Want to #GetInGEARS? Yes!

[iacas]

2 minutes ago, lastings said:

Oof…. I can’t imagine getting down to the nitty gritty and working on my swing with someone else’s clubs.  

It doesn't matter that much, so long as it's reasonably similar. But when it's as easy as carrying on one or two clubs… it's worth bringing your own.

[lastings]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

It doesn't matter that much, so long as it's reasonably similar. But when it's as easy as carrying on one or two clubs… it's worth bringing your own.

Oh, I’m sure it really doesn’t matter that much.  But, like playing shortstop with another man’s glove, there’s just nothing quite like your own. 

[cedrictheo]

Spent a couple days with @iacason gears this past week. We got my setup and backswing (hand path) in a great place in a very short time. The precision of the feedback is so damn good. Loved the ability to compare my swing to various tour players (we mostly used Rory).

[RFKFREAK]

1 hour ago, cedrictheo said:

Spent a couple days with @iacason gears this past week. We got my setup and backswing (hand path) in a great place in a very short time. The precision of the feedback is so damn good. Loved the ability to compare my swing to various tour players (we mostly used Rory).

So, there's a new toy people are using and I missed it?  This is what I get for not being around during the winter. 😂

Edited March 19, 2022 by RFKFREAK

[GolfLug]

Spent four hours on Thursday with @iacas on GEARS. The short version of discovery is that I have a heavy back sway and forward pelvis thrust during my back swing. This is diagnosed  by the GEARS system projecting the center of pelvis (inside the body) and then tracking it via the external camera markers. While this in itself may not sound or seem like a direct influence on my ball striking, it is a tell tale symptom of a structurally wrong movement. In short, it shows I don't have as much rotation in my hip and instead bend sideways and over and forward. 

There are a host of clubpath issues that leads large variation in ball striking with this movement. We spent three hours working on correct movement with associated feels and markers that I can use at home. 

I was exhausted after the four hour process but it answered some nagging questions I had and identified and confirmed what I have always suspected - a fundamentally wrong body motion that is very hard to recognize on a normal camera. 

I am hoping that I will have this greatly improved by the time I go back for round two.

Edited March 19, 2022 by GolfLug

[ChetlovesMer]

48 minutes ago, RFKFREAK said:

So, there's a new toy people are using and I missed it?  This is what I get for not being around during the winter. 😂

It works well, too.

I've learned a lot, and I think its worth trying for nearly everyone. 

You can't intentionally or unintentionally hide flaws from the GEARS system. 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, GolfLug said:

Spent four hours on Thursday with @iacas on GEARS. The short version of discovery is that I have a heavy back sway and forward pelvis thrust during my back swing. This is diagnosed  by the GEARS system projecting the center of pelvis (inside the body) and then tracking it via the external camera markers. While this in itself may not sound or seem like a direct influence on my ball striking, it is a tell tale symptom of a structurally wrong movement. In short, it shows I don't have as much rotation in my hip and instead bend sideways and over and forward. 

There are a host of clubpath issues that leads large variation in ball striking with this movement. We spent three hours working on correct movement with associated feels and markers that I can use at home. 

I was exhausted after the four hour process but it answered some nagging questions I had and identified and confirmed what I have always suspected - a fundamentally wrong body motion that is very hard to recognize on a normal camera. 

I am hoping that I will have this greatly improved by the time I go back for round two.

Did Erik set up a piano for you to aim at?😜

Looking forward to this!

[RFKFREAK]

2 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

It works well, too.

I've learned a lot, and I think its worth trying for nearly everyone. 

You can't intentionally or unintentionally hide flaws from the GEARS system. 

Like I'm capable of intentionally hiding flaws. 😂

[boogielicious]

I’ll be posting material in My Swing thread, but my overall review of GEARS is very positive. GEARS is by far the most comprehensive system for swing analysis I have seen. I’ve been doing Evolvr for a few years and had in person video lessons at Golf Evolution, which have been excellent, but GEARS is next level. I encourage any Sand Trapper who can get to Erie to book at least one session. @billchao and I really did a number of sessions in two and a half days because we traveled a ways. Two sessions to start would be best if you are not local. We practiced in between sessions to see if we changed the picture.

@iacas first gave us and intro on Saturday evening. There’s a lot of data and it can be overwhelming if you let it. I’m an engineer and can see how it could be information overload. But that is where Erik comes in. Erik focused on the specific parameters for my swing that were causing issue. Erik can review this with you in your first session too.

