Instruction
Evolution of Golf
Technology and teamwork are key parts of
teacher Patrick McGuire’s curriculum at the
Raspberry Golf Academy
by JOSH APPLE
A
to expand beyond the Virginia borders,
McGuire is equipping all of his studios
with the most state-of-the-art technology
available.
Take the launch monitor, for example.
As a player, McGuire had been taught that
the path of the swing controls where the
ball starts and the clubface controls where
it goes. He even taught this philosophy for
years after switching to coaching from
playing professionally back in the early
2000s. However, once he got his hands on
a launch monitor, McGuire realized the
opposite was true.
“The evolution of information is what’s
been great,” McGuire said, “and the real
challenge with the coach is: How do they
adapt to that? I think some of the guys
who have written books or are more
established have a harder time changing
to better information.”
Another key innovation is 3-D technology. McGuire says video is useful for swing
style, but it doesn’t get to the root of the
swing’s exact positions and angles. The
3-D also reveals body limitations, as every
movement can be analyzed. The player
doesn’t have to understand the information, as long as he or she has a good coach
that understands it and can better instruct
knowing the new data.
“The 3-D opened my eyes to what was
really happening versus video, so I now had
a better product than video to analyze the
RASPBERRY GOLF ACADEMY
s technology advances, the
field of golf instruction has
evolved to a level never before
imaginable. With video from
all angles, 3-D technology,
launch monitors and flat-screen displays,
there is no longer any guessing what is
going on during the golf swing. In addition,
knowledge has progressed due to the availability of new information.
In 2007, Patrick McGuire moved from
the Dulles Driving Range in Sterling to
Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club in
Leesburg, where he opened what is now
known as the Raspberry Golf Academy. As
the Founder and Director of Instruction
for the RGA, a company that continues
Instruction
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