13 great golf training aids to buy this holiday season
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I love a good training aid. I always have, and probably always will. The mark of a good training is simple: It’s one that gives you feedback. Not all training aids solve the same problems, which means there’s no single training aid that’s good for everyone. But regardless of the problem it’s trying to solve, the best training aids are the ones that let you know when you’re doing something right — and when you’re not.
With that in mind, here’s a few training aids that I’d recommend to any golfer.
The GBox
From the mind of GOLF Top 100 Teacher George Gankas, golfers put on the GBox the same way they would a belt, with a box on each hip. From there, the goal is simple: Turn back, so the front box is behind the golf ball, and then turn through, so the other box is pointed more toward the target.
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Superspeed C
Not every training aid I’m sent (and trust me, it’s a lot of them) makes it into my own personal bag, but the Superspeed C does. It’s a lighter version of the original Superspeed set but features more weight in the grip — counterbalancing the club to promote greater hand speed in your swing.
The Orange Whip
If you’re looking for a training aid with a bit more heft, then I’d opt for the Orange Whip. It’s longer, heavier, and more flexible than a regular driver, which makes it a great tool for golfers looking to improve their flexibility and tempo.
Tour Striker PlaneMate
GOLF Top 100 Teacher Martin Chuck’s “PlaneMate” training aid looks a little intense, but it works. And really, that’s the goal, right? You wear it like a belt, attach the elastic band to your club, and soon you’ll find it impossible to come over the top.
Chippo
Less of a training aid and more of a training game, I’m nevertheless including it in here because it’s an easy way to help your chipping that you can do indoors or out. With different targets to practice both your accuracy and the trajectory of your chips, it won’t take long until you’re hooked — and your short game will be the better for it.
Impact Press
Speaking of chipping training aids, I tested out the impact press earlier this year and it checked all the boxes I look for in a good training aid: It’s easy to use, and crucially, it proves instant feedback. It serves as a good sync-up before your round. Hit a few chips with it, and if they fly straight, you know your hands are ahead of the ball for nice, crispy contact.
GolfForever
Maybe you’re looking to make some changes off the course heading into the New Year that will help you play better golf on it. For that, check out GolfForever, the Justin Leonard-approved health and wellness platform that offers videos on everything from pre-round stretching, to exercising, to game-improvement advice.
Steadhead Golf Training Aid
This one may look a little goofy, but it’s inexpensive and it works, which is why I have a soft spot for it. The training aid is small enough to fit into your pocket, and once you clip it onto the brim of your hat, you’ll have a visual cue that will illustrate how much you’re moving your head off the ball during the swing. It’s a great fix for golfers who “sway” too much during their swing, and I find it especially handy around the greens, when your head shouldn’t be moving around much at all.
Puttdots
Another immensely affordable training aid that doubles as one of my favorites right now. The Puttdots are designed to be stuck directly onto your putter face, and your goal is to avoid them — which forces you to hit the sweet spot. Miss the sweet spot, and the ball will hit the Puttdots and the ball will squirm off to the side.
The RainDrop
Walk onto any PGA Tour putting green and it won’t take you long to spot a pro golfer hitting putts using a string. They use it to make sure their eyes are over the ball and, crucially, to make sure they start the ball on the correct line. The problem is those strings are often a pain to set up. But thanks to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Matt Killen, that task just became easier. The RainDrop is a retractable string that you can keep in your golf bag without fear of it getting tangled, and it’s easy to set up so you can spend your time on the green doing what you actually want: hitting putts.
Dave Pelz Putting Tutor
This is one of Phil Mickelson’s go-to training aids that’s time-tested and a great indoor-outdoor tool for those who need work on squaring-up their putter face at impact. Just set it on the ground, place a golf ball at the base of the triangle, and begin rolling putts through the gate at the other end.
The Flex Putter
Struggling with a yippy putting stroke? Then the solution may be a whippy putter shaft. The putter’s ultra-flexible shaft makes it feel like a fishing rod, and means you can only roll your putt straight if your stroke transitions smoothly from backstroke to through-stroke.
Perfect Putting Mat
And of course, when you’re not outdoors, you’re going to need a place indoors to use all these devices, right? For that, there’s no better option than the Perfect Putting Mat.
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