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Travis Kent is manager of the TaylorMade Performance Lab at Grand
Cypress Resort near Orlando, Florida.
Cypress Resort near Orlando, Florida.
So You Want to Play Better? Try TaylorMade Performance
Lab for Properly Fitted Clubs
Mar. 1, 2008 - Just about every golfer imagines hitting soaring, accurate shots and putts drilled
dead in the center of the hole. It’s natural, even though in our heart of hearts we know we’ll quite
probably never attain the proficiency level of touring professionals.
There are potential solutions such as investing in the latest equipment with the newest technology
or maybe lessons to straighten out a few of those quirky swing moves. However one major
question is often overlooked and that is do our clubs really fit us? Put another way, are we playing
with equipment which matches our swing and our game?
It’s a simple truth but corrected fitted clubs give us the best chance to hit good shots even if our
swings are less than Tour-quality.
The process of finding the right clubs goes way beyond simply having shafts whose specification
is based on some so-called standard. It means taking advantage of modern motion-capture
technology with analysis using the latest software in a modern swing lab setting to find true
custom fit clubs.
Low-tech methods around for years such as putting tape on the sole of an iron or measuring lie
angle at address are OK but pale in comparison to making 25 separate measurements as the
club is being swung. Club fitting is now the beneficiary of really startling technology which really
gives players the opportunity to play with the instruments best suited to their own swings.
We visited one of the most up to date and cutting edge fitting centers to see the system touring
professionals use to improve their ball striking, a system now available to average golfers.
‘Welcome to the twenty-first century’ is the initial impression walking in to the TaylorMade
Performance Lab on the grounds of Grand Cypress Resort near Walt Disney World outside
Orlando, Florida. The lab makes use of a state-of-the-art proprietary Motion Analysis Technology by
TaylorMade or MATT system. It’s the one you’ve seen the PGA Tour professionals using on
television.
Lab for Properly Fitted Clubs
Mar. 1, 2008 - Just about every golfer imagines hitting soaring, accurate shots and putts drilled
dead in the center of the hole. It’s natural, even though in our heart of hearts we know we’ll quite
probably never attain the proficiency level of touring professionals.
There are potential solutions such as investing in the latest equipment with the newest technology
or maybe lessons to straighten out a few of those quirky swing moves. However one major
question is often overlooked and that is do our clubs really fit us? Put another way, are we playing
with equipment which matches our swing and our game?
It’s a simple truth but corrected fitted clubs give us the best chance to hit good shots even if our
swings are less than Tour-quality.
The process of finding the right clubs goes way beyond simply having shafts whose specification
is based on some so-called standard. It means taking advantage of modern motion-capture
technology with analysis using the latest software in a modern swing lab setting to find true
custom fit clubs.
Low-tech methods around for years such as putting tape on the sole of an iron or measuring lie
angle at address are OK but pale in comparison to making 25 separate measurements as the
club is being swung. Club fitting is now the beneficiary of really startling technology which really
gives players the opportunity to play with the instruments best suited to their own swings.
We visited one of the most up to date and cutting edge fitting centers to see the system touring
professionals use to improve their ball striking, a system now available to average golfers.
‘Welcome to the twenty-first century’ is the initial impression walking in to the TaylorMade
Performance Lab on the grounds of Grand Cypress Resort near Walt Disney World outside
Orlando, Florida. The lab makes use of a state-of-the-art proprietary Motion Analysis Technology by
TaylorMade or MATT system. It’s the one you’ve seen the PGA Tour professionals using on
television.
Travis Kent, the knowledgeable and personable manager, begins a
club fitting session with a series of questions such as, “What’s the ball
flight when you hit a good shot?” and “What do your misses look like?”
for the session.
Kent, a PGA of America member, explains the next procedure, “First
comes the black body suit with the markers attached. The reflective
markers are tracked by the cameras [nine cameras positioned around
the hitting area] to give a picture of the swing including the markers on
the club as well.”
Camera data from swings using a variety of clubs is fed into the
computer resulting in a three-dimensional animated image which can
be replayed, viewed from any angle and stored for future reference. The
system’s launch monitor also records ball speed, launch angle and
spin which along with the images are copied on to a CD for the player.
All this information is used to produce a personal swing analysis and,
most importantly, specifications for each club from driver to putter.
According to Kent the computer really ‘knows what it’s talking about’.
Stored in the system are more than 500,000 swings from touring
professionals to weekend hackers to be used for comparison.
“Some players are really surprised at the results and even some better
players have found they’ve been playing with the wrong clubs, maybe
for years,” said Kent.
The final step is out to the practice tee for a session to actually hit the
TaylorMade clubs that match the computer generated specifications. Of
course this whole fitting exercise is also about selling new clubs and
Kent does point out a new club order will be delivered within 48 hours,
but he isn’t pushy. Quite properly he lets the results do the talking.
In a nutshell this process works very well which is why the best players
in the game periodically go through it. The cost is about the same as a
new driver, $400, so along with the investment of 2 ½ hours of time,
your ball striking will improve and that’s a sure way to lower scores.
club fitting session with a series of questions such as, “What’s the ball
flight when you hit a good shot?” and “What do your misses look like?”
for the session.
Kent, a PGA of America member, explains the next procedure, “First
comes the black body suit with the markers attached. The reflective
markers are tracked by the cameras [nine cameras positioned around
the hitting area] to give a picture of the swing including the markers on
the club as well.”
Camera data from swings using a variety of clubs is fed into the
computer resulting in a three-dimensional animated image which can
be replayed, viewed from any angle and stored for future reference. The
system’s launch monitor also records ball speed, launch angle and
spin which along with the images are copied on to a CD for the player.
All this information is used to produce a personal swing analysis and,
most importantly, specifications for each club from driver to putter.
According to Kent the computer really ‘knows what it’s talking about’.
Stored in the system are more than 500,000 swings from touring
professionals to weekend hackers to be used for comparison.
“Some players are really surprised at the results and even some better
players have found they’ve been playing with the wrong clubs, maybe
for years,” said Kent.
The final step is out to the practice tee for a session to actually hit the
TaylorMade clubs that match the computer generated specifications. Of
course this whole fitting exercise is also about selling new clubs and
Kent does point out a new club order will be delivered within 48 hours,
but he isn’t pushy. Quite properly he lets the results do the talking.
In a nutshell this process works very well which is why the best players
in the game periodically go through it. The cost is about the same as a
new driver, $400, so along with the investment of 2 ½ hours of time,
your ball striking will improve and that’s a sure way to lower scores.