Leadbetter: Virtual coach on the Wii
Golf swing analysis and instruction in your own home
The recent long spell of bad weather kept most of us indoors, frustrated that we couldn't play golf. Even driving ranges were closed because balls were lost in the snow. Many were left to get their fix hitting balls on indoor simulators or watching highlights of pro tournaments in far off destinations.
A golf lesson would have been handy but many PGA pros, with their facilities closed down, took an early warm weather break to re-charge their batteries.
However, a new opportunity has been grabbed by one of the world's top golf coaches, David Leabetter, to bring top quality instruction into our home with a game-improvement partnership with Nintendo Wii.
Using the unique, user-friendly system that has made the Wii a global hit in millions of households, golf lessons are taking a huge leap forward with the introduction of ‘My Personal Golf Trainer’ (£99 from Data Design Interactive) even improving features and functionality offered by golf simulators costing thousands of pounds. Removing the intimidation factor that some beginners experience with golf lessons, players using their Wii for a few minutes each day will perfect their virtual swing while improving the chances of their actual handicap tumbling, claim the makers of this unique product. As the player uses the Wii Balance Board and Motion Plus TM Controller, Leadbetter delivers advice, analysis and personalised feedback as if he was in the room with you, also suggesting drills for each of the seven basic components of a golf swing. Golfers can improve their grip, posture, alignment, ball position, coil, swing shape, and tempo in step-by-step easy stages, following on-screen instructions. They can then graduate from training mode to the practice range, and finally onto a full 18-hole golf course where they can choose to receive feedback from Leadbetter after each shot played. It's as if he is standing there, arms folded, legs astride, watching through shades below his trademark panama hat. Using the ultra-sensitive, gyroscopically-controlled Wii MotionPlus controller, introduced in June 2009, golfers can compare their own golf swing with an ‘ideal’ swing, using 3D replays to view their swing from any angle. The result, say the makers, is practice with a purpose, and the opportunity to work on your golf swing at home before, during or after a series of golf lessons with a PGA pro. “Good golf is built around feel, and a few minutes at home with the Wii is a great way of being able to maintain the perfect feel, and to allow yourself to learn to swing consistently,” says Leadbetter.
"What you get from ‘My Personal Golf Trainer’, is
my feedback – so you know instantaneously when you are doing it right or
wrong. It gives you the opportunity to repeat a movement consistently, and
with tailored feedback you’ll learn a repeating motion which, hopefully,
you’ll be able to take out on the golf course successfully.”
Stewart Green, CEO of Data Design Interactive, says: “David Leadbetter is
recognised as the No.1 instructor in golf and his instructional DVDs are
perennial top sellers. We are delighted that this incredible new product
features his world-class personal golf instruction and hope that it
will redefine the way that millions of golfers around the globe will think
about their golf swing.
We also expect it to encourage more golfers to seek golf lessons with their local PGA professional, and they will find that 'My Personal Golf Trainer' is the ideal product to refine the swing thoughts that their pro has given them."
‘My Personal Golf Trainer’ will be available for purchase
online shortly and from April at golf retailers throughout the UK.
noticed in the article it said something about 99 quid. seems really steep for a wii game. if i can get it for around 30 i will have a copy but wont pay more than that
Posted: 04/03/2010 16:50
From this video it seems to be a bit smart. I may just have to get it 
Posted: 04/03/2010 17:07
did think that when i first looked at it, but you never know with this sort of thing. was just looking on a gaming site it says the swing mechanics are good but the graphics need polishing up. any idea on release dates for this
Posted: 04/03/2010 17:08
The graphics on the Wii are always a bit ropey in comparison to the Xbox and PS3. Thats not the point of it. I think it looks pretty smart too from that vid. Taz - you might have to be nominated official tester.. If you are off scratch after a month I will go and buy it 
Posted: 04/03/2010 17:15
If the tracking of the swing mechanics is good then I couldn't care less what the graphics are like. The issue I would have would be if the mechanics were toilet. I enjoy TW2010 on the Wii but as for "swinging the club" the mechanics are toilet! There was an instruction game on the PS2 called ProStroke Golf (or summat) which hooked you up to some device that worked using a pair of gloves and two bits of nylon string. Seemed like a decent idea so I bought it and the mechanics were toilet because you could have a syrupy smooth swing like Ernie or a swing so bad it was last seen in a disused playground and matey-boy's swing on the screen would identical. Another £40 quid "used once for 10mins never to be used again" purchase. The only saving grace with this one and the use of the Wii Motion Plus is that if your swing action is more Ernie Wise than Ernie Els you'll see that represented on screen. I'll wait until a few others have bought it and have posted a review/made comment.
Posted: 05/03/2010 08:44
If the tracking of the swing mechanics is good then I couldn't care less what the graphics are like. The issue I would have would be if the mechanics were toilet. I'll wait until a few others have bought it and have posted a review/made comment.
I agree - wait and see, whats's good though is we are now moving more toward having our own simulator in the home. I think you should have a golf club remote - to give you more of an idea about what you are/trying to achieve. I enjoy TW2010 on the Wii but as for "swinging the club" the mechanics are toilet!
