The Science of ModelGolf
The effectiveness of ModelGolf as an instructional program is driven by science and technology. We apply the science of biomechanics and statistical analysis to generate a computer model of the perfect swing, called the ModelPro, and use video capture, advanced software, and the Web to deliver a comprehensive, customized system of golf instruction. Of course, ModelGolf instructors bring it all together and facilitate each student's improvement program, but the technological tools they use to do so are what set ModelGolf apart from any other instructional program.
The ModelPro
The ModelPro was developed using the "Model Principle" of biomechanics, which holds that there is one ideal way for any particular person to swing a golf club. This ideal—the ModelPro—was achieved through the scientific study of some of the world's best golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, Davis Love III, Jesper Parnevik, Mark O'Meara, Jim Furyk, Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Betsy King, Brandie Burton and many others. We analyzed how they swing every club in their bag and correlated their body characteristics and movements to performance results in order to identify the "perfect" swing mechanics.
The process begins with high-speed video of top pros hitting every club in their bag. Approximately 2,000 frames are needed to capture the two-second golf swing from two angles. The swing motion is then digitized, tracking the coordinates of each major joint in the body throughout the entire movement, yielding about 200,000 data points for each swing.
The ModelPro is much more than a simple average of these elite golfers. The ModelPro is better than any of the pros because we used statistics to isolate the best of their common characteristics and eliminate their individual weaknesses. The result of this analysis is a scalable computer model we call the ModelPro, who exhibits flawless biomechanical form and the perfect balance of strength, flexibility, and coordination.
How the ModelPro will help you improve
But the ModelPro is not an abstract ideal attainable only by tour pros. Your ModelPro is adapted to represent your body, gender, and handedness, so you can see how your perfect swing should look and where your actual swing strays from the ideal. Spend 30 minutes with the ModelPro and you'll understand your swing better than you ever have.
The ModelOverlay
The ModelOverlay is a "stick figure," if you will, that corresponds to a person's main skeletal structure. It is the ModelPro without the three dimensional form. The ModelOverlay makes it easy to see the flaws in your swing at any of the 10 teaching positions, from setup to follow-through. Both the three-dimensional ModelPro and the ModelOverlay can be viewed from two different vantage points, face on and down the target line, to better illustrate exactly how and where the student may deviate from the ideal.
The clear visual feedback provided by the ModelOverlay makes it easier for the teaching professional to highlight errors and communicate recommendations for improvement, accelerating the learning curve.
The origins of the ModelGolf teaching system
The ModelPro was created by Dr. Ralph Mann, a former Olympic hurdler and world record holder with a Ph.D. in biomechanics. Dr. Mann became interested in biomechanics 40 years ago as a way to become more competitive in world-class athletics. Looking for any edge to improve his performance in the 400-meter hurdles, he analyzed film of the world's best hurdlers and found a way to incorporate what they were doing into his performance. As a result, he won three NCAA championships, seven national championships, the US Olympic trials, and set a world record. In the 1972 Olympics, Mann was the slowest sprinter in the field but his hurdling technique enabled him to win the silver medal.
By 1980, armed with a Ph.D. in Biomechanics and an advanced computerized teaching system, Dr. Mann began turning out US Olympic track and field stars. Since 1980, Dr. Mann's computer models have been used to train virtually all US Olympic hurdlers and sprinters. Athletes trained using his technology currently hold more than half of the world records in these events. Now his innovative system is being used in Major League Baseball and NFL training camps. In 1983, Dr. Mann founded CompuSport International, the forerunner of ModelGolf, and turned his attention—and his technology—toward improving the game of golf.
