TaylorMade is inviting golfers to hang on the course with PGA Tour pros in 360-degree VR videos.
Virtual reality has the potential to transform the way we experience sports. Whether it’s watching a game from the perspective of being on the field or transporting the viewer into the shoes of a professional athlete, VR can forever change the way fans interact with content from the comfort of their own home. One golf company, TaylorMade, is hoping to bring fans closer than ever to their favorite pros with the launch of their latest 360-degree VR video series to promote their new PSi iron clubs.
The video series, which launched on YouTube and is also available on PSi’s product landing page, gives golf fans insider access to PGA Tour pros Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia. TaylorMade set out to show how these pros actually experience an iron demo session, letting the viewers in on all the real-time feedback from Rose and Garcia as they test the PSi on the course.
This is no ordinary, take in the beauty of the landscape, 360 video of a golf course. The PSi video series is targeted towards experienced golfers who are passionate about learning the little details when it comes to their game. In addition to all the insights the pros share on camera, additional animation reveals real-time data of the golf ball speed, launch angle, height, distance, and RPMs when the pro takes a swing off the tee.
The hope for TaylorMade is to get this experience in front of a small, but influential group of serious golfers. The company has sent 1,500 PSi-branded Google Cardboard VR viewers to a number sports stores across the country and will also be showing the VR videos off at The TaylorMade Golf Experience in Las Vegas.
TaylorMade partnered up with creative agency Zambezi, VR production studio Visualise, and digital development shop 14Four to put together the video series. Content was captured using a combination of GoPros in 3D printed housings, as well as a remote control dolly for the walking portion of the shoot.
Although much of the 360 footage on the golf course was straightforward when it came to stitching, the main challenges came forward when blocking the golf swing. Chatting with the creatives at Visualise, they explained how it was necessary to get as close to the golfer as possible while still keeping the entire swing in one of the six camera frames.
Even if you aren’t an avid golfer, the idea of using virtual reality to transport viewers to locations that are rarely seen by most, can be quite a compelling experience. But even more so, the ability to immerse viewers in front of a professional athlete and receive real-time feedback with overlaid data insights, is a future for sports training and education that we can all look forward to.
You can check out the full video series playlist on YouTube here.