Seven of the best last-minute golf gifts
Best golf training aids: 10 training aids sure to straighten out your game
When it comes to finding the best golf products, every golfer needs a little guidance. Don’t sweat it, we got you covered! For our new Best of Everything series, we’ve canvassed the golf accessories, apparel and game-improvement space to identify the very best stuff for your game. Think of us as your personal shopping assistant.
BEST GOLF TRAINING AIDS
The most common question about golf training aids: Do they work? The simple answer: Yes, most golfers can benefit from a quality training aid, but they don’t solve every problem.
It’s rare that our editors here at GOLF.com come across a training aid that flat-out doesn’t work, but we’ve also never sampled a training aid that’s perfect for every golfer, either. They’re simply not one-size-fits-all. Training aids are engineered to fix one specific problem. Your goal, as a golf consumer, is to figure out what the problem is in your swing, and what tools exist that can actually help you fix it. Training aids aren’t magic wands that will turn you into a scratch golfer overnight.
Prices vary widely. You can find some excellent aids for less than $20. Usually, they hover in the $50 to $100 range, especially for training aids that are established or that you might spot on the range at a PGA Tour or LPGA event.
That in mind, here are some of the best golf training aids for your game.
Best Training Aid For Slicers
Tour Striker PlaneMate
Coming over the top is one of the most common problems in golf, if not the most common. There’s no better solution than the PlaneMate by TourStriker Golf. You wear it around your waist like a belt which connects to the club via an elastic band. (There are three different types of bands that vary in difficulty.) The PlaneMate may look a little intense, but it works. How could it not? The training aid literally pulls your club into the perfect position on the downswing.
$162.99
Best Training Aid To Fix The Chicken Wing
Tour Striker Smart Ball
The Smart Ball essentially acts as a necklace: simply place the device over your head and place the ball between your arms. Keep the ball there throughout your swing and you’ll banish the dreaded chicken wing.
$47.59
Best Training Aid For Gaining Distance
SuperSpeed Golf Training System
Over the past few years, the SuperSpeed Golf Training System has become a darling of PGA Tour players, including Phil Mickelson, who says his swing speed jumped four miles per hour in one season with the help of the training aid. Use three weighted clubs with the SuperSpeed’s six-week training program and the company guarantees a minimum five percent jump in swing speed.
$199.99
Best Training Aid For Putting Technique
PuttOut Putting Mirror
There are many putting mirrors out there, but the PuttOut Mirror is our personal favorite. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive, but it also is more durable — an important quality because putting mirrors are prone to breaking. It comes with a small putting gate, which provides helpful feedback to help your start your putts on the correct line.
$74.99
Best Training Aid For Tempo
Orange Whip Tempo Trainer
If you’ve played enough golf, you’ve probably seen the Orange Whip. The 47-inch, 1.75-lb. ultra-flexible club is a ready-made warm up tool, and it’s one of the few training aids around that can help every golfer — regardless of ability — with their tempo.
$109.99
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Best Training Aid For Increasing Lag
The Lag Stick
This is one of the more under-the-radar training aids out there, but it works. Insert the plastic rod into the butt of your club and midway through the downswing the rod will elongate, forcing you to keep your hands ahead of the ball. If you’re struggling to hit a knockdown shot, there are few better training aids.
$29.99
Best Training Aid For Clubface Control
Watson Golf theHANGER Iron Swing Trainer
Golf teachers used to use coat hangers to solve this problem — that is, until thehanger came along. The concept is simple: Attach the device to the grip of your club, and keep it pressed against your lead forearm during your downswing. It’ll help keep your hands ahead of the ball at impact and control your clubface rotation.
$69.99
Best Training Aid For Improving Impact
SKLZ Smash Bag Golf Training Aid
The impact bag is an instructor fave, partly because of its simplicity: Chuck it on the ground, address it as you would a ball, and hit it — as you would a ball. It’s great for speed training and learning to compress the ball through forward shaft lean.
$24.99
Best Training Aid For Perfecting Your Release
IMPACT SNAP Golf Swing Trainer
There’s arguably no more important move in the swing than the release. Thankfully, there’s a training aid for that. Grip the Impact Snap like you would a club, and swing it the same way. If the “snap” you hear comes from the same vicinity as the ball, you’re releasing the club properly.
$99.95
Best Training Aid For Alignment
Stanceliner
Collapsible enough to fit in your golf bag, this straightforward training aid is a foolproof way to make sure your alignment and ball position are the same every time.
$49.99
Each product we feature has been independently selected by GOLF.com’s editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a small commission.
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