For any golfer who wants to play great golf
Posts tagged Training Aid
Winter Golf Practice – Get the most out of it
Dec 15th
So you live in colder part of the country. Maybe there’s snow on the ground, maybe there isn’t but the temperature outside doesn’t make you want to hit the golf course. And it’ll be a while before spring arrives and melts the snow. What do you do to improve your game.
Actually winter golf practice can be extremely productive. Imagine that spring time comes around and not only are you not rusty but you feel like you’re ready to play the best golf of your life. Here are the essentials you need to make this your best winter practice session.
1. A quality golf mat
Nothing is more frustrating than hitting golf balls off rock hard mats at the driving range. They don’t provide realistic feedback. They don’t allow you to hit down and through the ball. The tees may not be adjustable or they are those rubber tubes. Yech!,
Getting a quality golf mat for your house will offer you some great practice time. You can hit down and through, you won’t injure your self and you won’t wear holes in the carpet. Look for a mat that is thick enough to hold normal tees, and allow you to hit down and through the ball. I recommend the Country Club Elite Golf Mats. You can find a review of them on my reviews page. Make sure that you pick a stance mat so that your feet are at the same level as the golf mat.
If it can hold tees than you can create a gate practice hitting through it and do other drills involving tees. Plus it’ll give you real feedback. You know when you would have hit it fat and you can practice getting the right amount of turf. You can also put a sock or a piece of cloth an inch behind where you would put a golf ball and practice hitting the turf, but not hitting the sock. This will ingrain the right feeling of taking a divot after the ball.
Get a Video Camera
A video camera will really allow you to see what you’re swing is doing. I recommend one of the newer cameras that record on to memory cards. The reason is that on the card, each video is an individual file. There’s no rewinding or fast forwarding through video tape, and you can copy selected (or all) clips onto your computer for further analysis. The newer cameras also feature slow motion mode. My camera can do 240 frames per second. The beauty of it is that I can really see exactly where the club is throughout the entire swing.
Once you have your camera, you can do a few things. You can take video from behind you. This is called a down the line shot (or DTL). You can also take a Face On (FO) video. Both angles are very useful for swing analysis and seeing faults. It is very rewarding to see your faults, work on them, and watch as they disappear. Also, get a tripod. You will need it. It makes things so much easier.
A Net
If you have the mat and you have the camera, your next best swing analysis tool is a net. A net allows you to hit actual balls without fear of breaking valuable objects, or putting holes through walls. Get the sturdiest net you can get if you are going to hit actual golf balls. Cheap nets have been known to break and allow the golf ball to actually break through the netting. You don’t want that to happen. You want a net that can handle golf balls. If you’re not hitting actual golf balls, you can hit something like the almost golf ball or birdie balls into the net (see the review of BirdieBalls from the reviews page). These should puts less strain on the net.
The benefit of the net is that you are hitting something. It’s not just a practice swing and for most people there is a difference. Hitting something forces your body to react the way it would on the golf course. This is will make the videos that you analyze more meaningful.
A putting cup or a home putting green
With a putting cup you can practice putting off carpet. The benefit of doing that is that you can practice a solid stroke on level ground. You want to know that you’re putting stroke will put the ball on the right line. The downside of putting on carpet is that you don’t know how fast it is. Without a stimp meter you don’t know what speed you are grooving your putts for. Odds are that the greens you play on will be significantly faster or slower depending on the type of carpet. I would recommend that most amateurs practice on a putting surface that closely resembles the courses they play the most. If you play on public or municipal courses anything around 10 on the stimp meter would be excellent. If you play at private clubs that have faster greens, putting on a surface with 11 or 12 on the stimp meter would be better for you.
Home putting surfaces do not have to be expensive. On the birdieball.com website, they have putting surfaces starting at under $100 that can be either 10 or 12 on the stimp meter depending on the options you choose.
The other thing to look for is that the ball drops into a cup. It doesn’t have to be a big drop but it should drop in. Putting cups with a steep slope are unrealistic for this reason.
A home putting surface also allows you to create breaks. This is ideal. You can practice flat putts and breaking putts on the same surface, and at speeds that are similar to the courses you play on. What could be better than that?
Take out your video camera and record your putting strokes too. You’d be amazed at how much you can learn from watching your putting stroke.
