Jordan Spieth didn’t arrive earlier than most players at this week’s British Open, having played the John Deere Classic just a few days earlier in Illinois and winning his fourth tournament this season.
So what did he use to help prepare for the year’s third major championship with a limited amount of time? Technology.
Spieth has a full-on golf simulator set up in his home and uses it to work on his game and get a feel for certain courses. The $45,000 setup from Full Swing Golf, which uses a combination of high-speed cameras and infrared light waves, shows golfers detailed stats like spin rate, launch angle, and distance while featuring a number of virtual famous courses around the world.
Of course, nothing beats actually practicing on a real course to prepare for a big tournament. But the simulator offers the next best thing.
“It really is an unbelievable preparation for what I do for a living,” Spieth said in this video.
It’s obviously working for Spieth, who already won The Masters and the U.S. Open this year. The 21-year-old fired an opening round 5-under 67 on Thursday and is currently tied for third place. He can become just the second player in history to win the season’s first three major championships with a victory this weekend.
Spieth also noted in the video how he likes to invite his buddies over and play virtual holes on courses like St. Andrews. He said this type of technology can help grow the game of golf, particularly for the younger generation.
“This can be a very accurate driving range, or it can be a fun time to mess with your friends,” Spieth said. “It’s very convenient and easy.”
That’s a similar message we heard last month after checking out the new golf simulator at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners. It’s the MLB’s first in-stadium golf simulator and is designed to let fans take some virtual golf shots at the ballpark.
“We are just trying to make it cool and fun,” said Gregg Rogers, who helps run the simulator. “We are reaching a lot of juniors, which is really cool. That’s our future.”
