It’s always interesting to see how the best players in the world prepare for a major championship, and that is especially true this week at Shinnecock Hills, where the 126th U.S. Open is underway.
With lightning-fast greens and severe contours testing even the game’s best putters, players have spent the week looking for every possible edge. A recent Instagram post from world-renowned putting coach Phil Kenyon offered a glimpse behind the curtain to how players are preparing for Shinnecock.
The video shows several of Kenyon’s players, including Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood, working through various putting drills using training aids, mirrors and chalk dots placed along the intended line of a putt. But one clip featuring Justin Rose caught the attention of eagle-eyed viewers.
In a video of otherwise “low tech” training tools, Rose was seen rolling putts through a mysterious futuristic-looking device positioned between his ball and the hole.
The comments section quickly got to the question on everyone’s mind:
What is that thing?
The device is called the Smart Putting Gate and is being developed by Grasp Technology.
Roughly resembling the bottom half of a capital “H,” the Smart Putting Gate sits directly on the putting line between the player and the hole. While it has no built-in display, the unit uses high-speed cameras to capture putting data and sends the information to an external device such as an iPad.
According to Grasp Technology, the system measures data points including start line, speed and strike location, providing feedback on both stroke consistency and ball roll.
While launch monitors such as TrackMan and Foresight GCQuad can provide putting data, the Smart Putting Gate appears to be purpose-built for putting analysis. Rather than tracking the ball from behind the player, the unit sits directly on the intended line and captures information as the ball passes through it.
That unique approach has already attracted attention from some of the best players in the world.
At 45, Rose continues to play some of the best golf of his career. The Englishman won the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open in record fashion and finished T3 at The Masters. Long known as one of the game’s more analytical players, Rose has never been shy about exploring new equipment and technology in search of an edge.
Rose recently partnered with McLaren Golf as the brand’s first PGA TOUR ambassador and is making his 19th U.S. Open appearance this week. He captured the championship in 2013 at Merion Golf Club and remains one of the most accomplished players in the field.
The Smart Putting Gate Remains Largely Under Wraps
Grasp Technology first appeared on Instagram three and a half weeks ago with a “Hello World” post that simply showed a picture of device with the text, “Coming Soon”.
They have shared limited information about the product on their website, but detailed specifications, pricing and a public release date have yet to be announced. Its appearance in Phil Kenyon’s U.S. Open practice footage has further fueled curiosity and speculation about its release.
One particularly intriguing aspect of the device is that it doesn’t require anything to be attached to the putter and doesn’t rely on special markings on the golf ball. That simplicity could prove appealing to both players and coaches looking for a portable way to collect putting data without significantly altering practice routines.
Rose isn’t the only tour player experimenting with the technology.
Ben Griffin, currently ranked inside the world’s top 20 and a member of the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team, has also been seen using the Smart Putting Gate this season.
“One of my favorite things about this is you can watch your stroke,” Griffin explained in an Instagram post demonstrating the device. “It’s got cameras on both sides and you’re able to watch your stroke from a straight line all the way through backstroke to follow through.”
Images posted by Grasp Technology show a relatively simple software interface displaying video playback and putting metrics. The presentation may lack some of the visual polish found in established launch monitor platforms, but if the data proves accurate and actionable, most serious golfers will care far more about the information than the aesthetics.
The biggest unanswered question is price.
Given its use of high-speed cameras and specialized data collection, the Smart Putting Gate seems likely to occupy a premium segment of the market. The company’s quiet rollout through coaches and tour professionals also suggests this may initially be aimed at elite players, instructors and fitting studios rather than everyday golfers.
For now, the Smart Putting Gate remains one of the more intriguing pieces of golf technology making its way around professional golf.
And if players like Justin Rose continue to trust it while preparing for major championships, golfers may be hearing a lot more about Grasp Technology in the months ahead.
