A caveat: Whichever training or teaching aid you decide
on to rectify that part of your game that is lacking, you must use it regularly
to obtain the benefits!
When it comes to golf teaching and
training aids there is positively no shortage from which to pick from. There
are teaching and training aids available for every facet of your golf game.
From having a proper stance to sinking the last putt, there is something
available to help anyone. The best advice here is to not get confused.
You must decide on a golf training aid
that can help cure a particular problem area of your golf game. Here are a few
of the proven golf teaching aids that will help everyone's golf game.
David Leadbetter's SwingSetter Pro
Following the original
best selling SwingSetter, David has introduced the SwingSetter Pro to help
golfers hit longer, straighter and more consistently.
Similar to the original
SwingSetter, the SwingSetter Pro helps to develop the
four basic fundamentals
of the golf swing: Grip, Swing Plane, Proper; Release
and Tempo. The SwingSetter Pro takes those four fundamentals and adds real-time feedback, as
you are now able to hit a ball! With the length and lie of a standard 6 iron,
the SwingSetter Pro offers the instant feedback that every golfer looks for and
is a wonderfully useful gift for Dad and every golfer!
$149.95 www.SwingSetterPro.com
Bushnell Tour V2 with Pinseeker Laser Range Finder
 The most popular brand
in laser rangefinders has a new model that is superb - the V2 with Pinseeker.
Laser range finders are far superior than GPS hand held units for precise
distances.
This model has a sleek
appearance, is very compact, and its high-tack grip fits really well in your
hand and unlike many other similar laser range finders; the V2 is definitely
very stable for measuring distances. This is especially useful in
determining your distances with each club.
The unit uses both yards
and meters and can read distances up to 1,000 yards, as well as distances to
trees up to 600 yards and pin placements up to 300 yards. The inside lens graphics
are excellent when locking on to the target.
$329.99 www.bushnellgolf.com
Medicus 460cc Driver
 With more than one million already sold, Medicus is the most
successful swing training aid in the history of golf.
At any given
point during the golf swing, Medicus will “break” when the club is either off
plane or swung with poor tempo, but stays intact during a solid golf swing.
Because it’s a real golf club, as well as a training aid, golfers can actually
hit balls with Medicus, a distinct advantage over most other golf training
aids.
The new 460 cc
Medicus driver is so easy to hit, golfers will be much more enthusiastic in
their practice sessions with even greater immediate positive feedback than
before.
$199.00 www.medicustrainer.com
Putting
is a huge part of the game. Up to 50% of your score comes from putting. So
finding a putting aid that can work on your putting fault can be very
rewarding. These are the two best available putting aids:
The Putting Arc
The theory behind the
Putting Arc is that the stroke it creates is based upon
natural body movement,
which can be quickly learned and repeated. Results can be seen in minutes or days, not after thousands of
repetitions!
In this
putting stroke, there is only one moving part. The hands, arms and shoulders
rotate as one unit. No manipulation of the hands or arms is required
to follow the correct
path with a correct club face. It happens automatically.
The unit can be used for
either right of left-handed putters and is specially notched for 8802 style
heel shaft putters.
The new waterproof
MS-III Model combines the best features of the smaller T3 and the large wooden
Deluxe into one great product. The MSIII is made of durable plastic, weighs
only 2 pounds, and is 33 inches long – ideal for traveling. The
Putting Arc also comes with a descriptive manual explaining the concept and
design as well as gives you several drills to practice. Also included is a mini
CD-ROM disc containing a 9-minute video that is most informative.
$69.95 www.theputtingarc.com
Stan Utley's "Learning Curve"
 Considered the “hottest” short game “guru” due to
Sergio’s recent big win, the Learning Curve and Stan’s theories are
finding their way into both the pros and amateur’s arsenal of game improvement
teaching and training aids. The Learning Curve will allow you to get your putter head to square up at impact and
release through and past the ball.
The Learning Curve is a
gunmetal gray, powder-coated putting plane rail set at 68º. A flat red rail
that attaches to the plane rail or can be used alone for alignment.
The 30-minute instructional DVD Learning the Curve,
is included and it will provide feedback and reinforcement in 4 unique ways –
grip, setup, stroke and impact. Each is designed to help you learn how to putt
"on the curve."
This full-length instructional
DVD Learning the Curve features 30 minutes with Stan Utley as he teaches the philosophy and techniques
of “putting on the curve.”
Also,
you don't have to get to the golf course to practice; you don't even need a
ball to obtain the Learning Curve’s benefits.
The web site is a goldmine of information and explanations.
$79.95 www.eyelinegolf.com
The Final Missing Piece of Ben Hogan's
Secret Puzzle"
 If
you doubt that Ben Hogan really did use "the final missing piece,"
than get a copy of John Schlee's 1986 book Maximum Golf and read the bottom middle two paragraphs on page 80.
According to his long-time
club designer and friend Gene Sheeley, Ben Hogan "...discovered that the
more weight he got onto the left foot and the turning point, the faster he
could spin level left.
