The Villages - February 2018 - 20

For us, it gives a shortcut into what we need to do to
improve a student's stroke. We can see exactly what's going
on with their path, their club face - even the tempo of their
- Wade Martin
stroke. It's a pretty amazing piece of equipment.

SAM PuttLab
If MEGSA is analog, then the SAM PuttLab is decidedly digital. Short for "Science & Motion," the name of the company
that developed it, the SAM PuttLab analyzes every aspect of
putting, displaying where golfers hit the ball, the angle at
which they hit it, how much spin they put on the ball and how
far into the toe of the putter they hit the ball.
The academy overhauled its used club room, turning it into
the new Golf Performance Center with an artificial putting
green that is perfectly level. Inside, golfers attach a sensor to
their putting iron, which provides feedback to a nearby computer. After making as few as five strokes, the SAM PuttLab begins providing data and statistics about each stroke.
"For us, it gives a shortcut into what we need to do to improve a student's stroke," said Wade Martin, an instructor at
the academy. "We can see exactly what's going on with their
path, their club face - even the tempo of their stroke. It's a
pretty amazing piece of equipment."
On top of providing data, the SAM PuttLab also recreates
each putting stroke in 3-D, which the instructor and golfer
then can view from any angle. This helps provide valuable
feedback to the golfer.
Instructors help golfers analyze the data the SAM PuttLab
provides and turn that data into real-world advice they can
use to improve their putting strokes. And golfers love it.
"Everybody that comes in, they go, 'You've got to be kidding
me, this is unbelievable,'" said Chris Holmes, an academy instructor.
After poring over the data at the academy, instructors can
print or email the results for golfers to keep, meaning they can
reference the data at any time to continue improving on their
own. It's a valuable tool for players of all skill levels.
MEGSA and the SAM PuttLab are two new and indispensable tools The Villages Golf Academy uses to help teach golfers
of all skill levels.
The next time you're struggling with an aspect of your golf
game, think about stopping by the academy and trying out some
of the new equipment. Chances are, you'll learn something.

FEBRUARY 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - February 2018