A Simulator
Finally, if you have some extra cash lying around, a simulator greatly complements all of the above. I recommend the Dancin’ Dogg Optishot. There are several different manufacturers that make simulators. P3SwingPro is another. These are fun, allow you to play full rounds with friends, or even have driving or closest to the pin contests. Plus they tell you important information about your swing. They tell you things like club head speed, path angle, club face angle and more. These are great fun and can definitely help you improve.
Combining Training Aids for Maximum Results
Dec 11th
Sometimes training aids complement each other.
I found a really good combination this morning. The Pure Ball Striker (no review yet although one is planned) and the Orange Whip Trainer work great together.
The Pure Ball Striker is designed to help you feel the lag on the index finger of your bottom hand, in my case, the right hand. Normally when I practice with it, feeling the “lag pressure” is very subtle and it’s hard sometimes to really feel it.
Combining it with the Orange Whip Trainer basically magnified or amplified it for me. I could REALLY feel the lag pressure and it was awesome. It gives me a better idea of what to feel when I use the Pure Ball Striker by itself.
Let me know if you have any successful combinations of training aids.
Review: SwingJacket
Dec 7th
Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend I got the opportunity to attend a golf show in the Albany area.
All of the local pros brought merchandise to sell at moderate to deep discounts and I made some good purchases.
At the last exhibitor, hidden in a corner of their display I spotted a gem. It was a new, in box, SwingJacket. Several years ago I had looked into them and really wanted one after seeing the infomercial and reading reviews.
But it was only available for about $120 and they were sold out of them. So the idea got put on the backburner.
Fast forward to the golf show and I end up picking up the brand new SwingJacket for $20. Wow!
The SwingJacket comes with a training DVD and a slim manual. I quickly read through the manual and was too impatient to watch the video. I slipped it on and went outside to hit some birdieballs (see my review ).
Within the first few swings I knew I had made a wise purchase. The SwingJacket, according to the manufacturer:
The Swing Jacket is the most effective golf training aid ever developed
because it is the only product that physically guides you through all the key swing positions of the perfect, one plane golf swing. With the Swing Jacket you feel a perfect golf swing while you hit the ball long and straight with any club in your golf bag. With every other method of game improvement you have to consciously change your swing mechanics. The Swing Jacket does all the thinking for you as it effortlessly guides you through each swing – perfectly. You’re now able to focus on the feel of your powerful, accurate new swing instead of a library of confusing and often contradictory swing thoughts. When every shot you hit is consistently long and straight your body locks that swing into your muscle memory – instantly.
Immediately I felt it putting me in the right positions. Within a few swings I was hitting the birdieballs longer and straighter. I was really glad that I bought it.
I took out my video camera (the one that can record up to 240 frames per second) and recorded some swings without the swing jacket and with the swing jacket.
In slow motion I could really see what the jacket was doing. For me, I believe the one-plane swing is the right one, and the swingjacket really kept me in a perfect swing plane. It also prevents you from overswinging. A typical swing fault of amateurs. The result is a tighter, more efficient and accurate swing that results in hitting the ball, as long, or in my case, quite a bit longer than before. Although I did not buy it at the retail price I can see how it is worth that much. I plan on using it all winter to deeply ingrain into my muscle memory the perfect swing plane.
The website currently lists the swing at $119.95.
Review: Orange Whip Trainer
Dec 2nd
Empty ad slot (#6)!
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while then you know that one of the things I was working on was having my actual swings look like my practice swings. I received a suggestion to try the Orange Whip Trainer because it helped other golfers with this issue.
The Orange Whip Trainer is, according to the manufacturer:
The Orange Whip is the ultimate golf swing trainer and fitness tool for today’s golfer and athlete. It is versatile, dynamic and the most effective swing aid on the market. Consistent use of the Orange Whip will improve your golf swing and provide an essential core-muscle workout. The elegant design combines a counter-weighting system and flexible shaft that work together to promote the natural golf swing motion unique to each individual. The Orange Whip will help you find your ideal swing plane, create “tour pro” lag, achieve perfect sequence of motion, and promote balance that’s supported from the ground up. Your strength, flexibility, and swing speed will increase, and your shot-making will become more accurate and consistent.
