How Tiger Woods’ swing at The Masters was influenced by this Lawrence lab

Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation.

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LAWRENCE — When amateur golfers look for a pro to emulate in their pursuit of a better golf game, Tiger Woods is frequently a name that comes to mind. But when Woods wants to improve his game, he looks to a Kansas company for help.

Woods used the Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor in April at the Masters Tournament in April — sporting technology developed by Lawrence-based startup Ainstein. The monitor reports instant measured feedback across 16 different metrics of a golfer’s swing and ball path and is powered by innovative radar technology that was developed by Ainstein.

Zongbo Wang, Ainstein

“These features enable every golfer to dial in their game,” said Zongbo Wang, co-founder and CEO of Ainstein. “Tiger Woods trusts our launch monitor and has brought it to the PGA tour so every golfer can have confidence training with the same technology as the pros.”

Ainstein has been pioneering new tech applications for Doppler radar for several years. Wang and Ainstein’s vision is to improve the way people drive, fly, work and live through perception imaging radar technology. Ainstein’s high-resolution radars deliver uncompromised precision and reliability in the IoT, automotive, aerospace, and specialty vehicle marketplaces.

Click here to learn more about previously released applications for Ainstein’s technology.

Now, the Lawrence company has added the world of sports to its list of markets.

“Our entry into the sports vertical was fast,” said Maggie Williams, director of strategic initiatives for the tech startup. “Ainstein’s business model has always been to address industry pain points in a way that allows our partners to go to market faster than the competition. We’ve been able to achieve in a few years what other golf technology companies have taken decades to accomplish, and we plan to maintain that trend.”

Full Swing Launch Monitor by Ainstein

Some of the most important metrics on the launch monitor include ball carry, or how far the ball traveled in the air, ball spin, and club speed. The launch monitor is also equipped with a 4K camera that records the golfer’s swing and can play back each shot in slow motion. All these features can be accessed through a user-friendly iPhone or iPad app.

“Ainstein has embedded its industry-leading radar technology to bring reliable precision to the golf industry at an aggressive and extremely competitive price point,” Williams said.

The Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor sells for $3,999 or can be financed for as low as $195 a month. 

Click here to learn more about the Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor.

With its state-of-the art technology, accuracy and ease of use, the Full Swing KIT has become a regular on everything from practice ranges used by golfers of all skill levels to legendary courses like Pebble Beach. That’s all within its first few months on the market.

As thrilling as its brush with golf greatness in the form of Tiger Woods is for Ainstein, Williams said there’s even more exciting applications for their sensing technology around the corner. The startup’s engineering team is working tirelessly to continuously improve their performance and tracking algorithms at a staggering rate, she said.

The company has released more than 15 firmware updates this year alone, focusing on indoor applications, gamification, and advanced performance features. 

“Going forward, we plan to continue to iterate upon our radar’s capabilities to ensure we remain the best in the industry,” Williams said.

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This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

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