up to a golf shot.

  • The ideal distance to carry a shot
  • The club in their bag they realistically will meet that carry requirement

Far too many amateurs have no idea how far they realistically hit their irons.  Instead, what golfers think or act upon is the one time their hit their 7 iron 150 yards.  They believe from now on they will always hit their 7 iron 150 yards.

How can I improve my distance control in golf?

I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:

ClubCarry Distance (100%)90%80%
2 Utility Iron210
4 iron190
5 iron181
6 iron171
7 iron163
8 iron153
9 iron143
P Club130123115
Pitching Wedge118110102
SW Club1059791
LW Club908274

This might be the most important information you can use to help you play quality golf.  I have heard so many stories and have seen it first hand where golfers completely over estimate how far they hit each iron.

They hit one 7 iron 165 yards one time and think this is their carry distance.  So they step up to a 165 yard shot, hit the 7 iron and end up in a bunker.  They blade it out of the bunker and are looking at a double bogey as their reality.  Instead, if they had the right club and hit the 6 iron, their chance of hitting the middle of the green would increase greatly!

If you were hitting this shot to the red pin, you would want your carry distance to the front edge as the most important yardage. A Golf GPS Watch would be great for this shot.

How can you create your own chart?

Best Option: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!

These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator.  These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:

  • Carry Distance
  • Spin Rate
  • Launch Angle
  • Spin Axis
  • Total Distance
  • Ball Speed

This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more.  I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.

The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:

  • Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
  • Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
  • Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
  • Take the average and create a map of your bag.

If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors.  While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range.  I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.  

Here are the top 3 options to check out:

Final Thoughts: Enjoy The Journey

Golf should be fun. One way to make it more fun is to play better golf.  This often starts with having the right tools to help you improve.  Whether you buy a Skytrak, GPS Watch, or a Training Aid, there are options for ways to improve. 

Find the best option for where your game is currently at and have fun playing the game.  It can provide great experience, memories and a release from the grind of life.

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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