Future fit

Photo / Thinkstock

Diana Clement takes a look at devices designed to take the guesswork out of buying everything from the right running shoes to the perfecet bicycle or golf clubs

It's the final frontier for sporting performance. As Mark Webber, manager of the Golf House in Newmarket, points out, the new-fangled technology in his store is the same equipment used by the pros to ensure they squeeze out the last few percentage points of performance from their game.

Nearly a quarter of Webber's shop is dedicated to a "fitting centre", which incorporates a mini driving range. I'm not a golfer, so was doubly fascinated with the Zelocity PureLaunch radar monitor and accompanying software.

In nine out of 10 cases, says Webber, customers mix and match their clubs. Each brand such as Mizuno, Ping or Wilson has a fitting cart where a combination of heads and shafts can be fitted together, offering more than 250 choices for customers.

The customer lines up with a wood and takes a shot into the nets. The radar accurately measures all sorts of data from that single shot including launch angle, ball spin, club head speed, ball velocity, shot deviation, angle of attack and descent, and so on - all of which is fed back to the software and analysed. The member of staff can then look for a better combination of head and shaft for woods.

When I first discovered 20 years ago that running shoes weren't standard, a trained member of staff in the shoe shop would watch me run, then recommend shoes.

These days it has gone all high tech. When I visit the Smiths Sports Shoes shop in Mt Eden they first get me to stand on the Aetrex iStep machine. Its built-in pressure scanners measure foot size, determine arch type and then identify pressure points, which helps staff single out two or three potentially suitable shoes for me to buy.

Then it's over to the treadmill where video camera captures me running barefoot, then in the shoes. The video recording is viewed in slow motion on Siliconcoach software so both salesperson and runner can watch how the shoes affect or correct running style.

The great thing for a tightwad like me is that it overcomes the urge to buy the less appropriate shoe just to save a few bucks.

The initial idea for this article came from Body Scanning CRM machine at The Bike Barn in Takapuna. I chanced upon it while in the store buying odds and sods for my children's bikes.

I cornered a member of staff for an explanation of what the fascinating piece of technology could do and later returned with a notepad. The laser-based system takes physical measurements without the need for any direct physical contact between the salesperson and customer.

There are quite a lot of settings that are important with a bicycle. The size of the frame height is important as is the distance from the saddle to the handlebar to ensure that the rider is leaning over at the right angle and the crank arm length.

The Body Scanning CRM also suggests correct ergonomic adjustments for the handlebars and seats. The result is that the customer wheels out with the right-sized bicycle.