Best Training Aids

+Nick W
My #1 go to is an impact bag and alignment sticks (driveway markers from the hardware store). I recently purchased a smart swing ball from Tourstriker but not sure at this point how much I will use it. I certainly see I lot out there on the Planemate from Tourstriker. I have read that devices that force you into proper motion don't help you to retain the motion as well as swinging within "constraints". I sure I am not expressing this exactly right but I hope you get the idea. My number one item on my wishlist would be Trackman or its equivalent, but it would be tough to explain to my wife why she got a sweater and I got the equivalent of a new car.

+Nick W I've yet to see a training aid that I didn't modify in some way with each student. While I think that training aids can be helpful, my evaluation of how good or bad they are depends on how well the student adapts their swing after their use, not during it.

When it comes to using a training aid make sure you have a specific purpose and understanding.

The most common aids I use are alignment sticks, tripods with pool noodles, video, and foot spray (for drawing on the ground or highlighting impact on the club.

Some common aids that I use for the follow-through position are the hanger, the impact snap, the educator, or total golf trainer (again, I modify every aid for that specific issue I'm trying to solve.

I also frequently use an impact bag, although it's rarely putting the impact bag where the ball would be.

For speed and sequence training, I like using some of the Mach 3 rope tools.

I recently had a student give me a planemate to try. It gave some interesting feels when I tried it for a few days. However, I have yet to see it have a profound change on a golfer. Either with their shallowing, or their release/flip. I think it's a neat concept. It might work if you trained with it for a while. But for what I'm looking for in a training aid, it hasn't been that impressive.

I think that the best training aid is the www.golfswingshirt.com. Been around for awhile and alot of pros use it,

We had a swing shirt at the club I worked at in Houston. I wasn't a huge fan. I'm sure it can help some people, but it seemed like it prevented a lot of the good arm movements in exchange for keeping the arms close together. I prefer holding something between the arms, like a sponge rather than having the arms held too tightly together by the shirt. Like I said, might work for some who need a gross exaggeration of the one piece of the arm structure (preventing elbows flaring in the follow through), but you have to be careful because it will restrict some of the others.

Indeed the armzy handzy player will feel restricted yet it is all about results and a "connected golf swing" is better for the masses thand trying to grove too many parts. Examples of connected swings are Bernhard Langer, DJ, Tommy Fleetwood, Charlie Hoffman, Matt Kuchar, Harris English and the list goes on and on. Best example of disconnected swings are Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson. Also works for chipping and putting.

It's not just armsy vs handsy, the shirt restricts arm rotation (shallowing). So it can help you stay connected, but it can also block some of the things that make a connected swing work. So you have to be really careful with that kind of device. While I agree that some of the golfers you mentioned are connected, I don't think the swing shirt is the best way to train that pattern. I have a number of connection drills that I advocate, I just didn't get the same experience from the shirt.

I haven't seen any of the players you mentioned demonstrating using it. I've seen lots more using a towel or ball between the arms. If you have a video of some of them using it, I'd love for you to share so we can break down what they are doing with it.

Here's a pic of Dustin (who you mentioned as a model) at impact. You can see how the shirt would restrict the lead arm lift associated with a connected body driven swing.

If you have a pic or video to help show how it's used by the pros, please share.

Hi ,
This is a piece on Padraig Harrington using The Golf Swing Shirt on The Golf Channel.
https://youtu.be/tS_uqGciUGM
There is also a pic of Bryson on Instagram using it awhile back and I know his longtime coach Mike Schy uses it too.
Cheers

I often get asked my opinion on such things as drills, teaching ideas, and in this thread, training aids. I would put it in the same category as things like the power wedge (anti sway foot trainer) or swing guide (wrist hinge trainer). It's not a bad idea, but I think the execution would hurt the average golfer more than it would help. I think pros have shown that they can get away with things that are less than optimal.

So in keeping in our approach, let's discuss how it might work, and then I'll put it to bed.

When discussing "connection" we're talking about isometric muscle activation that bridges a joint so that they move together. In this case, it's bridging the shoulder joint. The muscles that could provide "connection" are:
bicep
tricep
deltoid
pec
coracobrachialis
latissiumus dorsi
sub scapularis
serratus anterior
teres major
teres minor
supraspinatus
infraspinatus

Ideally, I think the connection you referenced comes primarily from the serratus anterior and pec on the trail side and the tricep and latissimus dorsi on the lead side.

The swing shit would apply a compressive force to keep the arms in tight, so it'll help you feel if you're arms are separating. But, because of the pull-down of the shirt, it's most likely to activate the deltoid for connection. So training-wise, it could easily train the wrong muscle activation pattern. So if I were to use it, it would be a quick positional check, then take it off and try to train the right muscles to get me into a similar position.

With almost all training aids, you have to be careful with how you use them. I hope this post helps someone if they do decide to use the swing shirt.

+Nick W
I'm working on some content organization and an easier way to identify what to work on to improve your game. If your primary goal is to improve your score, then I'd use the following framework. (more details of this coming in the near future).

