June, 17, 2009
Media contact:
Dale Cory
Cell: 604-302-6622
Office: 604-557-4071
dale.cory @ufv.ca
UFV’s Human Performance Centre links with Cleveland Golf/Srixon
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Vermillion Bay Ontario’s Jordan Krantz (left) took time
away from the Canadian Professional Golf Tour event
in South Surrey recently to visit UFV's Human
Performance Centre. He had his eye movement analyzed
by Dr. Chris Bertram (right), kinesiologist and head coach
of the Cascades golf team. |
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What do professional golfers Vijay Singh, Boo Weekley, Jim Furyk, and Ray Stewart have in common? They are all members of the Cleveland Golf/Srixon golf team. And soon, UFV’s student-athletes, including Brett Stewart, Sean Patrick, Jessie Singh and Mitch Lock, will have access to a state-of-the-art golf equipment testing facility right on their home campus.
Today, the University of the Fraser Valley’s Human Performance Centre and UFV Athletics are announcing a unique partnership with Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada. This partnership will provide Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada with a local facility to test equipment, ranging from Cleveland drivers and wedges to Srixon golf balls. Under the direction of Dr. Chris Bertram, the Human Performance Centre has been in the golf science business for the past six years.
The partnership with Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada will mean new opportunities for the Centre. “From a scientific standpoint, we are thrilled with the opportunity to align ourselves with a global leader in the golf industry,” remarked Bertram, who currently sits on the editorial board for the Annual Review of Golf Coaching and was recently invited to speak at the World Scientific Congress of Golf in Phoenix, Arizona. “Cleveland Golf/Srixon’s commitment to innovation and pushing the equipment envelope is what appeals to me most with this partnership.”
Research in the Human Performance Centre focuses on the area of motor skill acquisition, with an emphasis on the nature of expertise and elite performance in athletes. The game of golf plays a prominent role in Bertram’s research, with current investigations aimed at the effectiveness of technologies such as video analysis, launch monitor systems, and other training aids used to improve characteristics of the golf swing.
Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada, which is based in Surrey, is regarded as one of the forerunners in product innovation and is home to the number-one wedge in golf. Recently, Cleveland Golf ’s new Launcher was named best new driver by Golf Monthly. Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada is also heavily involved in player development, supporting junior, collegiate, and developmental tour golf.
“We are excited to partner with a university that, like Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada, is growing quickly,” stated Dan Dodman, President of Cleveland Golf/Srixon Canada. “It is exciting for us to find a new location for testing equipment that can provide resources for helping Cleveland Golf staff players understand and fine-tune their equipment needs based on the tools that Dr. Bertram has, and is, developing.”
Abbotsford resident Ray Stewart, a Cleveland Golf/Srixon player and worldwide tour veteran, echoed Dodman’s comments: “Chris’s expertise, paired with Cleveland Golf, is exactly what players need to get the insights into equipment development in today’s world of golf.” In addition to his interest in the science of the game, Dr. Bertram has a practical interest in golf as well.
For the past four seasons, Dr. Bertram has been the head coach of the University of the Fraser Valley’s golf program. “The golf team has thrived, in part, due to its terrific relationship with Cleveland Golf/Srixon for the past three years,” stressed Bertram. “This partnership will undoubtedly pay huge dividends for our players in the future.”
Canadian, PGA, and Champions tour veteran Ray Stewart, whose son Brett has spent three years on the Cascades golf team, agrees that the partnership will benefit UFV players. “This is an exciting new step for the UFV golf team and will help them get to the next level,” said Ray Stewart. “Having access to this type of information can give players the extra edge that can allow them to reach their potential.”
At the British Columbia Colleges’ Athletic Association (BCCAA) varsity championships, held at the Chilliwack Golf and Country Club last October, the UFV Cascades golf team captured the gold medal and their first-ever provincial title, then went on to bring home the bronze medal from the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) championships in Prince Edward Island.
The Cascades also attended the RCGA University/College Championships last month at King’s Forest in Ontario, finishing fifth overall out of 20 teams. For further information, or to book an appointment to view the Human Performance Centre at The University of the Fraser Valley, please contact Dale Cory at 604-302-6622.
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