Miscellaneous
In this episode we are joined by Dr. Ralph Mann, a former Olympic hurdler and world record holder with a Ph.D. in biomechanics. Dr. Mann also co-authored the book, "Swing Like a Pro" with Fred Griffin. Dr. Mann became interested in biomechanics 40 years ago as a way to become more competitive in world-class athletics. Looking for any edge to improve his performance in the 400-meter hurdles, he analyzed film of the world's best hurdlers and found a way to incorporate what they were doing into his performance. As a result, Dr. Mann set a world record during the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972 finishing in 48.4 seconds and took home the silver medal in the 400mH at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. In 1983, Dr. Mann founded CompuSport International, the forerunner of ModelGolf, in which he would use his technology to come up with the perfect swing. To do this, Dr. Mann filmed the swing of more than 120 players at high speed -- including Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw, Greg Norman and Davis Love III. The frames were then digitized to get their best swing characteristics. Thus was born the Model Pro.