For any golfer who wants to play great golf
Posts tagged Training Aid
Review: Powerchute
Dec 28th
Powerchute
For the past month I’ve worked with a swing trainer called the Powerchute. I’ve given it an extensive test and the results are in.
What is the Powerchute?
It’s a swing training aid that aims to increase clubhead speed and lag, and improve timing and lag. In addition it strengthens the fast twitch muscles.
New DVD available with the Taly Mindset
Sep 15th
There’s a new video that now comes with the Taly Mindset. The opening credits, certainly set the stage.
The Taly Mindset is a device that challenges conventional thinking in golf. It was invented by an engineer who loved the game of golf and wanted to play better. You can read my full review here. The device is now used by many touring pros and teaching pros across the country. One of the most famous teachers who routinely uses the Mindset to teach is Lynn Blake.
The DVD is a big improvement over what used to come with the Mindset. Although the pamphlet the came with it before gave some indication as to how it should be used, it really was not detailed enough and left questions unanswered. It left it up to the golfer through trial and error to figure out what to actually do and how to do it.
The new DVD answers the questions that every golfer needs answered when using the Taly Mindset. If you can understand the thought that went into the development of the Taly Mindset then you can learn to use it effectively. And it will change the way you approach golf.
Tour Striker gets me back on track
Sep 13th
If you’ve played golf with me in the past month you would have known that my ball striking has put me in a bit of a slump. My distance control was off, and my shots were coming up short.
In a few minutes the Tour Striker brought my ball striking back. An hour and half and two buckets of balls later, I’m feeling much better about my ball striking. The difference is dramatic.
Sadly, before this session I was having trouble hitting my 8 iron 150 yards. It was extremely frustrating. This afternoon, my 8 iron was a much more respectable 165-170 average carry, with several carrying 175-180. Now that’s what I’m talking about.
I knew I was on the right track when I started to hit what some low bullets with the Tour Striker. These bullets went no higher than about 30 feet, but they carried about 200 yards. The Tour Striker pro that I use is the equivalent of an 8 iron, so that’s some serious contact. In an earlier conversation I had with Martin Chuck, the inventor of the Tour Striker, he assured me that when I’m hitting those low bullets, it means I’m very close to excellent contact, just millimeters away from perfection. He’s right.
Tour Striker – Day 3 of 30 – a plan comes into focus
Apr 27th
This morning I headed to the driving range early. Got there around 6:50 am, got set up and hit balls into the foggy morning.
I was encouraged by my practice session on Monday evening. This morning it was a slightly different story. I hit a couple of toppers which right away told me that I had too little shaft lean. When I corrected that I hit a number of low flat stingers. The balls took off low, stayed lower than 30 yards high and carried about 175 yards into the fog. They felt solid.
I decided to reach out to Martin Chuck, the inventor of the Tour Striker to tell him about this month long test with his product as well as to get some advice on how best to take advantage of the time.
Based on his suggestions I will be working on the following over the next 30 days. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Vharness
Aug 27th
The Vharness is a swing trainer with the goal of teaching anyone to swing like a pro. The Vharness is endorsed by Rocco Mediate, who I think is a brilliant spokesperson for this product because of how well heconnects with average golfers. He looks like a guy in your foursome. But of course he has tremendous game. His performance at Torrey Pines in the US Open made him a household name. He plays what seems to be off the shelf game improvement clubs. He doesn’t have the fluid easy motion of a Fred Couples, or the power of JB Holmes or Bubba Watson. These reasons though make him ideal as a representative of this product because he, of all tour players, looks the most like an average Joe, and almost everybody can relate to him.
So does the Vharness achieve it’s lofty goal of teaching anyone to swing like a pro? No, but it is an excellent swing trainer, and if used effectively especially with some guidance from an instructor it can really help the average golfer to feel their swing better. Frankly I don’t think there is a single device that can teach anyone to swing like a pro. Swinging like a pro requires coordination, talent, strength and flexibility. Provided you have those things, with a good instructor and dedication you can learn to swing like a pro. What I did find is that the Vharness can enable you to not only create a better swing, but really feel what it feels to swing better.
I have a number of swing trainers in my collection, and they all fulfill different purposes. I’ve been using the Vharness for about a month. I wanted to give it a full test before I wrote about it. The Vharness is definitely different from my other swing trainers. It gives me feedback that I never got from anywhere else and really helped me to understand and feel my swing better. It almost acts as a sensation amplifier and you really feel what the club head, path and hands are doing.
Video showing Taly – eliminating the flip
Feb 2nd
I came across this video on YouTube and I wanted to share this. For those of you who read the review of the Taly Mind Set, I wanted to provide a real world scenario of how it used to help golfers improve their swings. In this video Lynn Blake, the famed TGM teacher (The Golfing Machine), has a clinic and each student has a Taly Mind Set. Take a look at how he teaches and what he teaches. It is simple but effective. Similar to the drill I talk about in the article on achieving left wrist supination.
Enjoy and of course let me know if you have any questions about this.
Review: Taly Mind Set
Jan 15th
Update: A new DVD is available with the Taly Mindset. Read more about that here.
The Taly Mind (Taly) set surprised me. When I first opened the package and pulled out the training aid, the pamphlet, advertising post card, and a whiffle ball I was excited to start using it. However when I read the instructions I found them a bit wordy and overly technical. I think the average golfer would greatly served with a clearer guide or even a DVD to help them get started using the device.
Taly Williams, the inventor is an engineer and it shows in that document. I was a bit confused about what it was designed for because there is so much information packed into one page. So I went to talk to a PGA pro about this device and the way he described it made all the pieces fall into place.
Review: Tour Striker Pro
Jan 9th
According to the website for the Tour Striker:
Finally! A simple training club that intuitively promotes the essentials of Tour quality club head to ball impact!
One percent of golfers strike golf balls correctly. The Tour Striker and Tour Striker Pro training clubs will intuitively help you understand leverage and how to apply the club head to the golf ball in the same manner as the best players in the world. You will gain command of the elusive skills required to compress a golf ball. Best of all, this is not a temporary solution!
Allow the creative golfer inside you to enjoy the game once and for all. You can learn how to have world-class impact conditions and strike golf balls purely, accurately and with great control.
Tour Striker Models
Review: The Floppy – Indoor Practice Golf Ball
Jan 3rd
Master the short game and you can score well even when your long game is off.
The Floppy is a soft indoor practice golf ball. It has a woven cover, a liner and a proprietary filling.
The Floppy Close Up
The videos on the homepage do a good job of showing what the floppy does and how it reacts when it bounces of windows. When I first saw the floppy on-line I thought it was going to be a bit like a hacky sack in the shape of a golf ball. But when you squeeze it, it instantly bounces back into shape. The quality of the woven cover is very good. I would imagine that a single ball could easily take thousands of hits. The sticker on the ball won’t last that long though. It pretty quickly got worn down so that the text was difficult to read. That does not affect it’s performance. Read the rest of this entry »
Review: EEZ-Read Putting Aid
Dec 20th
I’ve been using the EEZ-Read putting aid since this summer and I have found that used properly it can be an important aid to help with putting.
The EEZ-Read is according to the manufacturer:
Place the EEZ-READ precision level on the green, and it shows you exactly how your putt will break. Renowned golf instructor Butch Harmon calls it “one of the smartest putting aids I’ve ever seen. It’s simple to use and perfect on those putts where its tough to read the break, particularly those under twenty feet. This practice aid will definitely shave strokes off your game and build your putting confidence.” Solid stainless steel watchmaker’s base. Easily fits in your pocket. Named “Best New Product” 2008 PGA Merchandise Show.
