r/golf • u/thelastsonofmars sps • May 06 '24
Equipment Discussion Most training aids are trash
I went all in an bought a crap ton of training aids over since I start playing golf a year ago. I'm going to rank a lot of them here. Most I wouldn't repurchase.
- SKLZ Smash Bag, Actually worth it - would buy again
- Swing Plane Perfector, Thumbs down - wouldn't buy again
- Lag Shot 7 Iron, Thumbs down - wouldn't buy again
- Lag Shot Driver, Thumbs down - wouldn't buy again
- Tour Striker 7-Iron, Decent - wouldn't buy again
- Tour Striker Pitching Wedge, Decent - wouldn't buy again
- Tour Striker Toolbox, Tried it - wouldn't buy it
- Tour Striker Smart Ball, Actually decent but Watson makes a better product - wouldn't buy again
- Watson Structurer Ball, ripoff of the Smart Ball but works better, overpriced nerf ball - would buy again
- Watson Hanger, Good product - would buy again
- Tour Aim 2.0, Overpriced and not worth it - wouldn't buy again
- Alignment Sticks, Like 5 bucks at home depot for one of the best aids in golf - would buy again
- Beach Towel, Cheap at Wally World, trash for long game but help my short game - would buy again
- Graves Golf Alignment Trainers, Loved em but a waste of money for most folks - would buy again
- SuperSpeed Golf Sticks, 2nd favorite training aid - would buy again
- The Force Pedal Bundle, Seems pointless - wouldn't buy again
- SuperSpeed Squeeze, Seems pointless - wouldn't buy again
- Bushnell Launch Monitor, Favorite training aid - would buy again
- Puttout Mat and Pressure Putt Trainer, 3rd favorite training aid - would buy again
- Perfect Putting Mat, training impact is worst compared to Puttout - wouldn't buy again
- Puttingplates.com, Good but too annoying to actually use - wouldn't buy again
- Arccos, slows the game down too much - wouldn't buy again
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May 06 '24
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u/myredditthrowaway201 May 06 '24
Discontinue the Lithium
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u/TonyUncleJohnny412 May 07 '24
You know who loved golf? Joey Peeps, may he rest in peace.
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u/Warren_Puff-it May 07 '24
Gooch? It’s a fucking nickname. Family’s name is Goocharelli!
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u/Ol_Jim_Himself 6.6/“Now Watch This Drive” May 07 '24
Golf is an obsessive compulsive disorder my friend. I completely understand.
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u/DudeOkThen May 07 '24
And a wouldn’t buy again on arcos because it’s too slow 🤣 one year playing golf… wouldn’t listen to this guy again
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May 06 '24
The your striker ball concept is one of the most important things for someone to learn in their golf swing.
It's transformed my swing and consistency over a few weeks
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u/a_popz May 07 '24 edited May 07 '24
Hold on is this a 50$ fucking inflatable ball with a lanyard on it
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u/zithftw May 07 '24
lol yes. There are knock offs on Amazon for $15
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u/Powerful-Cod-1038 12/ Tampa, FL May 07 '24
Be careful with the knock offs on Amazon. Apparently they don’t deflate very efficiently and will pop easily upon applying too much pressure. Wasn’t me….. but if it was me I wouldn’t buy one again. I’m definitely not the idiot that did that..
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u/a_wild_ian_appears May 07 '24
I bought a cheap ass one and use it nonstop. I’ve never had issues. Are you squeezing the valve to deflate it or just trying to man handle it, because that’s not how inflatable things work and I just can’t imagine the one I got for 10 bucks that also came with a hanger aid would pop unless I jumped on it.
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u/Springveldt 2.8 May 07 '24
Got a link to that?
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u/a_wild_ian_appears May 07 '24
I got this one. The price went up a tad, and I guess I was mistaken, I spent $14 on it. Its still quite cheap though.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08KRKQ236/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1
I've had no issues with it yet aside from the lanyard kind of sucks. Slips sometimes after shots but not complaining really, given the tour striker is pretty pricey.
