Golfers, Do You Want More Distance? Sportsbox.ai 3D Golf Motion Measurement Helps With That.

Tuesday, December 03, 2024

The Blog/Coaching/Golfers, Do You Want More Distance? Sportsbox.ai 3D Golf Motion Measurement Helps With That.

Introduction

We don't have time to fix a swing by trial-and-error. You want to get better, and you want to do so quickly! Today I'm sharing how the cheat-code for building a better swing -- Sportsbox.ai -- can help you gain distance (and accuracy).

And yes, I hope this gets you curious enough to send me a video of your swing so that I can review it.

What Is Motion Measurement?

Motion capture began in 1872. Yes, that is the correct year. It's not a typo. 1872. We've come a long way from using multiple still cameras positioned in series to take sequential photographs a galloping horse.

In 1989, video games started using motion capture techniques to make how characters move be more realistic. You've probably seen videos of athletes and actors alike dressed in skin-tight black suits that are covered with strategically placed white markers (small balls) so that a camera can capture exactly how that person moves. So, when you're pretending to be Lexi Thompson in the latest golf video game, you are actually controlling a motion-captured version of her performing her own exact movements.

And what does all this mean for your golf game, and for me as a golf coach? Well, today, now, we have Sportsbox.ai that is an app for your phone that makes you the star of your own 3D learning experience. Using the cameras on your phone, and Dumbledore-level AI magic, Sportsbox captures your swing movements, creates an avatar representation of you, and gives pin-point movement/motion measurements, in degrees and inches, for every microsecond from address to finish.

Get ready for some science reality that will (or should) blow your mind. This is the absolute cheat-code to getting you to swing better. And it's how I teach every lesson, with all my students.

Factors That Influence Distance

Clubhead speed obviously is going to influence distance. If you move the clubhead faster, you are creating more potential for hitting your ball a greater distance. But clubhead speed is not simply created by trying to swing your arms as hard as you can. Other factors that influence speed:

Bend Movements: This movement is measured in degrees and as described as either Forward Bend of Backward Bend. A positive number for Bend means forward bent, a negative number means backwards bent. The act of quickly going from a forward bend position to a backwards bend position is a speed producing movement and is a common athletic movement in many sports. Sportsbox gives precise measurements for Bend. I have a video explaining Bend below.

Turn Movements: How quickly and by how much a golfer's hips and shoulders can turn through impact causes the clubhead to move faster. And getting a player to turn faster doesn't mean they have to hit the gym before seeing results. Simply understanding what good turn movements are can help a golfer improve their overall swing movement. I have a video that talks about Turn below. Turn is measured in degrees Open or Closed relative to the target line. You are Turned Closed when your chest points away from the target, and you are Turned Open when your chest points towards the target.

Tilt Movements: Tilt is often also called "side bend." I'll use those terms interchangeably. Tilting occurs when one hip or shoulder is closer to the ground than the other -- one shoulder is lower or higher than the other. Tilt is measured in degrees Right or Left. How much and when a player tilts can either increase or decrease their ability to generate speed. (NOTE: Bend, Turn, and Tilt movements happen at the same time during a swing. Syncing these movements is a key part of being able to swing the club as fast as you personally can. Sportsbox is awesome for showing these 3D motion measurement relationships.) I discuss Tilt in the same video as I discuss Bend below.

Wrist Movements: Our wrists are remarkable joints. They can twist, turn, hinge, bend, flex/extend, deviate, and derail a swing. Our hands, and by extension our wrists, control the club face. Any movement the wrists make is instantly reflected in what the clubface is doing. Wrists can become a lever system that adds speed without the player having to exert increased muscular energy. (Perhaps you've heard the phrase "effortless power" -- well, creating power is not effortless, but it does not require 100% of all our muscular power either.)

As you learn to move your body better, you can learn to swing the club faster. But body movement(s) alone is not the complete answer to increased distance. Here are some other crucial elements to gaining distance:

Spin Loft: This is the angular difference between the angle of attack and the dynamic loft of the club at impact. The greater the difference, the less distance you will have. And so as a golfer you have responsibility to learn -- and as your coach I have the responsibility to teach you -- how to play golf with usable spin loft. Sportsbox does not measure spin loft, but we can use the video to understand generally what your club path and loft at impact are doing, which allows me as your coach to guide your improvement.

Face:Path Relationship: As explained in this blog post, your Face:Path relationship determines how your ball curves. A poor Face:Path relationship causes you to lose distance. A more optimal one will help you gain distance. As with spin loft, Sportsbox does not measure Face:Path but the video shows us what both are doing, and your ball flight confirms that relationship.

Centeredness of Strike: Hitting the sweet spot versus hitting the heel or the toe will influence how far the ball goes. Modern equipment has done remarkable work to off-set the negative results of off-centered hits. However, hitting the ball in the middle of the clubface is a must if you want to gain distance. Sportsbox lets me see your swing in 3D-to-the-mirco-second detail so that I can identify any tendencies that lead to off-centered hits.

Poor contact (fat or thin shots): One common cause of poor contact is the lack of Low Point control. And as I discussed in this blog post, incorrect sways is the most common reason for poor low point control, and this blog post about better Bend movements also helps you understand how to improve low point control.I have a video below that discusses how the relationship between shoulder and hip sway also influences your ability to swing the club faster.

Sportsbox Videos To Help You Gain More Distance

Bend and Side-Bend

Turn: Earlier, Not Faster

Sway Gap

Hand and Club Path

Don't Let The Detail Deter You

All of this technology is a blessing, not a curse. It makes helping each student improve faster because I know exactly what each of them needs because I'm seeing exactly what they are doing.

You don't need to know everything about this tech -- that's my job. I can help you play better by applying this "cheat-code" tech to your game.

GET A FREE SWING ANALYSIS

Send me two swing videos taken from the perspectives shown below. Send them to community@getgolfhelp.com, tell me a little about your game and what you want to improve (be as detailed as you can), and I'll send you a complete swing analysis using Sportsbox, FREE. You're going to quickly learn what you need to hit it further (and straighter!).

Down The Line: Position the camera pointing at your hands and positioned parallel to your target line.

Front View: Position the camera pointing at your hands, and positioned perpendicular to your target line.

Clip your video so that it only contains your swing. This means that you will likely need to trim the start/end of the video.

Karl Doller

Your Personal Golf Coach

I love coaching golf. Helping you play better golf is my goal. This blog post is designed to help you get to your golf goals. If you have a suggestion for a future blog post, send that to community@getgolfhelp.com