Beside the Tournament Clubhouse at PGA WEST, the new Performance Lab may look modest from the outside, but inside, it’s a full immersion into the cutting edge of golf. The Lab integrates high-speed imaging, motion capture, force-plate analysis, and professional club fitting to illuminate every nuance of a player’s swing and putt.
Instruction begins on the putting platform, where the Quintic Ball Roll system captures impact and roll with astonishing precision. Its companion tool, the Zen Green Stage, adjusts slope and contour to replicate real green conditions, allowing golfers to analyze — and repeat — the mechanics of a consistent putt.
From there, players move into the full-swing bay, powered by the Gears motion-analysis system. Nine cameras and body-tracking sensors turn the swing into a 3D model, revealing sequencing, club path, and efficiency. In the adjacent multibrand fitting studio, equipment adjustments are tested and refined.
Yet the Lab is not meant to replace traditional instruction. PGA WEST’s philosophy remains grounded in time on the range, under the eye of a coach — the technology simply accelerates the process. “The tech is telling us what’s going on,” says director of instruction Bryan Lebedevitch. “We just have to figure out what elements [matter most] for the student in front of us.”
Access to the Performance Lab is currently offered through private instruction and golf schools. “Every person we’ve walked through here is wide-eyed, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God!’,” says PGA WEST master club fitter Charlie Rodi. “You know they leave here talking about it to the next 10 people they meet. Best kind of marketing there is.”
Here, Lebedevitch discusses the brand-new Performance Lab.
You’re a seasoned pro. What has it been like for you to work with and get accustomed to these breakthrough technologies?
It’s been very exciting. We’ve had some technology here at PGA WEST, but not a lot. This is tech central now. I find that the tech can expedite the learning process if you know what you’re doing with it. But there’s definitely a learning curve. We worked with it all summer, getting ready to open.
How do you define success at the Performance Lab?
Success is students and coaches knowing they’re utilizing the tech in the right way and deriving the right [data] to expedite the learning process.
What do you think will be the biggest revelation for ordinary golfers?
Most golfers have no real idea how pressure and force work. Certain stuff you just can’t see is highlighted by the tech.
How can people experience the Performance Lab?
Right now, we don’t have any specific packages to the Performance Lab. So you sign up with us for instruction. We also do school programs, so we’ll be in here with two to three students at the same time, and that works well — onlookers learn by watching someone else go through the same process.
