Just like the golf swing, there is no black-and-white when it comes to which technology is right for you. What Matt Kilgariff, PGA tells individuals when they ask what he would recommend for them is … figure out your budget and then research which technologies would be best for you to enhance your students’ experience.
Golf instruction is an ever-evolving profession. So is the technology that is available to us.
Just like the golf swing, there is no black-and-white when it comes to which technology is right for you. What I like to tell individuals when they ask me what I would recommend for them is … figure out your budget and then research which technologies would be best for you to enhance your students’ experience. There is no ceiling to how much you can spend, so choose wisely.
Remember, technology is for the instructor. It is a tool that helps support what he/she is seeing and shows why the student needs to make the change they are recommending. Whatever technology you choose to go with, you must become a master of it. You are the professional and, if your student sees you fumbling with your tech, they may lose faith in you.
If I do not know the technology inside and out, I will not bring it into a lesson until I do. I have to be the expert in the room … and guessing at something will bring down credibility.
I like to break down my needs when it comes to technology. To start out, I like to have social sharing with my students. This is where I can share notes from our lessons, they can send me videos, and we can track stats to see our improvement.
The next item I would add in is a launch monitor to track club and ball data. If I have more money in my budget, I would add in a pressure plate and/or 3D data capture in order to have tools that see what the naked eye can’t.
Below is a list of technologies I have used and would recommend:
Social Share and Data Collection: CoachNow (coachnow.io), Clippd (clippd.com) or Operation 36 (operation36.golf);
Launch Monitors: Full Swing Kit (fullswinggolf.com), GC Quad (foresightsports.com) or Trackman (trackman.com);
Pressure Plates: Boditrak (boditrak.com) or Swing Catalyst (swingcatalyst.com); and 3D Motion Capture: K-Vest (k-motion.com), Gears (gearssports.com) or SportsBox AI (sportsbox.ai).
These are just a few in each category that I find easy to use. Price points will vary greatly and some—if not most—come with a subscription fee. Figure out what you need most, how much you can spend, and then do your research to make sure it is right for you.
Once you decide which technology you are going to purchase, then become a master of It before putting it into play. All these companies have training programs to help you better understand how to use their products.
I hope this helps, good luck!
Matt Kilgariff is a PGA professional who spent much of his career working for Butch Harmon and the Harmon Family. He is currently the Director of Player Development at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Prior to joining The Bridges, Kilgariff was Director of Player Development at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Matt has also been part of TaylorMade’s National Advisory Staff since 2012.
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