50 Words or Less
SALTED smart insoles allow you to track your weight shift in your golf swing without using a pressure mat. Deep app allows for great analysis. Accurate.
Introduction
From the time they were introduced to the world of golf, pressure sensing mats have been exclusive to high end instructors and golf facilities. SALTED Smart Insoles look to change that by bringing the same technology to the shoes of regular golfers at a consumer-friendly price. Can they be as accurate as the top-dollar units? Are they a practical way for golfers to improve? I set out to answer those questions and more in my testing.
Set Up & Ease of Use
When you open your box of SALTED smart insoles, you’ll find the insoles, the instruction manual, and the charging cable which connects to a USB port. To charge the insoles, you lift a small flap on the insole and the cable connects magnetically. You’ll know that the insoles are charging because they vibrate – loudly.
After charging for two hours, you’ll connect the insoles to your device via Bluetooth. The first time you connect them, it takes a couple minutes because there’s a calibration process. After that, it takes just a few seconds, assuming everything works smoothly. As with any wireless technology, there will be times when you need to cycle the power to get things on track.
The SALTED Golf app is quite good, but you should expect to spend some time with it to learn all the ins and outs. If you want to use the video camera in the app, make sure you have a tripod or some other way to film your swing.
Effectiveness
The first place to start in evaluating SALTED Smart Insoles is accuracy. It was a matter of fortuitous timing that I received both these insoles and a much more expensive pressure-sensing mat around the same time so I could test them against each other. I found that the data provided by the SALTED Smart Insoles was very consistent with a mat that costs literally ten times as much.
Now let’s discuss the app and the application of the pressure sensing data. There are two primary modes in the app: Video Analysis and Drill Practice. In Video Analysis, you can film your swing and then watch the swing alongside your pressure data, which can be displayed a few different ways. I like this mode a lot because it breaks down that “feel vs. real” barrier. The golf swing happens so fast and has so many moving parts that it’s difficult to know for certain where your pressure is at different points in the swing. With SALTED, you can know for sure. The app also provides professional swings you can compare yourself to.
In the Drill Practice mode, you can watch the screen to get real-time feedback on your pressure. Again, this is a great tool for connecting feel with real. You can, for example, move to the top of your back swing and see where your pressure is compared to what it feels like. If you find that you have a “reverse weight shift,” you can use this mode to teach yourself to shift correctly.
Ultimately, I think the SALTED Smart Insoles can be a very effective improvement tool in the right hands. The feedback is high quality, and most golfers will be able to use it to clean up major issues. The hurdles are that you need to be somewhat tech savvy to use these, and you have to be willing to spend some time in the app if you want to understand the nuances of pressure movement.
Longevity
SALTED Smart Insoles are a mixed bag when it comes to longevity. To the good, they’re fun to use once you get them running, and it’s gratifying to see changes in your swing and pressure shift. Also, this is something you’re not going to outgrow. You can always use them to check in on your swing or further refine your movements.
The downsides are that they take a long time charge, they can be touchy to connect (like most Bluetooth items), and they require you to spend a lot of time with your face in your phone. SALTED Smart Insoles aren’t something you can just pick up, use for a couple swings and set to the side; you need to plan for your sessions with them.
Value
SALTED Smart Insoles are available through Amazon for $230 [support Plugged In Golf by using this link HERE]. To my knowledge, there’s nothing even close to this price on the market. If you want to see the insides of your golf swing without selling a kidney, SALTED is the only game in town.
Conclusion
For the swing junkie and the high tech golfer, SALTED Smart Insoles are going to be an absolute must-have. They bring the average player a level of knowledge about the golf swing that was previously only available to Tour pros and those with cash to burn. If you want to stop guessing about your pressure shift and get the data, these are the answer.
Matt Saternus
Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all)
- Podcast Episode 189 – Upgrade Your Golf Practice - June 7, 2023
- 2023 Adams IDEA Irons Review - June 5, 2023
- Duca del Cosma Orlando Golf Shoe Review - June 2, 2023
They had me until I saw the $230. I just don’t have that high of a value for this info, maybe if I could rent it for a weekend for $20, but that’s a good sized chunk of money.
I got mine on Amazon last year. I bought a week before Black Friday figuring that there was no way these would be discounted. Paid $199 and then BF came and they were $99. So I returned the first set and bought the cheaper set.
You need what I can only describe as a deep shoe to comfortably fit these. I had a ten-year-old pair of what look like Adidas SuperStars but they aren’t. They a big padded, cushy, shoes from Adidas that feel good with these insoles. My ECCO Biom hybrid 3’s just aren’t deep enough for these soles.
Will a large be suitable if i am a 11.5 shoe?
Jim,
I’d suggest contacting the company for specific sizing questions.
Best,
Matt
XL was the needed insole, fit very good, still figuring them out but can see they will be very beneficial for answers of questions i’ve had for along time about weight transfer!