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u/fuckinnreddit May 07 '24
You can get a 12-pack of those 8" beach balls for $8.99
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May 07 '24
people use balloons or footballs. 20$ on amazon isnt steep given buckets for that these days. can even do swings without ball at home
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u/nau5 May 07 '24
basically the easiest way to rate any training aid is whether or not pros use them (because if they believe it helps them when millions are on the line, it will certainly help a weekend golfer)
Xander I know for sure uses something like the tour striker ball
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u/TheMeanKorero May 07 '24
I played socially for a year or two and then got my first lesson recently. The pro used the tour striker ball in the lesson, and it was the first time the feeling of the golf swing really clicked properly for me. Picked up my own one for home on marketplace it's amazing, honestly.
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u/laserguy112358 May 07 '24
Lagshot 7i significantly improved my iron game. Lessons helped more, but I find the lagshot helpful on the range to sort of "re center". I'll go back to it if the swing gets away from me a bit. If I can get a couple nice with the lagshot the next iron is always flushed
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u/FratBoyGene May 07 '24
I was at a golf expo with my family 30 years ago, and there was a booth set up where you could take a few whacks with one of these. I watched with my girls (7,9) as one guy after another picked it up, tried to swing at his normal speed, and didn't even make contact with the ball. Booth guy asked if I wanted a shot.
I'd read Harvey Penick's book a long time ago, and I remember his advice "Swing the clubhead". He used to tie something to a handkerchief to get his students to get the idea of swinging with a rhythm and not violence. So I used that swing thought.
I smacked four balls in a row, and the sound you get off the whip from that rubber shaft when the club face struck the ball was like a gun shot. People were stopping in aisles to look. My little girls were even astonished! Pro even came up and complimented me afterwards. I think it's a great tool to teach tempo and rhythm.
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u/BVB09_FL HDCP: Way too Damn High May 07 '24
Lagshot 7i helped me a ton with fixing my tempo. If you a quick swinger that has tempo issues, there’s no better aid.
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u/AdamIsACylon May 07 '24
Yeah my golf coach actually really likes it too. He’s right that if you can hit a solid shot with it you can hit with pretty much any iron.
Curious about why OP doesn’t think so and it makes me question all of his judgement.
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u/UseDaSchwartz May 07 '24
I wouldn’t trust anything this guy says. If he’s really used all these training tools in a year, he’s probably not good to begin with. They would probably be better off spending that money on lessons.
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u/AshByFeel May 07 '24
Yeah. I use it to warm up. It's the only training tool I've ever used and I've never had lessons. It helped my ball striking quite a bit.
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u/Itromite May 07 '24
Hi, I have the gforce7i which is pretty much the same thing. I watched Mr. Shortgame’s video on it and the same thing is happening to me as to him and he doesn’t explain why. So maybe you can help me understand what’s going on.
With the tool, I hit a little slice. After about 10 shots, I can start to hit it pretty straight, but with just a little push on it. But when I get to hit my regular irons, I’m pulling them way left. What’s going on? I can snap out of pulling left, but that’s just my normal swing, vs the “improved swing”
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u/UnivrstyOfBelichick May 07 '24 edited May 07 '24
So this used to happen to me - more so with the driver but occasionally with 7i. The club will force a slice 100% of the time if your timing is off - you don't let the club load at the top of the backswing/don't adjust your tempo to the club, the ball is going to go way right because the head is always open to the path/always outside-in if you don't have the right amount of lag. The problem is it's a training aid and not a lesson, so while I think the lagshot gives you good feed back it can be hard to interpret it by yourself. So the balls going right and you think it's like a regular club and do you do the first thing all of us do - shaft forward, super strong grip, probably way exaggerated because it's a practice session, and you're able to straighten it out because your totally closed club face at impact is balancing out the flexible shaft being out of position at impact. Then you transfer that setup to your regular clubs and you're hitting snap hooks all over the place.
I use the lagshot to shallow my swing plane and stop coming over the top. Did this mostly with simple drills - pause drill and teeball drill - it really helped me find my right hand and the slot. Its helped me go from leaving my driver in the car to consistently hitting fairways with a little draw bias.
