This is the GPOD Golf Phone/Tablet/Camera Holder review.
Have you ever hit a shot so good that you wish you had it on film? Or has your swing ever felt so great one round that you’ve thought to yourself, “Man, I wish I had someone here to capture this!”
The GPOD Smartphone/Tablet/Camera “Monopod” (phone holder) is what I described to the company’s founder and owner, Paul Park, as a “much-needed innovation in the [REDACTED] of a process filming yourself play the game can often be.”
After using the GPOD myself at 8 courses for over 50 hours of proper testing, I can confidently say this is the best phone/camera stand to make filming your swing easy, and the competition isn’t close.
Let’s begin!
Purchase your GPOD HERE before they are sold out!
GPOD Golf Phone Holder: What To Expect Out Of The Box
The purchase of your own GPOD Golf device includes an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber body, an adjustable magnetic phone mount head, and a 1-millimeter thick phone and tablet-safe magnet to keep your device secure while filming (if you have an iPhone 12 or newer, a magnet is not needed for safe filming on the GPOD).
Key Features
- Eliminates the need for heavy, bulky, or easy-to-break tripod
- Sets up in seconds (unlike competitors)
- Made with durable and high-quality materials while weighing only .5 lbs
- Clamp-free design enables fast/one-handed us
Best For These Golfers
- Players who strive to be better by analyzing their swing on film
- Golfers who are tired of tripods breaking or asking friends and family to film their swing for them
Reconsider If:
- You enjoy wasting money on easily-breakable filming devices
- You don’t want to get better at golf by analyzing your swing with ease
- Sorry, there’s just no reason not to get a GPOD Phone Holder if you want effective golf swing feedback.
About GPOD Golf
In my correspondence with GPOD’s owner, Paul, he told me he began playing golf when he was just 8 years old.
Like many of us, he has always enjoyed analyzing his swing on film (even when bulky camcorders were the only option).
After being unable to find something to meet the needs of today’s smartphone design comfortably and efficiently, Paul decided to invent the GPOD, patent his product, and with some “gentle nudges from close loved ones,” bring his product to the golfing market.
On top of delivering the GPOD and other products to players and coaches worldwide, Paul is a touring professional golfer of the last four years on the PGA Tour Latin America and Canadian Tour.
Performance & Features
The GPOD device itself is a 360-degree adjustable magnetic mount attached to an all-new carbon fiber base “stick” with a pointed end that easily slides into the ground to create a sturdy foundation for your device.
Together, these premium components create a stable, fully-adjustable camera stand to secure your smartphone, iPad/other tablet, or any camera that accepts the ¼” universal screw that the magnet is attached to (GoPros, etc.) to make filming your swing a breeze.
One of the first things we noticed about the GPOD is how much easier it is to use than a phone-compatible tripod.
Besides assembling in literally seconds, the GPOD weighs little to nothing while feeling indestructibly-strong, fits in your golf bag just like an additional club, and your phone snaps straight to the magnet with zero fear of it falling and/or breaking (unlike the crappy Amazon tripods we’re used to wasting our money on).
After attaching your phone to your GPOD device, you’ll simply push your GPOD’s pointed end in the ground 5 yards behind where you plan on filming, and your camera should automatically have you perfectly in frame.
Another one of our favorite features about the GPOD is that it lets you film from angles that wouldn’t be possible without having someone else with you. This includes filming things like your putting path and a face-on angle usually reserved for bold camera-men!
Here are some of the additional features that make the GPOD the best golf swing film-aid for every athlete:
- The GPOD is the lightest and strongest magnetic device holder for filming sports motion on the market (device weighs .5 lbs total but can securely hold 3.5 lbs)
- The GPOD is fully waterproof thanks to its carbon fiber and aluminum alloy components.
- A “Cradle-Free Design” (made possible by the magnetic attachment method) allows easy film-angle adjustment from portrait to landscape by just rotating your phone/device.
- Customers have reported excellent use for different sports such as baseball, football, soccer, hiking, and other activities.
- Owner, creator of the GPOD, and Touring professional golfer (Paul Park) has dozens of quick and helpful swing tips on the GPOD Instagram page and on the GPOD site for free.
- The GPOD is used by countless reputable PGA Tour and other top-Tour pros, as well as elite-level golf swing instructors. This includes athletes like Joaquin Niemann and Christina Kim, as well as coaches/instructors like Chris Como and George Gankas.
