No Train, No Gain

We editors have spent countless hours on the practice tee at PGA Tour events, and have watched dozens of pros use training aids in their practice routines. (In fact, some Tour players believe in them so much that they either own a part of the company or are more than happy to endorse them.) Golf training aids are the real deal, and the old stigma that they make a complicated game even more difficult is long gone. If you need proof, just check out the following pages. You’ll see several models that the best players in the world use.

Gyro Swing
The Gyroscope has been used in any number of devices, including compasses and Segways, so it was only a matter of time before it found its way into a golf club. The Gyro Swing features a gyroscope in its clubhead that helps keep the clubface on plane throughout the entire swing. It’s the perfect training aid for golfers who have never fully understood what it’s like to keep the clubface square through impact.
$219 www.sklz.com

SwingSetter Pro
David Leadbetter follows up his popular SwingSetter training aid with a new Pro version. Featuring all the teaching aids found in its previous incarnation, the SwingSetter Pro has one bonus—the ability to hit balls. “Students have told me how much they wish they could hit balls to get that feel for a fundamentally sound swing,” says Leadbetter. With the length and lie of a standard 6-iron, the Pro version comes fitted with a reminder grip, a “Plane Pointer” that provides visual awareness of the swing plane and an Adjustable Magnetic Ball that releases and “snaps” at proper release points.
$149 www.swingsetterpro.com

Refiner Hinged Training Putter
Wristy strokes be gone! Sklz’ new hinged training putter, The Refiner, helps users isolate their larger muscles and make solid, wrist-free  strokes. It also prevents “stabbing” at the ball and all but ensures a good tempo and a smooth, rhythmic stroke. The training aid comes with an integrated target line atop the puttherhead. It’s 35 inches long and is for righties only.
$79 www.sklz.com

EEZ-READ
Admit it, you’re not as flexible as Camilo Villegas. That’s okay, neither are we. When the Colombian Tour player reads greens, he gets so low to the ground that he has earned the nickname “Spiderman.” Thankfully, the makers of EEZ-READ (pronounced “Easy Read”) understand that we’re not all contortionists. Using technology found in bubble levels, the EEZ-READ works when placed on your putting line. Simply take notice of where the bubble moves and putt accordingly.
$15 www.eez-read.com