Since its official market launch in August 2023, the BAL.ON Smart Kit, the first intelligent training tool for golf from Continental, has been inspiring PGA professionals, tour pros and amateur golfers with its technology, functionality and wide range of applications in training and on the course. BAL.ON recently announced its collaboration with DP World Tour Professional Alex Fitzpatrick, who will represent the brand as a global ambassador alongside Matti Schmid and Esther Henseleit.
Alex Fitzpatrick becomes brand ambassador for BAL.ON
Alex Fitzpatrick played for the college team at Wake Forest University in North Carolina for four years before turning professional in 2022, during which time he represented Great Britain several times at international tournaments. In his first full year as a professional, the now 25-year-old secured full playing rights on the DP World Tour, including a tied 17th place at the Open Championship in Royal Liverpool, a second place at the ISPS Handa World Invitational and his first victory as a professional at the British Challenge on the Challenge Tour. This season, Alex has already achieved six top 20 finishes in Europe’s top class and was portrayed together with his brother in the second season of “Full Swing” on Netflix.
“A real everyday tool – easy to understand and use.”
“I am delighted to be working with BAL.ON and to be part of this phenomenal team. The technology and ease of use of the Smart Kit is truly impressive. It’s a tool that golfers can use in every area of the game,” says Fitzpatrick. “On tour I use the BAL.ON Smart Kit mainly to make sure I rotate properly on iron shots and in my short game without the center of pressure shifting too far left or right – something I struggled with a bit at the start of the season. Luckily, with the Smart Kit from BAL.ON, I have a tool that allows me to immediately check this data, which is not visible in the video, no matter where I am. This helped me to get back on track very quickly. Things are a little different on the tee. Here, my coach Mark Blackburn and I want the greatest possible separation between the center of pressure, which moves forward in the downswing, and the center of mass, which remains behind the ball. Without the BAL.ON Smart Kit, I wouldn’t be able to work so consistently with my tight tournament schedule because I simply wouldn’t have the data. It has become a real everyday tool for me – easy to understand and use.”
“We are very happy to have Alex, Esther and Matti as global brand ambassadors for BAL.ON. Not many young sports brands enjoy the trust of professional athletes so early on and get the chance to work with them. We are already offering the best players in the world great added value for their training and development. Their feedback makes us confident that our data advantage can also significantly improve the game and technique of amateurs. Alex, Esther and Matti will help us spread our message to PGA professionals, retailers and golfers.” – Martin Bock, Head of Marketing at BAL.ON
Specifications, availability and price
The BAL.ON Smart Kit is the first fully mobile and affordable solution on the market that measures the pressure distribution over the entire golf swing. This data is combined with high-resolution video material in the smartphone. While pressure measurement systems, which provide fundamental data on biomechanics, have so far only been used occasionally and mainly in competitive sports, Continental is now making this technology palatable to the masses.
The BAL.ON Smart Kit consists of a pair of 2mm thin, pressure-sensitive soles that are inserted into the golf shoes, Smart Pods and a smartphone app for iOS and Android devices, packed in a practical training case. The Smart Kit is available in four different sizes, from S (EU 36 – 38) to XL (EU 45 – 47) at an RRP of €549.
(Text: BAL.ON)
