Building Range Session Tracker in Public, and Getting It Ready for Google Play

I've been building a small Android-first Flutter app called Range Session Tracker.

The idea is simple: help golfers log range sessions quickly and review distance-control patterns over time without turning practice into data-entry homework.

This is not a launch monitor product. It is not a full swing analytics suite. It is not trying to replace TrackMan, Arccos, or a lesson. It is a focused tool for a smaller problem:

When you're on the range working on distance control, how do you capture just enough information to notice patterns and improve?

That constraint shaped the entire app.

Why I Built It

I wanted something I could realistically use between balls at the range.

That pushed the product in a few specific directions:

• large tap-driven controls

• minimal typing

• simple target selection

• estimated miss bands instead of fake precision

• local-only persistence

• no account system

• no sync

• no backend

The point is not to pretend range practice is richer in data than it really is. Most of the time, it's approximate. You know the target. You know whether a shot finished short, pin high, or long. You know whether it leaked left or right. You may not know the exact yardage miss, but you usually know the band.

That turns out to be enough, as long as the app stays fast.

What The MVP Does

The current MVP includes:

• editable bag setup with default clubs

• fixed-target sessions

• random-target sessions

• tap-driven shot logging

• distance and lateral miss bands

• session summaries

• local session history

• session detail, rename, and delete support

The app stores completed sessions locally on device. No login. No sync. No cloud layer.

That simplicity is intentional. I wanted a real first release, not a platform plan in disguise.

What Changed As I Built It

Even a small app picks up real product decisions quickly.

A few examples:

• shot entry originally felt more form-like than range-friendly, so I changed the flow to prioritize miss amount first

• summary and history flows needed better navigation and rename/delete support

• outdoor readability mattered more than I first gave it credit for, especially for golfers in the 50+ range who do not want to keep grabbing reading glasses between practice shots

• testing on a physical Android tablet surfaced a very normal issue: I first installed the wrong kind of APK and hit a native architecture mismatch that never showed up in the emulator

That last one was a good reminder that device testing still matters, even for a small app.

Where It Is Now

At this point:

• the app runs in the Android emulator

• the app runs on a physical Android 15 tablet

• the Play upload key is created

• the signed release bundle is built

• the Play Store listing is set up

• the screenshots, icon, feature graphic, and privacy policy are in place

Which means I am now in the least glamorous and most real part of shipping: store setup, release tracks, policy forms, and recruiting enough testers to satisfy Google Play's closed-testing requirements.

The Current Hurdle

For a new app like this, Google Play requires a closed test before I can apply for production access.

That means I need at least 12 testers opted into the closed test for 14 continuous days.

So at the moment, the main job is not coding. It's finding enough Android testers to get through that gate.

What I Need Next

If you're an Android golfer and you'd be open to helping test Range Session Tracker, I'd love to hear from you.

The ask is simple:

• join the Google Play closed test

• stay opted in for 14 days

• try the app if you can

• send feedback if anything feels rough or confusing

If that sounds interesting, message me directly or reply wherever you found this post.

This has been a fun project to build in public because it keeps the work honest. It's easy to talk about ideas. It's better to talk about what actually shipped, what changed, what broke on real hardware, and what still stands between "working app" and "available app."

Range Session Tracker is real, it's running, and now it needs testers.