We
get this question all the time. Years
ago, a potentially large "partnership" opportunity was lost simply because we would not add this to our
existing analysis. The answer is simple: If it is an option, players will not do it
with enough consistency for the data to be of value. If it is mandatory, it is too much extra work
and players will not use the program at all.
How do we know? Two
examples:
1. It was an option in my original Shot By Shot
program. Players would simply mark little
arrows indicating Left, Right, Long or Short when fairways or greens were
missed - SIMPLE? The results were
displayed in the analysis of each facet as % of misses in each direction. We consistently found that the directions
were marked with such inconsistency and infrequency that the resulting analysis
was worthless.
2. A Group of my LPGA players requested
direction of miss on putts along with the distance of the 2nd putt. There was such enthusiasm that we did the
programming and created special scorecards.
By the 2nd month, every single player had stopped recording the new
putting data. Why? Because determining the distance of the 1st
putt becomes an integral part of the pre-shot routine. The direction of miss and 2nd putt distance
are afterthoughts and frankly become annoying when focusing on the positive
routine of MAKING that 2nd putt.
We
recently were sent a new, competitor stat program for review. We try to keep up with the ever-growing competition. We set up an "average" test round
(an 81) and entered the data in our program and the competitor's to see the
differences in work needed by the player vs. analysis/feedback.
ShotByShot.com: We counted every click needed to enter the
round with and without our soon to be added Approach shot analysis.
Total
clicks w/o Approach data: 76 clicks
Total
clicks with Approach data: 103 clicks
The competition: 451 clicks - 5 times the work and time to enter the same
round.
It should be noted that their interface required
the miss direction for Fairways and Greens.
In
closing, we've learned the hard way that less is more. It is important to create something that can
easily become a part of every player's on-course routine without becoming a distraction. The best program in the world is useless if
players will not do it.
By
the way, that potentially big "partner" that dug in their heels about
direction of miss, AND started their own stat program, is no longer in
business.
