Since its inception golf has been a challenging game. Whether you’re battling an opponent, the course, the elements or your own self, there are seemingly countless obstacles to overcome to play your best. One of hardest pieces of golf, if not the hardest, to perfect is undoubtedly the golf swing.
With so many variables and ways to error, the golf swing is a tough and tricky thing to master. Even more, because of the varying sizes, shapes, ages and athletic abilities of improving golfers, teaching the proper golf swing is perhaps harder.
Fortunately, though, there are numerous training options for golfers seeking to improve their golf swings. While many golf swing training aids can provide value to the improving golfer, there are even more that don’t quite live up to their promises. We dive into four of the most popular swing trainers available today to see if they can actually help your game.
Orange Whip
Ranked the No. 1 golf training aid by PGA.com, the Orange Whip swing trainer helps golfers create a better, more athletic golf swing. Orange Whip’s line of products assist in the expedited creation of a foundationally sound and athletic golf swing by offering immediate feedback on rhythm, balance, tempo and timing.
The Orange Whip is a swing aid roughly the length of a standard golf driver. The grip end of the trainer is gripped like a typical golf club with a weighted orange ball where the club head would sit. Connecting the two is an extremely flexible shaft that helps offer the immediate feedback mentioned above.
According to Orange Whip, the design combines a counterweighting system and the flexible shaft to promote a natural golf swing motion unique to each golfer using the product. