Instruction
GolfTEC’s groundbreaking study shows why you aren’t a pro golfer
GolfTEC has spent the past 21 years collecting and storing motion measurement data from more than 90 million golf swings and six million lessons. With the SwingTRU Motion Study, presented publicly in April, the company released the analysis of those findings, indicating how they’re turning Big Data into big results for their students — students who are dropping an average of seven strokes over the course of their lessons.
In broadest terms, crunching the data from the SwingTRU study identified six specific swing positions that correlate strongly to improvement: areas in which there are marked differences between elite amateurs/professionals and higher-handicap golfers. These include hip sway at the top of the swing, shoulder tilt at the top of the swing, hip sway at impact, hip turn at impact, shoulder tilt at impact and shoulder bend at the finish of the swing.
Of course, it’s important to mention that, for GolfTEC instructors, the positions and where individual students fit are merely references and points of departure in the course of a series of lessons. Here’s one of the six swing positions, hip turn at impact, highlighting the difference between high-handicapper and professional golfers at that moment in the golf swing.
The wealth of data from the largest-ever, fact-based study of golfers’ swings is staggering, and from an application standpoint, we’re just seeing the “tip of the iceberg,” says GolfTEC CEO Joe Assell. To learn more about the study, I spoke with Nick Clearwater, Senior Director of Instruction for the Centennial, Colorado-based company.
BA: How do you describe the study in a nutshell to a layman?
NC: The best way to describe the SwingTRU Motion Study is that it is the most fact-based analysis of the golf swing ever conducted. That is obviously a bold statement, but we say it because it is the first and only example of Big Data being applied to analyze the golf swing. What it proved was that there are specific body positions within the swing that directly correlate to handicap level and play a key role in improving distance, accuracy and consistent contact. In other words, the best players in the world routinely position their bodies in a very precise way, and the further golfers deviate from these positions, the higher their handicaps tend to be. While we will likely unveil additional findings from the study over time, the initial roll-out highlights six of these positions.
By understanding the specific movements correlated to swing and scoring success, it allows GolfTEC coaches to focus on those key motion elements that are proven to have the greatest impact on improvement. Essentially, we’re taking the guess work and theory out of instruction and focusing on just the facts.
[Clearwater indicated that for frequently asked questions and highlights with actual students, visit www.golftec.com/SwingTRU.]
BA: How was it done?
NC: Over the past 21 years, GolfTEC has collected and stored motion measurement data on more than 90 million golf swings, captured during more than six million lessons since 1995. In total, we’ve archived more than 225 terabytes of data, which is roughly equivalent to the entire library of iTunes HD movies. For the SwingTRU study, a statistically significant slice of this accumulated data was examined to learn the differences between how golfers of all handicaps – from tour players to aspiring students and beginners – move throughout the swing. Once we started diving into the data, which was about two years ago, we discovered patterns in how professionals and elite amateurs use their bodies as compared to higher-handicap golfers.
In terms of actually capturing and storing the motion data, we utilized our proprietary teaching technology that includes electromagnetic sensors strategically placed on the student to measure incredibly detailed movements in a three-dimensional space. In fact, the Polhemus® PATRIOT Digitizer that we use to capture pinpoint data of the golfer’s movement is the same electromagnetic technology the U.S. Olympic Committee has relied on to improve athlete performance.
BA: This doesn’t lead to a dreaded “method teaching” approach though, right?
NC: The phrase “method teaching” is often defined as instructing golfers to all swing the same regardless of their own unique problems. GolfTEC coaches always treat each individual golfer uniquely; we do not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. This study simply does what no one else in golf can, which is use a large sample of golfers to compare how the average player at every handicap level moves their body relative to the average player you may see on the PGA Tour.
These findings are a tremendous resource for golfers that struggle with their own games. Simply understanding the six concepts outlined in this first version of the study would be a great way to begin learning the game, and also a great starting point for an experienced golfer wanting to get past a plateau in their improvement.
BA: What’s the application for the average golfer visiting GolfTEC?
NC: The SwingTRU Motion Study reinforces that every golfer should have their swing measured. Without those objective measurements, the average golfer may be severely missing the opportunity to lower their scores by assuming or guessing at what part of their swing needs work. GolfTEC coaches measure every client and use those motion measurements to solve the client’s individual golf problems.
Simply put, if you are the average golfer who wants to get better at the game, the very best initial step you can take is getting your swing measurements and comparing them to the swing measurements of the best golfers on the planet. That comparison will then give you a factual analysis for solving problems that ail your game (with your GolfTEC coach helping you every step of the way).
BA: Can you identify a few surprising/interesting/relevant findings?
NC: We believe many of these motion measurements will surprise golfers and instructors, which will go a long way to help to eliminate bad advice and common misinterpretations of the golf swing. For example, the commonly taught idea that the hips should move away from the target in the backswing to load “behind” the ball is a direct contradiction to the results found in the SwingTRU Motion Study. Professional golfers were found to move their hips more toward the target at the top of the swing than high handicappers.
Another example is how many less-skilled golfers make backswings without tilting their shoulders toward the ground because they’ve been told to keep their shoulders level during the backswing, or perhaps just don’t know any better. This directly contradicts what the best players do according to our study, which is quantified by measuring the average degrees of shoulder tilt in relation to skill level. A 30-handicap, in this case, tilts their shoulders 25 degrees at the top of the backswing, while a professional golfer tilts their shoulders 36 degrees.
These are just two examples of how the findings from the study can not only help to pinpoint an ideal starting block for improvement, but also help to dispel grossly misinterpreted information which has been taught and consumed for many years.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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BON JOVI
May 26, 2016 at 1:32 am
Im not a pro bc I only hit my driver 220 yards…. My approach shots miss the mark too often, and my chipping isnt the best. Also putter is hot or cold (sometimes I actually putt like a pro)!
Other than that Im basically a pro
OH
May 25, 2016 at 10:24 am
While I’m sure there are plenty of great nuggets from this study they certainly didn’t shed any light on much of anything in this article. I’ve spent nearly 6 months in the GolfTec program and it shaved 8 strokes off my handicap, so I can attest that (with the right coach) you can improve. I’d love to see something more comprehensive from GolfTec on this study, though. Not just a couple of Q&A comments that don’t really tell us more than most people already know.
B. Parsons
May 23, 2016 at 1:30 pm
Dumb article only meant to drum up business. It’s more of an advertisement. Fail…
Nick
May 23, 2016 at 6:44 am
I wonder how big a difference there was between different pros in this study? did all pros show similar characteristics or is this an average with some quite big differences?
Pete
May 21, 2016 at 6:25 am
People get better and even good with, what they practice hard.
The knowledge and beliefs of golf not being a sport sits tight in the public. Therefore probably more than not an average golfer is not as athletic, as required to swing properly.
More so, i think there are some idioms many weekend players have heard over the years of their head moving or hitting down on or at the ball. All these facts of misinterpretations of what are causal to correct actions have driven hobbyists to faulty tracks on what to do.
The fundamental should have been told in a way, people really understand, that is is not desirable to hit down, but sweep the ball forward. The mental image will influence the action more than anything else. Detailed single adwise of the cause, instead of action will make people do wrong things and most defenately hinder them from getting better in ball striking, yet they get better in whacking the clubhead down.
All these empiric studies should be applied in teching. Not to point out, what is differen, but re-think and organize the methods to implement the right actions and mental images instead of the cause.
Gazza
May 21, 2016 at 5:27 am
How is this Ground breaking? All they are doing is quantifying (with Averages) what everyone who knows a thing about golf is aware of anyway.
Tour players have forward shaft lean of 5degress, you have -2 degrees… now that’s what you need to work on!
Justin Wells
May 24, 2016 at 12:01 pm
You really think the majority of golfers know this stuff? If you asked the average shaft lean question to 1,000 amateur golfers I think less than 10 would actually know the right answer (vs guessing correctly). The biggest problem I see with amateur golfers in buying new equipment is they do not pay enough attention to their shaft choice. It’s way beyond regular vs stiff at this point. The shaft lean you mentioned creates a de-lofted club face and with the proper angle of attack allows for increased distance without sacrificing optimal ball flight. Furthermore, shaft lean is usually dictated by proper hip rotation through the shot (as explained in the article). The quicker you move your hips through the zone, the quicker you can move your hands through the zone (if your hands lag you’ll block everything). So, I think this article will be good for some people looking to try a few things on their own. I don’t think it’s going to increase GolfTec’s business at all when people can just go to their local teaching pro if they really want a lesson.
The absolute best advice you can give any one single amateur golfer… look at your swing on video!!!!! get a friend to record you at the driving range and you’ll probably find out a few things that you didn’t even know were going on.
DB
May 20, 2016 at 11:22 pm
Back in the day we simply said, the left shoulder must rise upwards whilst the right arm extends down at impact (RH Golfer) . Didn’t need a fancy machine and countless hours of swing videos to see that the long hitters make that motion. Nor is it a recipe for guaranteed success, Iv seen many golfers very capable of playing at a high standard who don’t hit the angles we are supposed too. But golf is about more than doing one thing right. The best do all things extremely well.
DJ
May 20, 2016 at 7:08 pm
free lesson: take two weeks off…then quit the game altogether
Lenny
May 20, 2016 at 6:57 pm
Please let the high handicappers take a few lessons and speed up the game…nothing wrong with using some trick golf swing if it gets you down the fairway, onto the green and into the hole…if GolfTech, Don Trahan, Moe Norman golf etc can get players moving forward we all win..
ken
May 23, 2016 at 9:47 am
One does not need golf swing analysis and lessons in order to improve their pace of play.
What they need is to simply use common sense.
Get butt out of the cart, figure out approximate yardage, take three clubs, go to ball.
Play ready golf.
Result is an instant 30 minutes off each round.
Moe Norman
May 23, 2016 at 5:32 pm
Really?? Yeah – 3 clubs – shank one with your 6 iron – good thing you brought your 7 iron – shank again – opps hit the tree and went backwards – back to the 6 iron – shank – 7 again – oops, another shank – off to the third club – shank over the green into the water – good think you brought 3 clubs to speed up play – oh wait – you cant even hit the ball – you know the clubface – right here – the flat part with the grooves on it – thats where you should hit the ball – yep thats right – keep swinging as hard as you can and now try and hit that clubface – you are all set – no need for lessons – you got it.
Lenny – I liked your response – Golf is tough – the best players in the world work with a coach(s)
Justin Wells
May 24, 2016 at 12:04 pm
you’re right Moe…. a lot of time is wasted hitting poor shots and looking for lost balls. Even if you hit it short, as long as it’s straight you can play very fast. BUUUUT… everyone wants to hit the long ball!!
parker
May 20, 2016 at 6:16 pm
This is not a study. This is advertising. I can’t find that they have published anything in any kind of academic journal or released the subset of data used to create their infographics. So it’s not a study. They haven’t even hinted at their methods.
This is not an interview either. It’s advertising. It reeks of sponsored content although I don’t see a disclosure anywhere.
And even if this was a study, all it really does is continue the myth narrative in golf, that golf is really hard and complex and that we don’t really understand it and we need to study it and measure it and keep trying to improve and take lessons and see a pro and this that and the other… I think this is what turns a lot of people off to the idea of golf.
Doug Hansen
May 23, 2016 at 12:34 pm
+1
EX TEC
Dec 29, 2016 at 11:22 pm
I would ask Golftec to provide specific details on which tour players they measured. Previously they have used obscure tour players and with their putting model the only two players they measured were their at the time Directors of Instruction.
mhendon
May 20, 2016 at 5:00 pm
You can study how the pro’s move and what the pro’s do, and you can study how the avg high handicapper moves and what he/she does but in the end you can’t teach athleticism. Contrary to popular belief golf is a sport that requires athleticism to play it well period.
Steve
May 20, 2016 at 6:51 pm
100% agree as with any Pro sport athleticism is the key, we called it hand eye coordination years ago…But if we separate Pro Golf from Amateur or even Country Club Golf there are many ways to get some good results on the Amateur level course and players…Amateurs need to understand if you want to play “good golf” once a week, once a month, 3 times a year then band aid golf instructions maybe the way to go Swing ideas like Square to Square, Moe Norman type swings and swing machine type golf swings can get amateurs playing very good golf as long as they understand they are playing for FUN and will never have Pro level games…..
The Real Swanson
May 21, 2016 at 2:32 am
Completely agree. I’m a former 3 handicap (now 7-10 only play once a month, if that) with a pretty good swing, but I have terrible flexibility. I’ve never been able to touch my toes (even when I was young), I’m 6′ 4″ and have a large wrist to floor measurement. I have early extension in my swing and have tried various methods to reduce it but I’m now in my mid 40’s so accept that is unlikely to happen. I definitely feel this has limited my ability but I’ve broken par several times on challenging courses and am happy with my golfing achievements.
ken
May 23, 2016 at 9:52 am
Early extension….Ok I learned from a friend who is about your height. He eliminated a lot of his moving parts in the swing. He had distance issues. So he simply cut back on the length of his swing arc. The result was the power curve was where it should be. 6″ from the ball and through the ball. Instead of half way through the downswing.
Try it.
Chris Riley
May 20, 2016 at 2:47 pm
So is this a fault of the swing or the physical limitations of the body. Are people not getting the right hip turn because they are too tight or not strong enough or because they haven’t taught their body to make a move it is capable of?
golfraven
May 20, 2016 at 2:25 pm
I would like to see the tools they use as a commercia app so I could go away and work on that stuff after having as evaluation with a pro when purchasing this app. This is where the real business is.
Clay
May 20, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Golftec will release the rest of their findings once you buy another lesson package… seriously I tried them when I first started golfing and my impression after 25 lessons is their only goal is to sell you more lessons, your improvement is irrelevant to them.
name goes here
May 20, 2016 at 4:28 pm
Exactly. I won a free swing eval and it ended with the “pro” saying I should by a lesson package valued at over $3000. No thanks. Guy had me shanking consistently by the end of the session, and it took me weeks to fix my swing thanks to his “advice” I foolishly tried to replicate in my practice.
Joe
May 20, 2016 at 4:34 pm
$3000!!!! Wow, that is very expensive, I had no idea they were that expensive, too much. Sounds hard sell.
Joshuaplaysgolf
May 20, 2016 at 5:41 pm
Typically when making significant changes, there’s regression first. It’s the whole ‘this feels weird’ ‘good, that means we’re making changes’ thing. Im a scratch player, made a decent sized change in my stance this season and spent 6 weeks (partially because of crappy Colorado weather) putting up horrific 76-77’s until i was able to get comfortable with/trust it. I have an issue trusting Golftec, and personally wouldn’t go to them…my fear being the big-box store cranking out stock, ill-fitting clubs also cranking out ‘stock’ swings, but that’s my own perception issue. If your going to drop any instructor because you don’t see immediate results, your probably not going to find very many instructors or make very much progress.
PuffyC
May 24, 2016 at 5:59 pm
So are you shocked (shocked I say!!) when you go to the car dealership and they want to sell you the most expensive model? I would hope not, and it’s the same with GolfTec. You can buy a $3000 package or you can buy a $500 package, just depends on what you want. Personally, I’ve taken about 15 lessons with GolfTec over the past year and a half and have dropped 12 strokes from my average round. That’s after hacking around for over 30 years and making no real progress. The key is using the cameras. You may think you know what your swing is doing but I guarantee you don’t unless you’re watching it every single time. And as far as the price goes, I found it to be a steal. The average head pro where I’m at charges around $125 an hour and there’s no way I could get anything close to what GolfTec offered even for twice the price.
