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The golden age of tech may be coming to golf bags, but only if an 84-year-old engineer can see his dream become a reality.
Let us introduce you to RotaCaddy, the golf bag that automatically chooses which club you hit for your next shot.
Currently in its prototype phase, the concept is designed to simplify club selection and speed up play.
RotaCaddy was conceived in a workshop in the Cleckheaton in West Yorkshire in 2009 by Jim Pittman, a ‘golf engineer’, before it ran into problems, including mounting costs. In stepped local businessman Neville Proctor, who solved a number of problems and helped take the idea forward.
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The concept
“The concept was to present a chosen club to the player by using a remote radio control,” Proctor tells bunkered.co.uk.
“The bag would feature a method for rotating the clubs so the chosen club was at the front of the bag and then to somehow lift the club up.
“Jim had been frustrated by how often he and others had picked out the wrong club ie. a 6-iron instead of a 9-iron, and by slow play.”
In creating a working model, Pittman went through a few ideas to lift the clubs from the bag. But it was problematic.
“He used opposing pole magnets, but couldn’t get the height, then spring loaded mechanisms, and they nearly launched the club into space!”
With such problems on the rise and costs escalating, in came Proctor. Soon, they had solved the club lifting issue and applied for patents – which they would eventually get – including for the United States.
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Proctor also brought some new ideas. He wanted the bag to be controlled by an app via a smartphone, as that would create more flexibility with the control unit and allow for more bespoke options.
We have learned that the bag is in a ‘working prototype phase’ with the people behind it looking for the right partner to take it to the next stage. If those partners come on board, it could be ready to hit retail in 2019, with a likely RRP of £1,200.
How it works
• The basic concept is that the bag connects to your phone via Bluetooth and, when you arrive at your ball, it automatically lifts the club you need for the shot out of the bag.
• The bag uses a special loaded rotation device to project the right club out of the bag for your shot.
• The bag could also use voice commands via the app, and also produce motivating messages that you have preloaded in the app.
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