Spec Check for the GPOD
One of the first things we noticed after pulling our GPOD out of its incredibly strong and insulated cardboard shipping-tube is the product’s overall build quality.
The carbon fiber base rod looks great and feels incredibly sturdy/resistant to bending or breaking. Users also receive a carrying-bag that feels soft (like the inside of a golf bag’s valuables pouch) but has drawstrings that keep your magnet or other accessories safe (if you like to remove it during transport).
It’s worth repeating, if you have an iPhone 12 or newer, you do not need the magnet to attach your phone. But, if you have an older phone like us, you’ll need to attach the included 1-millimeter thick magnet to your phone over the included “easy-remove sticker.”
The entire process takes less than a minute to do, and once your magnet is attached to your filming device of choice you’ll never have to do it again! (Unless you want to use another phone)
Product Category: Easy-to-use and built-to-last film aid device for faster and simpler swing filming.
Ease of Use
So far, while using the GPOD we have run into zero of the issues we usually face when trying to film our swing. The GPOD entirely removes the hassle that comes with other tripod alternatives.
For literally years I would prop my phone on my bag and wait for the inevitable sound of it falling and hitting the ground as my signal to start the process of placing it precariously on the edge of my golf bag again. This process was annoying, frustrating, and could have broken my phone’s screen easily.
After biting the bullet and wasting my money on two smartphone tripods from Amazon, they both promptly broke beyond repair after a week of daily use.
I’ve used the GPOD multiple times per week for the last 6 months and it’s just as solid and sturdy as the day I received it. I love the fact that it slides right into a club divider in my golf bag. This makes it easier to travel with (completely TSA-friendly) and I use it to hold my towel when I’m not filming (that way I always have it with me just in-case!)
Quality Materials and Construction
Every piece of your device comes individually wrapped and insulated to make sure it reaches your door safely and without scratches or damage from transportation.
Each piece screws into the other so solidly that you know your money was invested in a well-made product immediately upon removal from the package. On top of that, the assembly is extremely straightforward since the GPOD itself is just three total pieces.
If you would for whatever reason need help to put your device together, included with every GPOD is a scannable QR code that takes you to an instructional step-by-step tutorial.
By avoiding the use of clamps in its design, the GPOD doesn’t really have any areas where something could break. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but this product lasts so long that you could be making a near life-time purchase with the choice of a GPOD over one of its lesser alternatives.
An Alternative To the GPOD Golf Holder
- Uses easily-breakable plastic clips
- Doesn’t include base stand
GPOD Golf Swing Film-Aid FAQ
Can beginners find value in a GPOD?
Absolutely. I’ve been playing golf for nearly two decades but didn’t start analyzing my swing on film until my last few years of college (14 years into my playing life).
Being able to learn the differences between what I’m “feeling” in my swing versus what is “really” happening (verified through film) has allowed me to develop a “swing checklist.”
This way, if something is feeling off on the driving range before or after a round, I can watch myself using my GPOD and cross-examine my swing to other swings in my library to recognize and correct where the issues are occurring for better performance.
Elite golfers do this on a daily basis, but the average golfer rarely (if ever) watches their swing on film.
The sooner you add doing this to your golf toolbox the more your game and scores will thank you!
Does GPOD make any other products?
Yes!
Besides their best selling GPOD device we reviewed above, GPOD has a “GPOD Caddy” that allows you to mount your phone anywhere (golfcart, gym, etc.), a “GPOD mini” that clamps to any alignment stick, a “GPOD Connect” that serves as an adapter to use alignment sticks with your GPOD base, and an “Indoor Base” that lets you set your GPOD up inside where you can’t puncture the ground.
The Verdict: GPOD Golf Swing Film-Aid Review
If you’re someone like me who is taking the game more seriously and wants to be able to film yourself for review comfortably, the GPOD is by far the best option out there.
Not only does the GPOD exceed every expectation I had for it, but I honestly believe it has paid off its retail price in spades just through its utility, quality, and easy-to-use nature.
If you were in the market for a tripod for your smartphone or tablet, now you shouldn’t be!
The GPOD is faster to set up and take down, more adjustable, made with stronger/nicer materials, AND easier to use than any other smartphone or tablet tripod option we’ve ever seen.
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