There are a lot of golfers out there who are interested in taking lessons. Who believe they need lessons. But who will never get lessons because they are too imtimidated (or maybe just too shy) to go through the process: exposing their swing to an instructor who is standing right next to them, looking for faults.
A new company called Golf Pro2Go just might have hit on an approach those golfers will find more acceptable: remote instruction. Golf Pro2Go sets up high-tech "swing studios" in golf shops or other locations. Golfers who want a little help with their swings step inside and, following the instructions on a touch-screen, answer questions about their games and goals, record their swings on video, and submit the information for appraisal.
On the other end of the wires, a golf teaching professional views the submitted tape and prepares an evaluation that includes both audio and video, and uses the latest golf instructional software. The finished lesson will also include, in addition to the instructor's analysis of the swing, tips, recommended drills and other techniques.
To complete the process, the golfer visits the Golf Pro2Go Web site, where the finished lesson is waiting to be downloaded (and is stored for future access).
The technology includes lighting and multiple cameras in the "swing studio" that capture both right- and left-handed swings, along with stance, grip, posture and other factors; and the swing studio can be combined with a launch monitor or fit within a simulator.
Golfers who use the Golf Pro2Go system also have the option of scrolling through the names of available instructors until they find the specific person they are looking for (although it is not required to choose a specific teacher).
As of this writing, the Golf Pro2Go swing studio is only in a handful of locations, most of them in Texas or Florida. And only a small number of instructors are signed up by the company to provide analysis and tips to students.
But the company is aggressively pursuing more locations, and more teaching pros. The current locations include several Edwin Watts stores, including one in the Orlando airport. Golf courses, retail stores and pro shops are the locations the company is targeting.
Will the idea catch on? It's up to Golf Pro2Go to get its product into more markets, and have enough instructors on staff to handle whatever demand develops.
But the concept has one big thing going for it: convenience. Those golfers who might never call a teaching pro, schedule an appointment, and show up for a personal lesson might well consider an alternative that is fast, reasonably priced and private.
For more on Golf Pro2Go, visit the company's Web site.