While in GEARS, we first did some baseline swings. Erik looked at the data and came up with my priority pieces. We then worked on different feels and set up to make the corrections. We tried a few different set ups and body/arm/hand positions. We did swings with that feel change. You could see from the screen shots and video if the corrections were working. Then, when we had it down, we took a break and I began working on the new piece at a practice station. 

What sets GEARS apart, even from video, is the system can see movements that are hard to catch on video. In my case, my left hip was collapsing in the backswing and moving my hip center toward the ball (thrust) and rotating around my right hip instead of around my center. This then caused me to stand up (early extension) during the downswing because I was 2” closer to the ball at A4. We then changed set up and added a drill to get my hips to not thrust forward. During my practice after, I used a mirror and MirrorVision (I brought my iPad) to help me see the change.

When I got back on GEARS, the correction stuck. I had ‘changed the picture’. I know what I feels like now and know how to practice with this feel and I know what to look for on video. 

The next session we worked on the next piece, flowing forward from the top. There were some added items, which were less priority, but I can still work on.

All in all, I was a great experience. I felt a bit like an astronaut getting fit into the suit, but it was well worth it. My advice for those who are going to do GEARS or are considering it:

1. Learn how to practice. Proper Practice technique  is very important and will help change the picture faster after the session.
2. Wear tighter clothing for the GEARS sessions. The cameras need to see all the markers, so a tighter t-shirt and slacks or shorts helps. And make sure the clothes breath too.
3. If you practice in between sessions at Golf Evolution, pace yourself. Don’t tire yourself out before the next session even if it’s the next day.
4. Use the mirrors there or film yourself to make sure you are doing it correctly.
5. Keep and open mind. What you feel and reality may not be the same.
6. Ask questions so you are very clear on the priority piece and the means to correct.

[billchao]

@boogielicious mentioned a lot of the things I have to say about GEARS. I loved the entire experience. I’ve taken several lessons with @iacas over the years but the GEARS lessons were my favorite (and Erik is a very good instructor, so it’s kind of like getting free ice cream and it’s your favorite flavor).

There are significant advantages of the system over traditional videos:

1. Instantaneous feedback. As soon as I made a change in a swing, we were able to look at its effects immediately. It means more lesson time focusing on the piece, but also allowed us to quickly abandon feels that didn’t work. The other advantage that I found to this was it allowed more engagement on my end as a student. It might just be me, but by knowing what we were looking to do, I was able to provide more input in finding feels that work for me.
2. Measurements in 3D space. There are no issues with camera placement and distortion that can come from it. There are no illusions caused by angles (think how much lag Sergio “has” on a FO view).
3. Precise measurements. Kind of related to the previous point, but GEARS measures things that are hard to see on video. We worked on some very subtle things that had a significant impact on my ballstriking that would have been imperceptible on video alone.
4. Data, data, data. GEARS generates a ton of data on every swing. I tend to process things better when I see the numbers for whatever reason. There’s less ambiguity, maybe. I was really confident in my practice sessions in between GEARS sessions.

As for the lessons themselves, Erik is really good about only giving you as much information you need. There’s definitely no technical overload, if anyone might be apprehensive because of it.

We started the first day just capturing my swing. When we went to make changes, the first thing we did was a setup change. This was really easy with GEARS because I was able to verify right on the screen that I was doing it correctly. The first dynamic piece we worked on was in my backswing. Here we went through a bunch of different feels until we found the one that works best for me. We spent a good amount of time working on these for the first session.

After spending most of the day practicing, I got back on for another session to monitor my progress. This helped reinforce some things and we made slight adjustments on others. It was good to get this session in because we did end up tweaking a feel on one of my more important pieces.

We started on downswing stuff the following day. We went through the same process of seeing what I was doing and comparing it to what I should be doing, then trying different feels to find what works best for me. This went fairly smoothly as well, due in small part to having had this piece taught to me before. After this morning session, I practiced on my own, working the backswing and downswing pieces together (with the setup change). I was absolutely striping the ball. It was fun.

Later in the day we worked on driver. It’s more of the same pieces required, but with an additional piece. That’s when we figured out that I kind of hit my limit for multiple swing thoughts. I could do two things, but once we introduced a third, the first two suffered. The important thing is I know what I have to work on and their order of priority. I have all the tools to work on these things at home at an appropriate pace, where I can introduce the final piece when the time is right.