He discovered that it was
impossible to generate maximum speed unless he was on the turning point."
On this same page in Maximum Golf you can also read that many years before the invention of
the radar gun and launch monitor, Ben Hogan came up with a machine, which would
accurately measure his club head speed. With this machine, he proved to himself
that he had to get his weight left, prior to turning, for maximum club head
speed
With The Final Missing Piece you can now discover what millions of golfers were missing when they tried to
apply Five Lessons to their golf game!
- Learn how Ben Hogan applied
Newton's Second Law of Physics to create such tremendous power.
- Learn how Ben Hogan took the left
side of the course out of play with his one secret move.
- Learn which critical fundamentals
you should embrace from Five
Lessons, and which pages you should ignore, in order to apply this great book to
your golf swing.
Learn how to automatically create
Ben Hogan's downswing plane, and guarantee an inside attack on the golf
ball.
- Learn the math
behind his lowered, sitting down look and the shallower downswing plane
that Ben Hogan refers to in Five
Lessons.
$29.00 www.thefinalmissingpiece.com
2 Thumb Putter Grip
Looking for an end to your putting woes? The solution could well
lie in a simple change of grip. An innovative new 2-Thumb putting grip that is
the brain child of putting expert Philip Gazeley.
The
2 Thumb grip is used in a totally unique way, namely the thumbs being
positioned side by side rather than the conventional one thumb above the other.
Extensive
player testing reveals that players quickly see the benefit of the simplicity
and accuracy that the 2 Thumb putter grip system provides to your putting
stroke.
The
reason players feel this way is because the shoulders are now naturally
parallel to the target line.
The 2 Thumb putter grip series consists of the 2 Thumb Original,
2 Thumb Light and 2 Thumb Shorty and are exclusively made for 2 Thumb Grip
Limited by Eaton Golf Pride.
The major benefit of
these putter grips are that they give golfers the
opportunity to select the perfect grip for their needs, while searching for a
more precise take away and accurate putting stroke with greater distance
control. It has been widely acknowledged that the 2 Thumb models also greatly
assist with overcoming the yips and the wrist break.
Miguel Jimenez is a proponent of the 2 Thumb grip. This innovative putter
grip design conforms to the rules of golf set forth by both the Royal and
Ancient and the United States Golf Association.
I Gotcha Ready Warm-Up System- Trainer
 If you always seem to arrive at the golf
course at the last minute then the I Gotcha Ready swing trainer is the ultimate one-minute, first tee warm-up
club. This weighted unit features three uses with one golf swing weight.
The IGotcha Ready is a three-step process:
First, twist and lock the IGotcha Ready in the center of the shaft. A
few swings establishes great tempo, which is the first key to a great swing.
Second, attach it under the grip to practice your power release.
Finally, attach it at the hosel, and the weight stretches all of the
major golf muscles adding the flexibility you normally don't feel until the
back nine. It is a great new tool every golfer should use before every round,
even if it is only to stretch properly and prevent injury.
$24.99 www.prolinesports.biz
Path Finder System
Looking for that elusive
Tigeresque putting stroke? Another
solution for you may be the Path Finder.
The Path Finder System is designed to improve the putting
stroke, ball impact
 and
alignment all at the same time. The Path Finder System plate features tapering
triangular lines pointing to the hole side of the plate.
On the plate, the golfer can attach six magnetic carbon fiber
pins along the sides of the plate. If the putter deviates from the desired path
of the stroke, it will strike one of the pins making a clear and distinctive
sound. The pin will bend, but will immediately rise again.
As the golfer improves the consistency of the stroke, he/she can move the pins
closer to the desired path. This will dramatically reduce the tolerance of
offline strokes. In addition to the pins, the Path Finder System plate is
equipped with two mirrors.
A small mirror allows the golfer to set his/her head in perfect
position for making the putting stroke and keep it perfectly still during the
stroke. A larger mirror is used to check upper body alignment.
$119.00 www.yesgolf.com
LeaderBoard
 The Leaderboard is a
posture and stability platform with an adjustable resistance skate
board that programs explosive power and accuracy into your golf swing and
improves power, balance, posture and swing dynamics, while you swing.
The LeaderBoard is a two-part system that allows you to correct
problems in your golf-swing, stance, and follow-through by giving your body
direct feedback on whether or not the movements you are making are lined up
properly or not.
The sliding resistance platform allows you to train while swinging
a club or performing a range of golf specific exercises, which "lock"
the trunk, or "core," in position and allow the upper body to rotate
around this stable base.
Unlike other training aides and methods, the LeaderBoard tells your body how to
move, WHILE YOU USE IT! Complicated and cumbersome instructions are eliminated
using this training aid.
The
LeaderBoard training and fitness device is used by top level pros including
Choi, Stuart Appleby, Adam Scott and Robert Allenby, and develops both muscle
function and motor skill (movement patterns) and physically prepares golfers
with incredible precision and efficiency. By using the LeaderBoard, a golfer develops
the legs and the muscles of the midsection needed to create a solid base of
support while ingraining the correct movement patterns that generate powerful
and accurate golf shots.
