Overview
The iTrainer was developed primarily as an aid to training and maintaining the ideal golf swing. In order to achieve this, it first has to be able to analyse a number of aspects of the swing based on what it can measure from the golf club.
The iTrainer samples thousands of sensor readings a second and uses the information to construct a spatial image of the golf swing in 3D as well as the dynamics of the swing.
The iTrainer samples the following sensors 1000 times per second (or higher):
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Low-G acceleration in 3 orthogonal axes
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High-G acceleration in 3 orthogonal axes
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Rotation rate in 3 orthogonal axes
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Magnetic bearing in 3 orthogonal axes
The sensor data is filtered and used in various combinations to determine the following:
Club Lie angle |
the front-to-back angle between the club shaft and the ground when the club is stationary |
Club face direction |
the direction in which the clubface is aiming with respect to magnetic North |
Hand press |
the side-to-side angle between the club shaft and ground |
Attack angle |
the club shaft angle at the time impact is detected |
Shaft orientation |
the instantaneous orientation of the club shaft in 3D space |
Swing Tempo |
the relationship between the backswing time and downswing time, represented in Tour Tempo or CoreTempotm format |
Club head speed |
the estimated club-head speed at any instant in time. |
Launch angles |
the calculated horizontal and vertical angle at which the ball leaves the face of the club |
Ball speed |
the estimated ball speed in miles per hour based |
Spin rates |
the estimated ball backspin and side spin rates at launch |
Ball Flight |
the calculated vertical and horizontal ball trajectory including estimated carry, bounce and roll distance under typical conditions |
The Analysis Dashboard
The analysis information is displayed directly on the iTrainer screen using a dashboard style display once the swing has completed. By pressing the up or down button, the golfer can step through each result and once done, optionally save the swing to the iTrainer’s internal memory.
Clubhead MPH
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This panel indicates the calculated clubhead speed based on the acceleration felt by the iTrainer as well as the rotation rate of the shaft.The calculation of clubhead speed takes into consideration the specifications of the club being used, including the shaft length. |
Ball Speed MPH
Photo coming soon... |
This panel shows the estimated ball speed derived from the clubhead speed, clubhead mass, ball mass and coefficient of restitution of the club. The ball speed is later broken down into vertical and horizontal speed, in order to calculate spin and other launch conditions. |
Swing Tempo
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This panel displays the backswing time divided by the downswing time, often referred to as the tempo ratio. The standard display format is Tour Tempo, but other formats are also available, including CoreTempotm. |
Swing Plane
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This panel depicts a down-the-line view of the path of the club head. The plot uses two colours to represent the backswing and downswing components. This is the default view, but other viewing angles are also possible. |
Clubhead Path
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This panel shows the path of the clubhead through the impact zone. It represents the target line and an imaginary line traced by the club shaft on the ground. |
Ball Flight
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This panel depicts the trajectory of the ball based on the measured impact parameters. The top plot shows the side profile of the ball flight and includes the estimated carry distance. The lower plot shows the view from above the ball and estimated deviation from the target line. |
Based on the full swing analysis results, iTrainer is able to recommend subsequent training drills to help correct problems detected by swing analysis.
As an example, swing timing is compared to the average timing across 40 professionals, including men and women. The average swing tempo ratio is close to 3.1, but some golfers are in the 2.5 region and some are as high as 3.4. If the backswing and downswing times are within the “average” of the 40 top professionals, iTrainer considers the tempo acceptable and will train the golfer to be consistent at this tempo.
The iTrainer measures both angular rotation and angular acceleration and from this, it can determine whether the golfer is releasing the club properly through impact, as the ratio between shaft rotation and acceleration through impact should be within a known range. Outside of this and the golfer may need work on their wrist release.
If the golfer’s swing plane is too inside on the backswing, the swing plane training module can help train the golfer to be on plane. The better the swing plane, the less the amount of correction required to bring the club back to impact. If the swing plane is out to in on the downswing, this can be the result of the golfer turning the hips and torso too early at the start of the downswing, resulting in the club shaft moving to an out-to-in path. The swing plane training module can train the golfer on the transition from top of backswing to downswing, while maintaining the ideal swing plane.
Each club is designed for optimal distance at a specific swing speed; this speed will launch the golf ball at the optimal launch angle to achieve the maximum distance. If the club is swung faster, there may be a decrease in distance, due to increased backspin and therefore ballooning. The distance training module helps train the golfer to hit each club the “optimal” distance based on the golfers comfortable swing speed.
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