Changing this one piece of equipment will make you hit the ball further (and it’s not your driver)

Science, shoes, and speed – Under Armour’s Performance Centre at Stoke Park is putting your old pro shop fitting to shame.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your golf shoes are secretly holding you back, Under Armour think they’ve found the answer – and it involves force plates, AI (of course), custom insoles, launch monitor data… all under one very high-tech (and famous) roof.

That roof is at the iconic Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire in the UK, where Under Armour have unveiled their new state-of-the-art Golf Footwear Performance Centre.

Having never visited Stoke Park before UA’s grand opening, my only reference point was Bond, not birdies, with 007 (Sean Connery) and Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) famously going head-to-head here in the 1964 film. But now? Stoke Park will forever be etched in my mind as the home of a futuristic golf lab where your feet and your swing are put under the microscope to improve your game.

At the heart of it all is UA’s new ‘Footwear Optimisation Process’ – a bit of a mouthful for something surprisingly simple: finding the right golf shoes to help you play your best. And by “right,” we’re not talking about matching your glove and belt. We’re talking about footwear that helps you generate more power, improve stability, and unlock greater performance with every swing.

Why your golf shoes might be holding you back

We obsess over shafts, lie angles, and launch monitors – but when was the last time you stopped to think about how your shoes affect your swing?

Most golfers choose footwear based on looks, comfort, or whether they’re spiked or spikeless. But it turns out that what’s happening under your feet plays a massive role in how effectively you generate power and stay stable through the swing.

I know that’s how I shopped for shoes. And to be honest, it still was – until Under Armour opened my eyes to a whole new realm of possibility. As a self-proclaimed golf shoe connoisseur, I still love a fresh pair of kicks that look just as good off the course as they do on it. But after going through the Footwear Optimisation Process, I’ll never look at golf shoes in the same way again.

Under Armour reckon far too many golfers are leaving performance on the table by wearing shoes that simply don’t match how their body moves. That’s exactly what their new Footwear Optimisation Process at Stoke Park is designed to fix – helping you find the ideal combination of traction, support, and custom fit, so you can swing faster, stay more balanced, and hit it better.

“This is the most advanced athlete performance tracking technology in golf, which will allow golfers to understand the role footwear plays in the swing, and will ensure they are equipped with a model that gives them maximum performance,” Kevin Ross, Under Armour EMEA Managing Director, tells us.

In other words, your swing starts from the ground up – and the wrong shoes might be quietly costing you speed, power, and consistency.

What’s the process?

First, you slip on your current golf shoes and hit a few shots while standing on AI-powered BiomecaForce plates, with Trackman collecting all the relevant data – club speed, spin rate, strike location, carry distance, and more. Based on your peak force and body rotation, the system will then suggest a spiked or spikeless model from Under Armour’s top-rated Drive Pro Series.

Next, your feet are treated like they belong to an elite athlete with a full SIDAS Podiatech foot analysis. If you’ve ever been fitted for running shoes, you’ll know the drill – but this is next-level. We’re talking arch height, pressure mapping, foot shape – all the good stuff. Then, custom insoles are built on-site to help you move more efficiently and generate higher ground forces.

Once those custom insoles are ready, Chris Murtagh (your biomech expert for the day) will fit them into your new Drive Pro shoes – which, by the way, you get to watch him build right in the centre (a very cool touch). Then it’s back onto the force plates and launch monitor for a second round of testing.

Only this time, you’ll (hopefully) see the performance benefits in black and white. Chris will walk you through the improvements and explain exactly how to get the most out of your new footwear and insoles – from better traction to increased stability and more confident swings.

Putting it to the test: My experience at Under Armour’s Performance Centre

I’ll admit it – I was sceptical too. But then I saw the numbers.

There’s a reason more than 90% of those who made the cut at The Open at Royal Portrush were wearing spiked golf shoes (and more than 80% of pros wear spikes every week). Ground force matters. And when I slipped into a fresh pair of Drive Pro shoes with my newly molded insoles, it honestly felt like coming home. I’d already worn my last pair into the ground (literally), and while I’d been fitted for shoes before, I’d never had a proper insole fitting.

It wasn’t that I gained crazy clubhead speed, but the ball speed improvements, along with the ability to properly use the ground, were clear – especially in how much more grounded and stable I felt throughout the swing.

The feedback from the system was instant and impressive – not to mention a serious eye-opener to just how much of a performance difference the right footwear setup can make.

So… does it work?

Just ask Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, the DP World Tour rising star who popped by for the grand opening and walked away with a 2.5mph gain in clubhead speed (with a 5-iron, no less) and a 5% increase in peak vertical force.

“This whole process has been eye-opening,” said Rasmus, who was also on-site to model UA’s new winter and autumn apparel. “The feedback was incredible, it’s definitely made me rethink how important footwear really is.”

Is it worth £500? Here’s what you get

Would I pay £500 for the full experience? Honestly, if I had the money, yes. In a world where we’re happily getting fit for £500+ drivers and putters, why wouldn’t you invest in the one thing connecting you to the ground?

Sure, I still love the idea of splashing that kind of cash on a new golf club. But when you break it down, this is where the value really shows itself. Most of the cost goes toward the shoes and custom insoles – both tailored specifically to you and genuinely one-of-a-kind. Then you’re spending two hours on the force plates with Chris, whose expertise turns the entire session into a learning experience. That, to me, now feels priceless.

Until you see it for yourself, you won’t believe how small tweaks can make such a big difference. And the best part? It’s incredibly visual from minute one to minute 120; you see exactly what’s happening, what’s improving, and how it all connects to your performance.

If you’re serious about squeezing every ounce out of your game and tired of guessing whether spiked or spikeless is right for you, this is about as high-tech and tailored as golf gets. After going through it myself, I walked away with better numbers and a whole new appreciation for what’s happening beneath my feet.

How to book your session

Want to book yourself in? Get in touch with Chris Murtagh, Under Armour’s Head of Footwear Optimisation at Stoke Park, on 01753 717184 or email cmurtagh@stokepark.co.uk