Draft:Sasho MacKenzie

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Sasho MacKenzie is a Canadian sports biomechanist and professor of Human Kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He has researched the mechanics of the golf swing and has been profiled for his role in developing golf training methods and technology.[1][2] His work has been cited in connection with equipment manufacturers,[3] top golf coaches,[4][5] and PGA Tour players.

Early life and education

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MacKenzie earned a B.Sc. in Kinesiology with first-class honors from Dalhousie University in 2000, concentrating in biomechanics and ergonomics.[citation needed] He completed his Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Saskatchewan in 2005 focusing on biomechanics and computer simulation. His doctoral dissertation, Understanding the Role of Shaft Stiffness in the Golf Swing,[6] developed a forward dynamics model of the golf swing to investigate the influence of shaft properties on performance.

Academic career

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MacKenzie joined St. Francis Xavier University in 2005 as an assistant professor, becoming associate professor in 2011 and full professor in 2019. He teaches biomechanics, advanced biomechanics, quantitative research methods, and golf science, and has served as honors program coordinator. His research often combines motion capture, force measurement,[7] and simulation modeling[8] to study the interactions between golfer and equipment.

He has authored or co-authored dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles on topics such as golf shaft stiffness,[9] swing kinetics,[10] putting kinematics,[11] grip mass,[12] and clubhead dynamics.[13] He has also contributed chapters to the Routledge International Handbook of Golf Science[14] and the Routledge Handbook on Sports Technology and Engineering.[15]

Consulting and industry work

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MacKenzie is a brand ambassador and engineering consultant for Ping[16] and has a long-term consulting partnership with FootJoy,[17] where he developed the algorithms for the FootJoy Performance Fitting System. He has also consulted for Rapsodo,[18][19][20] designing performance combines and algorithms for both golf and baseball applications, and was formerly Director of Performance Science for Baseball Performance Labs where he helped fit professional baseball players for the proper bat.[21]

In addition to developing inverse dynamics software used by Ping, MacKenzie has created force plate algorithms for the GASP Systems platform[22] to measure a golfer’s center of mass motion. He has worked with leading instructors such as Mark Blackburn, Chris Como, Sean Foley, Cameron McCormick, Phil Kenyon, Grant Waite, and with numerous PGA and European Tour professionals.[citation needed]

Business ventures

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In 2020, MacKenzie co-founded The Stack System, a golf speed training and practice platform developed in collaboration Ping engineer Marty Jertson.[23] The system pairs a single training club featuring 30 unique weight combinations with a mobile app that uses artificial intelligence to prescribe customized speed programs for golfers of all ages and skill levels.[citation needed] TheStack is designed to help golfers increase their swing speed by optimizing and neuromuscular adaptation through progressive overload and overspeed training. In addition to speed training, TheStack has introduced gamified training tools to improve wedge distance control and putting performance.[citation needed]

The system has gained widespread adoption among professional and amateur golfers[citation needed] and has been used by multiple PGA Tour champions including Matt Fitzpatrick, who credited TheStack for his increased swing speed leading up to his 2022 U.S. Open victory.[24][25][26] Beyond its impact in golf, TheStack’s speed training technology has also expanded into baseball with The Stack System Baseball, applying the same proven principles to maximize bat speed.[citation needed]