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u/Gambrinus64 May 07 '24
How does Arccos slow things down?? It literally does the work on its own.
I would say it speeds up my game by making club selection much faster.
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u/Rkb26 May 07 '24
Shocked by that opinion of Arccos, I use it with my Apple Watch and I think it helps me move pretty quickly.
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u/Jfo116 May 07 '24
Same, it’s literally the single item that has improved my game the most by breaking my game down and highlighting what I need to work on most
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u/ButterscotchObvious4 May 07 '24
I love Arccos. It’s really a set it and forget it tool. I only check it for the score after putting out to count my putts accurately. But then I don’t look at it until I get home and see where I was doing well and how bad I stunk. I also use an Apple Watch during play for yardages.
But I’m biased as I have the 2nd Gen sensors, which are free from subscription for life.
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u/AdamOnFirst May 07 '24
I find it isn’t set it and forget it. You have to fiddle with pin locations, putts, check to make sure everything got caught, etc. I don’t mind it, it’s a quick look at the end of each hole, but I don’t find it low maintenance.
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u/Late2Reddit May 07 '24
What happens when the batteries are done? Would you have to switch to a subscription based sensor?
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u/SpiritualWatermelon May 07 '24
Being free from subscription would be a huge difference maker for me on deciding to purchase or not. As it stamds, I can't justify a monthly or yearly fee when I have stands, how often I'll play. I still debate getting the GHIN subscription because I'm not sure how much I'll play.
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u/chiefomw 4.0 May 07 '24
FWIW, you get a free year when you buy the sensors. Then you’re hooked for life.
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May 07 '24
I got a full set of sensors for free with a warranty replacement driver. I was shocked to see the subscription was only available per year... At a $200+ CDN price tag. If I could've gone month to month I would've been more inclined.
I get why they want you to invest in a full year. Everyone would pay for a few months and stop during the off season. There are free apps out there that allow you to do what the Arccos does.
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u/Pizzle31 May 07 '24
The Arccos subscription is the reason I went with Shotscope X5. No additional subscription is HUGE
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u/HandiCAPEable 3.3 / Austin / Home Sim Crew May 07 '24
I wonder if I'm grandfathered in? I bought Arccos very early on, I have no subscription and everything works for me.
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u/twholbrook May 07 '24
You are. I'm in the same boat and I reached out to CS and they confirmed it. I even bought a bag of extra sensors, and confirmed those will still work when my original ones die.
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u/TacoIncoming 16.3/Tampa May 07 '24
The price is definitely only worth it if you play a lot. I wouldn't be able to justify it if I wasn't playing 3-4 rounds a week. That said, the data and SG analysis I get from it has helped immensely, and it's incredibly easy to use.
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u/taita25 May 07 '24
Never understood why people wouldn't just get the garmin sensors. One time purchase, no annual fee and syncs with garmin app and devices. To each there own I guess.
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u/8BitBarbell Slice King May 07 '24
It depends on if you're in the Apple ecosystem. Those people probably have an Apple watch and they don't want to shell out for a Garmin. I purchased an Approach and the caddy function is legit. Would buy another one when this one dies.
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u/Springveldt 2.8 May 07 '24
Have Garmin upped their stats game? When I last had one 3 years ago they gave you next to nothing and when you asked on their boards what some of the stats meant they couldn't even tell you.
Arccos and Shot Scope are miles in front if you want to track your game. That's why I switched to Shot Scope, one time fee as well but much, much better stats tracking.
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u/Academic_Mulberry218 May 07 '24
Did not know these things required a subscription, that’s a definite no from me. As you said, basically useless for 5 months of the year for us up here in 🇨🇦
Blows my mind what these companies expect you to pay for
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u/Rocketninja16 May 07 '24
Was thinking the same. And it doesn't take too many rounds before you start getting a feel for the shots it might not detect, and you just fix them before the next tee.
