MobiCoach gives golfers real-time coaching advice via mobile app

Mobiplex is launching its MobiCoach coaching service and its free SwingTip app for the iPhone today. The app and service let real coaches give live advice to golfers anywhere in the world.

Above: Mobiplex’s SwingTip app

Image Credit: MobiCoach

With the free iOS app, golfers receive real-time, remote coaching and video analysis from experts who can really help you improve your game.

The MobiCoach service from the Santa Clara, Calif.-based startup includes a roster of top golf coaches from institutions such as Nicklaus Academies, Troon Golf Academy, and Jeff Ritter Golf.

Golfers can put in a request and get advice in as little as 15 minutes at home or on the range.

“It is hard to overstate the disruptive impact this technology will have on sports education,” said Vijay Nadkarni, founder and chief executive of Mobiplex. “This is the first time a sports tech platform combines man and machine to allow for instant feedback, analysis, and improvement. Golfers can finally get coaching from the world’s best pros in a comprehensive, convenient, and affordable manner. For example, a golfer in Australia can take a live lesson from a marquee coach in the States. And coaches can teach year-round, even from their home offices, without being handicapped by poor weather or fixed work hours.”

Golfers can use the free stand-alone app. Or they can get a SwingTip motion sensor and the iOS app for richer analysis. With the app, a golfer can send a coach a live video of their swing. The coach can offer immediate feedback and continue to monitor the golfer’s performance. With the SwingTip sensor, even more analysis is available.

The MobiCoach cloud-based service incorporates live voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP), allowing for automated video sharing between player and coach. The coach can also provide visual instruction back to the student as well as real-time whiteboarding. The coach can also do side-by-side comparisons of two different golf swings.

While the app is free, the lessons cost about $25 for 15 minutes. The golfer can use the MySwingTip.com web page to choose an academy or coach, book lessons, and pay securely.

“To play their best, a golfer needs to be in regular contact with a qualified coach. Unfortunately, most golfers take infrequent lessons and bad habits can creep in between sessions,” said Mike Malaska, 2011 National PGA Teacher of the Year and the Worldwide Director of Instruction for Nicklaus Academies. “With MobiCoach, coaches can provide regular lessons to students at a distance, which can lead to measurable and consistent improvement of their game.”

Mobiplex was founded in 2010.