TM fitting center gives amateurs tour pro treatment

On April 27, TaylorMade will open its sixth Performance Lab in the U.S., this time at the International in Boston.

The specialized fitting centers give amateurs a chance to be handled true PGA pros. Your clubs are shipped to you in as little as 48 hours following your fitting. The other locations: The International: The Four Seasons Resort in North San Diego, The Desert Springs Marriott in Palm Springs, The Hyatt Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago and Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, GA. There are also three international locations in South Africa, Spain and Dubai.

At each Performance Lab, TaylorMade uses Motion Analysis Technology by TaylorMade (MAT-T). This is basically space-age motion capture technology – the same technology used to make today’s video games and movies. Golfers have 34 reflective markers put on their body as well as the shaft and clubhead to allow fitters to capture swings with the driver, iron, wedge and putter. The fittings cost $300.

Six special high-speed cameras detect the reflectors and display a three-dimensional computer-animated image of the customer viewable from every angle (you might have seen this in video game motion capture sessions). This allows the fitting professional to use your 21/2 hour session to get you into the best-fitting equipment possible.

Following the swing analysis and club recommendations, demo clubs are built on-site with the customer’s correct swing specifications and the player can then validate the system’s recommendations on the driving range.