TL;DR: GOLFTEC uses OptiMotion 3D cameras to capture 4,000+ data points per swing. The $125 evaluation showed me exactly why I couldn't break 100—my hips were sliding, not rotating. If you're a visual learner or data nerd, this is golf instruction heaven.
Related: hip rotation and swing speed
Back in 2024, before I joined River Creek Club, I had a problem. A big one. I had never broken 100. My swing felt like a mystery wrapped in an enigma, wrapped in a slice that went 40 yards right.
I knew I needed help. Not YouTube help. Not "my buddy who played in college" help. I needed serious, professional intervention. That's when I found GOLFTEC.
Why I Chose GOLFTEC
As a tech guy by trade, I was immediately drawn to GOLFTEC's approach. This wasn't some old-school pro watching you hit balls and saying "try to swing more inside out." This was data. This was cameras. This was science.
GOLFTEC uses their proprietary OptiMotion technology – a 3D motion capture system with dual high-speed cameras that captures over 4,000 data points per swing. One camera faces you head-on, the other is positioned behind you, looking down the line. No sensors, no markers strapped to your body. Just AI-powered analysis of your actual swing.
For someone who spends their days looking at data and analytics, this was golf instruction heaven.
The Eye-Opening First Session
My first swing evaluation was humbling. Actually, humbling is too gentle a word. It was a full-on intervention.
The coach recorded my swing from both angles, and then the magic happened. He pulled up my swing side-by-side with Rory McIlroy. Same moment in the backswing, same frame rate, same analysis overlay.
The difference was... well, let's just say Rory and I were playing different sports.
Here's what the video analysis revealed about my swing:
Over-rotating on my backswing. I was turning my shoulders past the point of no return, thinking more rotation meant more power. Turns out, I was just creating inconsistency and losing all connection between my arms and body.
Front knee collapsing. My lead knee was buckling inward like it was trying to touch my back knee. This was robbing me of stability and making it impossible to rotate properly through the ball.
Hips shifting backward. Instead of rotating, my hips were sliding away from the target on the backswing. This created a reverse weight shift that made consistent contact nearly impossible.
Pretty much everything else. Seriously, watching my swing next to Roy’s was like comparing a toddler's finger painting to the Mona Lisa. But here's the thing – I could finally SEE it.
The Power of Seeing It
That's the real value of GOLFTEC. For years, people had told me things like "you're coming over the top" or "you're not finishing your turn." But those words meant nothing because I couldn't feel what they were describing.
With the video, there was no debate. There was my knee, collapsing inward. There was my hip, sliding instead of turning. The color-coded motion measurement numbers showed exactly how far off I was from tour averages. Green means tour-level positions. Mine were decidedly not green.
The system overlays key metrics like hip sway, shoulder tilt, and spine angle directly on your video. You're not guessing or interpreting – you're seeing cold, hard evidence of what your body is actually doing versus what you think it's doing.
The Training Process
After the evaluation, I signed up for a lesson package. Each session followed a similar pattern:
- Hit some balls while the system recorded
- Review the video with my coach
- Work on ONE specific change
- Use the instant feedback to see if I was improving
- Get drills to practice at home
The "one thing at a time" approach was crucial. With so many issues in my swing, I could have spent years trying to fix everything at once. Instead, we tackled the biggest power leaks first and built from there.
The best part? All my lessons, swing recordings, and progress data lived in the GOLFTEC app. I could review my swings at home, watch the comparison videos, and track how my motion measurement numbers improved over time.
Is GOLFTEC Worth It?
Let me be honest: GOLFTEC isn't cheap. The swing evaluation runs about $125, and lesson packages can add up. But here's my take:
If you've never broken 100 – like me when I started – and you're serious about improving, GOLFTEC is absolutely worth the investment. The technology cuts through the guesswork and shows you exactly what needs to change.
If you're a tech-minded person who learns visually and wants data-driven feedback, you'll love it. This is the Moneyball approach to golf instruction.
If you're stuck in a rut and can't figure out why your scores won't drop, seeing your swing side-by-side with a tour pro might be the wake-up call you need.
With over 250 locations worldwide and a database of more than 14 million swing recordings, GOLFTEC has the data and the technology to help you understand what's actually happening in your swing.
The Bottom Line
I went from never breaking 100 to actually understanding my golf swing. The technology at GOLFTEC didn't just tell me what was wrong – it showed me, in high-definition slow motion, frame by frame.
Was it uncomfortable watching myself swing next to Rory and Scottie? Absolutely. Was it valuable? More than any other golf instruction I've ever received.
If you're serious about improvement and you learn best by seeing, I highly recommend giving GOLFTEC a try. Start with a swing evaluation and see what the cameras reveal. Just be prepared – you might discover you've been doing everything wrong.
But at least you'll finally know what to fix.