As you can see the Orange Whip Trainer comes in three different sizes (Called the Orange Whip Hickory, Golden and Trainer) to accommodate juniors, people under 5’6″ or beginners, and men or taller women. I have the trainer.
Orange Whip Trainer: • For – Designed for men and taller women.
• Length – 47.5 inches in total length, approximately 45″ actual swing length (Men’s Driver)
• Weight – The total weight is 1.75 pounds.
• More Info – Simulates Driver motion. Recommended Whip for Core Fitness and Flexibility.
• Ideal Whip for Balance and Tempo enhancement
You begin using the Orange Whip with some stretching exercises. The Torso Twist is done by standing with your feet flat and your arms out in front of you with your palms up and the whip held in the middle of the trainer. You then begin to twist to one side, then the other. It is a very nice stretch. From there you can do the wrist hinge (videos for these are all on the website) with each arm. As a trainer for strengthening golf muscles I think it does a great job. You get a very nice work out with resistance, in just the movements/muscles that are needed for the golf swing.
Starting the full swing drills gives you a whole different kind of workout with the Orange Whip. The full swings really allow you to work on tempo and transition, two elements that I think most golfers don’t really know how to practice. All too often we simply go to the range and hit balls, hit and rake, hit and rake. Heavy clubs I think are excellent for doing certain kinds of tempo work. The resistance they offer ensures that you don’t rush the transition. I have a small weighted club that I have used for winter training and while it is adequate for working on the transition I think it falls short when it comes to the complete swing. On the downswing, the heavy clubhead almost feels too heavy.
The flexible shaft of the orange whip seems to address this concern for me. The orange ball at the end is heavy, but the flexibility of the shaft allows me to build up speed on the downswing naturally, and it can really go fast. I think this is what they refer to when they say that it can build “pro” lag. I could really feel the sense of lag, with the orange ball trailing behind my hands and then whipping through the impact zone.
Since you can’t hit balls with the Orange Whip you need to be aware of that when transitioning to hitting balls. You want to remember the feeling but recognize that your clubs will be different. I think this definitely takes some practice but the results are worthwhile. Using the Orange Whip and videoing my swing I have seen substantial changes in those practice sessions. When I feel what I rehearsed with the Orange Trainer on my actual swings with a ball the results are good. This is not however a short term solution. I think the orange whip like anything else in golf requires some dedication, you can’t just use it once and expect miracles. However, over time I believe it does accomplish the goals described by the manufacturer. I’d be curious to use the the smaller whips and see if it would be make a difference with my irons. I do find that the long whip is difficult to use for the shorter 3/4 type swings in an iron shot and it would interesting to see what the results would be with a smaller whip. For work with the driver, tempo, and fitness I think the Orange Whip is a training aid that any golfer can benefit from.
Review: BirdieBall
Nov 30th
The weather is getting colder in the northeast and although the driving range nearby is heated, sometimes I just don’t want to go to the range. The stalls may be heated but hitting range balls becomes like hitting ice cubes.
I brought my birdie balls with me to practice over the thanksgiving weekend up in Albany, New York. The first thing you notice when you pick up a birdie ball is that it looks like a napkin ring.
And you think to yourself, how are these napkin rings going to help my game?
According to the birdieball website:
BirdieBall® by Birdie Ball Inc. is the best golf training aid invented this century! That’s a bold statement, but golf coaches and PGA golf instructors around the world agree, and have voted it the PGA, Product of the Year in Orlando! It is a limited flight practice golf ball without limited feel. True feel with a long hang time, golf ball-like, trajectory! But it only flies 40 yards, so you have your own backyard driving range. Take a full swing. Draw it Fade it. Grab a buddy, get 40 yards apart and hit them back and forth. You wont believe the turbine sound created by the high rate of reverse spin. It’s very durable, in fact Pro Series Birdie Balls won’t break like perforated practice balls or wiffleballs.
Let’s see how their claims hold up.
My father in law had just laid down some new grass and I didn’t want to tear it up, so I used the StrikePad that comes with the birdie balls.
This is a thick, flexible plastic pad that is great for beginners to use, and can be used even off concrete. It has a spot to place the birdie, and provides a visual reference of the ideal swing path (from the inside).
