Golf has increasingly shifted from tradition to innovation as new clubs provide golfers and teachers with a clearer picture of every movement in the swing. Across the United States, the sport remains popular, with the National Golf Foundation reporting that more than 25 million people played golf in 2023. In addition to their popularity, today’s golfers have access to training methods that rely on precise measurements rather than guesswork. Pressure plates, launch monitors, and high-definition video systems are now common at most training facilities, altering how lessons are planned and evaluated.
This broader use of science and technology provides context for the career of Erik Schjolberg, a coach who grounded his teaching in objective facts and measurable outcomes. Schjolberg, a PGA Professional since 1991, began coaching when most teaching methods still relied on a coach’s eye and judgment. Over the decades, he has embraced every technology that has emerged and used it not as a trend but as a tool to demonstrate and prove the mechanics of a repeatable golf swing.
One of the most essential tools of his method is the TrackMan 4 Launch Monitor, a radar device that captures data like club speed, ball rotation, and launch angle. TrackMan technology is now the yardstick for precision in the golfing universe, and Schjolberg utilizes it for nearly every lesson. By comparing readings from multiple sessions, players can see precisely how small changes in grip, stance, or rhythm affect the ball’s path. Having the history recorded allows both the coach and the student to track progress in concrete terms, rather than relying on subjective judgment.
Another integral tool in his teaching is the employment of dual 3D pressure plates to record ground reaction forces. The plates capture the way a golfer transfers weight during the swing, and the information can be used to analyze in real time. Ground reaction force analysis has become more prevalent at elite training centers over the past decade and elucidates how energy is transferred from the body to the club. Schjolberg uses this information to guide players toward more efficient transfers of power, ultimately increasing distance and control.
Schjolberg also uses HackMotion wrist sensors that monitor wrist angles and rotation during the swing. These sensors give information about the control of the club face throughout. Combined with readings from the TrackMan and pressure plate, wrist readings create a complete picture of the relationship between movement in the body and club-face alignment. For golfers working to eliminate a slice or achieve a particular flight, these measurements provide a useful way to identify and suppress the relevant variables.
Video remains in his bag too, albeit in high-tech form. 3D video analysis at high speed captures the swing from multiple angles and enables frame-by-frame review. Video has long been used as a golf instructional aid, but combining it with data from launch monitors and sensors provides Schjolberg with a more comprehensive system for diagnosis and feedback. Students can observe their swing and examine numerical data, which helps learning stick better.
These complementary technologies facilitate Schjolberg’s feedback-based methodology. Rather than relying on individual intuition, he provides measurable information that can be verified and re-verified in practice. The technique is attractive to competitive and recreational golfers because it provides concrete evidence of improvement. It also reflects broader trends in sport instruction, in which measurable outcomes are gaining significance. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, participation in computer-assisted training across a variety of sports has been increasing over the past few years, indicating a need for unbiased analysis.
His credentials back his use of such advanced equipment. Schjolberg is a certified TrackMan Expert, a designation that requires extensive training and testing in the use of the company’s launch-monitor systems. He is also a TPI Level 3 instructor, an organization that focuses on the relationship between golf performance and physical conditioning. These qualifications reflect a commitment to continuing education and to being at the forefront of both biomechanical and technological innovations in the sport.
Schjolberg applies these methods at his EJS Golf Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona, which he founded in 2017. The academy serves golfers of all levels, from PGA Tour players seeking a slight competitive advantage to junior golfers and weekend golfers. Instruction starts with an initial measurement of most swing parameters, followed by specific drills that are cross-checked by data from the same equipment. Students are provided with a copy of their numbers so they can track changes over time.
His outside-of-the-university work is through The Science of Better Golf, an online subscription service that he introduced in February 2025. The program provides members with personalized dashboards, progress tracking, and real-time coaching sessions that mirror the evidence-based approach used in face-to-face settings. By extending the same technology-driven guidance via remote access, Schjolberg can engage golfers who are unable to travel to Scottsdale but still want the benefits of measurable feedback.
Erik Schjolberg’s career demonstrates how technology can supplement, rather than replace, the craft of golf instruction. From the early adoption of radar-based launch monitors to the integration of biomechanics and high-end video, he has created a system that embodies the modern trajectory of the game. His certifications and years of professional experience provide that effort with a foundation, and his academy continues to attract players seeking objective improvement. With the application of measurement in combination with accurate instruction, Schjolberg illustrates how science and golf can meet to the benefit of golfers everywhere.
