Led by College of Science Professor Tyler Standifird and in collaboration with UVU’s golf program, UVU is now home to one of the premier biomechanics golf labs in the country. This lab allows student-athletes and research students alike to analyze data like never before.

“This lab is almost a perfect blend of science and athletes,” Standifird said. “You think about something like this 10 years ago, which was never even considered. The advancement of the technology is the same tech used in sports video games with professional athletes.”

Golf and science are a natural match due to the game's intricacies. According to England Golf, some of these elements include the physics of a golf swing, the area surface of the club, and its various angles. Then, there is a golfer’s ball spin based on the clubface and speed of the swing. Golfers must also understand what their swing shows them whilst their balls are in the air. All areas of a golfer’s game have some element of science attached.

The UVU lab has garnered the attention of one of the nation’s top-selling golf manufacturers, Calloway Golf. “UVU has a first-class lab and tools,” stated Michael Vrska,  Callaway director of custom fitting and player performance. “(Professor Standifird’s) knowledge is world-class. Not many places I have seen have better (golf) labs than UVU.”

Callaway donated golf equipment to the lab, and UVU agreed to share some data that students gathered in return.

“The research (Standifird) and his students are conducting at UVU could affect hundreds of golfers and athletes. I am thrilled to see what the results and research will yield that can bring more science and data to the golf world,” Vrska added.

Longtime UVU Men’s Golf Head Coach Chris Curran knows that this type of lab is invaluable to the program’s future. “Having this lab on campus is huge. (Recruits) sometimes see us as only a cold-weather school where it’s hard to find places to practice and play. The lab helps our players work on their game all year,” he stated.

Like most student-athletes, UVU golfers need to not focus on every area of the technology provided in the lab because it can be overwhelming. “We have to limit the data the players see from the research. We want to be smart with our technology. Too much data can overwhelm a player and do more damage than good,” added Curran.

Naturally, Curran’s players are getting in on the action of this amazing opportunity to enhance their game year-round. Student-athlete Dane Huddleston says that the research from the lab has helped him grow as a golfer. “I've mainly used the lab to increase my swing speed, especially last winter. It was a good place to go indoors and track how fast I was swinging my driver as well as all of my other clubs,” he stated.

While winter months are often the “off-season” for Utah golfers, Huddleston is grateful for the lab, adding, “Obviously, it would never beat being outside on grass, but it is the best option during the cold winters in Utah.”

Perhaps the greatest trait of this biomechanical golf lab is the blending of groups on campus with student-athletes, department chairs, coaches, and other UVU students who are looking for real-life research opportunities.

“I’ve got four students currently helping with research, and they will be able to go to a conference and present their findings,” Standifird stated. “This is so vital because then when I write letters of recommendation for these students, it’s their project, it’s their research — not a professor doing most of the work, it’s hands-on, student-led research.”

This new lab is just the beginning of collaboration between athletics and science and students from all areas across campus. “If a student's excited about golf, or if they're excited about running, we can go there,” concluded Standifird. “There's just not a lot of places that have the technology and then the freedom (like we do at UVU) to personalize the college experience and do what the students are excited about. And that creates a contagious sort of feeling where (a student says) ‘I went to university, and I got to do something that I loved, or something I found that I loved, and all of a sudden, now it's my passion.’ Yeah, it's my career!”

The biomechanics golf lab is located in the Lockhart Arena and is under the supervision of the College of Science.