Golfers visiting the Leadbetter Golf Academy European headquarters at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire can now take advantage of three state-of-the-art GOLFZON simulators.
The newly-installed technology in the indoor studio provides the ultimate educational facility, teaming the world’s best-selling golf simulators with coaches from the best-known academy. And it was put through its paces by Leadbetter himself at the launch, with assistance from former Chelsea footballer Gianfranco Zola – a five-handicapper and keen golfer, who also received a few tips from the legendary coach with the data instantly on hand to analyse.
Each of the high-definition simulators comprises two high-speed cameras, equipped with the proprietary T2 sensor, which accurately traces club movement and impact of all shots, including mishit shots and individual flaws. Fast processing of high-precision data displays immediate launch of the ball, adding to the sense of realism.
Additionally, GOLFZON’s moving Swing Plate – a high-tech tee mat – automatically adjusts to uphill, downhill, and side-hill lies, by simulating course slopes from the tee box to the putting green, with the user or coach able to determine the slope setting at the start of the session.
David Leadbetter is regarded by many as the world’s premier golf instructor, with 26 major champions and seven world number ones among his clientele. The global network of the 40 Leadbetter Golf Academies spans 15 countries and includes more than 100 highly-trained certified instructors and there is increasing use of modern technology in the holistic approach to coaching and tuition.
The data the technology captures will ensure coaches can deliver more focused practice for their students, while Leadbetter believes there can no longer be any excuses to skip the practice to avoid the wind and rain.
He said: “We hope the new GOLFZON-Leadbetter Indoor Academy will prove to be a great facility for members and guests at Stoke Park to practice and play indoors. There can be no more excuses about the weather! Year-round golfers will now be able to work on their game and track their progress, making the time they do practice more effective.”
The simulators offer more than 200 courses from across the globe, including Stoke Park, St Andrews, Pebble Beach and many more, which provide incredible realism and can be accessed with the click of a button.
Leadbetter Golf Academy’s chief executive, Ben Riches, believes it underlines the commitment to new technology which takes instruction and coaching into an exciting new period. He said: “This is the start of a new era for Leadbetter Golf Academies. With the backing of GOLFZON, we are now able to offer our premium coaching through advanced GDR simulator technology. The goal is to make it easier and more convenient for golfers to learn and improve. Stoke Park is an important location for us to showcase our combined coaching and technology offering as we look to open further locations around the world.”
Stoke Park’s Director of Golf Stuart Collier said: “We are delighted to have the GOLFZON simulators at Stoke Park which is a huge upgrade to the facility and offering for our members and guests. For us, one of the most unique features is the ability to be able to play and practice on our own course, perfect for working with an instructor on your course management, which takes playing lessons to the next level. For our hotel residents and visitors, it’s a great opportunity to practice on the simulators before you play the golf course for real.”
John Kim, head of the global business division at GOLFZON, said: “GDR’s state-of-the-art technology has been chosen as the ‘Official Training Simulators’ of the National Golf Team of Korea, China, Taiwan, and Spain. The GDR’s ultra high-speed, dual-camera sensor records at 2,000 FPS and extracts shot data. With Leadbetter’s coaching knowledge, that will reshape the golf industry.”
Click here to view a time-lapse video of a GOLFZON simulator room being converted for use in just 72 hours.