Approach S72 costs $799.99 in both sizes, against $699.99 for the 47mm Approach S70 and $649.99 for the 42mm. On the 47mm, the screen and the battery carry over unchanged: the same 1.4-inch 454 by 454 AMOLED panel, the same 16 days of smartwatch use and the same 20 hours of golf. The money buys a new sensor, new case materials, a speaker, a flashlight and a set of on-course tools the older watch never had.
Swing metrics – Technique training without club sensors
S72 measures the swing from the wrist, without a club sensor. After each shot, it reports four things that S70 could not:
- Hand speed: how fast the hands moved, where they moved fastest in the swing, and their speed at the top and at impact. Garmin’s manual says peak speed should come before impact.
- Backswing length: how far the hands travel from address to the top of the backswing, shown on a clock face.
- Wrist rotation: how far the lead wrist rotates from address, through the top, into impact.
- Swing plane: the angle of the hand path on the way back and on the way down, and the difference between the two.
Tempo, the ratio of backswing time to downswing time against the 3.0 reference that Garmin takes from professional golfers, was already on S70, along with tempo training.
The readings are available when playing a round and in a new driving range activity. At the range, the golfer hits a ball, swipes through the four numbers, hits the next one, and the session is saved to Garmin Connect. A golfer can set one of the new metrics as a favourite and display it on the course as a data field, so a golfer working on wrist rotation, for example, sees that number on every shot during play.
Green reading requires a Garmin Golf membership
Green contours were already on S70 behind the membership. S72 adds green reading on top. The player walks to the pin, marks it, and the watch gives the distance, the side slope as a percentage left or right, and how far uphill or downhill the putt runs. Aerial imagery of the hole comes with the same subscription, as a photographic map alongside CourseView.
Putt tracking is on both watches. The putting analytics in the app, covering speed bias, direction bias and make rate, require the membership.
The small watch changed more than the large one
The cheaper 42mm S70 compares well to the slightly bigger 43mm S72. That 1mm makes a big difference in screen resolution, with the latter offering better resolution (390 x 390px vs 416 x 416px), a drop in weight from 44g to 41g on the ComfortFit fabric band, and a $150 price increase rather than $100. Battery stays at 10 days and 15 hours.
Both S72 sizes cost the same, so the 43mm buyer pays the 47mm price for six fewer days of smartwatch battery and five fewer hours of golf. So this is more of a fit and aesthetics decision than a value one.
Hardware and off-course use
The Elevate Gen 5 sensor adds the ECG app and skin temperature, while S70 runs Gen 4. Titanium and sapphire replace the ceramic bezel and Gorilla Glass 3. Storage jumps from 16GB to 64GB, and preloaded road and trail maps add point-to-point navigation and ClimbPro, so the watch navigates on and off the course. A speaker and microphone handle calls and voice commands, and the LED flashlight is a first for an Approach watch. It also includes wider Garmin training features like daily suggested workouts and training readiness.
TruSwing appears on Garmin’s S70 specification sheet and is absent from the S72 sheet, so owners of a TruSwing club sensor should check before upgrading.
Specifications compared
| Approach S72 (47mm) | Approach S70 (47mm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price at launch | $799.99 / £699.99 | $699.99 / £549.99 |
| Case | 47 x 47 x 13.5mm | 47 x 47 x 13.4mm |
| Weight | 48g | 56g |
| Bezel and lens | Titanium, sapphire | Ceramic, Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Display | 1.4 inch, 454 x 454 AMOLED | 1.4 inch, 454 x 454 AMOLED |
| Battery | 16 days, 20 hours golf | 16 days, 20 hours golf |
| Storage | 64GB | 16GB |
| Heart rate | Elevate Gen 5, ECG app | Elevate Gen 4 |
| Swing metrics | Hand speed, backswing, wrist rotation, plane | Tempo only |
| Green reading | With Garmin Golf membership | Not available |
| Road and trail maps | Yes | Not available |
| Speaker and flashlight | Yes | Not available |
Which to buy
An S70 owner gets a better sensor, better materials, and a practice tool on a watch that plays a round the same way. A golfer coming from an S62 or older, or buying a first premium golf watch, gets the whole jump at once. S70 stock is now discounted, and the 42mm remains the only small Approach watch carrying the full health platform. the Garmin watch specifications database has Full figures for both watches, and Release Radar tracks anything still to come.
Garmin Approach S72
Garmin's top golf watch, with wrist swing metrics, green reading and a full training platform off the course.
Garmin Approach S70
AMOLED golf smartwatch with full-colour course maps, Virtual Caddie and PlaysLike distances. 42mm or 47mm.
RRP from $649.99
from £499.99
- use code:
Get it nowOrder now – Garmin Approach S70 Also sold direct by
Garmin HRM 600
High-end, watch-free heart rate recording strap.
Garmin lists the watch on its Approach S72 product page.
Quick answers
Is the Approach S72 worth upgrading to from the S70?
On the 47mm, the screen and battery are identical, so the upgrade adds the Elevate Gen 5 sensor with an ECG app, a titanium-and-sapphire case, wrist-measured swing metrics, green reading, and off-course maps. An S70 owner who is happy with the round itself gains the least.
Do the Approach S72 swing metrics need club sensors?
No. Hand speed, backswing length, wrist rotation and swing plane are measured from the wrist. Approach CT1 and CT10 sensors still add automatic club tracking.
Which Approach S72 size has the better battery?
The 47mm runs up to 16 days in smartwatch mode and 20 hours of golf. The 43mm runs 10 days and 15 hours, for the same price.
Last Updated on 28 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
While the new golf features are an improvement, I’d say the biggest improvement are the non-golf features. Full maps. Full navigation. inReach support. More activities. Same display as the 47mm Fenix 9, in a way lighter package.
For golfing, one of my favorite features is the Driving Range app. Huge step up from the old Tempo app. It now actually tracks all your data, lets you select a club via club sensors, etc. Actually useful for analyzing your swing.
When friends used to ask what device to get, if they were primarily golfers, it was easy to suggest the S70. But if they did much other activities, the S70 was a hard sell. Now, I recommend the S72 to pretty much anyone who wants golf features since they will also get most of the other outdoor features. OK, maybe I wouldn’t recommend it to a triathlete or ultra runner. But those days are long past for me and most of my friends anyway.