Sweet Stuff

Live View Golf Digital Swing Mirror

One of the more unique and useful tools to hit the market recently to improve one’s golf game very quickly is not a new club or golf ball. It is one of the smallest digital cameras on the market today and its accompanying software that can make practice sessions more productive and valuable than ever before.

The Live View Golf Digital Swing Mirror (DSM™) utilizes two old concepts with the latest technology to give players something that they can use inside, on the driving range or even on a trip to help improve their swing and keep all aspects of it in synch.

First of all, mirrors have been used by teachers and golf students for many years, as have video cameras. But mirrors are bulky and fragile, certainly don’t record anything by themselves and aren’t something you are going to lug around in a golf bag. Video is available on your smartphone these days, but it has its limitations and certainly doesn’t match what the Live View Golf software can do. The Live View camera is less than 4” high, 2½” wide and ¾” deep and comes in a handy carrying case that easily fits in a walking golf bag—or a pocket, while the optional LivPod flexible tripod stand for the camera is equally small but can be used to mount the camera on your golf bag, a door handle or even on top of a chair. The camera also has a bracket so that it can be mounted on an alignment stake punched in the ground, if desired. The optional wide-angle lens attachment opens even more possibilities, especially when practicing indoors and space is at a premium.

But for all the innovative design of the camera—the best part of Live View is the App--and what it can show you about your swing. The camera can be paired with an iPhone or Android smartphone— or even better yet, an iPad or Kindle for a larger viewing surface.

With these in place, you can practice part of your swing while watching yourself (just like in a mirror) from any angle, record your swings (and even email them to an instructor) and watch your swing frame-by-frame with this excellent proprietary software.

According to Patrick Parrish, co-founder of Live View Golf and 30-year teaching veteran, the reason most golfers fail to break 100, 90, or 80 has nothing to do with a lack of knowledge. Instead, what most golfers lack is awareness of their own movements. Because much of the golf swing happens behind a player’s back, it is almost impossible to know if the objective of making a particular swing is being met. In order to change a player’s swing, it is imperative to monitor each movement to ensure that the intended swing matches the actual swing. James Sieckmann, a Golf Magazine top 100/ Golf Digest Top 50 Instructor and author of several golf instruction books, notes that “The fundamental problem in golf is the difference between what a player feels and what is real...” And one quick view with this program can show what needs to be corrected very quickly.

To bridge the gap between feel and real, a key learning tool for many elite players is the mirror. Because the feedback in a mirror is instantaneous, players can verify the real club position against their internal swing feel and make very fine distinctions as to what the intended swing position really feels like. This “real” feeling is what enables elite players to strike a ball correctly and consistently in actual play.

The app also provides additional benefits by transferring swing analysis tools back into the live video feed, thereby creating templates that make learning a new swing as simple as tracing lines and matching body positions. Live View Golf is a very portable solution to greatly accelerate swing changes by increasing body awareness during the swing. The app has Live Swing Guides that allow the player to draw plane lines or stationary posts that can be used in the live feed as precise reference for the intended swing. These swing guides can act as templates, making the learning process as simple as following and matching the lines.

Live View can help players stay in their posture since the viewing device places the view directly behind the strike zone so that the player does not loose posture to look back into a mirror. Because the camera can show the swing from any angle, it gives the player awareness over their movements from any angle while staying in posture.

“Live View Golf is a great tool for students to associate a feel with what they see and are working on with their coach,” said Dave Phillips, one of the founders of the Titleist Performance Institute and a Top 100 Teacher for Golf Magazine.

To learn more visit: www.liveviewgolf.com

Shot Scope

Golf software that tracks shots is among the newest technologies to help player performance, and the introduction of the Shot Scope V2 program takes this to a new level with its second-generation golf wearable that tracks everything—shots, club selection and distance for each club without having to use a cell phone with it or punching a button on each shot.

While most of the software on the market demands the use of a cell phone during the round, the V2 can be used with only the GPS watch as the tracking device. The nice thing about Shot Scope is that there is an app to use on the cell phone if desired, but with some players not wanting to use them during the round (or a club may not allow them)—this device and its software can be used perfectly with only the watch—and then uploading all of the data onto a computer, phone or tablet after the round to study and show every shot on an overhead photo course map with all of the hazards, greens and tees clearly shown. The only action required

by the user is to tap the watch after each hole out.