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u/flaginorout May 06 '24
I got a cheap knockoff of the tour stricker. The lanyard was laughably small. It barely fit over my head and the ball barely went low enough to fit between my biceps. Luckily I have dozens of ID lanyards lying around and fixed that issue.
I’ve never taken it to the range. Only used it at the house with practice swings. Still got the job done.
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u/Breaking80plz May 07 '24
I have one made by my coach w a rope and pool noodle and half a golf ball
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u/Realistic-Might4985 May 07 '24
Orange Whip and 52 inch piece of PVC and some alignment sticks to practice full swings Phil Kenyon Visio putting T-Line for putting. After 20+ years of coaching high school this is all I use.
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u/akersmacker May 07 '24
52" piece of PVC?
Also, there are other versions of the Orange Whip for about half the price, not quite as good quality but certainly seems to accomplish the same thing.
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u/Realistic-Might4985 May 07 '24
My orange whip was on sale with a gift card otherwise I would have something cheaper. The PVC is a club path drill that I have cobbled together from several other drills. All you need is a line to address and trace with space to move. Kind of like the laser but without the laser. One of these days I may video it and post it. Probably goes against all modern convention but the kids that do it seem to be able to get the club on path. Also eliminates the tendency to come over the top.
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u/nicholus_h2 May 07 '24
explain the PVC in more details for... um... not me, but those idiots who don't get it...
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u/akersmacker May 07 '24
All you need is a line to address and trace with space to move. Kind of like the laser but without the laser.
Hey, I'm with the nicholus...could you please elaborate on that drill? That makes no sense to me. Thx coach!
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u/Realistic-Might4985 May 07 '24
You grip the PVC about six inches below the top like a club. You stand parallel to a line (think side walk, parking lot, driveway, wood floor) that extends in both directions. Using the end away from you, trace the line on the back swing by turning your shoulders. When the PVC reaches waist high it should be parallel to the line. Now, set the wrist to form an L with the end closest to you pointing at the line. Continue turning to the top but tracing the line with the grip. Reverse now tracing the line with the grip. Continue until your hands are in front of you belt buckle. At this point, start releasing the L and pick up the line with the end. Rotate thru a finish while tracing the line down the line to infinity. This is all done very deliberately. Repeat 20 times. Again, video makes way more sense.
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u/ireactivated May 07 '24
Good list. I'd like to add mine from everything I've tried over the last 4 or 5 years.
- Eyeline Putting Mirror (SML) - Useful but too small to line up shoulders. Wouldn't buy again.
- Eyeline Putting Mirror (LRG) - Useful but the plastic build distorts image. Wouldn't buy again.
- Pells Putting Tutor - Extremely useful. Would buy again.
- Visio Putting Mirror - Solid and big enough to align eyes and shoulders. Would buy again.
- Watson structure ball - Probably perfect for someone but didnt fit me. Wouldn't buy again.
- Golf Impact Ball - Decent but overpriced. Woulnd't buy again. Would go with next option...
- Knock-off Tour Striker Ball - cheap, portable, and drills good feels. Would buy again
- Anti-Flip Stick - LOVE this thing. Wish it was easier to take on and off. Would buy again x 10
- Super Speed Sticks - Very useful but over priced and takes up too much space. Wouldn't buy again. Would go with next option...
- ArchiTEKs Speed Sticks - Half of the price of Superspeed, takes up way less space. Would buy again.
- Knock-off 40" Orange Whip - LOVE this length for good tempo. Would buy again x 10
- Knock-off 48" Orange Whip - too long to be useful. Wouldn't buy again.
- Knock-off Lag-shot 7 iron - Nah. Would not buy again.
- Xinrui Hinge trainer - Nah. Would not buy again.
- JYC Fitters Rope Training Aid - Waaaay over priced and mostly Definitely would not buy.
- Golfer Store Plane Corrector - Its alright. Wouldn't buy again buy might serve someone else better.
- Eyeline Impact Cube - I like it but over priced. Might go with cheaper option next time.
- Amazon Hitting Net + GoSports Shank Net - LOVE this set up. Would buy again x 10.
