hi tech golf lessons

so both of my brothers are taking hi tech golf lessons...
one is going to golftec and the other is going to clubgolf...
i on the other hand have been going old school and just have my local pro put me thru my paces...
basically my brothers are being filmed with ultra slow mo camera's like the ones they show on tv... a pro breaks down their swings with a computer almost frame by frame... the views are from front and right... they also put them side by side with a pro players video and compare the two... everything is analyzed on a launch monitor at the same time with data being shown during the swing... its pretty incredible and they are showing huge leaps in improvement...
the only drawback i see from this... is its really expensive...
if i had the money id definately do this... plus nobody in my area does this so id have to travel... im really competitive with my brothers and i feel this is going to put me behind... hahaha

does anyone here do this? or would anyone shell out the cash if this was available to you?

I live in Georgia and we have the PGA Superstore where they give lessons, it's 200 for 6 one hour lessons. It sounds very similar to what you have described with cameras, pro comparisons, launch angles, club head speed, ball speed etc. I went for a lesson this week and it helped tremendously. It's amazing to see what you look like while swinging. Often, what you think you're doing and what you are doing are completely different. In addition, it's amazing what a camera can see that a pro on the range can't. I would definitely spring for them if you can find them.

200 bucks is a steal... as compared to 750 for 10 lessons... heck my pro charges 40 bucks per... if we had a pga store here... id jump on that deal in a heartbeat...
i saw a vid of my bro's swing pre lesson... and with my eyes i couldnt see too many flaws until i saw the pro's breakdown of his swing... i mean you can really see whats going on during the breakdown...
one brother is a single digit hcp and the other is about my level... now i feel i have to step up my game just to compete

Wow $200 for 6 is a great price. I took about 10 lessons with the film and all. I loved it. Found it extremely helpful. I some ways I think it depends on if you're a feel or technical player. Mine ran about $90 for an hour session.

I'm not sure these are considered high tech golf lessons since they are almost the norm now.

I use 2 camera software to get video from 2 angles to see what is going on. I only use this to see how the shaft and clubhead travel because you can see how the arms and body work without the need for a camera.

in the winter I conduct my lessons in a simulator (aboutgolf) which gives us great info, ie: ball speed, clubhead speed, launch angle and spin rates.

I think the 'really' high tech stuff comes with a 3D analysis (zenolink.com) and the use of the balance system, which analyzes the pressure under your feet.

For the majority of players, a camera and 3D and ground force plates are not necessary as there are things that can be improved prior to taking this route. Depending on the players' learning style, a camera may be what it takes for the golfer to see what they are doing to get a better mental image of what they are currently doing and what the 'new feel' actually looks like. Remember.. what you feel is not real.

Even with all this high tech golf equipment and the million training aids that are out there, we are still seeing instructors work on the effect, not the cause. If your pro is identifying WHY you are doing something, and tackle THAT issue, then the club and shaft will respond and travel down better lines and paths. Root causes could be body limitations, muscle imbalances, or the simple fact that you have never performed the correct movement before. This is the easy part.... If the root cause is something neurological then more discussion is needed and less hitting golf balls. For instance, maybe the player that is coming over the top thinks that he needs to get the clubhead moving fast Right away, leading to throwaway and losing all leverage angles. In this case, the neurological issue is simply the Wrong idea on how to swing the club. Once this player understands the proper procedure and gets the right information, then the swing changes.

you can't change you swing from day to day but you can change you ideas

When I was searching for a pro I did a walk-through of a Golf-Tec store, while I was impressed with what they offered, I decided it was not how I wanted to learn to swing the club.

Always thinking about or knowing certain numbers relating to degrees of hip turn, degrees of spine angle, using beeps to make sure you are getting to the right ammount of turn or in the right positions definately has advantages but there is a down side as well.

For my personality, knowing the numbers would probably hinder more than help. It would put something into my head that is only marginally relevent. I am an engineer so I can easily focus on the numbers and forget all about feel.

