A STATE of the art swing studio is set to help south Essex golfers improve their game.

New Rochford Hundred Golf Club head professional Michael Vandenberg has pumped nearly £30,000 into buying high-tech cameras and computers for the brand new facility.

And he is hoping that the studio will benefit not only members at the Hall Road club but other golfers too.

"The swing studio really is state of the art and will be used for coaching and custum fitting," said 36-year-old Vandenburgh, who took over from Graham Hill as club pro on January 1.

"It is an amazing bit of kit and I don't think anyone else locally has it.

"The equipment allows golfers to see the total distance they have hit, the angle of the head and speed.

"The video technology allows me to replay footage and go over things with golfers and then record tips to make a video that I can send to them."

Golfers hit the ball towards a screen and three video cameras, positioned at the sides and behind the player, capture the action and then feed it back into a computer.

Players can then watch playbacks of their swing and analyse data from the computer telemetry.

Vandenberg, who plays off plus two, can offer coaching tips and then the golfer can put them into practice in the studio before their progress is evaluated again on the computer.

The technology can also be used for golfers to try out various clubs before buying.

"Club fitting is very important because golfers need, for example, to get the right shaft and loft on a driver if they are to get the ultimate performance that they can," added Vandenberg. "It's like buying a pair of trousers; you want to make sure they fit.

Echo:

Michael Vandenberg has taken over as the head professional at Rochford Hundred and has revamped the club shop. Watch the video on You Tube at http://youtu.be/ohTAxpDgLkg

"For golfers who want to learn about what they are doing and how to improve their game, it's all here."

Vandenberg, who will be shortly moving to Billericay, joined Rochford Hundred from Wyke Green GC, near Twickenham, where he was head pro.

"I had been looking for the right club and had saved up the money to buy the equipment," added Vandenberg, who has been playing since he was 13 and turned professional in 2003.

"I was not going to do it half-hearted and wanted to make sure everything was done properly.

"I researched the area and thought it was crying out for this sort of facility and fortunately the club shared my vision and supported me.

Alongside the swing studio, Vandenberg has revamped the club shop to offer a full range of clubs and other golfing equipment.

Golfer who are not members of Rochford Hundred can contact club membership and marketing manager Ivor Finer for more information on the swing studio on 01702 544302 or at ivor@rhgc.co.uk.