At the 136th Open Golf Championship held at Carnoustie, Scotland in July, the winner Padraig Harrington was generous in acknowledging the value of the application of new technology by University of Chichester graduate, Dr Paul Hurrion to his game performance. Paul Hurrion, who comes from Warwickshire, began his undergraduate studies at the University of Chichester in 1990 and after successfully gaining his BSc in 1993 he continued with postgraduate study under the supervision of Biomechanist Dr Rosemary Dyson and the now Professor Emeritus of Sport Science Tudor Hale. During this time Paul was often to be seen playing at Goodwood golf course and reached a 2 handicap.
On completion of his PhD thesis Paul was awarded his doctorate degree in biomechanics analysis of sport. He developed and applied his integrated knowledge of golf and biomechanics when given the opportunity to coach golf in Dubai for about a year before his graduation in 1997.
The experience in Dubai acted as a spur to his efforts to develop coaching tools using a high technology approach utilising the advances in rapid data processing and the miniaturisation of solid-state high speed cameras and computer technology. Commercialisation of the developments of his company Quintic Consultancy Ltd (www.quintic.com) resulted in the sport science products being used worldwide to record and analyse sport performance in coaching and competition applications.
Dr Paul Hurrion is now a leading international Biomechanist and his advice has helped many golf tour professionals and teaching professionals to understand and modify their ‘putting’ action to the benefit of their own scores and/or their teaching abilities. Paul’s expertise in golf has been acknowledged with membership of the Advisory Board for Biomechanics at the elite Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) in San Diego, USA.
Paul also maintains an ongoing relationship with the Biomechanics Department of the University of Chichester through various research and consultancy projects.
“If you take your putting seriously then a visit to the Quintic Putting laboratory is a must. Dr Paul Hurrion’s biomechanical and hi-tech approach to this ‘game within a game’ is unique…The use of the lab’s camera, computer and analysis software, together with Paul’s knowledge, will demonstrate to you things the human eye misses…”
Padraig Harrington
Article: Chichester Observer 20/08/07 & University of Chichester Website: http://www.chiuni.ac.uk/services/news/newsarticle.cfm?articleId=729