The Neat System aids swing training

IU women's golf team finds video helpful for learning

By Kim Cullman

Published April 30, 2007

The Neat System is a computer program used for teaching golf lessons that have been videotaped. Many golf professionals have turned to video and computer as visual aids to help teach their students. To learn more about video golf, check out the rest of the story by clicking on the links below.

Swingin' to the season

Reporters Perspecitve: Writing swingin' to the season.

IU women’s golf coach Clint Wallman uses a computer program called the Neat System as a teaching aid when he is working with his team. Wallman has the Neat System on his Gateway computer, sitting on a desk in his office. At a glance, it might look like any old computer. But it allows for much more.

When he works with his students, he videotapes them with a camera, and then is able to dump the video from the camera to his computer. After saving the video on the computer, he can open the file with the system and use it in several ways.

Wallman uses Kellye Belcher, one of the IU women’s golfers, as an example. He opens her file, which includes swings from several different taping sessions, and selects two.

“The system has the ability to store swings file so you can compare. So with Kelly, I can compare different swings from different times,” Wallman said.

Wallman pulls up two of Kelly’s swings, and places them side by side on his computer monitor. At this point, he is free to edit the swings how he sees fit.

“I can draw lines, circles, or slow it down and watch it frame by frame,” Wallman said.

The system also has a feature which allows the user to create a library of swings and store them for comparison purposes. Wallman said he has a library of tour players he can pull up on the screen so the women can visually compare their swings to professional players.

Belcher said she likes having herself videotaped at practices because it helps her to be able to see her swing.

“A lot of times, in a golf swing, what you think your doing is not what you’re doing at all,” Belcher said.

Currently, Belcher said she is working on transferring her weight to her right thigh during her swing.

“I can watch my swing on the computer and be able to actually see if I am shifting my weight,” Belcher said. “I like being able to analyze my swing.”