Is that because it is more about smoothness of swing? I can sometimes struggle with a fade on it - I play as myself, not as one of the pros, so don't have the assistance on - perhaps TW11 will have a plane monitor as well (plus off course activity sub games  )
Posted: 05/03/2010 09:28
from the developer: The swing mechanics are instant and 1:1, it records EXACTLY your movements in complete 3D instantly then lets you replay this slowed down and viewed from any angle to see exactly what your swing is really like. This is compared against a Leadbetter recommended swing and any problem areas are identified. That alone is amazing. But we then advise you of the right drill to correct the problem and then guide you step by step through that drill, rating you and advising you in the process, just like a personal Golf Pro would, but in your living room! The data on 7 major positions of the swing, plus club path, face, speed, fade, draw, weight shift, all these and more are recorded for every swing, and analysed over days and weeks to provide an accurate report on your personal swing style. This is a unique piece of training equipment.
Posted: 11/03/2010 15:37
TW2010 is a just game , the swing is inaccurate as it needs to appeal to non-golfers, it is made for entertainment. MPGT is the only product which requires a 'REAL' golf swing for the 18 hole course, and not only plays accurately but will also advice and correct your swing to improve your 'REAL' golf swing on the course. But the golf course is only about 10% of MPGT, the personalised training, corrective drills, accurate feedback, tempo speed, club path, club facing, weight distribution and so much more are the real and unique value in this product.
Posted: 11/03/2010 15:52
Hi BirdieBoy, A wii remote is wider than a normal grip so it does not feel the same. However we have had thorough testing internally and at the DLG Academy, on 6 public days in the UK and exhibited at 2 PGA shows in the USA, where initially many had the same thought but everyone who has used this says it is not as different as they imagined it would be. The training requires you to move slowly to rotate and position your self correctly then hold that position to get a 'muscle memory' for the right stance and position. This is then repeated and practiced at increasing speeds. The actual swing can be 'trained' in slow motion or taken at full speed. Consistency is important and your swing becomes a natural motion, we have found that players replicate their same body movements even without a full sized club. A full size club might be dangerous to swing in the home, so we took this option which gives you the feedback and training to improve your swing, we then expect you to use this skill and improved swing on the course, which is where we want to get better! We are working on a full blown simulator, this will have the same technology but includes a projection screen, and a club, it is more accurate than the current simulators which cost about £30k
Posted: 12/03/2010 16:25
Hi Scoopa, I think you are right the best training you can get is on the course with a good Golf Pro. We are not claiming to be better than this, infact the biggest interest in our trainer has come from PGA PRO's who say this will compliment their training. The Pros have tried and found that our trainer reports the same problems that they find with a client, so they know it is accurate. Where our product helps them is once a player fininshes his lesson and goes home, he doesn't have the feedback and ends up practicing the wrong actions which means they are getting worse rather than better. Our trainer tells them you are leaning back, move forward, your club is too low, lift it higher your face was 10 degrees open, rotate the club. This helps you make perfect practice and that WILL improve your swing. A swing is over in less than a second, which is so short a time even a pro can't know exactly what has happened. Our hardware lets a Pro or the home user see the whole swing in exact detail and in particular the weight shift during the swing, this information identifies problems which a Pro can't see with just his eyes. We have already helped identify a number of players problems are due to incorrect weight shift, leaning forward too soon and dragging through the ball or in to out due to a wobble as they swing.
Posted: 12/03/2010 17:03
Hi McStumpy the product is £99, the balance board is separate.
Stewart, thanks for the info. Here endeth my interest. I think folks like me would take a punt at, say, £40. But £99 is too big a gamble - it would have to be try before you buy at that price.
Posted: 14/03/2010 22:18
Gutted really. I have read the host thread getting excited to realise that the DVD is £99 - just for the DVD. Not a chance I am paying that, I'll wait for it to drop in price when they can't sell any. I am surprised anyone realistically believes that golfers will spend £100 for a DVD when most won't even spend £15 on a lesson. Nice idea, stupid price.......................
Posted: 14/03/2010 22:32
How would you hold the button down? If you taped the Wii to the golf club, you'd need big hands...
Posted: 15/03/2010 14:09
Stewart: any idea on a ball-park RRP for your "full blown" simulator? Will you be demoing either/both products and any golf shows this year?
Posted: 15/03/2010 16:33
We are at the Scottish Golf show - please come along see for your self - you will be impressed. This isn't a DVD for £15, but you do get an hours worth of DVD, you also get a Golf game, so thats another £30, and a speed detector £30, a tempo detector £20, a high speed 3D swing capture £5,000 for a 2 camera system, 14 corrective drills (thats another £15 dvd?) a weight shift detection system - well thats not even availble outside a university, a couple of grand for this, and you get it all 24/7 365 days a year at no extra cost! so that £99 is looking pretty good value now. But thats not half of what you get. The whole package is interactive, that means that you don't just watch a DVD and hope to remember the advice. You get instant feedback telling you to hold your club at 4 o'clock. You get told, that you are holding YOUR club too high, lower it, now thats right, but now your club face is rotated, and you are leaning too far forward. This is real time, instant accurate feedback- you can't get this unless you have a Pro in your living room, and the David leadbetter academy costs $225/hour, but they still don't do home visits! This is a true revolution, there is nothing like this out there.
Posted: 26/03/2010 02:09
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