People pay good money to join a golf club, and even more money to travel to some of the world’s most scenic courses – but despite this fact there are times when you just can’t get outside for a round of golf. One way to avoid the weather and still get in a full 18 holes is to take advantage of the latest indoor golf simulator technology. And we’re not talking about a simple putting green in the corner or even golf on the Nintendo Wii, because while the video game experience is good, it isn’t quite like the real deal. For that you’ll have to turn to companies such as aboutGolf, which recently announced that it was the “secret weapon” in Canada’s University of Waterloo recent season.
The technology was utilized by the University of Waterloo’s engineering school, which took it to a new level with UW golf equipment and biomechanics researchers. This included studies of the technology, where engineering students used the aboutGolf PGA TOUR Simulator with new shaft and clubhead deisgns, as well as biomechanic modeling, motion capture, and golf ball simulation and optimization. This collaboration allowed UW’s men’s and women’s golf teams as part of their training for the 2010 season.
From the comfort of the indoor simulator, the teams were able to practice their drives and receive data analysis, which prepared the players for difficult tournament course holes with those on the simulator. And unlike actual time on the course, the simulator further let players prepare for difficult weather conditions, notably high winds.
“aboutGolf’s PGA TOUR Simulator played a substantial role in the improvement of our teams in 2010,” says Dave Hollinger, the Warriors’ men’s golf coach. “The biggest advantage of aboutGolf’s PGA TOUR Simulator is that it is ‘right-on,’ so accurate. We can work on the swing, make adjustments, fine-tune and see results immediately. It’s a great environment to experiment in. Many of our students are golfers and engineers, so we do a lot of experimenting with and understanding ball-flight laws.”
With technology like this it will certainly be able to play through the winter and be better prepared for the fairways next season. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take away from actually getting out in the fresh air.
One thought on “Hit 18 Holes Without Actually Going Outside”