Erik also gave me access to the GEARS locker, which had all my swings and their data, as well as all the notes we made and the screenshots we took. If there was a particular swing we wanted pick out for whatever reason, it’s all there for me to review later. There’s no lack of take home stuff. 

TL;DR: GEARS at Golf Evolution is great. 10/10 will do again.

[ChetlovesMer]

39 minutes ago, billchao said:

@boogielicious mentioned a lot of the things I have to say about GEARS. I loved the entire experience. I’ve taken several lessons with @iacas over the years but the GEARS lessons were my favorite (and Erik is a very good instructor, so it’s kind of like getting free ice cream and it’s your favorite flavor).

There are significant advantages of the system over traditional videos:

1. Instantaneous feedback. As soon as I made a change in a swing, we were able to look at its effects immediately. It means more lesson time focusing on the piece, but also allowed us to quickly abandon feels that didn’t work. The other advantage that I found to this was it allowed more engagement on my end as a student. It might just be me, but by knowing what we were looking to do, I was able to provide more input in finding feels that work for me.
2. Measurements in 3D space. There are no issues with camera placement and distortion that can come from it. There are no illusions caused by angles (think how much lag Sergio “has” on a FO view).
3. Precise measurements. Kind of related to the previous point, but GEARS measures things that are hard to see on video. We worked on some very subtle things that had a significant impact on my ballstriking that would have been imperceptible on video alone.
4. Data, data, data. GEARS generates a ton of data on every swing. I tend to process things better when I see the numbers for whatever reason. There’s less ambiguity, maybe. I was really confident in my practice sessions in between GEARS sessions.

As for the lessons themselves, Erik is really good about only giving you as much information you need. There’s definitely no technical overload, if anyone might be apprehensive because of it.

We started the first day just capturing my swing. When we went to make changes, the first thing we did was a setup change. This was really easy with GEARS because I was able to verify right on the screen that I was doing it correctly. The first dynamic piece we worked on was in my backswing. Here we went through a bunch of different feels until we found the one that works best for me. We spent a good amount of time working on these for the first session.

After spending most of the day practicing, I got back on for another session to monitor my progress. This helped reinforce some things and we made slight adjustments on others. It was good to get this session in because we did end up tweaking a feel on one of my more important pieces.

We started on downswing stuff the following day. We went through the same process of seeing what I was doing and comparing it to what I should be doing, then trying different feels to find what works best for me. This went fairly smoothly as well, due in small part to having had this piece taught to me before. After this morning session, I practiced on my own, working the backswing and downswing pieces together (with the setup change). I was absolutely striping the ball. It was fun.

Later in the day we worked on driver. It’s more of the same pieces required, but with an additional piece. That’s when we figured out that I kind of hit my limit for multiple swing thoughts. I could do two things, but once we introduced a third, the first two suffered. The important thing is I know what I have to work on and their order of priority. I have all the tools to work on these things at home at an appropriate pace, where I can introduce the final piece when the time is right.

Erik also gave me access to the GEARS locker, which had all my swings and their data, as well as all the notes we made and the screenshots we took. If there was a particular swing we wanted pick out for whatever reason, it’s all there for me to review later. There’s no lack of take home stuff. 

TL;DR: GEARS at Golf Evolution is great. 10/10 will do again.

I just had a GEARS session today.

Bill sums things up pretty well. 

[Chris Brooks]

I had my session on Thursday, waving to @ChetlovesMer as he wrapped up his session and started his drive back to Ohio.

Early last fall I did spend some time in Erie for a group coaching session that I found very productive. And though my game is improving it hasn’t been at the pace I’d hoped for; I’ve been bouncing back and forth between an 8 handicap index and about 12 for the past 18 months. I have been maintaining things in the 8-9 range since late last summer so I feel like I’ve reached a new plateau.

The image above shows where I started with Erik in early 2021, and where the fundamental issues have been and still remain with my swing: my hips sway way too far back away from the target (see how much they've moved outside the red line box to the left) and my spine tilts back towards the target (draw a line from my crotch to the top of my head and notice how it makes about a 10 degree angle to the right of center). Erik has been patiently guiding me through fixing this and, while I've made progress, my happy place is to revert to these old habits.

I think most of us know how much Erik stresses the 5 "S"s. I'm starting to understand more of this, but I'm also realizing that without in-person guidance it can be difficult for me to understand what "good" or "better" actually look and feel like.

