Matt Tyler, the director of golf at Sweetwoods Park Golf Club has been using the GC2 with HMT for over two years. He explains how using the technology has made a big difference to the quality of his coaching.
What was your first experience GC2?
A friend of mine had the GC2 with HMT and I was unsure whether to get one or go down the road of other launch monitor manufacturers. However, once I was shown the in-depth club analysis of the HMT then, for the bulk of what I was going to be using it for from a coaching aspect it was phenomenal. It put me in a position where I could take my coaching to the next level and offer a lot more value for money to customers in the lessons that I was charging for.
How has it helped your coaching?
It means there is no guessing to it now, when you use the GC2 – especially with the HMT – you are getting factual data and finding out exactly why the ball has gone 30 yards left, not just because you think x, y and z happened, you are factually seeing this and then you can translate this to the client. There is also a lot of information that you can send onto the client after a session.
You aren’t stood there old school on a range in the middle of winter with a fleece on, you can take your coaching inside. The benefits are there for custom fitting and coaching – you are getting analysis to a point of a degree, carry distances, roll outs and all the angles in the most precise dimensions that you could possibly want them. In terms of return on investment then, from a coaching aspect, it has almost paid for itself. It has brought in clients from all over my local area and also from different golf clubs. I spent a lot of money advertising it and I don’t think I have given a fitting session this year where using it hasn’t converted the sale.
Had you previously used technology to try and help your coaching?
I used to have a radar launch monitor indoors at the club that I was working at and, quite simply, the results just weren’t good enough. The size of the room that we had was borderline too small but we went with it anyway. I didn’t have any confidence giving fitting sessions though – if you hit one too hard or too soft then it wouldn’t register.
Do you trust the data that is provided for you?
I trust the numbers of the GC2 absolutely, down to a tee. I fitted a customer for a new driver and their average carry distance was coming out at 197 yards and he asked me how much I believed the numbers – the answer was 100 per cent. He then played a golf course a couple of weeks later and a carry distance came out at 195; he went for it with his driver and carried it by a matter of yards, so after that he was absolutely sold. It was great for us as a club but out of that he told everyone his experience and how factual this data is. The HMT data really transforms things from a coaching aspect.
