Brian Park, Skillest CEO
If you coach golf and are evaluating tools for your business, Skillest and V1 Golf are worth comparing directly. V1 Pro is one of the oldest video analysis tools used by golf coaches. Skillest is a more modern golf coaching platform that includes video analysis, messaging, a marketplace, alongside everything else you need to run and grow your coaching business.
Quick verdict (TL;DR)
V1 Pro gives coaches video analysis: slow-motion, frame-by-frame, drawing, side-by-side comparison, voice-over annotation, and club-path overlays. It is a solid tool to analyze golf swings using video analysis.
Skillest offers the standard video analysis tools including AI-powered skeleton tracking. In addition, Skillest offers a coaching marketplace to get exposed to students globally, the ability to sell subscriptions and zoom lessons, calendar booking software for in-person coaching, the ability to create and sell courses, and marketing automation to help you grow your audience and collect ratings and reviews from your clients.
If you want the best platform to run and grow your coaching business, Skillest is the natural choice.
What each one is
V1 Pro is coaching software from V1 Sports and is one of the oldest video analysis tools on the market. It provides the basic annotation tools you would expect from a video analysis tool. V1 also includes model swings from golf pros. The feeling you get from V1 is that it’s the platform that’s been around for the long time and it feels somewhat dated.
V1 Pro is analysis software. It doesn’t offer a coach marketplace, scheduling tools, marketing automation, or public ratings and reviews.
Skillest is an online coaching marketplace and a suite of business tools with a focus on golf. As a coach you get video analysis with AI-powered skeleton tracking, a marketplace profile that brings you new students, integrated billing and payment processing, a scheduling calendar for in-person and online lessons, the ability to sell subscriptions and courses, ratings and reviews that build your public profile, and marketing automation.
Skillest is like the updated version of what V1 Pro once was.
The core difference: business platform vs analysis tool
V1 Pro is an analysis tool. Skillest is a business platform that includes analysis tools.
With V1 Pro, every student in your workflow is one you already have. You bring the students, you bill them separately, and you manage the relationship outside the tool.
With Skillest, golfers actively searching for a coach can find your profile, read your reviews, and book directly. That’s a lead-generation channel. Many coaches use Skillest for both in-person and remote coaching. For example, coaches can capture their in-person lessons to send a summary to their clients after the lesson.
Skillest has invested heavily in AI to help save coaches time. For example every lesson automatically includes an AI summary of the key points from the lesson. In addition, Skillest uses AI to provide skeleton tracking.
Video analysis: how they compare
V1 Pro’s analysis tools have been around for the long time and they were considered the defacto platform to use over 10 years ago. But a lot has changed and many competitors offer better video analysis and coaching tools now.
Skillest offers all of the same video analysis tools and also includes AI-powered skeleton tracking and AI summaries of every lesson.
Which should you pick?
- “I want a solid video analysis tool.” V1 Pro is purpose-built for the analysis job and has been refined for 30 years. Skillest is the modern version of the software with up to date features to help you save time.
- “I want to grow my student base, manage my whole business from one platform, and have solid video tools included.” Skillest handles the full business stack, video, billing, scheduling, marketing, marketplace, in one place.
- “I use V1 Pro at my facility and want to add an online coaching channel and marketplace presence.” Skillest works alongside V1 Pro. Some coaches choose to use both and often migrate their students to Skillest slowly over time.
Try it
The best way to learn about a platform is to try it. Most offer monthly options or free trial periods. Set up a Skillest coach profile and see what the business platform offers. Most coaches find the consolidation alone pays for itself. Instead of having to manage 5 apps to run your coaching business, sign up for Skillest and you have one app to do the job for you.
FAQ
Is V1 Golf Pro better than Skillest for video analysis?
V1 Pro was at one time the leader in video analysis software. Over time video analysis has become a standard that dozens of apps offer. Skillest’s video tools are full-featured and include AI skeleton tracking and lesson summaries. For most coaching use cases both are more than adequate. The deciding factor is rarely the drawing layer, it’s whether you want an analysis-only tool or a full business platform.
Can I use both V1 Pro and Skillest?
Yes. Many coaches use V1 Pro for in-person facility analysis and Skillest for online coaching, marketplace visibility, billing, scheduling, and marketing. They serve different parts of the business and complement each other well.
How much does V1 Pro cost vs Skillest?
Prices change so please consult their websites for up to date pricing. V1 Pro is approximately $499/year ($42/month). Skillest is $59/month and includes billing, scheduling, marketing automation, marketplace access, ratings and reviews, and courses that V1 Pro doesn’t offer. Add the cost of your current billing, scheduling, and marketing tools to V1 Pro for a fair comparison.
Does Skillest take a commission on lessons?
Yes, tiered: 0% on in-person lessons, 1% on hybrid, 13% on online marketplace lessons. V1 PAIRED pricing varies; check V1 Sports directly. Skillest’s online commission is the cost of marketplace student acquisition, you’re trading a percentage for students you wouldn’t otherwise have.