The Concept of Golf Improvement
Golf improvement once meant expensive coaching or practicing on your own for years on end. With the adaptation of technology within sports, improvement in any genre has been made simpler and cheaper. For example, wearables and AI coaching tools have made improvements in running a smoother and less intimidating process. Specifically, within golf, the transformation from classic lessons to launch monitors and simulators has become incredibly prevalent recently.
There is only one problem: the average casual golfer cannot afford to get training from a coach or visit golf simulators weekly. That’s not to say that these golfers don’t want to improve, but the game of golf is already expensive as it is, paying for rounds of golf and purchasing new equipment. I saw this gap within the golf improvement market as a business opportunity. What if there was a way for golfers of all ages and levels to improve at a fraction of the cost of anything else on the market? That single question sparked the beginning of a venture built to make improvement social, motivating, and accessible.
The Origin of TruePath
Being a female golfer in college, I never felt like I could improve my game. That is, unless it meant spending all of my paycheck on lessons. During freshman year, I was not good enough to play on the women’s team, and there was no club option for females. This meant that my only way to play golf, let alone improve, was going to a cheap range or course alone. I thought to myself, “Why is there no way for me to improve my game without spending so much money?” The truth was there wasn’t, and I knew that plenty of other individuals like me thought the same. This experience led me to the ideation of TruePath.
After speaking with my parents and family, I realized that if I truly wanted to make this venture real, I had the opportunity to. Since that day, TruePath has been my main point of focus.
The Connection to Consumers
From the beginning, the TruePath Sensor was built for its audience. As a member of the University of Tennessee women’s golf club, I took it upon myself to facilitate a focus group to see if this product was something college students would have an interest in. One golfer had proclaimed, “If I can track my swing at a low cost and compare it with my best friend’s progress? I’m sold.” Undeniably, this comment and many other positive remarks inspired me to make this dream a reality.
The Challenge
The biggest early obstacle I faced was figuring out the logistics of the hardware and technology we needed to produce. Not only that, but we also needed to ensure that the technology was accurate and working properly. Early prototypes suffered from constant connectivity failure and data inconsistencies. We also had issues with making sure that the sensor was secure on the golf club shaft. When testers would swing at full speed, the sensor would become loose and slide to the grip.
To combat this issue, the team decided to pivot and utilize the same material used for wearable technology. Additionally, once sensors began staying secure at full swing speed, our team began addressing inconsistent motion data. We had a team of data experts come onto the project and filter out any outside components, such as gravity shifts and wind, so TruePath only focused on the important movement.
The Vision
TruePath’s core values center on inclusivity, durability, accessibility, portability, and shared motivation. We want everyone to feel as though they can better their golf game at a low rate. The vision is simple: help golfers across the world improve their swing at a faster and cheaper rate and make practice more social in the process.
The Plan for Our Golf Sensor
Looking years ahead, I want TruePath to expand globally into new markets that experience the same gap in the golf improvement industry. Beyond that, we are looking into expanding our product line. This means rangefinders, watches, magnetic speakers – anything that would make the golf game more enjoyable. Looking months ahead, we plan to start promoting our products through micro influencers and smaller professional golfers. Also, we plan to start hosting pop-ups at professional golf events in Orlando, FL, to promote the TruePath Sensor. TruePath plans to expand as far as humanly possible. We want to make golfing a more inclusive and less intimidating sport, one swing at a time.
Redefine your swing. Redefine your game.