Video: Golfer’s Never-Ending Quest Points Techward

Simon Lewis is a financial advisor in his 40s, but he’s also a former semi-pro soccer player and all-around good athlete.

Despite having few lessons, the Englishman has managed to play to anywhere between a 10 to 6 handicap since taking up golf casually as a boy.

About 10 months ago, he started noticing problems with his game. Depending upon the club, his shots were carrying anywhere from 20 to 40 yards less than before.

“It was a huge amount of distance I was losing,” he said. “And I couldn't understand it."

Being the natural athlete, he first tried to “work it out for myself.”

Finally, he realized that wasn’t possible.

“I got to a point where I couldn't work out what was happening with all the different fundamentals in this game," he said.

While the pros make it look so easy on television, anyone who’s ever attempted the game soon realizes that the great ones make it look easier than it really is.  San Diego golf legends such as Phil Mickelson, Scott Simpson and Gene Littler have each spent tens of thousands of hours throughout their careers, practicing the varied shots the game demands for those who seek to play it at a high level.

That’s just one of the many reasons the average golfer strains to crack 100, and many give it up or play infrequently.

Which is where a Denver-based company known as GolfTEC joins the crowded house of books, teaching methods, professionals and yes, the self-taught, at book stores, ranges and country clubs around the country.

Founded in 1997 as GolfTEC by Joe Assell and Mike Clinton, the program is a continued refinement of ever-evolving golf instruction. It’s a step up a from a videotaped lesson or digitally-displayed readout of spin rates and club head speeds.

Hosted at indoor facilities, such as one located off La Jolla Village Drive, students are harnessed to motion-capture sensor equipment, and their moves are videotaped from several angles.

The efforts are then delivered to a monitor for instant viewing and reviewing by instructor and student.

Andrew Marr, director of instruction who hails originally from Troon, Scotland, says it gives both “fact-based knowledge” of what students such as Lewis must do to improve their golf swings.

“Our clients get to see every swing that they make on video,” he said. “From a learning perspective they are going to improve so much more because they have knowledge of the golf swing.” 

The information is stored on a personalized web database, where it can be reviewed at the student’s convenience. 

Instructors’ notes and lessons about various elements of the swing–such as set-up and posture–are also included depending upon a student’s needs.

On this particular day in April, Marr noticed Lewis was positioning the ball a bit too far forward in his stance. Lewis said that he might not have realized the significance without the GolfTEC video and swing-plane diagrams.

“I think it is incredibly difficult just to have a lesson out on a course take all those things into your head and keep them in there," he said.

The GolfTEC facility can also be used for practice sessions where students can work at their own leisure.

Like any golf instruction, the fees vary by the market and on the amount students are interested in spending up front.  At last check, a 1-hour swing evaluation cost $99.

Students run the gamut from 5-year-olds, junior golfers, to weekend warriors and golf pros, Marr said. One woman at the Golden Triangle facility is in her 90s.

For Lewis, Marr’s goal is to return to a 6 handicap.

“I’d like him to continue to hit the ball as far as he does, if not 20 to 30 percent longer than he did threes months ago,” Marr said. “Then spend a lot of time working on his short game and putting so he can really hone that.

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After taking a few initial lessons, Lewis is now signed up for 15. He’s graciously agreed to update us on his progress via our comments section below and perhaps the occasional article. We thank Mr. Marr and the GolfTEC staff at the Golden Triangle location for the opportunity and invite you to join in the discussion.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: GolfTEC Goldent Triangle location: 3211 Holiday Ct., Suite 200, La Jolla, CA 92037; Phone: 858-228-5228

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