Indiana University Athletics
Construction Begins on New Golf Practice Building
8/26/2015 10:46:00 AM | Men's Golf, Women's Golf
By Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana men's and women's golf teams will receive a major practice facility upgrade that's expected to be fully operational before the spring of 2016.
The new facility is being built adjacent to the Cecil W. Weathers Golf Team Center, which was completed in 2009. Eric Neuburger, the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and External Alliances, said the new facility will serve as a compliment for the existing Weathers complex.
The new practice facility will serve as a year-round training complex equipped with the latest swing analysis technologies. Neuburger and coaches Mike Mayer and Clint Wallman all agreed in saying the new multi-purpose training facility will put IU either on par or ahead of the leading golf schools in the nation.
"It's going to be a very unique building that will be a tremendous aid to us," Mayer said. "This one of a kind building will be extremely efficient and functional. It's something we've been excited about for a long time."
The facility was first brought up as a possibility five years ago and nearly all of the money used to construct the facility was raised by private donors.
"This is a project where a combination of things lined up," he said. "There were people willing to help. The university wanted to get it done, and there was a need. When you match those things up, it works out really well."
Wallman described the facility as a "golf laboratory" where he's in charge of all the tests for his team.
The practice grounds will have room for six different hitting stations that can either be enclosed during the coldest winter days or open leading to roughly 240 yards of open space similar to a typical driving range.
Each station will be equipped with video technologies capable of doing a number of things ranging from recording swings to measuring swing speeds to even capturing the very minute details of where and when a player's weight is shifting during the swing.
If it's been invented to help improve a golfer's play, there's a fairly good chance that it will be housed in the new facility, Wallman said.
"There's not going to be another school in the country, from a technology standpoint, that's going to be able to match what we have," he said. "I mean, we're on par with literally every other school with what we have, if not exceeding."
Wallman and Mayer have both worked hands on with the crews responsible for designing and constructing the new facility. Both have offered their input and provided a laundry list of things they'd like included.
One of the features Wallman is most excited about is the video capabilities.
He and his players will have access to thousands of golf swings from PGA and LPGA players ranging as far back as 1950, Wallman said. Each video will also come with the swing data and analysis.
Players will be able to compare their own swing reports to those of the world's best golfers. If someone wants to compare their swing to Tiger Woods' from the time he won his first Masters in 1997, they can.
They'll also be able to compare their own swings over time. Wallman said he typically films a player when they're at their peak and when they are struggling so they can clearly see the difference between good days and bad.
"We'll be able to show players exactly where they need to change their swings," he said. "We can tell them, 'Hey, you need to knock your ball flight down 2,000 RPM's and get your launch angle down two degrees or whatever. Then we can bring it to the video and watch the results."
Mayer is, admittedly, a bit more old-school than Wallman. He oftentimes still prefers using conventional teaching tools like looking at divots or analyzing swing by eye.
But even he admits he's excited about the capabilities of the new facility. He thinks recruits will enjoy all the capabilities the technology has, adding that the best part is that it will continue to evolve over time and he can try to lean on both his older practices and the newer developments.
"It's the best of both worlds," Mayer said. "We have a wonderful practice facility. We can use our eyes and our senses and then show these guys what they look like on video instantaneously and with the numbers. I think it's going to help us as teachers and them as players."
The facility is still an ongoing construction site. It will be tweaked and worked on in the coming days, but it's expected to be opened at some point this winter.
Both Hoosier coaches were excited about the possibilities the new facility will bring. From a recruitment and player improvement standpoint, Mayer said not much is better than what they have in store.
"When winter really hits, our teams have become accustomed to finding alternative means of training which isn't always ideal," Neuburger said. "Our folks will be in heated bays working with technology, hitting balls, working on their strokes and getting the instruction they need from our excellent coaches. It's awesome. And it's awesome to see how close it is to being fulfilled."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana men's and women's golf teams will receive a major practice facility upgrade that's expected to be fully operational before the spring of 2016.
The new facility is being built adjacent to the Cecil W. Weathers Golf Team Center, which was completed in 2009. Eric Neuburger, the Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and External Alliances, said the new facility will serve as a compliment for the existing Weathers complex.
The new practice facility will serve as a year-round training complex equipped with the latest swing analysis technologies. Neuburger and coaches Mike Mayer and Clint Wallman all agreed in saying the new multi-purpose training facility will put IU either on par or ahead of the leading golf schools in the nation.
"It's going to be a very unique building that will be a tremendous aid to us," Mayer said. "This one of a kind building will be extremely efficient and functional. It's something we've been excited about for a long time."
The facility was first brought up as a possibility five years ago and nearly all of the money used to construct the facility was raised by private donors.
"This is a project where a combination of things lined up," he said. "There were people willing to help. The university wanted to get it done, and there was a need. When you match those things up, it works out really well."
Wallman described the facility as a "golf laboratory" where he's in charge of all the tests for his team.
The practice grounds will have room for six different hitting stations that can either be enclosed during the coldest winter days or open leading to roughly 240 yards of open space similar to a typical driving range.
Each station will be equipped with video technologies capable of doing a number of things ranging from recording swings to measuring swing speeds to even capturing the very minute details of where and when a player's weight is shifting during the swing.
If it's been invented to help improve a golfer's play, there's a fairly good chance that it will be housed in the new facility, Wallman said.
"There's not going to be another school in the country, from a technology standpoint, that's going to be able to match what we have," he said. "I mean, we're on par with literally every other school with what we have, if not exceeding."
Wallman and Mayer have both worked hands on with the crews responsible for designing and constructing the new facility. Both have offered their input and provided a laundry list of things they'd like included.
One of the features Wallman is most excited about is the video capabilities.
He and his players will have access to thousands of golf swings from PGA and LPGA players ranging as far back as 1950, Wallman said. Each video will also come with the swing data and analysis.
Players will be able to compare their own swing reports to those of the world's best golfers. If someone wants to compare their swing to Tiger Woods' from the time he won his first Masters in 1997, they can.
They'll also be able to compare their own swings over time. Wallman said he typically films a player when they're at their peak and when they are struggling so they can clearly see the difference between good days and bad.
"We'll be able to show players exactly where they need to change their swings," he said. "We can tell them, 'Hey, you need to knock your ball flight down 2,000 RPM's and get your launch angle down two degrees or whatever. Then we can bring it to the video and watch the results."
Mayer is, admittedly, a bit more old-school than Wallman. He oftentimes still prefers using conventional teaching tools like looking at divots or analyzing swing by eye.
But even he admits he's excited about the capabilities of the new facility. He thinks recruits will enjoy all the capabilities the technology has, adding that the best part is that it will continue to evolve over time and he can try to lean on both his older practices and the newer developments.
"It's the best of both worlds," Mayer said. "We have a wonderful practice facility. We can use our eyes and our senses and then show these guys what they look like on video instantaneously and with the numbers. I think it's going to help us as teachers and them as players."
The facility is still an ongoing construction site. It will be tweaked and worked on in the coming days, but it's expected to be opened at some point this winter.
Both Hoosier coaches were excited about the possibilities the new facility will bring. From a recruitment and player improvement standpoint, Mayer said not much is better than what they have in store.
"When winter really hits, our teams have become accustomed to finding alternative means of training which isn't always ideal," Neuburger said. "Our folks will be in heated bays working with technology, hitting balls, working on their strokes and getting the instruction they need from our excellent coaches. It's awesome. And it's awesome to see how close it is to being fulfilled."
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