The University of Alberta Bears and Pandas golf teams have been training all winter, thanks to a best-of-the-best simulator set up in the racket courts on campus.
It’s called the Trackman and it can give golfers and coaches dozens of statistics not only on an athlete’s swing, but on contact with the ball.
It’s the simulator used by pros, like world number one Dustin Johnson.
“Most people know that, OK I can see where the ball goes and I’ll adjust my body,” Head Coach Robin Stewart said. “This actually breaks down why the ball’s going where it’s going and then we can address the root causes, as opposed to just having band-aid fixes.”
“If you were just hitting the net all winter, you can come out with bad swing thoughts,” said second-year Bears golfer Jason Martens.
It’s helped the team feel in mid-season form ahead of the U Sports National Championship which tees off Sunday, May 28.
But beyond that, it’s united a team that doesn’t usually have the ability to train together all winter. It’s also proving to be an incredible recruiting tool.
“I’ve already heard from a couple of different parents in the community,” Stewart said. “Now that we’ve got this, they’ll consider sending their child to the U of A.”