The best golf training aids – what’s the point?
There’s a common misconception that practice alone makes perfect. However, just because you practice doesn’t mean you’ll get better.
The more accurate statement is “practice makes permanent.” If you practice the wrong way, your mistakes become habits, and you won’t improve.
While it is true that a bad day at the golf course is better than a good day at work, I prefer to have good days at the golf course as well.
To have more good days, you of course have to practice – but that doesn’t mean going to the driving range and machine-gunning a bucket of balls with your driver. Instead, you need to accurately assess your game and address your most glaring issues.
Once you know your faults, this guide can help you choose the best golf training aids to remedy your specific problem.
We’ve covered all aspects of the game here, so no matter where you’re losing strokes, you can get them back with one or a combination of the best golf training aids listed here.
Let’s get into the swing of it!
How To Choose The Best Golf Training Aid For You
To choose the best golf training aid for you, we first must identify which area of your game you most want to improve. In this section, we’ll run you through the most common areas of fault in golf.
Full Swing
Your full swing should concentrate on three things;
- Accuracy
- Distance
- Accuracy
Yes, you read that correctly. Accuracy is twice as important as distance.
Once you have a good handle on your control, you can improve your distance, not the other way around. The best product to address this is a Golf Impact Bag.
It will expose your issues right where it matters most – at impact. You can use it anywhere, and it is an excellent tool for indoor use. Use it to address all your full and even half-swing shots since it focuses on your swing’s impact zone and not any other element.
Putting
For those who really want to lower their scores or cure your yips, this is where you can make a monstrous difference to your scorecard.
The two aspects to focus on in putting are;
- Weight
- Direction
So what’s the best golf training aid for these? The Pure2Improve Putting Mat 3.0 improves both weight and direction.
It’s very different than others and has five different methods to practice so you won’t get bored. Keep this in your living room so you can roll the rock while you’re watching The Golf Channel.
Bunker
This is the most under-practiced area of the game. As a golf instructor, I give less of these lessons than anything else, including putting.
Most people think they can just avoid bunkers while on the course instead of practicing. The truth is, you can use bunkers to your advantage.
A lie in the bunker is a lot more predictable than any lie out of the rough. You know how the ball will come out and can better control the distance.
You also have control over the spin in a bunker. The pros would prefer a greenside bunker to chipping out of the rough.
Yes, it’s a new technique, but the pros far outweigh the cons, and if you practice with the Eyeline Golf Bunker Buddy, you’ll progress much faster.
The Best Golf Training Aids: 5 Game-Changers
So without further ado, here are our picks of the 5 best golf training aids. Whatever the issue, you’ll find a golf aid solution here.
#1: PGA Tour Golf Impact Bag
– Focus on the critical aspect of your swing, IMPACT
– Perfect for indoor practice and training
For any full swing, your point of impact is the most important position to get correct. This is a bold statement since there are so many theories on how to swing, but every other full-swing golf training aid is meant to get you into a great position at impact.
So why not cut out the middleman and focus on what matters most, your position at impact.
It’s easy to use because all you need is a club and room to swing. This is great for indoor practice or those who must endure winter every year.
Simply take your half or three-quarter swing into the impact bag and hold your position there for a second and evaluate. Are your hands behind the ball? Is your weight still on your back foot? Did you lift your head and almost miss the bag completely?
For such a simple concept, this golf training aid will cure many different issues.
#2: Perfect Practice Laser Putting Glasses
– Helps with putting aim and alignment
– Focuses more on putts within 10 feet
There’s no such thing as a lousy golf aid for putting; any practice is good practice. However, to optimize your putting, this is one of the best golf training aids.
It’s simple in design, but the benefits are vast. In a nutshell, it will help you create a more repeatable putting stroke.
Wear these and ignore how you look. The laser will point straight down, and if it’s not on your ball, your eyes are not over the ball. This is a crucial aspect that I work on with all my students. Having your eyes over the ball is a big advantage in putting unavailable on any other shot.
By looking right down the line, your body and mind can more easily agree on the task at hand.
This golf training aid will also help you keep your head still and prevent you from peeking. While most people will tell you they don’t lift their head when putting, ask them to hit a few putts with this. The laser should still be pointing at the ground where the ball was until you hear it hit the bottom of the cup.
If you can forget that you’ll look like Kevin Costner in Tin Cup when he’s going through his slump, you will sink more putts after practicing with this.
#3: Orange Whip Full-Size Swing Trainer
– Control your tempo for more consistent ball-striking
– Adds yards to your shots by optimizing your club release
For those who swing a bit too fast–yes, I’m looking at you–this golf training aid could be a lifesaver. It’s designed to help you control your tempo and get the club’s shaft to kick at the right time.
If you ever wondered how easy swingers such as Ernie Els, Fred Couples, and Vijay Singh get so much distance, it’s because they are maximizing the whip of the shaft and timing their release perfectly.
The golf aid emphasizes that motion and feeling. The extra whippy shaft forces you to slow your rhythm and use your body more than your hands and arms.
It’s also a great way to warm up before a round if you don’t have time for a quick bucket. Take a couple of swings with this in the parking lot, and you give your body a great example of what a smooth tempo should feel like.
Conversely, if you have a rough back nine, then skip the halfway hut and take a couple of swings with this to set up your back nine. The change in pace is sometimes all your body needs to get back in sync with what your mind wants to do.
#4: Eyeline Golf Bunker Buddy
– Specifically designed to help get you out of greenside bunkers
– Helps with point of impact and proper swing path
There aren’t many bunker golf training aids on the market today, which is baffling. Most amateurs have a tough time with bunkers, while the pros will happily hit from them without a second thought.
To get you more confident while you’re at the beach, get yourself one of these.
The premise is simple: hit the sand, not the board. But this tool has another advantage as well. The attached post will also help keep your clubhead on the correct swing path to prevent shanks and bladed shots.
All you do is place your ball two inches inside the post. This gives you enough space to pass through the ball without hitting it. Behind the ball, there is plenty of room to hit the sand before the ball.
Most amateurs don’t take enough sand when they’re exiting a bunker. This training aid is usually an eye-opening experience for first-time users as their response is usually something like, “I have to take THAT much sand?” To which I reply, “Only if you want to get outta here.”
#5: Pure2Improve Putting Mat 3.0
– Will improve accuracy and distance control
– Five different ways to work on your putting so you won’t get bored
You can never practice your putting too much. I love this putting mat because of the variety it provides. All the shapes, lines, and dots serve a purpose.
Practice your aim and alignments just as easily as practicing your weight. With this mat, you’ll never get bored.
There are five different aspects to work on here. The first uses the red line in the middle to ensure you start every putt on a straight line.
The second aspect improves your weight control. Start at the hole and putt the ball to the different rectangles at each distance. Try to get your ball to stop between the two dots in the middle of each section.
The third will help train your mind’s eye always to see a straight line to the hole. Place your ball on one of the outside dots and putt to the hole, ignoring all other lines as you putt across them. Fourth is similar, but you can start from close to the hole and aim for one of the four quadrants to control your pace.
Lastly, use the lines at the far end to mimic a real-life 13-foot putt. If you work on the first four aspects, the fifth one will be a breeze for you.
Have More Specific Questions About Improving Your Game?
We’ve come to the end of our pick of the best golf training aids, but we’ve got heaps more beginners tips for you.
You can always check out our instruction section that specifically addresses game improvement. Have an area you want me to discuss? Drop a comment here, and we’ll get to work on it right away.
