When video came onto the scene, golf instruction was revolutionized because teachers could more than just talk about how to improve a golfer’s swing – they could show you.
The same now goes for what your foundation – your feet – are doing before and during the swing. A recent joint agreement between V1 Golf and BodiTrak to create the V1 Sports Pressure Mat powered by BodiTrak gives golfers and their instructors new data collection options to ‘paint a picture’ better than ever before.
“When video came out it established and helped golfers see positions of the swing that they weren’t necessarily aware of,” said 2016 Michigan PGA Teacher of the Year Jeff Goble of the Fox Hills Performance Center in Plymouth Township. “Even exceptional players thought they were in one place, but they were not. Video doesn’t lie, and the video tells them something.
“Now with the pressure mat, we get that same type of data but from a different source. How the feet interact with the ground transitions into the other moving parts of the golf swing. It’s like video from the ground up.”
The professionals at BodiTrak have been testing golfers of all skill levels for years and are widely-know by the pros on the PGA and LPGA Tours. They said that not one pro at address has more pressure on their trailing foot; rather they generally have 55-60% on their lead foot (left foot for righties).
Data measurements as finite as this can now be measured and displayed as part of the V1 software, to improve more golfers’ games. V1 was first devised to help enhance communications and teachable moments between golfers and their instructors. With the V1 app on your cell phone or i-Pad a teacher and student can share videos of the golfer’s swing in between the face-to-face lessons, providing opportunity for the instructor to share analysis and suggestions through voiceover, text, email or even telestrator drawings on the video.
Other advantages of the V1 Sports Pressure Mat include showing golfers if they are putting too much pressure on their heels or toes, which is an important indicator because on the human body, toes are designed to be ‘brakes’ and heels ‘accelerators.’ Utilizing this information can improve speed in the golf swing.
Jordan Young, a 2013 National Award winner for Player Development, PGA of America, and was Michigan Teacher of the year in 2012, is the lead instructor at the Learning Center, and along with Goble was one of the first instructors in Michigan using the BodiTrak system. Both say that a stable and balanced foundation is essential. When a golfer is under stress, their hands will make more mistakes than will their feet, so learning to make the latter more consistent helps improve the chances the bad shots won’t end up worse.
“BodiTrak is one of my favorite training aids to use with students of all abilities,” Young said. “I believe that correct pressure patterns in the feet promote proper motions throughout the rest of the body, like electricity. As the movement patterns become more efficient, so do the students skills. Using V1 and BodiTrak together provide instant bio-feedback, ultimately speeding up development.”
Former Golf Channel teacher Michael Breed has signed on as a special ambassador for the brand. Breed will be integrating V1 Pro video analysis with his instruction on all of his media platforms, including his A New Breed of Golf online video network, in his Golf Digest All Access digital instruction and at the Michael Breed Golf Academy at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point (Bronx, NY). He will also be demonstrating the V1 Golf Mobile App’s best practices and explaining how golfers can use the custom app at home or on the range to practice his expert tips and drills.
More info is at www.v1sports.com and www.foxhillslearningcenter.com.
