From smart clubs to gloves and even the greens themselves, various IoT applications and data analysis are bringing unprecedented levels of transformation to this sport.
IoT applications are already present in all sectors and facets of daily life; furthermore, hundreds of industries are transforming thanks to innovations made possible by these devices.
Sports are one of these. The ability to connect the athlete’s environment, performance, and indicators of their body’s functioning is causing a true revolution in this industry.
In particular, golf can be a frustrating game to learn: it requires countless hours of practice to approach the perfect swing. In most cases, an experienced player is needed to accompany, teach, correct, and guide the player’s posture and movements.
IoT and wearables are providing a solution to this. For example, there are already golf clubs that use machine learning to analyze and improve the swing: an accelerometer mounted on the club’s shaft detects the exact movement and uses a machine learning algorithm to see how closely it matches a professional’s swing. The device is fed with swing data from an instructor or instructional material. In some cases, features like an LED mounted on the clubhead indicate with colors whether the shot was good or bad.
Zepp Golf, for instance, offers an IoT-powered smart training system. A small sensor connected to the golfer’s glove measures and analyzes their swing to identify areas for improvement, such as adjusting club speed, plane, tempo, or backswing length. The chip instantly sends personalized feedback through the mobile app and offers training programs and video tutorials tailored to the player’s ability.
For example, Bryson DeChambeau, a professional golfer dubbed “the scientist” by his peers, has improved his game thanks to these devices and the thorough analysis of his club shaft lengths. Smart Grip detects the position of his grip and pressure levels. It also monitors his golf shots with different clubs and transmits real-time data to a cloud computing system. With this data, the player can optimize his grip, giving him a clear advantage over those who rely strictly on feel.
Alternatively, Arrcos offers a set of connected golf club sensors (linked with a mobile app) that allows consumers to track the distances achieved with each club, ideally helping golfers improve their shot accuracy and overall score.
In another case, Topgolf uses data delivered from RFID chips inside each golf ball to fuel competition among players: after a player hits the smart golf ball, the internal chip provides real-time data on the distance traveled and compares it to the other players.
IoT is also used to automatically analyze and optimize the green for players. Sensors are already being installed beneath the golf course to measure temperature, humidity, and acidity using a development based on predictive algorithms. This information can be transmitted to event organizers and players. Players can then adjust or adapt their game according to the conditions, and course managers can carry out the necessary tasks to provide the best possible environment for participants.
Through a robust data management strategy and detailed tracking of indicators, IoT can make golf much more precise, professional, and competitive for experts and professionals. But it is also a way for the golf industry to provide added value to the entire ecosystem. Moreover, these new technologies can help “gamify” golf, making it more attractive to new generations.
See you at the tee.
By Julio Cesar Blanco – March 15, 2023