A beginner would make huge gains by using the LeaderBoard because it would
simplify their swing to the most basic movements by creating a very stable
lower body stance.
$249.95 www.proleaderboard.com
Line-M-Up
If
it is good enough for Tiger to mark his ball with a straight line, drawn by
hand, then it is good for others to follow suit.
As opposed to trying to
emulate Tiger’s hand-drawn technique this is a template that snaps onto a golf
ball used for marking a precise line.
The line is then oriented toward the
target that provides a reference when addressing the ball.
Although primarily used
when putting to aid the player when squaring the putter face, the line can also
be useful when addressing tee shots.
The Line-M-Up unit is
made from unbreakable Lexan plastic and includes a small
permanent marking pen.
$9.50 www.finetunegolf.com
Short Game Golf DVD
Does your short game need improvement? A new DVD by PGA Tour pros Jim
Furyk and
Fred Bunk debunk (excuse the pun) all the secrets and tips to become a better
short game player.
Getting the ball closer to the pin is the best way to lower your score. The lessons and drills and
especially the segment on the setup guide for 8 critical shots, is worth the
price of the DVD alone.
$29.95 plus S&H www.expertinsight.com
Two new products to
reduce stress levels and increase concentration on the course.
Trion:Z, already known for its wristbands,
have a new style that looks more athletic than its traditional dual-loop
bracelets. Like the original Trion:Zs, the Broadband wristbands use dual
magnets and "Stayers" material woven with metals that produce
negative ions. These reduce the levels of stress-creating positive ions to
which the body is regularly exposed.
Broadband™
wristbands have a more traditional sports wristband look. Broadband™
incorporates the same Trion:Z technology of minus-ion producing minerals and
twin 1000 gauss magnets into a sports band that is both stylish and functional.
Trion:Z
bracelets and necklaces are made with a unique material called
"STAYERS™" which has minus ion-producing minerals woven into the
fabric. Trion:Z products release 50 to 100 times the minus-ion power of
competing products.
The
Broadband will be available in five colors and retails for $24.95 each.
www.trionz.com
Q-Link Bracelets
The Q-Link bracelets, made by Clarus
Transphase Scientific, complement the company's pendants. Both use what Clarus calls Sympathetic
Resonance Technology, a method of positively enhancing your energy field. It
may sound like a bit of mumbo-jumbo, but the technology works by helping to
balance negative frequencies, such as those generated by stress or
electromagnetic fields, so that your body doesn't get worn down as easily.
The
difference between your physical stress levels with and without the Q-Link can
be measured through FDA-registered stress testing equipment.
On the golf course, the benefits are more energy and mental focus. More than 300
touring professionals wear the pendant.
The new bracelets use resonating crystalline wafers rather than the pendant's
resonating coil to produce these results. Men and women bracelets are available
in stainless steel (suggested retail: $129.95) and polished or black titanium
(suggested retail: $199.95).
www.qlinkgolf.com
Perfect ConeXtion
The Perfect Connextion is a learning aid that will connect your big
muscles to consistently swing the club in rhythm with your body, maximizing
your power, and experiencing the feel of a Pro’s swing.  You will receive instant feedback and develop a reliable, repeatable golf
swing. Through proper muscle usage, the Perfect Connextion teaches you how to
“stay connected”. By staying connected you eliminate a lot of the common swing
flaws.
It’s the most effective Learnin Aid you can use to improve your swing
mechanics. You can use the Perfect Connextion alone or with other golf training
aids at the range, in your home or at the office. You'll be amazed at how one
simple learning aid can help you with every club in your bag and with all
different types of shots.
This adjustable learning aid can be used for the full swing, chipping, and putting stroke. Perfect Connextion and
practice is GUARANTEED to take your golf game to the next level.
$99.95 www.perfectconnextion.com
The ProPlay Glove & Grip Fitting
System
Looking to
lower your handicap?
The ProPlay
Glove & Grip Fitting System is designed to immediately improve any golfer’s
game. As any competent teaching professional will advise you, the grip is the
single most important part of the game – the foundation of the golf swing.
ProPlay ensures a proper grip every time you swing.
The Glove
& Grip work together with the ProPlay Glove, which incorporates an
indicator line, and a thumb mark that matches a line and thumb pad on the
ProPlay Grip. When these are matched up, this combination ensures proper hand
placement on the club.
Conforms to
USGA Rules
$105.00 www.proplayna.com
You cannot ever blame the training aid if you don't use
it! Be prepared to spend the time and
effort as the answer is in the dirt or in this case, the training aid.
Barry Lotz, J.D.,
Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of
America
.
He is a member of the Golf Writers Association of
America
,
the
California
Golf Writers Association, and serves both as a Consultant and Mediator to the
golf industry. He is also the author of numerous books, including "333
Best Web Sites for Golfers" and his current book, "How to Build
Business Relationships through Golf" is in the Top Ten Golf Business
Book's best seller list |
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