Technology is the tool not the solution, not yet anyways.

Misinterpretation of golf training technology and aids still prevents golfers from gaining long term changes.

With the number of technology and training aids for improving our golf game, many people make the mistake in thinking it will solve their swing issues but in reality may be more deeply rooted issues.  There are many training tools and technology out there that can do what it is intended for i.e., getting your wrists set, making the club pass through a slot, keeping your butt stuck to a chair, building swing speed etc... but remember this game is plagued with instruction that offer fixes that only seem to last temporarily.  Please do not misunderstand me, I believe each technology and use it in my own practice, but it is important to understand that these tools give us insight and data into what's happening the golf swing, not necessarily provide the correct fix.

Let's take for example one the most popular pieces of technology, a club face and golf ball launch monitoring tool such as Trackman.  This type of technology gives you data on what the golf ball and club face is doing at impact.  Such technology is more beneficial for top level golfers because the adjustments they have to make are usually more minimal than the average player.  For example, a top level golfer who sees that he has a high club face closure rate may simply need to adjust his setup and grip whilst an amateur might just be forcefully trying to hold his club-face open through impact not realizing that the problem is more deeply rooted core body mechanics.  Another example could be that a golfer finds that his golf ball is spinning too much on his drives, so his instructor advises the player to "Supinate the wrists more and swing through more from the inside," not realizing that the problem is actually that the shoulders need to go back steeper to allow for the golfer a less reason to cast out at the ball on the downswing.  See, I'm not saying that the fixes that you try will not create the results you're trying to achieve, but again watch out to see if this fix is temporary and feels hard to repeat.  My view is that if the changes aren't lasting and it's also taking a toll on your body to get into, then you're just manipulating and those changes won't hold up under pressure. 

This incorrect diagnosis vs. prescription relationship is described above is also true in 3d motion monitoring software as well.  You will find this type of technology in what is called "Gears" or "Golftec." This is my favorite type of technology because it provides accurate body motion and measurements so you can compare them to professionals.  However, question the way in which you or your swing coach go about interpreting that data to provide a fix.  Here's an example and many of you reading may have experienced something like this... let's say that the 3d motion software is showing that your hips are too level and over rotating in the backswing, so as what you think is a simple fix what you do is start holding your hips steadier and pointing your hips down. Yes, the monitoring software shows that you hips are in a better condition and you might even start hitting it better for awhile, but was that the right fix?  How do you know that the problem is not actually coming from improper lead arm adduction angle caused by that fanning of the club-face creating a tendency to chase the club with your hips creating a too level and over rotated backswing? 

Again, my point is that it is important to understand that a measurement tool just provides you data into how you're moving compared to a professional in a quantitative way. However, one should be careful on how best to use that information because there can be several ways you can attempt to fix a particular problem and in my experience, most problems arise from a more deeply rooted issues regarding the entire golf motion as a whole.

So how does one know what course of action to take when attempting to fix certain flaws in their swing? To answer this question it's important to differentiate between a body motion itself and the feelings associated with that motion. Here is a common example, when given the instructions such as "Turn you shoulders" many people will twist their waist or overly tilt their spine angle because of an overly active trail side.  They have no idea that the golf swing should always start from a move off the lead side, and that it is a chain of sequencing starting with their lead leg that yields a proper backswing. But, many people get this wrong because they are interpreting their idea of "Turn your shoulders" ambiguously. You will never get the shoulder turn right if your aren't engaging the correct body motions in sequence!  Therefore you will never have a correct backswing.   

The example described of above is on of many of the misinterpretations that can happen when golfers are finding a solution to their incorrect body motions.  So in short make sure that the motions you are attempting to do align with what the proper feels in the golf swing should be.  I've had many players come to me to what looks like a more correct swing yet they are not using the muscle sequencing what they are feeling internally is way different than that of a world class ball striker.