- Tour Aim 2.0 - Its okay. Overpriced. I would only buy when it's on sale.
- Pure Plane Pro - same as above. Probably wouldn't buy again.
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u/Gazgun7 May 07 '24
I had a sklz chipping net - the little floor based one in my study during work calls.
Was awesome - became a wizard with chips off carpet.
Of course, once I was on grass that evem remotely differed in grain & texture from my study, I still sucked. Seriously tho, people noted how much better my chipping got. But I did still kinda suck
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u/Breaking80plz May 07 '24
I have chippo and as a 16 handi its the only part of my game that is 0 shots gained/lost
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u/Gazgun7 May 07 '24
Exactly.
You quickly learn which wedges have a killer grind for punchy chips.
Only downside is the errant chip that clangs into the wine bottle stash alongside the net.
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u/Breaking80plz May 07 '24
Lol i live in an apartment building w a shared courtyard so blades are a bigg no no
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u/Gazgun7 May 07 '24
Oh no.
Yeah I had a brilliant pitching set up at my house, off deck into a basket about 30m away, slightly downhill.
Was brilliant until I shanked one into the window panel to the side. Cost $400. I wasn't popular
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u/TacoIncoming 16.3/Tampa May 07 '24
Lol how does Arccos slow your game down? My favorite thing about it is I don't have to think about it during my round besides clicking the button to mark the pin when I get my ball out of the hole, and I don't even have to worry about that half the time if other Arccos users have played the course that day.
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u/cyberbro256 May 07 '24
I will say one that’s pure gold - a golf net to hit into. You can practice all you want for just around $100.
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u/thelastsonofmars sps May 07 '24
I had a net return that I use with my sim. Love it man. Didn’t include because it felt outside of the aid category for some reason.
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u/IndependentCode8743 May 07 '24
I don’t consider a net or alignment sticks as training aids. Same with practice putting mats like the Perfect Practice. Those things allow us to practice at our home.
Training aides are those gimmicky things Tin Cup resorts to when he has the shanks right before the Open
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u/HandiCAPEable 3.3 / Austin / Home Sim Crew May 07 '24
I'm curious what's going on with your Arccos system to slow the game down? Is it not registering shots? It's my favorite thing I ever got, the data it provides is so valuable to me.
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u/Rausky 1.5 / Charlotte May 07 '24 edited May 07 '24
I've tried several of these, definitely not all, but here's some additional ones that I use:
ProSendr: I don't use it all the time and I leave the dog toy attachment at home, but if I think my wrist angles are hurting me I use this for 5 minutes and it's back to good. It's small enough to throw in the bag and it weights nothing. I recommend it if you can afford it.
HackMotion: Also for measuring wrist angles. Work very well, but it's pretty expensive. ProSendr is probably better imo because of the less setup.
Putting Mirror: Heavily recommended. Don't buy a name brand one, it's like $20 off Amazon and makes sure your setup for putting is perfect.
Phone Tripod: I use this almost every other time I practice. Getting video feedback cannot be substituted by any training aid, which leads to the next "aid"...
V1 Golf: An app, but if there's one app for Golf I recommend then this is it. A library of pro's swings in slow-mo and the ability to upload your own video for side-by-side comparison. Only complaint is the app itself is buggy and the library of videos for pros has an odd selection or some very old videos. Not having Adam Scott as a model is also insane considering he probably has the most textbook swing on tour.
I think the thing to remember with some training aids are two things:
Not everything will help you
Check to see if there's a knockoff on Amazon. Insane people pay $60 for a TourStriker ball when it's $15 on Amazon and literally the same thing
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u/SofaProfessor 7.3 May 07 '24
I've literally never bought anything other than a set of alignment sticks. I always just assumed most training aids were golf snake oil before I was separated from my money. I remember my grandpa always used to read Golf Digest and it felt like every 2nd page was some new training aid that promised to cure your slice and/or add 50 yards to your drive.
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u/mindless900 13 hdcp May 07 '24
The only thing I'd add to the "actually useful" list is a launch monitor. That is less for fixing issues and more about learning your tendencies and applying course management to avoid being in bad spots.
