Swing Science At St Andrews

It may be home to the Old Course, but there's nothing ancient about the teaching facilities at St Andrews. A new biomechanics system has been introduced at St Andrews Links Golf Academy and it promises to measure the golfer's swing in ways you can't imagine. The system was developed by an Olympic athlete to monitor a golfer's movements using small sensors to detect rotational and translational movement of the segments of the body during the swing.

The Advanced Motion Measurement (AMM) System is used by a number of top players on the PGA Tour. The system was developed by Stephen Cheetham and his brother Philip, an Australian gymnast who competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. They founded AMM in 2003 to develop motion measurement products which can be used to improve the physical performance of athletes and to reduce the chances of injury.

The data from the swing motion measurement can then be fully analysed using TPI3D analysis software. The team of PGA professionals at the St Andrews Golf Academy, led by director of instruction Steve North, will use the system in their coaching programs to deliver precise swing improvement tips for their clients. It monitors elements such as sway, lift and thrust, pelvis rotation, forward bend and side bend.

“This is an impressive system which will give us a great deal of useful data in terms of analysing clients’ swings and precisely identifying aspects they need to improve,” said Steve. “It captures over 200 different parameters of the swing which will enable us to zero in very quickly on areas of weakness and to monitor improvements in performance. We are focused on delivering the best coaching we can to our clients using instruction techniques tailored to the golfer’s requirements and utilising the most advanced technology available.”

The AMM system is the latest addition to an array of technology used in the Golf Academy including Trackman ball tracking system, SAM PuttLab, K-Vest, SAM BalanceLab, V1 analysis software and online platform. The Golf Academy delivers coaching through its team of four PGA professionals and club fitting services through the Custom Fit Centre.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.