In today's edition of Play Smart, we take a look at one of the newest (and most useful) features offered by Sportsbox AI.
Zephyr Melton
Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.
Sportsbox AI is already changing the way instructors break down the swing. With motion-analysis kinetic software that converts videos of your swing into 3D models in real time, the app has taken off in instruction circles over the past few years.
Now, the app is getting even better.
In conjunction with equipment disruptor LA Golf, the Sportsbox AI app now offers a functionality that can fit you for a shaft using just your phone. The feature — called the LA Golf Fit Yourself Experience — needs just three swing videos to recommend the perfect shaft for your swing.
“Golfers have had two options for finding clubs to play: ask a friend or their local pro or go through an often expensive fitting experience that is based on a ‘guess-and-check’ process,” said Jeehae Lee, co-founder and CEO of Sportsbox AI. “We have — through this partnership with LA Golf and Sportsbox’s unique AI technology — uncovered clear motion-based fitting logic that is much more reliable than eyeballed assessments.”
Not only does this technology make for a fitting experience that can take place just about anywhere, but it also cuts down on cost. Anyone who’s ever been fit for clubs knows the process can be expensive (and time-consuming), but with this feature from Sportsbox AI, those worries are a thing of the past.
At a recent Sportsbox event in New York City, I went through a shaft-fitting using the new functionality — and the process was remarkably smooth. Within a few minutes, the app had analyzed my swing and made a data-backed recommendation on what shaft I should play. What would normally be an afternoon-long experience was condensed into less than the amount of time it takes to get coffee.
Technology is now not only changing the way golf is being played, but also changing the way we choose our clubs — and it all fits in the pocket of our trousers.
Looking to get fit for a new driver or full set? Schedule a session with the fitting experts at True Spec Golf.
Zephyr Melton is an assistant editor for GOLF.com where he spends his days blogging, producing and editing. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and women’s golf. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com.