Golf Shot Tracing Apps Review
There are a few different apps available on the AppStore for golf ball tracking
- Ace Trace
- Shot Tracer / Golf Shot Tracer - the same app, but two different names
- The Golf Tracer
Let’s see how they compare to each other.
Tracing
All tracers’ main feature is highlighting the golf ball’s trajectory by tracing its flight path and drawing a line.
Automatic tracking
Some tracers offer the automatic option that automatically allows tracing the ball trajectory. Automatic tracking is a very complex computer vision algorithm implemented differently in every app; however, since the complexity, it often does not work very well. In fact, most users advise not to try to use it at all or manually trace the ball.
We tried the Shot Tracer app for several videos, and it worked one time out of ten for us.
Ace Trace has decent-quality automatic tracking; however, it only works for disc golf now. The automatic golf ball tracking is coming soon.
The Golf Tracer does not offer automatic tracking but has a pretty intuitive interface for manual tracking.
| Tracer | Automatic Tracking | Manual Tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Ace Trace | Available for golf and disc golf. Pretty reliable | Simple and efficient interface |
| Shot Tracer | Works one time out of 10, not accurate | Counter-intuitive interface, hard to use |
| Golf Shot Tracer | The same as Shot Tracer | The same as Shot Tracer |
| The Golf Tracer | Not available | Sufficient interface, not very convenient |
Graphics
Every app allows customization of the line color.
Shot Tracer
Shot Tracer only has a single color option. They also offer a drop-shadow effect.
Ace Trace
Ace Trace has an option of a single color, gradient line colors, or flying particles.
Gradient line
Flying particles
The Golf Tracer
The Golf Tracer is simple but does the job
Features
Camera motion compensation
The old way of tracing algorithms was to rely on the camera being still the whole time. However, it requires filming on a tripod which is not very convenient. A much more common way is to ask a friend to film on your phone holding it in hand. The app must track the camera motion to compensate for hand jitter and zoom. Ace Trace does it very well, and there are several algorithms to select from.
Ace Trace - line stays in place
Shot Tracer - line moves with the camera
Distance counter
Both Ace Trace and Shot Tracer allow you to add counter graphics that will display real-time ball flight distance. The Golf Tracer does not have this feature; however, it allows you to put a static text overlay on top of the video.
| Tracer | Camera motion compensation | Distance counter |
|---|---|---|
| Ace Trace | Yes | Yes |
| Shot Tracer | No | Yes |
| The Golf Tracer | No | No |
Rating
Ace Trace has the most stars (4.6) while having a significant number of ratings - 318. The Golf Tracer has a lower rating of 3.8; however, even more ratings - 936. The considerable number of ratings shows how long this product was available on the AppStore. Golf Shot Tracer/Shot Tracer has the lowest rating of only 2.2 (4.0), with fewer people trying it.
| Tracer | Stars |
|---|---|
| Ace Trace |  4.5 (407 ratings) |
| Shot Tracer |  3.2 (16 ratings) |
| Golf Shot Tracer |  2.2 (148 ratings) |
| The Golf Tracer |  3.8 (936 ratings) |
Size comparison
Ace Trace and The Golf Tracer are both about 100 Mb; however, Shot Tracer is 466 Mb which can eat a significant portion of your device storage.
| Tracer | Size |
|---|---|
| Ace Trace | 105 Mb |
| Shot Tracer | 466 Mb |
| Golf Shot Tracer | 169 Mb |
| The Golf Tracer | 103 Mb |
Price
Most of the apps offer subscription-based pricing. Some of them have free options with limited functions.
| Tracer | Free options | Paid options |
|---|---|---|
| Ace Trace | 1 video every month | $39.99/year or $23.99/6-months |
| Shot Tracer | Not available | $6 one time + $24/year for map tracer |
| Golf Shot Tracer | Not available | $24/year |
| The Golf Tracer | Free tracing | $4.99 for premium features |
Conclusion
Overall our choice is the Ace Trace. It offers the best user interface - it only takes one minute to trace a golf shot. It also has a free option; if you don’t use it very often, that might work fine. Everything is intuitive and easy to use, with a rich set of features.
The Golf Tracer is a decent alternative. It’s a good option if you have a limited budget and always film your drives using a tripod.
Shot Tracer / Golf Shot Tracer apps interface is very confusing and hard to use, while automatic tracking does not really work.