As we’ve reported recently, there’s no shortage of wearables on the market at the moment. While there’s a wide range of devices for every budget, there’s some that are aimed for specific sports. The Garmin Approach X40 seeks to help golfers up their game.  

The Approach X40 is a slim, neat wearable that does all the things you’d expect from a device of this callibre, and then some. Aside from the usual activity tracker functions, it also has a heart rate monitor built in, which gives a more accurate calculation of calories burned and energy used.

The thing that sets this device apart, however, is its focus on golf. There’s some 40,000 courses pre-loaded into the watch and an AutoShot Round Analyzer. This automatically detects shots along the fairway and measures distances for post-round analysis.

 

The device’s Green View display shows the player the true shape and layout of the green.

After each round, a golfer can download their round and view it in Garmin Connect. This can be contrasted to the last round played, making it easy to track improvements.

The built-in digital scorecard makes it possible for users to save and review their performance after every round. This info is stored and can be pulled up for comparison at any stage. 

Bottom line:

Off The Ball's JP used the Garmin Approach X40 during the week and liked the look of it, but found that it slowed him down as he played his way through the course. 

There is a bit of set up involved the first time it's used on a course, but it's a learning device, so it will remember your habits and tendencies, taking that leg work out of it. 

The Garmin Approach X40 retails at €256.