Equipment technology is constantly managing to surprise - what price a triangular shaped driver anyone!
But technology in golf isn't just consigned to the clubs we wield or the balls we hit.
Away from the frontline, new software is transforming the way coaches teach the game by giving unparalleled insight into how the human body works during the golf swing - and if you're an average hacker it can be scary!
One of the most impressive developments has come from Aussie pioneer Dr Rob Neal and his 3D motion capture. Peeling back the layers of human flesh, it delves into the core of the golfer, giving a close up of the skeleton and what the hips, shoulders, pelvis and head are up to as the golf club is thrown at speeds of 100mph plus.
The data yielded might not mean a lot to the average golfer but in the hands of the golf pro it reveals all sorts of secrets and can even unearth physical limitations.
Harnessing biomechanics, which provides quantifiable evidence of what's happening to the various body parts during the swing, 3D motion capture is an invaluable tool for coaches particularly those looking to go beyond the quick fix.
Mark Bull and Stewart Corstorphine from Total Golf Analysis showcased the latest developments in golf analysis by putting PGA.info's Nat Sylvester through his paces to see how his swing, and body, measured up.
The results weren't especially kind to the author but they provided a fascinating insight into how biomechanics and technology are pushing back the barriers in golf. D-day for my golf swing and stiff body arrived when it was put through its paces by Bull, complete with his portable system (lap-top and sensors) and interested spectators in the shape of Belfry head pro Gary Alliss.
Having hit a few warm up balls (pulling every one admittedly) and worked on a few alignment issues which straightened my shots up considerably I put myself in the capable hands of Mark for an all-seeing expose of the Sylvester swing.
I was strapped up with a few strategic sensors (placed on the head, waist, trunk and wrist), which enabled the measurement of what they call the six degrees of freedom (three linear and three rotational). This is what the body actually gets up to during the blur of a swing.
A range of technical aspects were measured - from the rotations of the body, to the stability of the pelvis, spine angle, timing sequence and body speeds.
One of the interesting stats to emerge from analysis of elite players is that big hitters typically have the biggest separation between the lower and upper body in transition.
After hitting half-a-dozen shots the data produced was fed into a programme which measures it against some comparable models for age and standard of golfer (these are called the swing parameters or corridors).
Working on a traffic light system, green, amber and red, every aspect measured should sit within a corridor. It's an indicator of what is going right or wrong.
"The window is pretty generous but you can't be way out," said Mark. "These corridors are driven by age and sex and physical make-up and as well as showing how a golfer performs, the findings help highlight any potential physical limitations.
"It reveals the inner workings of the golf swing in terms of timing sequence, the order the body works in the downswing and the power involved."
Experts such as the Titleist Performance Institute often use a rubber band being stretched analysis when they talk about the golf swing - the stretch of the band and how fast it closes in the downswing reflecting what is happening in the golf swing. TGA call it 'stretch and recoil'.
"It's the ability to lead out first with the lower body, how much it can separate from the trunk and then how fast the trunk catches up on the way down," explains Mark.
One of the interesting statistics to emerge from analysis of elite players is that the big hitters typically have the biggest separation between the lower and upper body in transition with the trunk quickly catching up.
There was no danger of my stats rivalling any elite players but 3D motion capture did measure accurately what I was doing during the swing and gives a coach an insight into the golfing clay which he or she has to work.The next stage is the implementation of biofeedback to help rectify some of the problem areas (and in my case there were a few!).
Biofeedback utilises the information gleaned and gives an indication of the areas to work on. In my case my head dipped sharply on the backswing while my left hip (I'm a left hander) was significantly raised. I was able to try squaring my hips and maintaining my head height with the aid of a beeper alert tone which switched off every time I strayed out of the accepted parameters.
"Biofeedback accelerates the learning process so in your case you drop your head but using this alert tone you can practice doing it correctly and feel what it's like," says Mark. "Someone might not be turning their shoulders as much as they should but have no perception how far they should turn them but with biofeedback we can set a beeper tone to come on that tells them when they have reached the desired range and allows them to feel immediately the exact position."
As we see with the findings attached, 3D motion capture and biomechanical analysis gives golf coaches an incredibly detailed insight to the golfer and his swing. It's the latest step in an on-going technology revolution that is taking golf to new levels on and off the course.
Report of results from 3D Golf BioDynamics Swing Analysis and explanation of them available here.
01 October, 2009 | Nat Sylvester