We all know the big news in golf last week was Yuka Saso’s dramatic victory in the U.S. Women’s Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The Filipino Japanese phenom is only the second teenager to capture the championship in its 76-year history. While that was happening, another historic event took place (with much less fanfare)—149 contestants had swings captured in 4D. The San Francisco-based company, 4DReplay, pulled off the feat using 88 cameras that encircled the 6th tee at the Lake Course. And, almost magically, the 4D swings popped up for all to experience on the USGA’s U.S. Women’s Open mobile app. Those who download the app can view swings like never before. The same 4D experience will be part of next week’s U.S. Open as well.
Why is 4D so revolutionary? For many golf junkies, a popular pastime is to watch—and study—Tour pros’ swings, either in photos or videos. Users commonly start and stop videos at specific points of the swing. But, now, cutting-edge 4D makes it possible to check out those same positions from as many as 34 different angles, which makes for a remarkable learning tool and an exciting new way to see the greatest players in the game.
Of course, it wasn’t magic that caused the 4D swings to populate the app. With the aid of Cisco’s industry-leading networking capabilities, the recorded swings were transferred to 4DReplay’s on-site production truck. The 4D swings were then pushed out to the U.S. Women’s Open app for viewers to see, enjoy and learn from—while the competitors continued their round. The 4D swings were also replayed on the NBC broadcast. Again, behind the scenes, Cisco, the Official Technology Partner of the USGA, made it possible because its network transported video files in a matter of seconds from Point A (6th tee) to Point B (NBC production truck), enabling the network to drop them into the telecast.
Below, we’ve highlighted five players’ 4D swings— Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Yuka Saso, Jessica Korda, and the amateur Megha Ganne—with tips and analyses from Cheryl Anderson, Director of Instruction at the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Lake Mary, Florida. Anderson, the 2006 LPGA National Teacher of the Year, has been honored as an LPGA Top-50 Best Teacher for 2020-21, the North Florida PGA Section’s Teacher of the Year for 2021, and named to several other prestigious top teacher lists. (All stats as of June 7, 2021.).
Nelly Korda
BIO: No. 4 Women’s World Golf Ranking; No. 5 LPGA Official Money List; No. 1 Race to CME Globe; No. 9 Average Driving Distance (273.7 yards); 4 LPGA Tour titles.
4D SWING: Thursday, Round 1. Hole measured 388 yards.
BACKGROUND: At +4 (her 16th hole of the day), Nelly hit driver 275 yards into the left rough, leaving 106 yards to the pin. Missed the birdie putt and settled for par. Finished the round at +7.
TAKEAWAYS
00:00:00 – Nelly’s classic driver set up is worth copying—feet wider than shoulder-width apart and spine tilted slightly away from the target.
00:00:02 – You can see the arms, shoulders and club moving together in one piece.
00:00:03 to 00:00:04 – A smooth hip turn makes it easier for the shoulders to rotate 90 degrees from her starting point.
00:00:05 – The left shoulder is behind the ball at the completion of the backswing. This helps the spine to lean slightly away from the target.
00:00:06 to 00:00:09 – Nelly maintains great width at the top with the hands away from the chest. The right arm is bent to 90 degrees. It looks like she could hold a tray at the top of her backswing.
00:00:10 to 00:00:11 – Notice her right elbow driving in toward the ribs. This helps to “shallow the club” so it approaches the ball from an inside arc relative to the target line.
00:00:12 to 00:00:13 – Nelly’s generating lots of power at impact. She pushes off the ground using vertical and rotational force. She’s literally on her toes with both heels in the air.
00:00:15 – The spine tilt increases when she hits the ball. And, notice how the hands, shaft and clubhead form a straight line at impact, which is perfect for a driver swing.
00:00:21 to 00:00:25 – The powerful swing coasts into the finish position with the belly button facing the target and weight on the front foot.
Next Up: Danielle Kang