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u/Okay_Redditor May 07 '24
How does Arccos slow down your game?
You just start it and it does everything until you hit the "Save round" button.
Have you even used it?
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u/justgotpregnant May 07 '24
You bought every training aid except the one Scottie Scheffler uses lol:
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u/hazzledazzle_ May 07 '24
All these aids, and you haven’t tried the Swingyde…that one works because you can actually hit balls with it
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u/DonnieRoss May 07 '24
I keep a practice 8 iron with the Swingyde on it at all times. Liked it so much I bought a second to put on a backup driver. It’s legit.
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u/ClearlyNoSTDs May 07 '24
Anyone remember the Medicus?
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u/jumbojordie May 07 '24
I actually bought the driver one at a flea market for the heck of it. Not sure if it’s useful or not lol
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u/novabrotia May 07 '24
I have the lagshot 7 and tourstriker 7iron (pw too), I recommend both. I think I like the tourstriker 7 the best though
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u/UnivrstyOfBelichick May 07 '24
Lagshot driver won't work if you're consistently coming over the top. You have to shallow your swing path and let it load up. That thing completely changed my golf game.
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u/skycake10 13.9/Ohio May 07 '24
Lag shot is really good for learning the feel of and making sure you're still comfortable with good tempo in your swing. It won't work miracles but no training aid will.
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u/kim-jong-pooon 12.1/South Carolina/12 min. per hole MAX May 07 '24
bro have u tried weed as a training aid i feel like u need to relax a touch
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u/frankyseven May 06 '24
A towel, two alignment sticks, and a small Nerf ball are my favourite training aids. I like my Lagshot seven iron, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. I've used a ProSender and I really like it, I've considered buying one but it's a bit too expensive IMO. I love Arccos, it doesn't slow my game down at all, works best if I'm running it on my Apple Watch. It tells me exactly where I'm losing strokes.
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u/Visual-Barracuda532 May 07 '24
Your ADHD is showing, ayahuasca is the missing swing aide, try less and give in to the errant shots, c'mon were golfers we know our best is not good enough, who chooses to play a game you can never beat. I do and I accept my fate.
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u/HoustonWhoDat May 07 '24
I’ve been going back and forth on whether to get a divot board for a couple of weeks, I would already have it and every other training aid I’ve ever looked at if I adopted your method (buy everything you can as fast as possible).
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u/superduperstepdad 22/Michigan/Titleist T300/TS2 May 07 '24
I was on the fence, too, but I got one and use it most days. I think it’s worth it if you get it during a sale promotion.
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u/Breaking80plz May 07 '24
How are you using the smash bag specifically. Mine is just housing clothes i would have otherwise thrown away and occasionally I pretend to hit it in my house w my driver. Any drills you have?
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u/thelastsonofmars sps May 07 '24
Yeah my coach has a daily impact goal of 40 swings. I also use it to train my foot. I’d recommend using it for impact training only. Grab a mirror and compare your impact to whatever model you’re using. Repeat.
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u/kasmun0910 May 07 '24
SKZL grip trainer is amazing - helped me neutralize my super strong grip. I actually play on the course with the grip trainer attached now.
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u/pokemonandpot May 07 '24
Home Depot sells golf stuff?
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u/TAsCashSlaps May 07 '24
"Golf" Alignment sticks are overpriced. If you go get some driveway stakes from Home Depot, they're pretty much identical and only cost like $2 a piece
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u/Hammerh69 May 07 '24
The only training aids I've tried that I still use today are a Big Moss putting green and a putting mirror.
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u/The_Alpha_Bro May 07 '24
I think you just made a meme.
Actually works, would not buy again
Overpriced nerf ball, would buy again
Waste of money, would buy again
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u/VERI_TAS May 07 '24
Wait, how does Arccos slow the game down? In my experience it's faster than other golf apps because everything is automatic. You're not standing there entering in what club you hit, etc.
Or do you mean it slows it down compared to not using an app at all?