Media and public speaking

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MacKenzie is a frequent speaker at golf science conferences and PGA education events worldwide, including the World Scientific Congress of Golf,[27][28] the PGA Show, and various PGA Section education series.[29] He has appeared on the Golf Channel[30] and been featured in Golf Digest,[31][32][33] Golf Magazine,[34][35] and ScoreGolf.[36] His research and training philosophies are often cited in mainstream golf media and podcasts.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ “Meet the biomechanist who’s changing golf”. GOLF.com. 2019.
  2. ^ “The Mad Scientist: How Canadian Sasho MacKenzie became golf’s sage of speed”. SCOREGolf. 2023.
  3. ^ Walker, Cordie (2024-09-02). "New Research on Iron Size and Shot Shaping w/ Dr Sasho MacKenzie". Golfwell. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  4. ^ Walker, Cordie (2018-06-14). "[VIDEO EPISODE] Discovering how to use the GROUND in the golf swing FULL EPISODE Mark Blackburn & Dr Sasho MacKenzie". Golfwell. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  5. ^ Golf Channel (2020-03-09). Understand your swing with the help of physics | Swing Expedition | Golf Channel | GOLFPASS. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho James; Sprigings, Eric J. (December 2009). "Understanding the role of shaft stiffness in the golf swing". Sports Engineering. 12 (1): 13–19. doi:10.1007/s12283-009-0028-1. ISSN 1369-7072.
  7. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho J; Rannelli, Luke A; Yurchevich, Jordan J (January 2010). "Neuromuscular Adaptations Following Antagonist Resisted Training". Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 24 (1): 156–164. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181bd4317. ISSN 1064-8011. PMID 19996784.
  8. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho James; Sprigings, Eric J. (September 2009). "A three-dimensional forward dynamics model of the golf swing". Sports Engineering. 11 (4): 165–175. doi:10.1007/s12283-009-0020-9. ISSN 1369-7072.
  9. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho J.; Boucher, Daniel E. (2017-01-17). "The influence of golf shaft stiffness on grip and clubhead kinematics". Journal of Sports Sciences. 35 (2): 105–111. doi:10.1080/02640414.2016.1157262. ISSN 0264-0414. PMID 26967490.
  10. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho; McCourt, Matthew; Champoux, Luc (2020-04-30). "How Amateur Golfers Deliver Energy to the Driver". International Journal of Golf Science. 8 (1).
  11. ^ Mackenzie, Sasho J.; Evans, Daniel B. (June 2010). "Validity and reliability of a new method for measuring putting stroke kinematics using the TOMI® system". Journal of Sports Sciences. 28 (8): 891–899. doi:10.1080/02640411003792711. ISSN 0264-0414. PMID 20509092.
  12. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho; Champoux, Luc; Henrikson, Erik (2020-06-15). "Influence of Grip Mass on Driving Performance". The 13th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association. MDPI. p. 81. doi:10.3390/proceedings2020049081.
  13. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho J.; Ryan, Brendan; Rice, Andrew (December 2015). "The Influence of Clubhead Mass on Clubhead and Golf Ball Kinematics". International Journal of Golf Science. 4 (2): 136–146. doi:10.1123/ijgs.2015-0011. ISSN 2168-7595.
  14. ^ Toms, Martin; MacKenzie, Sasho; Robertson, Sam; Lochbaum, Marc; Kingston, Kieran; Fradkin, Andrea, eds. (2017-10-23). Routledge International Handbook of Golf Science (1 ed.). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9781315641782. ISBN 978-1-315-64178-2.
  15. ^ MacKenzie, Sasho J.; Henrikson, Erik M. (2025-08-22), "How the golfer and driver interact to determine performance", Routledge Handbook of Sports Technology and Engineering (2 ed.), New York: Routledge, pp. 364–376, doi:10.4324/9781003303626-29, ISBN 978-1-003-30362-6, retrieved 2025-09-09
  16. ^ "Sasho MacKenzie". ping.com. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  17. ^ "How FootJoy and BodiTrak Match Your Shoes to Your Swing". MyTPI. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  18. ^ "Misconceptions of Smash Factor with Dr. Sasho MacKenzie". Rapsodo. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  19. ^ "Rapsodo Combine: Test. Score. Improve". Rapsodo. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  20. ^ "How To Increase Golf Swing Speed Using Science". Rapsodo. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  21. ^ "StFX human kinetics professor Dr. Sasho MacKenzie consults with LA Dodgers during spring training | St. Francis Xavier University". www.stfx.ca. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  22. ^ "Biomechanics & GRF Seminar". www.gaspsystems.com. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  23. ^ "The Founders". The Stack System. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  24. ^ Murray, Ewan (2022-06-20). "How Matt Fitzpatrick found the extra length required for US Open glory". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  25. ^ Bloom, Ben (2022-06-20). "Secrets of The Stack - the system that made Matt Fitzpatrick a major champion". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  26. ^ "Matt Fitzpatrick reveals secret to newfound distance after winning US Open". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  27. ^ "WSCG 2022". GOLF SCIENCE. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  28. ^ Science, Golf (2016-06-01). "World Scientific Congress of Golf 2016". International Journal of Golf Science. 5 (Suppl 1): S1 – S77. doi:10.1123/ijgs.2016-0015.
  29. ^ MetropolitanPGA (2015-04-20). Met PGA 2015 Spring Educational Forum - Sasho MacKenzie. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via YouTube.
  30. ^ Golf Channel (2020-03-09). Understand your swing with the help of physics | Swing Expedition | Golf Channel | GOLFPASS. Retrieved 2025-09-09 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "The science behind swinging faster and holing more putts, according to Dr. Sasho MacKenzie". Golf Digest. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  32. ^ "⚠️ Warning: Only read this if you want a great excuse to buy a new putter". GolfDigest.com. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  33. ^ "These two common swing moves feel powerful, but they're actually huge speed killers". Golf Digest. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  34. ^ "Dr. Sasho Mackenzie on speed training". Golf. 2021-12-15. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  35. ^ "Meet the biomechanist who's changing golf -- and can help you gain distance". Golf. Retrieved 2025-09-09.
  36. ^ Young, Rick (2023-06-15). "The Mad Scientist: How Canadian Sasho MacKenzie became golf's sage of speed". SCOREGolf. Retrieved 2025-09-09.