This is where Gears comes in, and while I was excited to visit and go through this process I was skeptical that it would be any different than a live coaching session. In the photo above you can see me decked out in my body suit, and sensors added to my hat and golf club. I have eight hours of Gears training banked with Erik, but we decided that given how close I live to Erie in the summer that we would only use a third to half of the time and allow for one or two follow-up sessions. We focused on addressing my hip sway and spine angle.

We started with a baseline swing capture which looked close to (but not as bad as) the first driver swing photo above. I've improved my arm position and hip turn but significant problems remained. Seeing the live feedback (well, right after the swing) from Gears had a huge impact on me. Apparently, data and quantification are helpful!

I don't think the data mattered as much as the feel guidance that Erik subsequently gave me. I know Erik struggles at times with remote coaching on what advice to give his students on how to feel like they are making the proper change. Different people require different suggestions. We started with me thinking about pushing my left quadriceps into my left toes and keeping the left knee in alignment with the rest of the leg. This had the benefit of reducing the sway (see my left knee collapsing away from the target at the top image?). I also had the tendency to lift my right heel when I make this move, so he had me force my weight into that heel. I think this also helps me effectively get some weight transfer away from the target as I initiate my backswing. 

The second big exaggeration was designed to address my spine angle: imagine the left side of my chest moving laterally (and mostly flat) away from the target, bringing my back to a position where it faces the target. The "mostly flat" element is important because if I rotate the chest but point it to the sky, I ended up with that reverse tilt that is so bad. So in my head I imagine I have a golf tee sticking out of my sternum and I try to keep it pointed like a laser on a horizontal line directly behind me.

Putting these two moves together is not easy. When I emphasize one, the other worsens. Erik says that's OK and normal, and that I should consciously alternate my work on both; they'll come together over time. This image above (see the thumbs up from Erik?) is an example of me putting it all together, and shows the power of the Gears feedback. This is near the top of my backswing and I kept the spine angle slightly away from the target (Sp: 97.1°, where 90° would be exactly vertical) and my pelvis actually in front of the centerline. While I don't necessarily want it to be over 3 inches in front of center at this point, the exaggerated move will help my correct my fundamental flaws.

I feel like I learned and saw enough that I can be a better critic of my own swing, and improve my practice repetition in front of a mirror. 

My hope is that when I return in a month or two that we are able to acknowledge my improvement in this area and move on to other issues, such as my hand path.

Thanks for creating this opportunity for us @iacas.

[iacas]

To those reading, @Chris Brooks is exaggerating some motions in the photos.

Exaggeration is good.

[iacas]

On 5/5/2022 at 5:20 PM, billchao said:

I was absolutely striping the ball. It was fun.

Yeah you were.

[Big Lex]

It is fun to think of how GEARS will change golf. With such precise data, the ability to collect and compare it, the combination of body and club data simultaneously, etc., it seems like the level of efficiency of golf swings at the elite level will just keep going up. To benefit from the tool, you need someone who knows how to use it, so this should be a great opportunity for golf pros who choose to embrace it. 

 

[Big Lex]

7 minutes ago, Big Lex said:

It is fun to think of how GEARS will change golf. With such precise data, the ability to collect and compare it, the combination of body and club data simultaneously, etc., it seems like the level of efficiency of golf swings at the elite level will just keep going up. To benefit from the tool, you need someone who knows how to use it, so this should be a great opportunity for golf pros who choose to embrace it. 

 

Didn't mean to imply it is only a tool for elite golfers....my point is that while it can definitely help pros help all golfers, we may see significant changes in elite players' swings as well. Maybe we are already....

 

[iacas]

On 5/14/2022 at 12:16 PM, Big Lex said:

It is fun to think of how GEARS will change golf. With such precise data, the ability to collect and compare it, the combination of body and club data simultaneously, etc., it seems like the level of efficiency of golf swings at the elite level will just keep going up. To benefit from the tool, you need someone who knows how to use it, so this should be a great opportunity for golf pros who choose to embrace it. 

The key is "someone who knows how to use it," yes.

On 5/14/2022 at 12:25 PM, Big Lex said:

Didn't mean to imply it is only a tool for elite golfers....my point is that while it can definitely help pros help all golfers, we may see significant changes in elite players' swings as well. Maybe we are already....

It's a great tool for all. Maybe even better for average golfers, because they often need to make some bigger changes and the immediate feedback is helpful.

[iacas]

Some of you, particularly those of you from farther away… let me know when you'd like to schedule.