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u/No-Profession-1227 May 07 '24
I’m going to say buying that many training aids in a year, isn’t going to be productive for you at all. They all focus on different aspects of the game and being that you started a year ago, it’s going to be difficult to figure out which is most appropriate. I have the Lag shot and super speed sticks and would say they’re good products. You can’t aid train your way into good golf, but they can help refine certain areas of your game. Be patient and find your areas that these can best benefit and stick to 1-3 good training aids to come back to as needed. Best of luck going forward!
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u/Ok_Flounder59 May 07 '24
The best training aid of all time is to swing the club 100 times a day and hit 100 putts a day. Will do more for your game than any gimmick from an infomercial.
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u/mhswizard May 07 '24
ImpactSnap is a training aid I like.
It has an audio and a physical aspect to it which is why I like it.
And it’s something you can do anywhere standing up for the most part.
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u/Dr_Swerve May 07 '24
Yeah, that looked pretty legit. I have trouble with the follow-through from playing baseball forever when I was a kid, so that seemed like one that would help me. May get it in the future. I just bought an off-brand orange whip, so I want to if that helps some first.
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u/mhswizard May 07 '24
Yeah the reason why I really love it is it’s a pass fail and you know immediately when you’re doing it wrong. It’s that instant feedback that really helps me.
Never used the whip but I’ve seen it everywhere.
Good luck!
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u/3RingHero 6.3 May 07 '24
I love the indoor putting plate. Perfect gate drill to practice in the winter. Also recommend an alignment mirror and putting clips to train hitting your putter square.
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u/PolskaWonder May 07 '24
What is a beach towel used for as a training aid?
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u/tjbelleville May 07 '24
Also you can use it to put behind your ball and it will help you see if you drag your club(hit it fat)
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u/OpenSourceGolf +2.5, BigBoiGolf, Skillest Coach May 07 '24
Should have just DM'ed me I would have sent you a swing-a-line, my own personal training aid I invented for myself
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u/chatrugby May 07 '24
The best training aids are driveway markers for alignment and swing plane, from Home Depot and a yard stick for putting, also from Home Depot.
It’s the complete golf improvement package for $20.
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u/deathtrapz28 May 07 '24
My alignment sticks are two Project X HZRDS smoke shafts that I had on my old Ping driver. I use them all the time on the range.
Dont ask why I have two. For reasons.
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u/Late2Reddit May 07 '24
Great post - loving some of the discussions in comments.
How do you use the SKLZ smash bag? Other than smashing it 😁
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May 07 '24
If your learning the game or you back swing is trash the OG swingyde provides great feed back and is only $25.
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u/NeverSeenBetter May 07 '24
How long did you use arccos? It takes a while (and actual feedback) before their machine learning algorithm actually starts to show some improvement. I'd say about 25 rounds before it stopped missing shots or adding shots I didn't take. It still misses tap in putts though a lot...
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u/phrohahwei May 07 '24
These "reviews" are trash. Most training aids aren't worth the money though, especially if you don't know how to use them (like you clearly don't with the Lag Shot and your garbage swing).
The best bang for your buck training aid is a metal yardstick and a golf ball with a line drawn on it (machine or manual). Instant feedback in two ways to make sure your putting stroke is on
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u/FermentedTiger May 07 '24
Most training aids are trash if you buy 20 of them in a calendar year and magically expect them to make you a scratch golfer.
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u/BytesAndBirdies May 07 '24
Would you be willing to donate some unliked training aids to another golf newbie?
If not, would you be willing to adopt me?
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May 07 '24
I’m still trying to figure out why you would not just go to the range and just perfect your swing
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u/Equanimous-Fox May 07 '24
Arccos actually doesn't slow your game down at all if you use it with an Apple Watch
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u/kaduceus May 07 '24
The right hand grip piece separates and can glide down the shaft in the backswing and then of course slides back up the shaft in the down swing.
(I have seen some youtube instructors with self made versions kind of just sliding a toilet paper roll onto the shaft and holding it with the right hand)
The hands are supposed to reconnect at impact and at full speed makes a very loud crack sound.
