Category: Training Aids
Golf is a difficult game to master. And to help you through it, inventive minds have come up with thousands of different training devices. From the Swing Jacket, to the Medicus, the SpeedStick, the Inside Approach, the Impact Bag and the Birdie Ball, there's something that will help everyone's game.
Links Putt
When I want to practice putting indoors, more often than not, I use the “upside down cup” method. I set a plastic cup on the carpet and aim at that. But if you want to go high end, The Links Putt system is the thing for you.
The company says that:
The 3 metre long, fully portable green weighs only 17kg and is also available in 4 and 5 metre lengths, with the polypropylene fibre surface rolling the ball at 9 to 10 on the stimp meter, in keeping with the average speed of putt on British courses. The surface is supported by interlocking, lightweight EPP (expanded polypropylene) panels, providing a smooth but easily portable base.
The real science of the design comes to bear in the contouring element of the putting green, which allows the golfer to create 15 basic contour options, with thousands of others achievable. Straight uphill or downhill, left or right breaks, valleys, rollovers and any permutation of these can be practiced at will.
Hmm. I wonder if I can get it to emulate the dreaded 8th green at my club?
I’m interested in what you have to say! Add your own review by clicking on the comments link below.
Eyeliner Golf Holiday Special
The Golf Blogger does not need putting help. His putting is unerring, and deadly accurate. That's why he carries a 15 handicap. (The Golf Blogger does, however, need a cure for his flying left elbow.)
However, for the rest of you, who have serious putting problems, EyeLIne golf may have a solution. They even have a great holiday special going on.
I like Eyeline's design. It addresses what I think are two of the most serious putting issues: taking the putter straight back and through, and keeping your eye above the ball.
Refiner Swing Trainer
The Refiner is an adjustable, hinged colf club that is designed to break when you exhibit poor swing mechanics, such as a jerky take away, or an over-the-top move. In this, its similar to the Medicus, which purports to do the same thing.
I’m starting to develop a theory about the golf swing based on all of the different swing trainers currently on the market. Here it is: there is really only one swing fault: the over-the-top move. Look at all the trainers that are really designed to fix this problem—everything from the Inside Approach to the Swing Jacket, to the Refiner.
More on this theory later.
Centour Golf Club Trainer
There seems to be no end to the inventiveness of golf training devices. The Centour Golf Club Trainer is designed so that only a swing that is on line, and has a squared club face will pass through the ball.
Almost Golf Balls
The good folk at Almost Golf sent me a box of their practice balls the other day for review. (More of you should send me stuff for review). After trying them out at the club and in an elementary school's playing field, I've found a lot to like about them.
Like most training balls, they don't fly anywhere near as far as a regular golf ball. If I really smash it, I can get one to go about a hundred yards -- but that's it. And, their light weight makes them safe to hit around breakable things like windows, cars and kids.
Ok, you say, there are lots of balls like that on the market: whiffle balls, open cell foam balls, styrofoam balls, etc.
The difference is that the Almost Golf balls actually fly like regular balls. A good shot flies true; a poor one will slice or fade just like a regular ball. They say you can draw or fade them just like a regular ball. I can testify to the fact that the Almost Golf balls will fade; but as I can't hit a draw with a regular ball, I also can't hit one with the Almost Golf ball.
So I guess they do fly true.
I used them to practice my wedges in the back yard and also hit a few with a driver at the elementary school (you can't hit woods at my club's practice range). I think both sessions helped.
The best part, though, is that my boys can whack them around the back yard without endangering the glass sunroom. My two-year-old, in particular loves to hit them.
What's the downside? Only one. Like all short flight balls, you don't quite get the sensation of hitting a real ball. But that's a small complaint, compared to the advantages of being able to see true flight characteristics in a confined space.
I give this one five golfballs (out of five).
