Siri lets you get your yardage, change holes, and play your tips without taking your phone out.
Every command starts with "Hey Siri," followed by the phrase. Siri answers out loud, and for most of them the app does not need to be open or even in your hand.
The first time you use one, iOS asks whether to let Siri use PreSwing. Allow it and you will not be asked again.
Try a command at home before your first round, so the prompt is out of the way and you are not learning the phrasing on the tee.
During a round, on your iPhone
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, Distance"
Siri reads back your middle, front, and back yardages for the hole you are on.
You can also say "Hey Siri, Distance in PreSwing" or "Hey Siri, PreSwing, Distance to the green". All three do the same thing.
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, next hole"
Moves you to the next hole and reads out the hole number, its yardage, and its par.
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, play next hole" works too.
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, previous hole"
Goes back a hole and reads the same details.
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, current hole"
Tells you which hole you are on, its yardage, and its par, without moving anywhere.
These four only work while a round is running. If you have not started one, Siri tells you so.
During a round, on your Apple Watch
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, Distance"
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, How far"
Both read back your yardages from the Watch, using the Watch's own GPS. You do not need your phone in your hand.
Any time, on your iPhone
"Hey Siri, PreSwing, Skills"
Siri asks which Skill you want tips for. Say the name, for example "Driver", and the top five tips for that Skill play.
This one opens the app and plays your audio rather than announcing itself first, so give it a second after you answer. The audio is coming.
You do not need to be in a round to use it.
Getting the app name right
Siri hears the app name as "Pre Swing," two words. If Siri does not recognize a command, try saying it slightly more separately: "Hey Siri, Pre Swing, Distance."
Where to find them
The commands also appear in the iPhone Shortcuts app under PreSwing, listed as Distance to Green, Next Hole, Previous Hole, Current Hole Info, and Golf Skills. You can run them from there, or add them to a Shortcut of your own.
Start with two
You do not need to learn all of these. The distance command and the next hole command cover most rounds, and they are the two worth practicing before you play so they come out naturally.
What is free
On your iPhone, distances and hole navigation are free, the same as reading them off the screen or tapping the arrows.
The Skills command needs a subscription, since it plays your tips.
On the Apple Watch, Siri is part of Play, which is a subscription feature.
Questions
Siri says "A golf round is not currently being played."
The distance and hole commands only work during a round. Start one on your iPhone first: tap PLAY, pick your course, choose your tees and voice, and tap Start Round. The Skills command is the exception and works any time.
Siri did not say anything when I asked for Skills.
That is expected for that one command. Instead of talking, it opens PreSwing and plays your tips. Give it a second or two after you say the Skill name. If nothing plays at all, that Skill may not have its audio built yet, so open it, go to the Tips tab, and tap Play Tips once.
Siri asked me something the first time I tried a command.
That is iOS asking whether to let Siri work with PreSwing. Allow it and Siri can use the app from then on. If you declined by mistake, open the Settings app on your iPhone, find PreSwing, tap Siri & Search, and turn on Use with Ask Siri.
Siri does not recognize the command.
Siri hears the name as "Pre Swing," so try saying it as two words. Make sure you include the app name in the phrase, since "Hey Siri, distance" on its own will not reach PreSwing.
If it still does not work, check that Siri is allowed to use the app: open the Settings app on your iPhone, find PreSwing, tap Siri & Search, and make sure Use with Ask Siri is turned on. It is on by default, but it can get switched off.
You can also open the Shortcuts app and confirm PreSwing's actions are listed there. If they are, Siri can reach them.
Siri says this feature requires a subscription.
Asking for tips needs a subscription, and so does anything on the Apple Watch. Distances and hole navigation on your iPhone are free.
Can I use Siri with my phone in my pocket?
Yes, for distances and hole changes on the iPhone. Siri answers out loud without opening the app. The Skills command is different, since it has to open PreSwing to play the audio.
Does Siri work without a signal?
Everything Siri reads back is already stored on your phone, so PreSwing itself does not need a connection. Whether Siri can understand you offline depends on your iPhone and how it is set up, since newer models handle many requests on the device. If Siri does not respond in a dead spot, use the app directly. The numbers are the same.
Siri says "You are already on the last hole."
The next hole command stops at the end of the round rather than looping. Use the arrows on the hole screen if you want to go back around to the first hole.
Can I change the phrases?
Not the built-in ones, but you can build your own in the Shortcuts app using PreSwing's actions and give them any name you like.