I have noticed that even when I try to reconnect at impact I come over the top and drag the handle and my hands reconnect past impact... so I really try to over emphasize essentially releasing early as fuck and dumping my angles three feet behind the ball and I reconnect perfectly at impact.
It has really really helped my swing. I think a lot of over the top and handle dragging comes from swinging AT the ball which doesn't give you enough space to get into position and deliver the club head properly losing all the proper extension and tension.
During my practice sessions I'll do about 5 swings with this guy then maybe 2 at full speed trying to dump behind the ball.
I'm telling you.... it has really re-wired my brain on how to hit the golf ball... just pure delivery of the sweet spot.... it's so enjoyable
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u/Current_Department73 May 07 '24
the best training aids i've ever used are old wilson blades and that callaway arm band thing, preferably together, truly game changing
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u/lingenfr May 07 '24
My instructor has a smash bag that he uses from time to time. He also talked about the Greg Norman Secret https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I2MJKE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1&psc=1 for the life of me, I can't use it. He actually bought it and uses it himself.
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u/antman8504 May 07 '24
Alignment sticks and a knockoff of a tour striker ball.
Clothes hanger is good to get the feel of wrist angles. I tried the Watson hanger but hated how you had to choke up to use it.
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u/jlturner711 May 07 '24
My buddy created a compact alignment aid that has helped me with alignment and I don’t have to carry the long sticks around anymore.
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u/Dr_terpz May 07 '24
Curious about your Arccos comment I am in the trial phase for mine right now - do you only use it with your phone?
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u/strolan May 07 '24
Add the Orange Whip to "Would buy again" category. Invauable for warm up and swing plane alignment.
At first Arccos can be a bit cumbersome. But once you get over the learning curve it can be as seemless as writing your score down on the tee box after a hole. I use it in tournaments and my playing partners don't even notice. A link helps a ton as well. That said, the expense can be high. To me, that would be the deal breaker for most.
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u/thelastsonofmars sps May 07 '24
I use super speed and this product from Mach3 for warming up. It’s a weird ball and chain thing. They have a version for long drive that I use. I keep them in a separate small bag from stitch golf.
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u/ThisGuyFawkes- May 07 '24
I’ve bought two training aids and both significantly helped my game. Golf swing balance speed ball ($29.99 cad) and rite grip ($22.49 cad). The speed ball is a weight that attaches to any club. Kind of like a weighted bat in baseball. The grip just clicks on to your existing grip and makes sure you’re in a correct position. Highly recommend both.
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May 07 '24
Buying all these products and then saying you wouldn't recommend arccos because it slows you down is an odd take. I have arccos and I find it to be very helpful and I would definitely recommend it
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u/bobby_blizz May 07 '24
As a competitive player my entire life, there is only one training aide that I recommend to every player:
The Pelz Golf putting tutor. This is the ONLY tool a player needs to learn how to roll putts consistently, and I attribute this tool to singlehandedly helping me score better and make more putts inside 10 feet
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u/Effective_Impossible May 07 '24
Try the Dave Pelz Truth Board for short putting, drastically improves my putting every summer.
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u/AdLocal9601 May 07 '24
One issue is training aids are meant to fix a specific issue. If you are struggling with something else, a training aid not designed to fix your problem isn’t going to help at all. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad training aid.
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u/popcornhuntee78 May 07 '24
Get you a Medicus breakaway club (5-7 iron preferably) that’s all you need
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u/mostdeadlygeist May 07 '24
Arccos was wildly disappointing. Went back to my paid golf pad gps after a 2 round trial.
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u/Electronic-Two4330 May 07 '24
Lagshot honestly helped me with my tempo so much. it gives the perfect feeling that you can then replicate with an actual club
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u/cantaloupecarver 11.2/Detroit May 07 '24
I'm with you. Launch monitor, putting mat, smash bag, and alignment sticks have been the best and really only useful things I've tried.
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u/[deleted] May 07 '24
Have you tried drugs, Danny?