Slow motion video analysis app for iPhone and Android is used by coaches and athletes in multiple sports
Formerly known as UberSense, the Hudl Technique app on iPhone and Android is making it easy for golf instructors and their students to capture clear and precise slow motion videos. In addition, the app is also being used in nearly a dozen other sports with 3.5 million unique users worldwide.
How does it work? It’s really quite simple. The app is free to download for any instructor and their students, it’s also very easy to use and intuitive. You simply film the student’s swing using your mobile device, and then you’re able to slow it down to 240 frames per second to review it in super-slow motion. From there, you can also add voice-overs to the video file and notes – so the student always has your teachings in their pocket.
You can also pause the video at any spot and draw lines to indicate proper or improper positioning in the golf swing. One of the most popular features is the sideby-side comparison, allowing you to compare/view your students’ before and after swings on the same screen. With a library of over 90 PGA Tour player swings, you’re also able to show students how their swing stacks up against the world’s best.
To take things to the next level, they offer an Elite package for $5.99/month or $39.99/year that allows you to store videos on the company’s cloud (relieving valuable space on your own device), access premium video tools and receive advanced technical support. For the savvy tech user, the free platform pretty much does everything you need it to.
Even though the platform is free, it’s gained a lot of traction among big name golfers including the PGA Tour’s Patrick Reed, Jeff Overton and Edoardo Molinari. In addition, it’s a favorite of renowned Golf Channel instructor Michael Breed and is being used at Topgolf U – the instruction arm of Topgolf.
Beyond that, PGA Professionals across the country are recognizing the value of the easy to use but powerful teaching aid.
Speeding Up the Learning Curve
PGA Professional Dale Abraham is the director of instruction at BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert, California as well as Telluride (Colorado) Golf Club in the summer months. As an experienced instructor who has spent 19 years teaching the game and given more than 35,000 lessons, Abraham has used dozens of different teaching aids over the years. With the Hudl Technique app, what Abraham likes the most is how quickly he’s able to demonstrate and introduce new concepts to his students, and the ease with which they understand them.
“Being able to instantly show someone their swing allows us to speed up the learning curve,” says Abraham. “On top of that, it allows a new student to gain trust in the instructor quicker. They’re seeing for themselves exactly what we’re telling them.”
Launch monitors provide the same kind of “proof in the pudding” results. Students can’t argue with the numbers, nor can they argue with the camera. That’s why Abraham likes to pair the app with the usage of launch monitor technology. He can provide a numerical goal for the student: Let’s say, reducing spin and increasing launch angle. Once they achieve the goal, he can breakdown their before and after swing using Hudl to visually show the student how their swing is different and why it produced better results.
“When you use video and launch monitors combined, it’s the ultimate validation for our instruction,” he says. “We told you to do this. Here’s video of you doing it, and there’s the improved outcome.”
Topgolf adds Hudl Technique to Companywide Instruction Program
Topgolf now has 27 locations in the U.S., with a 28th set to open later this year in Las Vegas. The wildly popular facilities that combine golf, fun, technology and social interaction, have experienced exponential growth in the last several years. Many of the people who frequent Topgolf are new to the game, and more than anything are seeking a fun night out with their friends. However, it’s becoming an important portal to which people experience golf for the first time and perhaps later transition into real players.
To help with that transition, Topgolf offers an instruction program called Topgolf U – providing a buffet of lesson options including oneon-one packages, group deals and private instruction. Each facility utilizes the Hudl Technique app in the Topgolf U program.
“Hudl Technique gives the Topgolf U program and our instructors the most advanced technology in golf swing analysis with the added bonus of mobility on the tee line,” says Dennis Harrington, national director of golf services for Topgolf. “It is a perfect tool for golf instruction at Topgolf – fun, innovative and social!”