Roughly, the system looks like this
Step 1: Play golf to collect data relating to the key components of score
Step 2: Compare your data to performance benchmarks
Step 3: With the skills you are losing strokes, put your focus into practicing those skills. If with practice, you still can't improve enough then identify the technical issues by comparing your swing to the model swing for that skill.
Step 4: Experiment with drills and feelings to improve your technique. Train it once you have ways to change the technique.
Step 5: Play golf to collect more data and repeat the process.

Training aids fit into step number 4.

With physical fitness, I usually say that improving your fitness can speed up your ability to improve. It can elevate your ceiling by giving you better capabilities. but it doesn't replace the skill work needed. Maybe people can improve with just skill work.

If you're planning your plan for 2020, I'd start by looking at how you practice, what you practice, and most importantly, where are your biggest opportunities to lower your score. Which piece of equipment you might need depends on what skills you're trying to improve and where you currently stand compared to those skills.

I would never talk someone out of fitness work. Not just for golf, but for life. But quality fitness is more specific than quality golf training. If you find someone good, trust them and work their system. Personally, fitness is a big part of my life. I do strength training 2-3 days per week and corrective exercises 3-4 days a week (sometimes they overlap).

I hope that helps!

+Tyler F
I love this! Thanks for your continued hard work.

+Tyler F
I've been doing an ok job of following this advice. My problem now is that I do not have a real weakness that sticks out, at least according to the data I've collected via my Arccos golf app. My driving, irons and approach are all between a 13.5 and 14.5 handicap. My putting is at a 10 handicap, so it is only a little better.

Without a clear weakness (per Arccos), I'm really focused on my driving accuracy as I have the club speed (110+mph) to be an excellent driver.

I also feel like I should be able to dial in my distance wedges better than I do today and stop giving up strokes around the green with awful finesse wedge shots (I have some excellent ones, but still struggle with fat and thin contact at times).

So, when I read the above, I feel better about my plan of attack to improve, but I also feel like I've been working hard to get better at golf for some time now (started in full force in August 2018). After all that time, the aesthetics of my game and my knowledge of how to correct errors has increased dramatically, but my scores have not dropped as much as I was hoping (I'm probably 4-5 strokes better than when I started).

I had hoped that harnessing my swing speed would lead to a faster score improvement. However, if I get another 4-5 strokes better over the next year, I'd be happy with that result.

In case anyone was wondering, I decided to add a couple pairs of golf pants (I especially do not have a good cold weather pair) and a travel bag to my Christmas list (no training aids on there as of yet, but I'm hoping these gifts can get me some more time on the course, leading to improvement!)

Nick

+Nick W

Some of the best training aids I've purchased recently are:

- JOBY Gorillapod for iPhone (a flexi tripod you can hook up to your golf bag to video record swings)
- Spa Finder passes for the wife (equal to # of golf outings I intend to have on weekends)

+Nick W Here's the simple version of tracking your stats.

How many easy opportunities do you have? (GIR less than 30 feet)
What percent do you save par when you miss a fairway or miss a green?
How many doubles or worse do you make per round?

Speed is a great asset, so yes, that 110+ is easily enough speed to be scratch. I'd work backward from the green. If you're not hitting enough greens, then it's either short irons aren't sharp enough or your driver is getting you in trouble.

Either way, improving your wedge play is a big part of scoring consistency. Good luck!

+Ryan M My only issue with super speed is that the shape of the implement doesn't match the shape of the club. It's like swinging a baseball bat vs a hockey stick. So, it's helpful for some golfers to learn speed, and it helps train a very neutral path. But, if you struggle with an open face issue, or if you struggle with low point issues, then it could make those issues worse. You definitely want to watch out for those issues.

+Guy K
I'm a big fan of the Visio putting mats. Especially for visual learners or golfers with face rotation issues.

I'm not a huge fan of using the swing fan for speed training. I think it encourages too much early-arm action. But I do use one occasionally for working on face training. If you remove two of the blades, then you have a device where squaring the face early has a little bit of resistance.

As far as the plane mate. I wanted to like it more than I actually have. I don't seem to get much carryover from it after taking it off. It provides some interesting feels, but most students don't really embrace those feels after removing it. If you are struggling with a major steepening move, then I think it could help you get a shocking feel to try and build upon, but it's not a one-product fix for shallowing.

I do have one in the studio, so maybe I can make a quick video covering it for you. I'll have to check and make sure the bands are still good!

I don't draw a lot of lines when I do an analysis, but occasionally I'll draw some.

Face on: I'll often draw the impact line from the face on.

Down the line: I'll often draw the shaft line at impact and then work backward. I'll also draw a head and butt line similar to the lines I added on the DTL picture from the analyzing your own video series.

I think those are a good snap shop. Keep in mind that the numeric value of the lines/angles doesn't really matter. It's more about using the lines to help with seeing the relationships between movements.

Happy Golfing,
Tyler