™

Par 3 Golf Course
Open 10am til dus
2699 Peniherton, North Vancouver

roshop 980-8410
699 PEMBERTON AVE.

NORTH VANCOUVER DISTRICT PARKS DEPT.

. We’ll fake the
| slice out of

[GoltLessons* | -

May6&7 |.

June 3 & 17
May 7&21
June 4 & 18 |,

July 14 & 15 |
Aug 12 & 13

“Costs are Per person/taxes not included/subject to a
minimum of 4 ployers/private lessons availoble upon request

|$59 = - 1/2 Day School
$99 = - 1 Day Schoo!

$189 - 2Day School

> Leam all bout go - inducing

| putting & chipping $
Group rate ory 6

($105 value)

or create your own group cf 5 or
more for a 10% discount

“The Golf Shop at
Seymour Creek Golf Centre

315 Seymour Bivd..N. Van.
{just east of Hwy #1 - Enter off Mt Seymour Parkwav"

Sapo 981-8630 -

CLUB fitter Paul Turner puts up some decent numbers © on the Sportach, a device 1
measures a variety of golf statistics, including club head speed and welght shift:

Swing the right way

On-screen anaiysis leads way.

By lan Noble
News Reporter

PAUL Turner and
Scott Dowling are a
father and son-in-law
duo helping golfers
swing the proper club
properly.

And they do it with the
help of a PGA-endorsed
machine called the Sportech,
housed in Burnaby at their
shop, Progressive Golf
Analysis.

The Sportech machine
analyzes swings through a
series of sensors under the feet
and club path.

“This is so much more
accurate than what you can
visually see at these speeds,”
said Turner, a North
Vancouver resident.

The $15,000 machine
takes 2 myriad of readings on
swing speed, weight shift dur-
ing the swing, swing path and
even the club face angle
immediately prior to and at
impact.

In addition to giving the
clubmakers all that informa-
tion, a second screen shows
where the ball goes after it’s

nt

The readings on my hits
were surprisingly accurate.
Slices and hooks translated

OKANAGAN ‘SE

faithfully to the screen, and
distances were bang on.

Balls dropped in the water
just like they do on real cours-
es.

The extensive variety of
information Sportech pro-
vides is necessary, Turner said,
to help clubfitiers build the

proper clubs for golfers. Even.
how fast a golfer takes a club
back affects which clubs a
golfer should play.

For example, Turner said,
golfers who take their clubs
back at three different speeds

may all have the same swing’

speed at impact. But because

of the takeaway, they all need.
different shafts for properly -

fitted clubs.

Readings of the club face
angle at impact reveals other
swing imperfections, | includ-
ing whether the golfer has
trouble closing the club face.
For golfers that do, an offset
club that allows a split second
more before impact may be
the answer, said Turner.

He said club head speed
helps determine the shaft
used, and tempo further nar-
rows the shaft selection.

Progressive also measures
for grip size, lie angle and club
loft. Prices for a full set of
irons including a sand wedge

N

start at $500. For golfers also
needing woods, add $300 for
three woods.

“We can make perfect golf
clubs but we can’t,make a per-
fect swing for the- person,”
said Turner, a Seymour golf
club member. “That’s sonie-
thing he has to do.”

But it’s something. the. -
Sportech can also. play.a part
in. In addition to ‘clubmaking,
a CPGA pro uses the Sportech
to teach students. *

The Sportech also boasts
18 holes and the ability to let.
contestants swing. away:
driving contests . and -
accuracy in ‘closest to | he pi
competitions. ;

Dowling, who® spent.
years on the North Shore.
Turner got together and s
ed - Progressive’. Golf ‘Analysis
after their previous jobs evap
orated. in buyouts: and
takeover five years ago...

Turner had been the wes
ern regional manager. for’an
office supply company,’ whil
Dowling worked. at Pacifi

week courses on club fitting ini
Ohio and started the business

ASGNS RESORTS