With that said, lessons alone won’t make you a better golfer, nor will the latest clubs. But if you take a lesson a month, get some clubs that fit you and practice 3 times a week for a year, you’ll start seeing significant progress. The problem is nobody wants to hear that and nobody wants to do it, and instead they’ll just keep pounding away, grooving their flawed swing, insisting lessons don’t work and that their clubs suck.
Joe
May 20, 2016 at 4:31 pm
It is a business, I would expect selling is their prime concern. Since these are canned lessons how would they know if you are progressing? Were you able to talk or correspond with an instructor?
ken
May 23, 2016 at 9:55 am
Golf tech is pretty good. At least according to those to which I’ve spoken. The however is, Golf Tech is very expensive.
For example, they wanted $200 for a club fitting. $150 if I bought clubs form them.
That is beyond my budget.
I mean, how many times do they want their customers to pay for their Track Man?
Joe
May 20, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Every article presented brings out the nay sayers, we live in society of negativity and armchair know it alls.
It is a very interesting article and is probably right on about the physical characteristics of amateur vs pro. Of course to incorporate this into your playing habits is a different thing altogether. At my age I will never be coordinated or supple enough to repeat these finding. For a youngster learning the game and taking lessons it is beneficial information.
Of course anyone who plays knows that method alone and practice won’t let you play at a pro level, but will help you reach goals you otherwise would not.
Scooter McGavin
May 20, 2016 at 1:59 pm
No, sorry. The findings of this “groundbreaking” study are not why people are not pro golfers. We’re not on tour because we didn’t spend years taking weekly lessons and practicing for 6-8 hours a day. Correlation and causation…
Jon
May 20, 2016 at 1:57 pm
The reason I am not a pro golfer is because of loft…Lack Of F’ing Talent.
LinksGypsy
May 20, 2016 at 1:08 pm
90 million swings tracked! That’s an achievement in itself, I doubt any other competitor can say they’ve given that many lessons. With the numerous motions in a golf swing, clearing your mind before a swing can be a daunting task – just apply six motions – okay now that’s doable. Thinking about going pro isn’t the answer, just thinking about improving my own swing is how I’m viewing this study.
Ra
May 20, 2016 at 12:40 pm
Completely and utterly meaningless.
Can you putt?
Justin Wells
May 24, 2016 at 12:10 pm
it doesn’t matter if you’re the best putter the world has ever seen… if you can’t hit greens in regulation you’re never gonna make birdies! Putting isn’t what gets you on tour, it’s what makes you stand out and win after you’ve already made it! being a great scrambler on and around the greens will save you a lot of pars, but you’ll have a really hard time shooting under par if you aren’t setting yourself up with 8-10 legitimate birdie chances per round. Driving the ball is underrated, no one beats Rory when he’s hitting it straight. set yourself up with a shorter approach from the fairway than the rest of the field and you’ll have a better chance of hitting it close and making the putt.
300 Yard Pro
May 20, 2016 at 11:59 am
You’re not a pro golfer because you are taking lesson at GolfTEC, thats why.
Lefty16
May 20, 2016 at 11:25 am
GolftTec, Yep all about numbers we cant reach!! A good instructor will adapt to what you can do not what you cant do. How can you compare an “average” golfer to a Tour Player! That’s all they ever do there. Waste of $$ and time.
PutterMan
May 20, 2016 at 12:07 pm
But isn’t it good to know what the numbers are, if they are essentially saying they’ve proven that certain positions have an undeniable impact on overall performance? Higher handicaps might not be able to reach the “optimal” numbers with consistency, but unless I’m off base, they are saying the closer you can get the better you’ll perform, as evidenced by the 90 million swings they analyzed.
