Because this deceptively simple-looking gadget could have changed my life. Or at least my golf game.

The GC2 is what’s known as a launch monitor. Using a high-speed stereoscopic camera system, it measures exactly what’s happening at the moment your club impacts the ball. The system can directly measure the ball’s speed, back and side spin, launch angle, and azimuth. From those parameters, it can then calculate the carry distance and total distance of the shot.

“So what,” you might ask. But for golfers, these numbers are the new Holy Grail. For most of the game’s history, it was impossible to know exactly what was happening at impact, and most teaching was informed by tradition, not physics. So, for instance, if I’m hitting slices with significant right-hand spin (not that I ever slice the ball), it means that the club face is open in relation to the path of the club at impact. With the numbers from the GC2, I can see exactly what is happening.

It’s also a huge boon for finding the right equipment. Grabbing four drivers, I could hit 10 balls with each, and quickly find that two of the drivers generated much more favorable launch conditions than the others. Further tweaking of the two good drivers allowed me to lower spin and increase my launch angle, which means more distance off the tee.

There are other launch monitor systems on the market, some of which use radar, and some which use cameras. What separates the GC2 is its size, and cost. It’s portable and can run on batteries, which means that, if you’re feeling very, very fancy, you can take the unit to the driving range. Just be prepared to have every single other guy hitting balls come by to see what you’re up to.

It’s also, relatively, a bargain. Which might sound insane when I tell you that the GC2 sells for $6,495, and you’ll pay another $2,195 for PC-based simulation software that let’s you play virtual courses and save and analyze your data. And sure, that’s a crazy, crazy amount of money.

But you have to remember two things. First, competitive systems run up to $20,000. And second, the GC2 is just really, really cool. Most avid golfers spend way too much money to try to improve their games; this is one piece of tech that just might actually help.

As I stood in front of the molded plastic case, having packed up the GC2 to return it, I wondered if I was doomed to mid-handicap purgatory forever. I’m hopeful that practice and lessons will help me continue to improve, but I’ll always look back longingly at my data-driven golden era.

WIRED Instant feedback on what, exactly, is happening with your swing. Portable, rugged, battery-operated. Bluetooth and USB connections.

TIRED Price is still too much for all but the most well-off duffers.