Teaching proper footwork and balance has been around since the beginning of golf instruction. Great players like Sam Snead preached the importance of good footwork to anyone who would listen. We have all tried to work on our balance but it is hard to teach how balance feels, until recently. Pressure mapping has changed a feel into a measurable. For most players getting access to this technology has been difficult. The leader in the field of pressure plates for the last several years is a company called Swing Catalyst.
The technology is great but at about $20,000 you don’t see a lot of facilities with these units. A company called BodiTrak came up with a mobile unit that essential does the same thing for a couple of thousand dollars.
Next time you go to a tour event you will notice a couple of items many of the players have with them during the practice rounds and on the range, Trackman and BodiTrak. Players are no longer relaying on feel to improve, they are using facts.
Trackman is changing how players practice and understand their ball flight. Trackman has been a major game changer for good players. Boditrak is starting to have the same effect by measuring center of pressure and balance.
It seems as if every company with golf technology claims to add 20 yards, this can’t be true. I responded to a hip training add that guaranteed an increase of 25 miles an hour club head speed. It may be a good product but lets get real. If you train with Boditrack, work on your swing and practice you can certainly add distance and accuracy! James Hahn claimed he picked up 20 yards in two weeks, pretty good for a tour player.
So can Boditrak do to help you, it helped me? I have always had a problem hooking the ball. Through the use of Boditrak I learned I had to much weight toward my left toes at impact. I moved more weight towards my heel at impact and wham, I hit a much straighter, longer ball. Most players that I see, not on tour have a few basic problems that this technology can help you identify and fix.
There are a couple of videos to watch but I will cover the basics you should understand.
- The center of pressure or weight shift starts to move forward before the end of the back swing.
- When you have weight towards your toes this inhibits your ability to rotate your hips.
- The start of transition is the left or forward hip moving towards the target, then the hips rotate. These are two separate moves.
- The faster you move your center of pressure towards the target the farther a player will typically hit the ball.
- Without pressure mapping it is nearly impossible to measure and teach these fundamentals.
So either find a PGA Professional with pressure mapping or purchase one for yourself. Please enjoy the videos below.
