Every golfer likes to improve on their game. Whether it’s because you want to avoid embarrassment or because you want to show off. You see golf training aids are for everybody – even Tiger Woods uses them.
There’s a huge range of different training aids out there. Some more effective than others, and some that are more fun than others.
We’ve been checking them out, and after much deliberation, we came up with our top 5 favorites to show you.
Our reviews are coming up shortly, and they work for every level of handicap.
After that we’ve got a super handy buying guide for you which walks you through the main types of training aids and what to look for in your ideal golf training aid.
That’s quickly followed by another handy section where we answer one or two of your most frequently asked questions.
Here goes..
Top 5 Best Golf Training Aids
OUR TOP PICK
Phigolf Smart Golf Game Simulator
EDITORS CHOICE
Orange Whip Golf Swing Trainer Aid
BEST VALUE
SKLZ Gold Flex Golf Swing Trainer
OUR TOP PICK
Phigolf Smart Golf Game Simulator
Know what the difference is between this stimulator and an actual round of golf? No bad weather to put up with, or games being cancelled due to bad weather.
You can play away to your heart’s content without distractions like rain or wind.
There are several parts to make this work. There’s a special sensor which you can attach to the accompanying stick, or a real club. The sensor picks up the motion of the club, which gets relayed by bluetooth to your smartphone, which in turn is connected to your TV.
Your TV then displays how that shot looks on an actual golf course. And if you get the WGT edition, these courses include the most famous golf courses in the world! It’s just like being there, but without the jet lag!
It’s for players at any skill level. You can play offline or online, on your own or in multiplayer mode. If you want you can compete with people all around the world online, and join in on regular tournaments!
For players who find distance shots tricky, you can opt to just play a putting game.
For improvers there’s a program you can follow with daily practice goals and keep tabs on your progress.
The special sensor is compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems, and it’s battery lasts for 4 hours on a full charge, which is about the same time as a standard round of golf.
There is a subscription fee to pay for the WGT golf courses, but it’s nominal – ridiculously low. We don’t even consider it a con.
Pros
- Simulates a real golf game
- Don’t need a full set of clubs
- Play with friends
Cons
- A premium product at a premium price
EDITORS CHOICE
Orange Whip Golf Swing Trainer Aid
Even if you’re relatively new to golf, you’ve probably heard of the famous Orange Whip. It’s the golf training aid that all the pros rave about! In fact it was even voted #1 Teaching and Training aid by PGA and LPGA Professionals.It pretty much mimics an actual golf club. It’s the same length, and has a lightly weighted end. You basically just swing the orange whip like you would your golf club, and you get instant feedback on your rhythm and balance.What makes the Orange Whip stand out from other swing trainers is its patented counterweight system, which is what makes the instant feedback possible. You can feel where the swing is going wrong, for example if it feels wobbly or off balance, and then adjust your swing accordingly.Over time and with repeated use you can get a really good tempo going and a perfect well balanced swing. Which is how you get consistent shots on the course.The Orange Whip comes complete with a 2 year warranty, which speaks volumes for it’s quality.
Pros
- Fun to use
- Improves flexibility, balance & strength
- Improves muscle memory with repeated use
- Most effective golf swing on the market
Cons
- This particular Orange Whip is designed for men and taller women only, but there are other versions of the Orange Whip out there should you need a smaller size or lighter weight
BEST VALUE
SKLZ Gold Flex Golf Swing Trainer
If you’re looking for something a little more affordable than the Orange Whip, then this swing trainer is certainly worth a look.This is a good trainer for those who find 4 hours on a golf course tiring on their arms.It’s basically a stick as long as your golf clubs, but it’s made of flexible fiberglass, and has a 2.5 lb weight on its end.What you have to do is just swing the Gold Flex back and forth continuously without stopping at impact position. You do this for a few times, say 10 or 20, per day, with the idea of building your muscle memory. You’ll soon notice an improvement in your swing tempo, strength and flexibility. And it will put an end to the problem of early release too. Before you know it, your perfect swing will be totally automatic.You might not think it, but Gold Flex can also help you fight slices, hooks and fades, since the shaft length helps to flatten the swing plane.It slides in easily into your golf bag, and it’s perfectly legal to take onto the course as a warm up tool.It’s available in two different lengths, you can choose from 40 inch or 48 inches long.
