Training Aids - Any that are very effective

[VAGolfNut2004]

Any training aids you can highly recommend?

[jeffy]

Two training aids have helped my putting a lot. One is a ball with a stripe running around the equator. The drill is to place the ball so that the stripe lies along the target line and is at a right angle to the putter face. The trick then is to stoke the putt so that the stripe doesn't wobble as the ball rolls towards the target; not so easy! Pelz sells balls with four stripes painted on them which are kind of expensive and not that much better than the homemade version. Also, a striped range ball works.

The other putting aid is the BirdieMaster. It is a shallow plastic putting cup, the size of a golf hole, that sits about a half inch above the ground with sloped edges so the ball can roll up into it. The trick here is that it comes with three plastic rings that sit inside the hole, reducing the size of the hole to greater degrees. Only a perfectly struck putt will hit and stay in the smallest ring.

Both of these are sort of trial-and-error devices that force you to keep adjusting until you can perform the task. My short putting always improves after I work with these two aids.

Jeff

[KascoPro]

Any training aids you can highly recommend?

What are you working on? What are you trying to accomplish with your swing?

[Breal]

the new medicus dual hinge is a great trainer also..

[VAGolfNut2004]

What are you working on? What are you trying to accomplish with your swing?

Basically almost everything. The one really solid area of my swing is my grip, everything else is open to investigation... :laugh:

I haven't gotten to play as much the last year or so and I have realized a lot of bad habits have managed to sneak their way into my swing. I'm taking my swing apart and trying to find the books, videos, training aids that will help me keep it in shape.

Instructor I am working with likes the swingyde. He says it is one of the best aids he has seen for helping make sure you are in the right position at the top. Only had it a little over a week but I must say for something so simple the feel when using is very solid. I have a real tendancy to overswing; a little hitch move at the top of my swing taking longer irons past parallel. This is helping me realize that was hurting more then I knew because by impact the club was slowing down, not to mention timing was way off.

[torrejuan]

I used one for the better part of six months. It will work. It took a little while after I stopped using it to keep from overswinging, but completing the backswing correctly will put you in the position that Swinglide was trying to put you in the whole time. I'm hitting the ball so much more solid now.

[KascoPro]

I would look into Rick Smith's right angle. It is a great tool for people who lose it at the top..

Zach

[jeffy]

I tried the Right Angle, and it was great when I was wearing it, but it didn't really teach me how to support the club with the right arm (it's seemed like more of a crutch than a training device, IMO). It did, however, dramatically demonstrate the benefits of maintaining your width with the right arm.

A goofy training aid I worked with over the weekend was Butch Harmon's the Right Grip. They were giving them away as part of a promotion at Chelsea Piers and I won a pair. The soft rods that run across the palm really do force the club into the fingers, which isn't a bad thing at all. The technique to arrive at the right grip pressure (squeeze just enough so the soft rods begin to compress) also was effective. Finally, transfering the feel without them was not too hard: get it in the fingers and squeeze enough so the heel pad of your left hand and the pad under your right knuckle just start to compress. I think I'll stick with them for a while.

Jeff

[KascoPro]

I tried the Right Angle, and it was great when I was wearing it, but it didn't really teach me how to support the club with the right arm (it's seemed like more of a crutch than a training device, IMO). It did, however, dramatically demonstrate the benefits of maintaining your width with the right arm.

A goofy training aid I worked with over the weekend was Butch Harmon's the Right Grip. They were giving them away as part of a promotion at Chelsea Piers and I won a pair. The soft rods that run across the palm really do force the club into the fingers, which isn't a bad thing at all. The technique to arrive at the right grip pressure (squeeze just enough so the soft rods begin to compress) also was effective. Finally, transfering the feel without them was not too hard: get it in the fingers and squeeze enough so the heel pad of your left hand and the pad under your right knuckle just start to compress. I think I'll stick with them for a while.

Jeff

OK here is a good one to increase your swing speed. Use a swing fan 50 swings a day.

[jeffy]

KascoPro wrote:

OK here is a good one to increase your swing speed. Use a swing fan 50 swings a day.