Tom
May 20, 2016 at 11:10 am
I have more shoulder and hip rotation after I’ve had four beers.
bk216
May 20, 2016 at 10:59 am
I did a swing evaluation over the winter and it was helpful. a lot of information in just 90 minutes. but my first round I had 87 swing thoughts. I play at about a 10 and told them I wanted to get to a 5 handicap. Apparently that required 25 lessons. At over $2000 I had lost interest at that point.
GAH05
May 21, 2016 at 9:08 am
After my spring evaluation they tried to get me to sign for over $3,000 for the year. I do see benefits with their teaching methods but to have me in every week for lessons is just too much. I asked about a quarterly package or an la carte lesson pkg at my pace but the instructor was against it so I said have a nice day. Money grab, no way I would want or commit to lessons all year on a weekly basis.
Regis
May 23, 2016 at 10:45 am
I’ve flirted with the idea but you’re right about the cost. For that kind of money I could take a late winter break, and enroll in top level golf school in Florida or Arizona. In either case my bad habits would gradually sneak back into my game (They always have) but at least with the golf school I get a vacation out of the deal. Unless of course you are anticipating returning to Golf Tec for follow up every few months. But for that kind of money I could return to the same golf school every year…………
Don
May 20, 2016 at 10:53 am
I have tried Golftec on 3 occasions and just like any form of instruction it boils down to the instructor. The system they use is just a tool. What the instructor gets out of the data to assist you is going to be most prevalent. My first experience was the best and I had very noticeable improvement. But the instructor moved on and I was saddled with someone else who started changing the things I was already working on with the original instructor. I ended up quitting. I gave it another chance at another location and the instruction was somewhere in the middle between the first and second instructor. Same system differing results. I may go back if I can find the right instructor for me and my game.
PutterMan
May 20, 2016 at 10:38 am
90 million swings…holy moly, that is a ton of data to record. Had no idea GolfTEC had such a following. Anyone here ever been in for lesson or fitting with them? I wonder if they have numbers on things like chipping and putting. Would love to see those but the site doesn’t indicate they exist, or at least they haven’t been published yet. It did however show the actual graphs for each of the six positions and a line indicating correlation to handicap, kinda cool. Good on them for taking the time to sift through the data and sharing it all. Got to imagine we’re going to start seeing more “Data” golf stories with all the stat-tracking apps and TrackMan training sessions becoming so common. A brave new world.
cgasucks
May 20, 2016 at 9:56 am
Of course!! Why didn’t I think of that!?!? How stupid of me…I’ll just have to work on my hip and shoulder turn and I’ll be on the PGA tour in no time! Putting and chipping is overrated anyway.
name goes here
May 20, 2016 at 9:55 am
“Hey everybody – lets get you to mimic a tour pro who has 8 hours a day to perfect their swing and body, while you sit in a cubical during that time and come here for a lesson once a month after work.” Sure…that’ll work!
Jack
May 20, 2016 at 9:10 am
The ol’ Golftec method. If you just rotate your shoulders to a perfect 90 degrees and turn your hips at impact to 36 you’ll it it like a pro.
4pillars
May 20, 2016 at 8:52 am
I’m 60 years old.
This is why I am not a pro golfer. Nothing to do with hipturn angle.
larrybud
May 20, 2016 at 8:41 am
” A 30-handicap, in this case, tilts their shoulders 25 degrees at the top of the backswing, while a professional golfer tilts their shoulders 36 degrees.”
Are you speaking of shoulder plane from down the line relative to the ground? With what club? What height of player, etc?
beejaybee
May 20, 2016 at 9:03 am
Can be rephrased to “A 30-handicap golfer does not tilt their shoulders enough to the top of the backswing.”
AllBOdoesisgolf
May 20, 2016 at 8:18 am
groundbreaking?? I think everyone knows why