11/16/2016

At times, advanced numbers help us little. We have a tendency to focus more on the stat and move towards improving that stat when really the stat is there to help us grade our games. For example, a baseball player made aware of his batting average on balls in play would drive himself batty if he tried to maximize that number. Instead, the statistic shows how lucky or unlucky he’s been. He should still rely on the fundamentals to improve his hitting.

The same is true in golf. Technology has given us a variety of ways to look at the game on a large and individual level. We have these tools at our expense, but how do we properly use them?

PGA Teaching Professional Todd Kolb introduced his “Teaching With Technology” through USGolfTV with this exact question in mind. He wants to help golfers utilize the tools rather than dismiss them frustratingly. In the video entitled “Using FlightScope to Simplify Technology,” Kolb highlights some of the most efficient uses of the popular device.

Bryson DeChambeau, whose affinity for physics has made him a player to watch as much as his game, endorses FlightScope wholeheartedly. His teacher and he incorporate it into their range practices. On one hand, that’s a great endorsement. On the other, it adds to the intimidation. If a braniac like DeChambeau likes it, maybe it’s not for the average player.

Kolb works to get rid of that stigma. He uses the example of students who hook the golf ball.

“I can give them numbers. I can say, ‘Hey, you’re swinging, your path is five degrees to the right. Your club face is two-point-five left,’” Kolb explains. “That might actually confuse them, or make the process more difficult.”

In other words, it’s one thing to know the numbers. It’s another to apply them.

The great thing about Flightscope is that it has a visual component. Kolb can take those numbers, and, rather than explain them, show his students what exactly the swing looks like. So, they take that three-dimensional image and go back to practice with a new thought in mind.

“Many times, the visual image for them relates better,” Kolb says, “and simplifies the information into something they can understand.”

The process takes away the intimidation factor of technology. Students know exactly what they’re looking at. It’s another step in the right direction to help golfers understand their swings.

That’s the secret to success. Know your swing. Know how to improve your swing. Play better golf.