MAUMEE, OHIO—AboutGolf’s recently founded Lab Technologies unit, formed with the goal of earning the reputation as golf’s authority on game-improvement technology, has announced its 2007 Product Plan.
AboutGolf Lab Technologies will place focus on the new Kudu II launch monitor produced by AboutGolf’s technology partner EDH, for which AboutGolf has been granted exclusive North American distribution rights. The Kudu II will be augmented by a suite of peripheral products produced and/or controlled by AboutGolf.
"Our strategy is to have the best performing mainstream launch monitor product augmented by powerful integrated peripherals", said Chuck Winger, President of AboutGolf Lab Technologies. "Besides having the best system for the money, our customers are compelled to work with us because of the value and quality of the peripherals, some of which are excellent standalone products."
AboutGolf Lab Technologies’ peripheral products include:
WeightTrac: A powerful standalone, WeightTrac is a reasonably priced golf-specific force plate product that Winger thinks might be the surprise product of the year.
VideoTrac: Integrated video control software (a proprietary camera system can be added) with swing analysis tools.
DataTrac: An online database facility to track all Kudu II activity to a private web site for each golfer.
ShotTrac: Borrowing from its world-leading simulator technology ShotTrac provides ball flight visualization.
WorldPlay: Also from the AboutGolf simulator, WorldPlay is an online event facility where players can enter closest to pin and long drive contests on some of the world’s greatest holes.
iS: "Integrating Solutions", the iS software integrates all of the available peripherals as well as manages shot data and provides club fitting tools.
Future products in the works include SwingSync, a video self-analysis system, expanded club-fitting software, and as Winger puts it, "A few surprises".
Winger expects the Kudu II to become the new standard in the popular priced mainstream segment of the launch monitor market. Kudu II applies the same phased array radar technology as the high end commercial system used by the PGA TOUR as announced in the TOUR’s 9/11 news release. "EDH pioneered 3D phased array technology for tracking the golf ball", says Winger. "Kudu II is a very competitive product to the high end technology out there for outdoor long-range measurement–at around 1/4th the cost–plus it provides indoor users with a true 3D club and ball tracking system at 2D prices."
Winger is also very bullish on WeightTrac, AboutGolf’s new force plate product. PGA TOUR Superstore purchased all of AboutGolf’s initial inventory for its Atlanta area stores, integrating WeightTrac into all of its AboutGolf teaching simulators. "Once the industry learns how to use WeightTrac, I believe this will become one of the most used teaching tools in golf", says Winger.
AboutGolf Lab Technologies is dedicating much of its annual seven-figure R&D budget to develop and continually improve its products for club fitting, teaching, and self-analysis. "Our view of the state of golf instruction today is that it essentially is not making golfers better. The state of club fitting is that there is a dearth of absolute knowledge and many conflicting opinions. And, there is not sufficient attention being paid to the importance and potential effectiveness of technology-aided self-analysis" says Bill Bales, AboutGolf’s CEO. "We’re not saying we’ve got all the answers, but we are saying that we have our sleeves rolled up and we’re dedicated to making a contribution."
AboutGolf is a 19-year-old Maumee, Ohio based company which has been dedicated to golf for its entire history. AboutGolf has produced Microsoft Golf, Greg Norman Ultimate Challenge Golf and World Tours, which is the world’s most-widely-distributed golf simulation, and now is the world leader in indoor golf simulator technology. AboutGolf® is a registered trademark of AboutGolf Limited, Maumee, Ohio.
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Contact:
Mary Beth Lacy
760-346-6942
e-mail: mb@mblacy.com
AboutGolf Ltd.
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Suite 200
Maumee, OH 43537
Phone: 419-868-6091
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