Big Data has come to golf. On the individual level, launch monitors, high-speed camera systems, and even thumb-size motion-capture devices are just a few of the ways minutely-accurate information about the golf swing is collected. Now, GolfTEC has taken the next step, publishing a comprehensive study that compares six key positions in the golf swing as performed by golfers at various skill levels. The company has collected data from over 90 million golf swings in the last 20 years as part of its golf lesson and club fitting business around the world.
“SwingTRU is the first example of big data applied to analyzing the golf swing and is entirely the result of our ability to capture information from the nearly one million lessons we provide annually,” says Joe Assell, Co-Founder and CEO at GolfTEC.
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GolfTEC’s SwingTRU study used a statistically significant slice of the accumulated 225 terabytes of information in its database to demonstrate the different swing patterns of tour players, mid-handicappers, and rank beginners. They sampled 48 different body motions from over 13,000 golfers and identified six key body positions that directly correlate to a player’s handicap.
Here’s how the 30-handicapper compares to the pro:
|
Motion |
Amateur |
Pro - Partner Content -
|
|
Hip sway at top of swing |
2.3 inches toward target |
3.9 inches toward target |
|
Shoulder tilt at top of swing |
25 degrees left - Advertisement -
|
36 degrees left |
|
Hip sway at impact |
0.4 inches away from target |
1.6 inches toward target |
|
Hip turn at impact |
19 degrees open |
36 degrees open |
|
Shoulder tilt at impact |
23 degrees right |
39 degrees right |
|
Shoulder bend at finish |
3 degrees back |
32 degrees back |
The company’s SwingTRU website has full detail on the measurements for four handicap levels between the 30+ player and the pro as well, so you can see where you probably fall on the charts. It also has very helpful explanations of what each position means and how it affects your performance. GolfTEC hopes, of course, that you’ll turn to their PGA instructors for ways to get your numbers closer to the pros’.
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“It is important to note, the study does not prescribe a specific method of instruction or swing theory, it is simply factual information that can be used as a starting point to help drive student improvement,” says Nick Clearwater, GolfTEC Senior Director of Instruction. “All our students are unique, and these findings help our Coaches continue to tailor instruction to the needs and goals of the individual.”