Shot Scope’s in-house engineers have developed a product that meets the needs of the modern golfer while retaining the company’s trademark automatic club recognition technology and detailed performance statistics using a chip that easily plugs into the butt of every club.

The V2 has three modes to suit the golfer’s playing requirements, GPS; PRO; and GPS+TRACK; each mode has been designed for ultimate flexibility. In both GPS and GPS+TRACK modes, the LCD screen displays distances to the front, middle and back of the green from the golfer’s real-time position using SMART GPS.

Performance Tracking is activated in both PRO and GPS+TRACK modes. The watch works in the background to collect over 100 Tour-level statistics, broken down into five areas: clubs, tee shots, approaches, short game and putting. The watch has a battery life of 8 hours. Performance statistics of this caliber have previously only been available to Tour players. Graphs, statistical analysis and any information on your game is available on the program dashboard that manages all the golfer data.

The V2 uses Shot Scope’s proprietary course mapping data which is compiled, and quality checked by a team of elite golfers, and the company notes that every course in the world is available to download into the watch.

Shot Scope Technologies was founded in 2014 by CEO David Hunter. Hunter, a former electronics design engineer and secondary school teacher, invented the product in his house. Now a team of 17 based in Edinburg. The company has designed, engineered and manufactured the product in Scotland, bringing golf technology to The Home of Golf. The team also includes former Walker Cup player and ex-professional golfer, Gavin Dear.

To learn more visit www.shotscope.com

Galvin Green Hybrid Jacket

Galvin Green, known for its functional, yet high-performance golf apparel, has introduced a new lineup of versatile outwear called the Interface-1™ hybrid jacket category— that comes in some very appealing colors, styles and performs as good as it looks.

This extremely light and comfortable lineup that features the world-renowned GORE-TEX® water-proof fabric, features an athletic fit in a garment that protects from the elements while on the golf course.

As part of Galvin Green’s shell layer category, the Interface-1 is exceptionally soft and incorporates stretch elements to move freely with the body for ultimate range of motion. Utilizing innovative fabric technologies, Interface-1 jackets are completely windproof, water repellant and extremely breathable.

“The mission was to create a group of products that could be worn by golfers in 95 of 100 rounds they play, so they can enjoy playing the game more often in different weather conditions,” explained Christian Nilsson, CEO of Galvin Green. “We set out to find new fabrics and design quality garments that will act as genuine performance-enhancing equipment when called upon out on the course. The latest Interface-1 jackets are in a class of their own when it comes to regular playing conditions.”

Available within the 2018 Part I Collection in seven styles and eight color variations, the Interface-1 men’s range is highlighted by the LANCE full-zip jacket, with a sleeve pocket made from 100% polyester stretch fabric and a PU membrane. Additionally, the LARS short-sleeve full-zip features a distinctive pattern on the sleeves and across the back. The LARRY full-zip jacket combines a soft Polyamide fabric with premium PrimaLoft® padding, matched with a water repellent finish, while the LOGAN full-zip vest with chest pocket provides excellent protection from the elements with similar PrimaLoft® padding.

Rounding out the collection are the women’s offerings featuring the LARA full-zip jacket with contrasting upper body inserts and elasticated bottom and cuffs. The LUNA vest and LEIA full-zip jacket feature stylish clean lines with contrasting collars and cuffs, plus two front pockets and drawstring adjusters at the bottom edge.

Based in Sweden, Galvin Green is a pure golf brand that developed the sport’s first apparel layering system--the Multi-Layer Concept-- more than a decade ago. This distinctive approach uses leading-edge fabric technologies to ensure the dry comfort, thermal regulation and outer protection that helps players optimize performance.

Galvin Green is a family-owned business founded in 1990 and its products--including premium outerwear, tops, bottoms and accessories--are available for purchase at better green grass shops and golf-specialty retail locations in more than 20 countries.

Galvin Green is the Official Team Supplier of outerwear for the 2018 European Ryder Cup Team. Through this partnership, the company will provide its premium waterproof garments to the captains, vice captains, team members and their caddies during the matches at Le Golf National in the fall of 2018.

For more information about Galvin Green clothing visit: www.GalvinGreen.com