Pros
- Fun to use
- Fits in your golf bag
- Legal to have on the course
- Helps eliminate slices and hooks
Cons
- In the more negative customer reviews, people generally say it’s not quite as good as the Orange Whip
RUNNER UP
ForeNoMore Pitch Assist Golf Alignment Rod
Now, if you’re anything like me, you may have trouble visualizing your shots. That’s where this baby comes in handy.It’s basically a set of magnetic rods that you can fix to the head of your golf clubs (temporarily of course) to help you to “see” where the ball is going to go when you go through with your golf swing.The dark color on the rod provides an excellent eyeline guide, and we think it’s a great way to get your club head correctly positioned for the shot, whether you’re using a driver, an iron or any club you have that’s magnetized.You can use it on any club type too – men’s, women’s, left handed, and so on. And we also like how easy it is to slide into your golf bag and take it with you for your game.Out of all the training aids we’ve shown you today, this is by far the most affordable. We think it can be a really big help to your game if you have trouble picturing your shots. But of course not everyone has this problem. I wouldn’t buy this as a gift for somebody unless you’ve seen them play.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Correct your swing aim
- Improve your chipping game
Cons
- Doesn’t help with swing speed or distance
- Doesn’t work with non magnetized clubs
RUNNER UP
SuperSpeed Golf Training System
There are two main components to this training system. You get three training clubs, all with different weights, color coded red, blue and green, that you can practice your golf swing with. With the green and blue being lighter than a driver and the red one being heavier.The idea is to start with the lightest club and work your way up to the heaviest one. Learning to swing faster of course, leads to getting more distance on your shots.You only really need to do about 10 minutes practice with these babies 3 times a week to start seeing results.Included in the price you get access to absolutely loads of online video instruction, which is well worth a gander if you ask us.What we like about this training system is that the product descriptions actually put a figure to how much your swing speed can improve. This is good because it’s a means of ascertaining how well your training is going.It’s expensive for sure, but when it’s used by more than 600 tour pros worldwide, that’s impressive. And if it can increase your swing speed by as much as 5% in just 6 weeks then maybe it is worth the money.
Pros
- Easily increase your swing speed
- Allows for progressive improvement
- Extensive video tuition available
Cons
- The amazon link just takes you to the men’s one, but there are other sets available for women, senior, and junior golfers
Best Golf Training Aids for Beginners Buying Guide
Ok, let’s get straight into it.
Different Types of Golf Training Aids
In the interest of brevity, we’re not going to talk about all the different types of golf training aids here, just some of the more common ones.
Golf Game Simulator
If you can’t always make it to your local golf course, then the next best thing has to be a golf game simulator that takes you through every step of the game. You get instant feedback, and you can “see” how far you’ve “hit the ball” and see if you’ve hit a hook or a slice.
It’s a good all round way to practice, covering your swings in different areas of the golf course, whether it’s those long distance shots at the beginning or close up putting shots nearer the hole.
Swing Trainers
Golf is all about the swing. If you learn to get the swing right every time, everything else just falls into place. If you don’t want to pay over the odds on a golf game stimulator, then a swing trainer is your next best option.
There are loads of different golf swing trainers on the market. A swing trainer can help you to create that repeatable golf swing for good solid contact with every swing. Tiger Woods would agree that it’s about consistency.
You can also work on your swing speed with a swing trainer, which in turn will improve your distance.
Putting Mats
Putting mats might make for a nice bit of fun at home with the family, but they don’t really imitate the nature of putting on the green.
A putting mat trains you to putt on that particular mat and doesn’t sufficiently mimic real game play.
Hitting Nets
Hitting nets are a nice idea for your backyard, so you can practice chipping without ever losing a golf ball. But in and of itself it doesn’t do too much to prepare you for a real game.
But that said, if used in conjunction with other golf training aids, it’s not quite a write off.
What to Look for in your Golf Training Aids
Fun Factor
The fun factor of a golf training aid is fundamental.
Improving your golf game can sometimes take time and effort – so if you get bored within a couple of minutes, then it’s not the product for you.
Effectiveness
We’re going to level with you here – there’s no way of really telling how helpful a golf training aid is going to be for you until you start using it.
Sure you can check out customer reviews to see how much a particular golf training aid has helped someone else, and that can give a reflection of the training aid’s usefulness. But everyone has different strengths in the game, and everyone learns to improve at a different rate.
Tailored to Your Specific Requirements
The real key to knowing what training aid to get is in knowing where you need to improve your game.
Putting mats for putting, obviously, and then swing aids for swing speed and tempo, or alignment rods for getting the angle just right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Orange Whip worth it?
We think the Orange Whip is great. It’s not quite as effective and fun as a golf game stimulator though, but it’s the next best thing to improve on your swing.
Sure it’s quite expensive but it only costs a little bit more than the next best alternative, which is the SKLZ Gold Flex we showed you earlier.
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