New radar technology will allow the Golf Channel to provide exact measurements of golfers' swings and ball movement during this year's PGA Tour. In a TV show spot filler on the Golf Channel during the Mercedes Championship Nick Faldo tried the system and he felt that it indicated to him a few faults in his swing that could easily correct. He suggested that it would now be easier to fit a club to a person's swing rather the person trying to fit his swing to a club with this sort of technology.
The system uses TrackMan Tour System, a Doppler radar technology, to measure a golfer's three-dimensional club movement, ball flight and will provide precise data on ball launch, ball flight and ball landing and other stats.
TrackMan information was previously available only to Tour pros, but will now be used on two holes during Golf Channel's live primetime telecast of the Mercedes-Benz Championship in Hawaii beginning January 3.
TrackMan has been used sparingly for television by the Golf Channel said. The network is the first to incorporate the technology on a full regular-season of PGA Tour events.
Press Release from TrackMan™ in 2007…
TrackMan used during competition at the 2007 US OPEN (June 2007)
For the First Time in USGA Tournament History, Player Launch and Trajectory Data is Captured during Competition at the 2007 US OPEN by ISG's TrackMan™ Tour System.
(OAKMONT, PA) – For the first time in USGA history, player launch and trajectory data was captured during competition at the 2007 US OPEN. While 2007 represents the third consecutive year that ISG's TrackMan™ Tour System was used during all three practice rounds of the US OPEN for measuring competitor tee shots, it is the first time that any technology was used by the USGA to measure player launch and trajectory data during live competition.
The purpose was for the USGA to acquire accurate ball flight and club presentation data for the world's top players. The captured data will be used by the USGA to update testing conditions based on demonstrated performance capabilities of top players and for historical reference. Capturing data during practice rounds and competition will also enable the USGA to observe performance differences, if any, between practice and competition.
Dick Rugge, the USGA's Senior Technical Director, said, "The US OPEN is a great opportunity for the USGA to measure launch conditions and swing performance of the best golfers in the world. The TrackMan™ system has given us the ability to do this accurately, efficiently, and without any interference to the US OPEN competition or its competitors." Mr. Rugge continued, "We appreciate both the reliable technology of TrackMan™ and the knowledgeable assistance from ISG."
Klaus Eldrup Jorgensen, President of ISG A/S, stated: "At ISG, one of our missions is to develop the world's most useful and accurate measurement and analysis technologies to be used during the world's top sporting events. The USGA's decision to use TrackMan™ during The 2007 US OPEN practice rounds and competition provides an important golf industry validation."
The data provided by the TrackMan™ Tour System includes 3-D Shot Trajectory, Carry Distance, Ball Landing Position, Ball Speed, Vertical Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Horizontal Launch Angle, Club Speed, and much more.