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Practice makes Perfect
Text and photos: Jason Mylroie. Article from the June 2013 issue of Compleat Golfer Magazine.
Golf training aids are a foreign concept for most club players. But when used correctly, such devices can really help improve your game and provide a long-lasting solution to enjoying your round.
Every week when I look through photos of tour professionals on the driving range at whichever tournament they are playing in, apart from spotting new and yet-to-be-released eguipment in their bags, I get to see the various training aids they use to improve consistency in their games. It’s proof of how important these tools are for the top players, who use drills and training devices to keep their games up to scratch.
Even a player such as Luke Donald, known for his exceptional putting, uses training aids on the practice green to maintain such a high level. All of this leads to the obvious question: why don’t club golfers make use of training aids more often?
There are many answers to that, the most common being that most amateur or club golfers don’t practise as often as they should, playing the game less regularly and more for the enjoyment of it. However, those who take it more seriously and put extra work into their games usually need some sort of routine, and this is where drills and training aids are most effective.
John Dickson, PGA professional and recipient of the 2012 Teaching Professional of the Year, is a firm believer in using drills and training aids.”I find that training aids are an absolute essential from a teaching perspective,” he explains. “The devices help a student to feel what a teacher might struggle to get across by just using words.
“Once you can feel a movement or position in the golf swing, you can then repeat it. Bad habits in the swing are positions or movements that tend to be repeated (especially when under pressure) because that is what feels right.
One of the great tasks of teachers is to overcome these bad habits golfers have created over time.
“Many training aids can be used without hitting a golf ball,”Dickson continues. “When golfers practise on the range, they tend to go back to their bad habits. Doing drills with training aids can help isolate areas that golfers struggle with. Once a golfer can feel the correct movement and then do drills with the relative training aid, this will help create a new good habit.”
The problem is that there are thousands of training aids on the market, all claiming to be the perfect cure for your golfing woes. Finding the correct device for your needs can be tricky, so it’s a good idea to turn to your local PGA pro for guidance.
“Training aids don’t work for everyone,” says Dickson. “That’s why a variety of them are more useful in helping teachers help students.”
Training aids and drills are an integral part of most professionals’ practice routines and should be the same-for us amateurs. However, it is essential that these aids are used correctly. This is where going to see your local PGA professional is a must, as they will help you with targeting the areas of concern in your game and giving you effective drills and devices to improve this.
Take a look at the 10 training aids over the next few pages that are designed to help different aspects of your game. Most of these products are available at golf retail stores nationwide, unless otherwise stated.
Tour Sticks
These sticks can be found in most tour professionals’ golf bags and are used mostly for alignment, but also help with many other golfing drills.
When being used for alignment, the first stick is placed next to your golf ball to set your target line, and the second stick between your ball and feet parallel to the first stick, to line up your shoulders and chest correctly.
Apart from alignment, Tour Sticks can be used for a multitude of other golfing drills that can be found on the website www.toursticks.com/ drills. One end of each stick is sharpened slightly, making it easier to stick into the ground for certain drills.
Golf Gruva
Designed in South Africa by PGA professional Wayne Berry, the Golf Gruva is a full-swing training aid that teaches a multi-plane swing similar to the most common one used by tour professionals. By following the railing system throughout the swing path, you are taught the correct angles at the top of your backswing as well as how to transfer correctly into the downswing. The Golf Gruva gives you instant feedback when you are swinging incorrectly and is adjustable to suit players of all heights, no matter how flat their swing plane.
To find out more about the Golf Gruva, contact Wayne Berry on 084 622 7259 or visit www.golfgruva.com for more information.
DFX Sport Powerball PRO
This is more of an exerciser and strengthening device for your wrists than a training aid. By activating the Powerbali Pro’s gyro motor – which can reach speeds in excess of 13 000rpm – and rotating the ball in your hand, you can increase your grip strength and range of motion, as well as strengthen your elbow and shoulder muscles. It’s also good for preventing carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, tendonitis and other repetitive-strain injuries.
SKLZ Ball First Mat
Relatively new to the market, the SKLZ Ball First Mat teaches you to always make contact with the ball first on full shots, as well as helping you to square the face at impact and take straight divots. The SKLZ Ball First Mat can be fixed to the ground with tees, and strategically placed markers assist you in correctly setting up where the ball should sit in your stance for different clubs. The unique design of the mat also helps you with aligning your clubface correctly behind the ball.
SKLZ Refiner
Used to improve distance and accuracy, the SKLZ Refiner features a dual-twisting hinge on the shaft that gives you instant feedback when swinging the club incorrectly. The trick to the SKLZ Refiner is to swing it at a smooth tempo and set it correctly on the backswing, to avoid the hinge breaking. The hinge is adjustable, so you can improve your tempo incrementally.
Doubling as an aid and club, the Refiner can also be used to hit balls.
SKLZ Gyro Swing
This training aid teaches you the correct swing path of a clubhead on the takeaway and through the hitting area. The battery-operated gyroscope motor in the clubhead spins at 20 000rpm, and when swung with relaxed arms, it is very effective in teaching you the correct plane. It also provides resistance when you swing the club off plane, and helps cure a slice by forcing the clubhead to close through the impact zone. The SKLZ Gyro Swing is the perfect warm-up tool before your round, but can’t be used for hitting golf balls.
Chinrite
This simple device acts as an extension of your chin and allows you to monitor the position and movement of your head all the way through your golf swing, keeping your head aligned and correcting your posture.
There needs to be a sufficient gap between your chin and chest during a golf swing, as it leads to a fluid motion, especially on your backswing. If your chin is too low, it will get in the way of a proper shoulder turn and can restrict the swing or send your club onto the wrong swing path. Chinrite will help you to align your head better and ensure the gap during the swing, while also allowing you to make use of your peripheral vision to align your head’s position relative to the ball and the correct swing plane.
CS2 Putting Aid
Another proudly South African design, the CS2 putting aid teaches you to putt on the correct path and also ensures you square up the putterhead at impact. The system uses two alignment bars that can be adjusted depending on how extreme your swing path is. The whole CS2 putting aid is fixed to the ground using specially designed tees, and from here the rest of the body can be detached in pieces as you become more used to the correct putting stroke. The aid also includes a purposely designed putting cup that allows you to putt as many balls as you want without ever filling the cup or blocking the line.
Swing Genie
This simple device attaches to your grip and assists you with always setting your wrists correctly on your backswing and followthrough. The Swing Genie should not be used on full swings, as it can lead to injury and bruising in your left wrist if you are not setting the club correctly.
The device is more of a guiding system and can be used for half-swing drills; it’s also great for chipping.
To buy a Swing Genie, contact the SA Golf Institute on 021 300 0140.
3BaysGSA PRO
Available in both a full-swing and putting model, the 3BaysGSA PRO devices attach to the butt of your golf grip and, using Bluetooth, send information about your golf swing to an app on your smartphone. The full-swing version calculates up to 10 000 data points per swing and shows your swing path from start to finish, as well as calculating your swing speed and tempo. The putting device records your tempo and swing path. The app (a free download on both Apple App Store and Google Android) also gives you the option to pick your best swing as a benchmark, and allows you to compare your swing with a professional’s pre-recorded one on the app.
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