Graphite Design has signed an agreement to serve as the title sponsor of the Japan Amateur Ranking. National team athletes are not required to use the company's shafts, and Graphite Design is said to be taking the lead in developing top junior players.
A naming-rights agreement for the Japan Amateur Ranking, under which the ranking will bear the sponsor's name, is reportedly in place between shaft manufacturer Graphite Design and the Japan Golf Association (JGA). The introduction of new capital ties is expected to strengthen the development program for top junior players.
Top-ranked players in the ranking are selected as candidates for the national team and are to undergo 66 measurements at the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences. Individual development plans are reportedly prepared based on assessments of fitness, flexibility and range of motion. In addition to technical analysis, players are said to receive programs covering a wide range of areas, including fitness, nutrition, English conversation and rules instruction, in training camps held several times a year.
Following the addition of a new support agreement this year, players are reportedly continuing training with an eye to the international stage without being required to use Graphite Design shafts. Equipment including a 3D biomechanics analysis system, TrackMan and putting-motion analysis tools is said to be used to identify individual issues and implement improvement recommendations.
This initiative is understood to be intended to support players' competitive development and success worldwide through the agreement under which the Japan Amateur Ranking bears the sponsor's name. The absence of any usage requirement is being highlighted as a distinctive feature, and attention is focusing on the future direction of player development.