I wanted to use the birdie balls because of their limited flight. Although my inlaws have enough land to hit real golf balls, there are some problems doing that, the main one being that retrieving the balls after hitting them is a real pain in the neck. You have to remember where you hit them, then hopefully you can find them among some lumpy grass. I’ve lost a fair number of golf balls in their field.
So I went to the backyard, setup the strike pad, picked my target about 60 yards out, and got down to business.
So how do they feel. They feel like hitting a good quality golf ball. The manufacturer claims they feel like hitting a ProV1. I think it’s close. The beauty is that you can fade or draw them. I started out hitting some big hooks, but I was able to get into a groove, and a few shots later I was able to straighten out those hooks and hit some nice controlled draws. You will be surprised at how high the birdie balls do fly. It really seems like the they take the same flight that a golf ball would take, only in a smaller space. The 6 iron was hitting was easily reaching 3/4 of the height of the tall trees around me.
That 6 iron was also a blade, and I could really feel the difference between flush shots and mishits. Overall the feedback was the same as I would be getting on a driving range. You can hit driver as well with the optional driver tee.
BirdieBall Long Drive, Velocity Tees & Ball.
These tees give you the appropriate height for the driver.
Another advantage to birdieballs is that they are so easy to retrieve. They do sell a shag tube, but for me I’ve found the easiest thing to do is to walk to where they are with my club upside down, so that I’m holding it just below the club head. Then I stick the grip end into the birdie ball, flick the club up, and the birdieball slides down the shaft of the club. It is really quick and easy to pick up a dozen birdie balls this way and it saves your back.
I will say the the StrikePad is not the best surface to hit off of. It is fine if you are a beginner and need the extra forgiveness, and it does remind you of the right swing path, however, it really is too forgiving. You can hit way behind the birdie and still pull off a good shot. I was aware of this when practicing, so I didn’t really count any shots that I hit fat. I focused on hitting the birdie ball first and then the strikepad. I think the most realistic birdieball practice comes from either hitting them off quality turf, or something like the Country Club Elite Golf Mats I’ve already reviewed.
In my opinion, getting and practicing with birdieballs is a no brainer. They offer real feedback and their limited flight makes them ideal for practice. Obviously you can’t use birdieballs to know the distances that you hit your clubs. Frankly I prefer to get that from the golf course anyway as I find range balls don’t really match the distance I hit my clubs when I’m actually playing.
My wife’s uncle came out to hit some birdieballs with me and decided that “one way or another, I’m going to have these under my Christmas tree this year”. He decided to tell a few of his golf buddies and now they want them as well. BirdieBalls live up their claims and I really enjoy practicing with them.
You can order direct from the BirdieBall website or from golf retailers like Golfsmith.
Empty ad slot (#6)!
Review: Country Club Elite Golf Mats
Nov 20th
I recently ordered the small (20″ x 30″ ) Country Club Elite golf mat from Real Feel Golf Mats .
I’ve heard about a lot of mats that promise to give you the lush feel of hitting off a fairway and being able to “take a divot”. I was a bit skeptical but I knew I needed to try it. The mats at my local range were so hard that I think I was developing tendinitis in my shoulder. At home I had a small Hank Haney mat that I hit off and it was really getting chewed up. The mat was only 1/4″ of an inch thick at most and I would find little tufts of mat all over the floor that needed sweeping up.
I knew when I took the first swings that this mat was different. When you hit into it, you get this real resistance as the club digs into the mat. It handles fat shots realistically. I find typical range mats provide a false sense of security because you can hit the ball so fat and because the club just bounces off the mat you can still end up with decent contact. It’s not like that on the golf course.
I like being able to stick tees into it because I can practice drills like the gate drill where you put a couple of tees in the ground and have the club go through the gate.
The 99 dollar 20×30 mat was perfect for me because I already have a stance mat. If I didn’t have a stance mat I would definitely have needed to buy one as you really want to be on the same level as the CCE Mat.
The experience of hitting off this mat is really a lot like hitting from a nice fairway and more importantly you really do get a feel for hitting down and through the ball. I also feel it making a big impact on my body. It is a relief hitting off this mat. My shoulder feels much better. Overall I rate this mat a 5 out of 5. The quality is outstanding and should hold up to years of use unlike the Hank Haney mat which gets shredded within weeks.
Below is a picture of the shredded up Hank Haney mat.
Empty ad slot (#6)!
