Technology and the changing landscape of golf

Technology has significantly changed golf as we know it today, from the tools we use to the way we learn to play it.

Let’s take a look at some of the innovations that have changed the golf landscape:

Software

From golf simulators and smart-phone apps to slow-motion video analyzers, there is a seemingly endless variety of new software programs designed to help golfers improve their game.

Golf Instruction

Golf coaches have an almost overwhelming array of technological tools at their disposal: high-speed cameras, weight-sensing plates linked to computers, cloud-based data storage that relays information on thousands of swings, three-dimensional modeling, launch monitors, smart-phone apps that keep students in touch with instructors away from the course.

For teachers technology can be used to help students improve faster and it removes guesswork, so there’s less wasted time. The vast majority of players need a qualified coach to sort through data, then make an assessment and recommendations. It’s easy for a novice to download an app and start tinkering, but probably not very productive.

Toptracer

Toptracer has revolutionized the way golf is viewed on TV and it is now revolutionizing golfers’ driving range experiences. A common criticism of the driving range is the act of monotonous ball whacking, which can quickly turn boring and isn’t really beneficial to the golfer. As soon as you hit a shot with Toptracer, its flight path shows up almost immediately on the screen, resembling shot tracers used in TV coverage. But top tracer is so much more than just a blue line showing ball flight. The only way to truly understand the features of Toptracer is to watch a YouTube video – there is nothing like it. Or, you can visit local ranges like Jefferson Park Golf Course, Jackson Park Golf Course or Interbay Golf Center and get a first hand guided tour.

Rangefinders

Rangefinders measures the amount of delay between sending out a signal and receiving the echo. By measuring the delay, the distance can be determined. It is especially handy for determining the distance to a hazard. This is a time-saving device that can speed play and is legal for most tournament play.

Golf Watches

Many golfers are replacing their rangefinders for golf watches. It can’t get much easier than slipping on the watch and taking it to the golf course. Portability is the top benefit that these watches have over hand-held devices. Golf watches can tell you how far the green is from where you’re standing. It will list the distance to the front, center and back of the green. In turn, this can help you choose which club to shoot with. Most golf watches come with a coordinating smart-phone app that stores your game and play data. This enables you to study your previous games to evaluate how well you played and determine what areas need improvement. phone.

GPS Tracking in Golf Balls

It’s inconvenient to lose your ball. Most golfers lose four balls every round on average, costing around 20 minutes of play just looking for their ball. Golf ball manufacturers are developing GPS-enabled golf balls to address this issue. The RFID Chip in the golf ball will send radio frequency waves to your mobile device. As you get closer to the ball, you’ll hear a beeping sound. You are allowed to have a tracking chip in the ball which collects data, but the USGA won’t allow you to use RFID golf balls with a tracking device while playing. Using RFID technology to track golf balls sounds good on paper but doesn’t benefit any golf ball producer who wants players to lose as many golf balls as possible.

Golfball Finding App

Ninety-nine cents is all it costs to download, a modest investment for a handy-dandy app designed to do precisely what its name suggests. It performs its function by laying a blue filter over the lens of your phone camera, eliminating light of a distracting wavelength to provide a clear view. Although the app works nicely when you’re hunting on dry land, it won’t do you much good if your ball plunks in the water.

Golfball Finder Glasses 

These golfball finder glasses employ technology that enables light to bounce off a golfball while blocking off the light from its surroundings. The technology aims to prevent as much light from coming back to the glasses as necessary. Manufacturers designed the wrap-around style to screen out undesirable light, which increases the color contrast between the balls and the environment, and ultimately aids golfers in searching for their ball.

Technology has indeed changed the way we play and lean golf today. Beginners have never had an easier path to learn the game.

We can only imaging what the future holds.