The 5 Best Shot Tracer Apps to Improve Your Golf Game

The continuous advancement of technology plays a vital role in sports. From the pinpoint accuracy of instant replay to tablets used on the sidelines, nearly every athlete or team relies on technology to improve their game. Fortunately, the advantage of technology isn’t solely for professional athletes — especially on the golf course. Shot tracer apps have quickly become one of the best ways for amateur golfers to embrace technology quickly, easily, conveniently, and cheaply; it’s the next best thing to hiring a coach.

If you continuously slice or hook your tee shot or just don’t seem to improve your game over time, a shot tracer app can certainly provide a lift. With the ability to track your shot, you can see the movement of your ball, providing insight into the hole in your stroke, as well as some evidence of what you can improve on. So whether you’re a technophile or a technophobe, embrace the future. Learn more about these top shot tracer apps and which ones are right for you.

What Is a Shot Tracer App?

Without diving too much into the technology behind it, a shot tracer app is an app for your phone that tracks the ball flight when you hit a shot. There are apps you can use on your phone and other types of golf technology you can use to improve your game and track your shots. Using your camera in real-time, the app provides the in-flight path of your ball from beginning to end, helping you find potential holes in your game, analyze your golf swing, and give your coach (or yourself) something to improve upon.

Inspired by Toptracer technology used by NBC, CBS, the Golf Channel, and Sky Sports at PGA Tour events, shot tracer apps are a professional-quality method to mastering — or at least refining — your golf shot.

What Are the Benefits of a Shot Tracer App?

Aside from the obvious fact that you can see where your ball goes after a tee shot, shot tracer apps also come with an array of awesome features that go a step (or a shot beyond). A few of the benefits and advantages of this technology include:

• Helping you decide what golf clubs to carry in your bag based on how you hit each one
• Improving your club gapping — or the distance you hit between each club; for example, 10 to 15 yards between your 8-iron and 9-iron
• Finding your golf ball if you went a tad bit off course
• Utilizing complementary features on shot tracer apps, such as putt tracers, swing tracers, and strobe motion (which uses a strobe light to dissect your swing)
• Uploading your shots to social media to look like a badass to your golfing buddies
• Adding a bit of pizzazz to ball flight tracking, such as a rocket ship, laser, or fire to the ball — it’s a bit of a confidence booster

Moreover, the advantages of golf shot tracking are simply inherent the next time you head out to the golf course. Once you know the holes in your driving, chipping, or putting game, you can take the necessary steps to improve them.

Some Negatives of Shot Tracer Apps You Should Know About

Even beneficial golfing products have some downsides, and shot tracer apps are no different. Although the pros outweigh the cons, you should still note the capabilities and limits of shot tracer apps, including:

• Doesn’t eliminate the need for a scorecard, as it may miss tap-ins and penalty strokes

• May need considerable battery life on your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone — often in the range of 50% to 80% battery life
• Must have a constant internet connection, so you may need a strong data plan; it may not work on some rural courses

• Doesn’t offer tutorials in most cases, so hiring a golf coach might be a necessity
• Won’t bring you a beer after a woeful shot

To some degree, displacing the negatives is as simple as comparing the golf apps that are available to you. With some trial and error, you’re sure to find the golf shot tracer that works for you.

The Best Shot Tracer Apps

Now that you understand the advantages, drawbacks, and limitations of shot tracer apps, you’re in a better position to find the ideal one. So hop on the App Store or Google Play Store and download one of these top-rated shot tracer apps.

1. Shot Tracer

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: $5.49 on Android/$5.99 on iOS

Maker: Visual Vertigo Software Technologies GMBH

If you’re new to the world of shot tracer apps, you may as well go with the OG. Voted the best golf app overall by Golf Magazine and Golf Digest, the Shot Tracer App is the consumer version of the technology that pioneered commercial ball tracking and shot tracer lines. More specifically, this is perhaps the only genuine shot tracer app that focuses almost solely on tracing.

Within this app, you can not only trace your shot, but also implement putt vision, live stream your shots, or just get a bit more in-depth with your shot. It’s also compatible with your PC or Apple computer, making it the ideal choice for content creators or social media influencers

The added touch is an app feature that pairs shot tracing with augmented reality. Superimpose objects to hit your ball football field goal uprights, shoot down ships during an alien invasion, or sink baskets. It’s a fun feature that’s perfect when you’re playing on your own or with friends.

2. V1 Golf

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: Free version available; 7 day free trial of V1 GOLF+ membership, then $69.99 per year on iOS and Android or $9.99 per month

40% OFF SPECIAL OFFER: use discount code VIBES for 40% off your V1 GOLF+ annual subscription here.

Maker: V1 Sports 

The V1 Golf app started as a golf video recording and swing analyzing app to improve your swing, but it’s transcended beyond that to include a massive drill content library shot by real coaches (with some big names on the list) and model swings from hundreds of top performing professional golfers. The analysis tools allow you to not only look critically at your swing, but also at Scottie Scheffler's swing frame-by-frame. The app also includes a great tutorial for golfers who are new to analyzing their own swings, making it easy to pick up and start using right away. 

Pair your favorite shot tracing technology with the V1 Golf app to make a killer combo of seeing what happens before impact with your swing sequence, and what happens after impact with your ball flight.

3. Ace Trace

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Maker: Alexander Ivkin

If you want a simple interface that’s ideal for tracking your shot, adding a colorful line, and using it for social media or your own personal benefit, look no further than Ace Trace.

Boasting a 4.3-star rating on the App Store and Google Play, Ace Trace is simple to use and one of the easiest interfaces for editing. Simply have someone record your shot or put the phone on a tripod, hit the shot, and add a trace to your tee shot. It not only gives you insight into your game, but it also offers some eye candy to your social media profile and a little touch of jealousy from your fellow linksmen.

4. Toptracer Range

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: Free

Maker: TopGolf USA, Inc.

If you love TopGolf, Toptracer Range is one of the most downloaded and top-rated shot tracer apps out there. While it may not match the excitement of an actual round of TopGolf, this app allows you to track your driving-range shots by club and distance at over 450 courses in 31 countries. Using the same technology you’ll see on PGA telecasts, you can also record your swing and add a ball tracer element, allowing you to see your shots in better detail and work on your mechanics.

To indulge your competitive side in the true spirit of TopGolf, the app also has a leaderboard so you can take on some of the best amateur golfers around the world or in your own backyard.

5. Golfshot

Availability: Android and iOS

Price: Free with in-app purchases/$49.99 to unlock all features

Maker: Shotzoom LLC

If you’ve always wanted a caddie but don’t have the extra scratch to afford one, Golfshot takes you one step closer while also adding a shot tracking interface to the mix.

Although it’s not an actual shot tracer app, it’s a better option than many of the bottom-of-the-barrel competitors that have a shot tracer. With over 5 million downloads and a rating of 4.8 stars, it’s perhaps the best golf app available to you.

While it doesn’t trace, it has many other features, including

• A virtual caddie to help you choose a club at over 40,000 courses
• Discounts on tee times/greens fees
• Golfing video library

Adding a Shot Tracer App to Your Arsenal of Tools

Like any other type of technology or app, you can’t expect miracles by using a ball tracer app. It’s just something to add to your arsenal of tools to become a better player. But coupled with a few putting drills, coaching sessions, and consistent trips to the driving range, a shot tracer app might be that missing piece of the puzzle to improve your game.

You can’t hit the reset button on your shot, but at least you can get one step closer to success.

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