TECHNOLOGY AND PASSION

Technology

AND PASSION

Text: R.J. Weick

The idea of connection can take on many forms when it comes to the game of golf. It is in the rotation and swing of the body, in the sound of a well-struck ball on a club, and in the more intangible relationship between player and designed course. It can be found between professionals and enthusiasts, players and coaches, colleagues and friends, broadcast events and audiences, and golfers and natural landscapes. For TrackMan, a performance data solutions company based in Vedbæk, Denmark, that idea of connection may go beyond a simple component of their performance data so ware and platforms, to a passionate pursuit to develop an entire innovative ecosystem that connects the world of golf to users across the globe.

What began as a simple question whether it was possible to track a golf ball, TrackMan has become known as an industry leader in technology and innovative solutions for data-led sports. Since its establishment in 2003 with a mission to make practice more fun, engaging, and meaningful, TrackMan has developed a robust portfolio of patented radar-based technology, state-of-the-art hardware platforms, and so ware solutions that provide reliable data and performance-based analysis for athletes and customers across sports like golf, baseball, tennis, football, soccer, and Olympic-level shot put.

For TrackMan Golf, it is an ecosystem that comprises the TrackMan Business Portal, TrackMan Range, TrackMan Indoor Bays and Simulators, TrackMan 4, and TrackMan Golf App, and is intended to deliver a seamless experience across its suite of devices and platforms for users. From solutions like the customizable TrackMan Simulator and TrackMan FlexCage with iconic Virtual Golf courses and immersive games, to the scalable, golf-tracking TrackMan Range system and latest TrackMan 4 Optically Enhanced Radar Tracking monitor, TrackMan o ers innovative solutions for non-golfers, beginners, elite, and professional players alike.

Zeke Schwartz, Great Lakes Regional Sales Manager at TrackMan Golf, noted its newest monitor, TrackMan 4, builds on the previous TrackMan 3e model by changing the way it takes in data.

“We’ve actually introduced the use of both camera and radar. We call it OERT or Optically Enhanced Radar Tracking. So, the main di erence is we have beefed this one up to have multiple radars—a long range and a short range— and then also have the use of a camera that is in there, which actually helps us take in some of the data and con rm some things,” Schwartz said. “It also gives us the ability to take in impact locations to where the golf ball hits on the club face without any markers. It’s a combination of multiple technologies, but the main di erence is the introduction of OERT.”

With its combined dual radar systems featuring a short-range, ultra-high-resolution and long-range, high-accuracy ball tracking, and built-in camera sensors with high-speed optics, TrackMan 4 can measure club and ball data such as: club path, face angle, spin lo , impact height, ball speed, smash factor, launch direction, tempo, roll speed, and curve, among other metrics on both the course and in virtual simulation. It also tracks and displays the full, 3D trajectory of a shot whether it is a short putt or a 400-yard drive, mapping the landing position, impact, and launch information, in real-time.

Schwartz noted the ability to go from tracking one or two metrics on the course to delving into other parameters like impact location and angle of attack—and the ways in which that data is compiled—has been a huge game changer. Changing the game, particularly in terms of data analysis and connecting users to the sport, has been a part of the company throughout its history as it seeks relentless innovation and to improve upon its existing platforms. It has led to the introduction of its TrackMan Golf App, which compiles data from TrackMan Simulator, TrackMan Range, and TrackMan 4 sessions; games like Bullseye, Magic Pond, and Capture e Flag; and an ever-growing virtual course library mapped using LiDAR drone technology featuring iconic destinations like St. Andrews Links Old Course and PGA National, and Michigan-based favorites such as Arthur Hills and e Heather at Boyne Highlands, Port Huron Golf Club, Bay Harbor Golf Club, Franklin Hills Country Club, and Wabeek Country Club.

“ ere are competitors out there that have certain aspects of what we o er. Some companies do one thing really well. What sets us apart is the fact that everything is in-house—R&D, actual manufacturing of the unit, sales, and installation of the simulator—all those pieces are done in-house, but then just the simple fact that it is radar,” Schwartz said in reference to its place in the industry. “ ere are other radar units out there, but there are certain patents that we have and certain things that we hold that allow us to be the paramount and most accurate.” e company’s innovative spirit has also led to new partnerships with Titleist to develop Pro V1 and Pro V1X golf balls with Radar Capture Technology; and the development of TrackMan Virtual League presented by Titleist. Even TrackMan Range, which is one of the company’s longest running products, has been updated with a much larger radar, and its long-standing partnership with the PGA Tour expanded in February 2022 to enhance how fans experience PGA Tour events by having nearly every shot traced and automatically shared on television and across digital platforms.

“ e exciting thing for us is we have the full ecosystem at this point. We have the driving range technology for the players—they want to understand some of the numbers and they want to be able to use it when they just go to the driving range. We have the in-home simulation, which allows them to play virtual golf, play games against each other, play in tournaments around the world, and then also we are taking the Tour, all those numbers are going to be from us coming in 2023 as well. It is just exciting to see,” Schwartz said.

“We’ve always been an innova“We’ve always been an innovator, but we just continue to expand tor, but we just continue to expand that with not only new technolothat with not only new technology, but also new ways to do it and gy, but also new ways to do it and new partnerships. It is exciting new partnerships. It is exciting to see as an employee and as a to see as an employee and as a customer. I think to see that customer. I think to see that we are continuing to get betwe are continuing to get better and not only the people ter and not only the people in our network realize that, in our network realize that, but those who are going but those who are going to bene t from it the to bene t from it the most, the PGA Tour,” most, the PGA Tour,” Schwartz added.

For Schwartz, who has fostered a passion for the sport since he began playing golf at the age of ve-years-old, it is a great time in TrackMan’s history as its entire ecosystem of products come to fruition and exciting to see the level of connectivity across them, from a single, cohesive app to the Virtual League connecting players across the globe.

“ e simulators have been in existence, but right now we have one connecting app to bring all the pieces together. You use the same app in your simulator as you do on the driving range; it is displayed all the same way, so it is just an exciting time,” Schwartz said.

“In the simplest form, I just love the feeling of a well-hit golf shot. I’ve been playing for a long time, so it has always been a passion of mine. at feeling of striping a drive, hitting a good wedge shot—it doesn’t necessarily have to be you swinging your hardest possible and making good contact, it’s more about hitting the shot that the golf course requires, so I love that aspect and I’ve also made a career out of it, so the connections and the network are massive. It’s been a huge part of my life,” Schwartz added.