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Using the Tangent Golf App on Apple Watch - Full Guide

Written by Joey Jenco

Before You Start a Round

  1. Pair your Apple Watch and iPhone.
    ​     Make sure Bluetooth is enabled and your devices are connected.
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  2. Open the Tangent app on your iPhone.
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  3. Start a round on your phone.
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    • If your watch is connected, it should automatically launch in GPS mode.
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    • If it doesn't, tap the Watch icon on your phone app to manually activate the watch.
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    • Note: It may take 30–60 seconds to fully load, as a lot of data is passed from phone to watch.

Main GPS Screen (Default Screen)

This is your home base on the watch during play.

  • Left Side:

    • Distances to:
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      • Front of the green
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      • Center of the green (pin)
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      • Back of the green
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  • Bottom:
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    • Hole Par info
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    • Distance from your last detected swing (great for finding balls or bragging about bombs)​
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  • Right Side Buttons:
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    • Hole Button: Opens the scorecard, lets you manually change holes or exit the round.
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      • Auto-advances when scores are entered.
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      • Tap on any hole to jump directly to it.
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      • Tap the back arrow to return to GPS screen.
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  • Bottom Center Buttons:
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    • Plus Button (Score Entry):
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      • Tap to enter your score for the hole.
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      • If net scoring is enabled, you'll see your strokes/pops displayed.
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    • Flag Button (Pin Location):
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      • Tap to select relative pin position:
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        • Center, Front, Back
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        • Front Left, Front Right
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        • Back Left, Back Right
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      • Useful if you have a laser or pin sheet to make AI caddie advice more accurate.
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Swiping Between Screens

Swipe Right – POI (Points of Interest) Screen

  • Hole Map View with distance overlays
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  • Quick yardages to:
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    • Hazards
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    • Bunkers
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    • Layup spots
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    • Green (front/middle/back)
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Two buttons here:

  • Add Swing:
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    • Manually log a swing location (only needed if the system misses a swing).
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    • Especially useful for short game shots or putts.
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  • Mark Pin:
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    • Tap to move the pin to your current location (e.g., when you're standing at the hole).
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Swipe Left (from Main GPS) – AI Caddie Screen

  • AI Club Suggestion based on Optimal strategy (same as on your phone)
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  • Plays Like Yardage (adjusts for wind, elevation, weather)
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  • Top Right: Wind speed & direction
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  • Bottom Right: Yardage adjustment total (tap to break down wind/elevation factors)
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Tap the Suggested Club to open Map View:

  • Shows target line for the suggested club
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  • Tap Up / Down to toggle through other clubs and see suggested targets for each
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  • Note: Requires the phone to be nearby to load maps; may take a few seconds
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Swipe Left Again – Shot List / Swing History Screen

  • View all swings/shots taken on the current hole.
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  • Tap any swing/shot to edit:
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    • Club used
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    • Lie (e.g., rough, fairway, sand)
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    • Strike quality
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    • Mental scorecard
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    • Trajectory
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    • Lie levelness (e.g., uphill/downhill)
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    • Score entry
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    • Option to exit the round

Editing Detected Swings

After taking a swing, a Swing Indicator appears on the:

  • Main GPS screen
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  • Caddie screen

It shows:

  • Detected club
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  • Detected lie
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To Edit a Swing:

  1. Tap the swing indicator button.
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  2. Adjust any info (club, lie, etc.)
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  3. Tap Save.
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Important:

  • Tangent will only log one swing per location unless you manually confirm a practice swing via the edit screen.
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  • Don't edit or confirm swings until after you’ve actually hit the ball to avoid double-logging (e.g., from practice swings).
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Pro Tips

  • Plugged lies, recovery shots, or fringe putts are where manual edits are most helpful.
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  • Tangent sometimes assumes you're in the rough—adjust the lie if you’re in a bunker, woods, or recovery area.
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  • For putts from the fringe, mark the shot and change it to a Fairway Putt.

Wrapping Up

When you're done playing:

  • Enter final scores from the watch or phone
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  • The round syncs automatically
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  • Full stats and analytics will be available in the app on your phone
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Troubleshooting

If the watch doesn’t start up:

  • First double check that the Tangent app is downloaded to your Watch

  • Tap the Watch icon on in the app to retry connection

  • If that does not work, power cycle the watch

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