If you watch PGA golf on TV, you have an idea of the feedback pros receive from a device called Trackman. It instantly spits out vital information on launch angle, clubhead speed, spin rate, club path and other key components of a golf swing.

If you play or practice at Babe Zaharias, you can reap some of the same benefits. Zaharias head pro Mitch Duncan realized early on how much a Trackman would help in giving lessons, as well as properly fitting golfers with clubs, and successfully pitched Aquila Golf CEO George Brown on investing in one.

The results have been even better than Duncan anticipated.

“From a teaching side, it is fabulous,” he said. “You get to see club path, face angle, angle of attack, where you are at impact. Especially with my younger students, they just gobble it up. They understand swing path so much better. It definitely enhances the teaching process.”

Meanwhile, golfers serious about improving have realized that learning more about their swing, and being fitted with the ideal clubs for them, is the best way to see handicaps drop.

“We were losing sales because people knew about Trackman,” Duncan said. “They were going to Houston to get tested. That’s kind of how I sold it to George. If somebody is going to spend $2,000 on equipment, they want to make sure what they are buying is the best fit.

“Now we can do that and save them the trip to Houston. As a result, our club sales are up. People love Trackman and what it tells them about their golf swing. We have the ability to fit from multiple manufacturers now, so it’s a win-win deal all the way around.”

Running a golfer through the battery of Trackman tests takes between an hour and 90 minutes. Depending on the level of player, Duncan likes to do it twice because golfers sometimes have a bad day. He wants to be able to provide optimum feedback.

For those who have little familiarity with Trackman, it is roughly the size of a laptop computer and uses Doppler radar to monitor multiple aspects of the golf swing. Once a player hits a ball, Duncan is instantly fed every part of the club’s movement.

When a session is done, he is able to immediately e-mail the golfer eye-opening results about where the ball was striking the club face, the position of the face at impact, clubhead speed, how far the ball carried with each club in the test and reams of other data most players have never thought about.

Music to the ears of nearly every golfer is what Duncan gleans from all that information is a path to MORE DISTANCE and straighter shots.
“With the right launch angle, the right spin and a clubhead path that hits the middle of the club’s face, your ball speed is higher and you hit it further,” he said.

Take it from an old dog who is skeptical of new tricks, one session with Mitch and his Trackman provided invaluable feedback. It also made positive difference in a couple of swing thoughts. Unfortunately, it can’t help me make more putts.

CHIP SHOTS

Neither PNG ex Braden Bailey nor the Baylor Bears fared well in the Big 12 Golf Championships played last weekend on the Old White TPC at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

With Bailey shooting rounds of 79, 68, 71 on the par-70 layout, Baylor placed sixth with a 54-hole total of six-over 846. Defending national champ Oklahoma State won easily, shooting a 13-under 827. TCU was 11 back in second place, while Texas and Oklahoma tied for third at 842.
Bailey, who rebounded nicely after his first-day 79, placed 35th overall at 218. TCU’s Hayden Springer took medalist honors with rounds of 64-66-70 for 202.

Next up for Bailey and the Bears is participating in one of six NCAA Regionals. Teams will learn their destination Wednesday night.

Chris Stroud will play in this week’s PGA Tour Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, North Carolina, but Andrew Landry is taking the week off.

Neither Stroud nor Landry helped themselves in the FedEx Cup playoff picture after their respective teams finished T22 in New Orleans.
Stroud, whose check was $19,609, actually dropped from 83 to 87 in FedEx points. Landry, who also collected $19,609, gained one place from 154 to 153. …

With teams playing the back nine twice in the Monday Senior 50 Plus 2 ball at Babe Zaharias, the fivesome of Don MacNeil, Larry Reece, Dillard Darbonne, Dwayne Benoit and Bob West shot 6 under to win the first nine. On the second nine, the team of Kenny Robbins, Gary Fontenot, Bob Byerly and Rusty Hicks won with minus-4. …

The Saturday Super Senior 2 ball at Zaharias, saw the team of Ed Holley, Cap Hollier, Tom Letourneau and Wes McDonald win the front with minus-6. The fivesome of James Shipley, Adam Noel, Charles Leard, Cole Lee and Ronnie Hicks took the back with minus-3.

In the Friday 2-ball at Zaharias, the team of Craig Geoffroy, Gary Hanan, Kacy Begaman and Hebert won the front with minus-5 and tied the back with minus-4. Also tying the back were teams captained by Letourneau, LeBlanc and Shipley.

Closest to the pin winners were West (No. 2), Robbins (No.7), Larry Johnson (No. 12) and Rusty Hicks (No. 15). …

The foursome of Letourneau, Rick Pritchett, Larry Reece and James Trahan rolled up 21 points to win the Wednesday DogFight at Zaharias. Second with 19 points was the team of Keith Mullins, MacNeil, Jim Schexneider and Richard Menchaca.

Closest to the pin winners were Holley (No. 2), Overstreet (No. 7), Rodgers (No. 12) and Begaman (No. 15). …

Entries are being taken for the Groves Knights of Columbus Estelle and Alan Fetters Center Tournament May 11 at Zaharias. Format is a four-person scramble with an entry fee of $60 per player or $240 per team. Play begins with an 8 a.m. shotgun.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Estelle and Alan Fetters Center for physically and mentally challenged adults. For more details or to enter call the Zaharias pro shop at 722-8286. …

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