Sounds like a good idea. I've added some swing speed and distance this season by doing crunches (2 or 3 sets of 100), pull-ups (two sets of five), push-ups (3 sets of 25) and tricep dips (3 sets of 30) every other day or so. I live in the city in an apartment and when I've used the swing fan indoors it blows everything around; maybe I should make more of an effort to get outside with it.

Jeff[/b]

[James]

Whats the swing fan?

[Junior]

I like using the golfsmith putting track. I've spent about 10-15 minutes using it on the putting green before and round and my putting began to improve immensly.

[andre2you]

I just picked up the Proaim glasses and I gotta say they work for me and not just putting. I went to the putting green after getting them in the mail and discovered that my alignment while putting was all off (I was way open, head cocked wrong wasn't keeing the putter on track) it's amazing I make any putts (and people call me a decent putter, Ha!). Well after adjusting my stance, head postion and swingpath I started dropping putts but it will take some time to get use to the new position the Proaim has put me in. Also I used the ProAim (for kick and grins on the 2nd hole, I only played 9 today) on the tee with my driver ( my biggest problem is hitting the ball left as in pull). I discovered that I was lined up all wrong (my feet were in the correct position but my sholders were pointing way left of target) and I was hitting across my body. The Proaim with the tracks showed the alignment problem and once fixed I shot 2 over par and thats because of a double on the 1st hole (I pulled my drive left into trees). Of all the gagets I have bought this one Proaim I will use and with the lowered price of 59.00 IMHO it is well worth it.

[hornyjuan]

Proaim with your driver? It works?

[dunkotime]

I was wondering if the ProAims would work on full swing clubs also, might have to check it out based on the post above.

I think they are one of the best devices for putting. Works on at least 3 areas:

Alignment

Keeping head still

Putter path

I bet there are more, but those are the three that stand out.

[andre2you]

Proaim with your driver? It works?

Yes! For the alignment issues I had. Seems I was always not lined up where i thought (all clubs, not just the driver). I used the proaim a few times and it showed me where my head was pointing, which in turn showed me where my sholders were pointing, which told me I was screwed up (sholders to the left of target, knees right in line to target). I have played twice since I started using proaim (2 nine holes) and on both days shot 2 over par. Also for putting I'm back to using my Futura exclusively. It seems the position the proaim has put me in makes it so much easier to line up putts. IMHO the Proaim is worth it's weight in gold, it helped me with my problem!

[nymetrogolf]

For strength and conditioning,I use a few items:

1) An Easton aluminum baseball bat with a weighted donut, and swing it like a golf club.

2) wristripper

3) 10lb. medicine ball (I get into the golf stance than swing the ball in an arc, like a golf swing)

For swing plane training, I use the Butch Harmon laser trainer, and medicus dual-hinge driver.

[phil75070]

Tour Tempo! Basically forget mechanics and work on your rhythm and balance.

[hue]

PLANE BOARD

[plan9]

I'd second the vote for the Medicus dual hinge club. If you're f'in up in multiple places in your swing - ie compound mistakes - it will locate all of them. Helps you groove a very nice tempo as well. You cannot get quick or herky jerky or it breaks down. Will also make you complete your swing too.

I gave it to my 11 year old at the range who's been playing for 3 years and it helped him groove a fine swing in one hour. Made him work out all the small bad habits.

Worth the money in my opinion.

[hue]

The Medicus is junk.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

i have the old medicus, it kind of helped, but i never broke it,lol. all of my friends, everytime they swung it the hinge broke. i use shafts for alignment when im practicing. havent used any training aids other then the original medicus. but i would like to try the inside approach.

[Minimal302]

Rick Smith's Plane Stick is a great training aid. :love:

[hue]

Rick Smith's Plane Stick is a great training aid. :love:

a plane board is better.

[hoover]

a good tip to get your eyes in line with your shoulders and feet is to putt with a credit card in your mouth. The edge will mimic the angle of your eyes in relation to the toe line. Just line it up parallel with your toes and you know your head is in the right position.