What's News in Golf Technology?

Whether it's new or improved, today's golf technology is designed to enhance your game and your viewing experience. Below is a sampling of some of the new tech available today to golfers and how you can use it to your advantage.

1. Go, Go, Go! Can your golf ball fly even farther? Scientists are working with new polymers for the inside of the golf ball and scratch-resistant polyurethane exteriors. Amateurs may one day see their drives easily fly 300 yards - but, what's the fun in that?

2. Before I started taking lessons at the Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center, I never heard of FocusBand, a "thought-sensing" neurofeedback headband to help determine how you "feel" before, during and after you hit the ball.

You know the Bobby Jones quote, "Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course - the distance between your ears,"...well, science has come up with a way to make sure that the mental game does not impede the physical one.

How focused am I? I will be reviewing this technology shortly and will let you know my levels of focus and tension but, suffice it to say, reading brainwaves to improve your golf game is certainly the "wave" of the future!

3. Callaway leading the technology wave? Callaway certainly has been in the news recently, from the release of their Callaway GPS watch which can count steps, Golf for Beginnerscalories, GPS and more for a variety of sports, to their new Epic irons which are said to remove standard limitations to enhance maximum performance.   https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikmatuszewski/2017/05/23/callaway-golfs-epic-year-gets-even-better-with-new-irons-several-years-in-the-making/#778ccaad103e

4. Although Pro Tracer is not necessarily breakthrough golf technology, it has improved the viewing experience for fans of the game. This U.S. Open received accurate shot-tracking graphics for all eighteen holes along with Toptracer technology which allowed for, "live ball trace over video." How could this design be suited for the average golfer? I am sure someone is already working on it.


5. Now you can play Pebble Beach for real! Okay, maybe not for real but HD Golf states about their simulators, that "from a realism standpoint, it’s as real as you can get — short of getting a tee time at Pebble Beach." HD Golf says they use a geophysical scan, high-res images, and drone footage.

I have played Pebble Beach and would like to see if this simulator really makes me feel like I am standing on that 7th tee box, wind blowing in my face, heart pumping to land that golf ball safely on the green.

What new golf technology can you add to this list that makes you go WOW? Place your comments into our Golf for Beginners blog below and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

What Can Video Analysis Do for Your Golf Swing?

Scenario: Inconsistency once again rears its ugly head in your golf swing and you chunk, thin it and watch as your shots fly off in all directions. You think this anomaly will solve itself over time but it only gets worse.

What is the first step to a cure? A video analysis of your golf swing!

Yes, I am guilty of not taking regular golf instruction to keep me on track but, after a recent lesson at the Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center in Myrtle Beach, I realize that my swing won't fix itself.

Instructors like Dale Ketola are awesome without using technology to guide them, but their skills are amplified with software such as V1.

The software can show a hitch or improper plane angle with front or side views, allowing the teacher to give you the proper method of solving the issue(s). The student also benefits because he or she gets to watch the swing over and over again, with analysis from the teacher.

In my previous blog, my video golf lesson using my irons showed that not only was my head in front of the ball but I was turning my body to look at the target, thus pulling my shots. Dale offered me an easy fix which I have been working on at the driving range.

Next was an analysis of my driver swing which, I am happy to report, is excellent and right on plane!

Even though I swing my driver well, Dale offered me a tip or two to improve my position even further (watch the video below for golf tips of view Rate My Golf Driver Swing on Youtube.com).


 

Don't forget the importance of having a driver fit correctly for your golf swing - if you visit the Myrtle Beach area, ask Dale for help with this as well!

Do you regularly take golf lessons? Let us know the benefits you received below, on this golf blog, and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

The Latest #Golf Club Fitting and Thought-Sensing Instruction Technology

As you drift aimlessly through your local golf superstore, how many times have you been tempted by the latest driver or irons? I'll bet it's every time the "eye candy" catches your attention. First thing you do is grab the club and head over to the hitting booth to try it out. 

Most golfers are guilty of the "grab and go", thinking that the golf club which you swung great in the store will serve equally up-to-par on the course. You then find out that it's just not the same converting a golf club from net practice to course use.

What essential piece of the puzzle did you miss out on?  The Golf Club FITTING!

Golf for Beginners has written several articles about the benefits of custom golf club fitting and, this being the start of a new season we would, once again, like to emphasize the importance to all level of golfer, in order to maximize your experience on the course.

There are different ways to get to the same end in a golf club fitting; for the most part, professionals use an indoor booth and software that allows them to see how you hit the ball - the trajectory, distance etc. There is one problem with that equation...you are looking at a screen and only imagining the outcome.

I recently met with Dale Ketola, Director of Instruction and Golf Fitting for the newly opened Grande Dunes Golf Performance Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (on behalf of MBN.com).

This golf instruction and club fitting center is unlike any I have seen. Why? I'm glad you asked! Watch my short Facebook Live interview with Dale, (see below).

Dale uses the latest technology, including swing comparison V1 software for instruction and Flightscope® with doppler radar to track the golf ball in flight - offering real life results.

Ah, but Dale has one special trick up his golf shirt sleeve; you can see the ball flight outdoors! I am sure there are other golf-fitting centers cross-country which utilize this tech but here, in Myrtle Beach, it's the first of its kind.

Now onto the science-fiction-fact portion of this blog...an exciting new tech breakthrough, on the order of mind-reading, is a thought-sensing headset Dale uses to aid in visualization called FocusBand©. Worn like a headband, FocusBand©, measures your subconcious thoughts before, during and after your shot. Wonder if we can use that to enhance our personal relationships?

Dale's thoughts on FocusBand©, “It's pretty cool and really works. I don't know of anyone else in the Carolinas who has one.”

Want to check out the new golf technology first-hand? Listen to the end of the Facebook video for Dale's cell-phone number and email address and tell him Stacy sent you!

Have you tried Flightscope® or FocusBand©? Let us know in the comments section of this golf blog and tweet us @Golf4Beginners.