Dragonfly Golf powered by Guided Knowledge has announced it is the Official Wearable 3D Motion System of the IMG Academy Golf Program. The multiyear sponsorship is emblematic of both organisations’ deep commitment to helping athletes perform their best and gain a competitive advantage. Guided Knowledge will also collaborate with IMG Academy’s expert coaches to develop and adapt its technology for other sports, including baseball and tennis.
“We are excited to be the first golf program to integrate Dragonfly Golf system’s state-of-art-3D technology,” said Kevin Craggs, IMG Academy Director of Golf. “We are always seeking innovative ways to empower our students to achieve superlative results. Dragonfly Golf provides our coaches and students with an unprecedented, dynamic view to bring their game to the next level.”
Dragonfly Golf Teams Up with IMG Academy’s Golf Program from trine hindklev on Vimeo.
Dragonfly Golf system in action
The Dragonfly Golf system is the world’s most advanced smart suit and is synchronized to an interactive app on students’ and coaches’ mobile devices. Together, they measure the precise detail of the student’s swing and deliver feedback via a customized 3D avatar alongside real-time analysis tailored to the student. For the first time, students and coaches can collaborate anytime, anywhere, in-person or remotely, using 3D technology.
“The Dragonfly Golf system allows us to objectively view and measure the player’s unique swing signature, providing in depth insights beyond what’s seen on video or the naked eye. The system allows us to more efficiently define students’ performance objectives, understand their skill development trajectory and set training curriculums to improve outcomes while maintaining current performance levels,” said Scott Davies, IMG Academy Director of Golf Operations.
The Dragonfly Golf system’s smart suit is a base-layer garment embedded with 18 sensors that can measure speed, angle direction and distance. The motion data is transmitted to a pod and processed at a rate of 1,000 samples per second using a series of complex algorithms to analyse and understand performance. This enables the system to capture biomechanical movement patterns in extreme detail and with unparalleled accuracy.
For golf, the system provides visibility across the 10 positions of the golf swing and 10 components from head to toe. For the average golf swing, it captures approximately 360,000 pieces of skill performance data and synthesises it into hundreds of simple metrics and drives the real-time playback of a scaled, 3D avatar with a 360-degree view via a mobile app. The performance data is stored in the Cloud, which allows access or sharing the feedback anytime, anywhere across devices.
“We are privileged to join forces with IMG Academy to launch Dragonfly Golf in the U.S. Our shared vision to help athletes reach their full potential by training smarter, not harder makes this relationship particularly rewarding,” said Kevin West, CEO of Guided Knowledge. “I am equally pleased for the opportunity to work with their expert coaches for years to come and continue to develop our technology for applications in baseball, tennis, fitness/conditioning and potentially many others.”
Currently the Dragonfly Golf system is only available through an early adopter program for professional golfers and IMG Academy Golf students. In early 2020, the Dragonfly Golf System is anticipated to be available for use at the club level in Florida.
The IMG Academy Golf Program is among the most renowned in the world. Over the past two decades, IMG Academy has developed more than 100 players who have gone on to pursue professional careers, with more than 180 golfers earning Rolex Junior All-American Honors, including 10 players named Rolex Player of the Year. Dragonfly Golf powered by Guided Knowledge joins a growing roster of IMG Academy sponsors that also includes the likes of Under Armour, Gatorade, SPRI, TimTam and NormaTec.
Guided Knowledge
Guided Knowledge is a U.K.-based technology start-up comprised of a dedicated team of sports scientists, biomechanists, mathematicians, engineers, golf experts and creatives. Together they are pioneering the next generation of wearables that offer bespoke digital coaching tools and analytics in real-time, anytime and anywhere. Dragonfly Golf powered by Guided
Knowledge is inspired by the iconic and agile dragonfly, which has 30,000 facets in huge compound eyes that enables a seamless 360-degree view built from infinite metrics and data. Similarly the Dragonfly Golf system delivers a brand new 360-degree view of skill performance.
Visit www.guidedknowledge.com