I have put my trust into a PGA pro that uses video as a minor aid. We look at the video 1-2 times per hour lesson, only when it helps the swing explaination.

I think the biggest thing that has driven my improvement is trusting the pro and practicing what he was offering and only that. If it takes high tech for someone to focus on the pro's recommendations, then go for the tech.

Regards,
-E

my brother(the low hcp one) is also an engineer... he also didnt like the golftec deal... but his complaint wasnt the hi tech gear... it was more against the actual pro's teaching there... seems they are stuck to a script... so he goes to clubgolf... he's all about the hi tech... he's just a nerd like that... hahaha

my other brother(military guy) likes golftec and is sticking with them

you're right. its completely irrelevant to YOUR learning. Angles are related to body structure and all players are different.

As an engineer, it seems you can learn easily with angles, geometry, and physics. Have you heard of the Golfing Machine? I loved math and science and this is the way that my brain works. I can't talk to my players this way but for me.. it makes sense.

I suppose you are right. If I did not easily understand the geometry and physics of the swing I would probably be slightly more focused on it. That part comes easily to me.

I guess I struggle more with the feel portion, that I perceive as more important on the course because there the only feedback you get is your result and how the swing feels. What I was trying to get at is that if you are overly tech focused on your swing it can cloud your mind on the course unless you find a way to trust it and do it by feel to some degree. The core of math and science has little use for trust and there is a tendency to measure, analyse, over analyse, state error, find standard deviation... This in my opinion can lead to poor results on the course if there is not balance with trust of what you learned from all the tech. By no means I am trying to dissuade anyone from using tech to improve your swing, just playing the other side of the coin.

For sure. its all about feel for the majority of players.

As a competitive player, I can speak more about the feel than the mechanics because I have been feeling it for longer than I have been analyzing it. As a player, its your job to search for the feel and I think that the instructor should be able to analyze the science...... but only in their head. When a pro starts talking about science, they are enjoying the sound of their own voice. I love to talk science but only with those that can talk back. Otherwise, it only confuses. Has anyone been through a 3D swing analysis? I think the most common tools is the Kvest

ima full blown nerd and just love anything techy...

feel to me is a tough translation... for me feel comes after i understand mechanics and actually "get it"... because what "felt" good was not right... i was topping everything when it felt right... ive been told by pros that if you make a swing change it should feel unnatural to you and until you get that muscle memory to become second nature... feel is the last thing you should trust even if the result seems good... im not knocking guys who are feel players cuz i have a friend that is just a natural athlete... he could care less about the how's and why's as long as his ball goes where he wants it... i would love to check out some 3d swing analysis... but i bet the cost would be astronomical... how cool would it be to have an avatar that looked just like you on twgolf on the playstation... hahaha

There's a fine line between learning the mechanics from feel or learning the feel through mechanics . Everyone is different, that's why an instructor should be dynamic and be able to coach from different viewpoints. The best mechanical instruction guide is the golfing machine but I think it's taboo on this site... which may not be the worst idea. Most players get confused by what is really going on. From my playing days, I always had a little bend to my left arm, but it didn't really matter too much. I could still compete. People who thought they knew how to teach told me to keep my left arm straight. That doesn't work for me. Applying pressure to my left thumb through force in my right palm extended my left arm to give an onlooker the appearance of a straight arm. I have always wondered what part of 'pop' golf instruction came from what an onlooker wants to see and what a player wants to accomplish. My favorite is "keep your head still". A golfer thinking "keep my head still" will feel very tight and it may stay very still... in relation to his shoulders and neck, but an onlooker will see it move. For this onlooker to see a 'stationary head' the player may feel like it has to move a little to give this appearance. This should make you think of every tip you have even received... who is trying to accomplish something here??? the coach or the player. When the coach gives a player advice on how to do something that also gives the coach what he's looking for... then you get results.

im going to have to google the golfing machine... i think i remember seeing it somewhere... but im not sure if its what youre talking about... i dont think they have any around here... but ive always been curious about any kind of gadgets... even if its not golf related... you should see my kitchen... hahaha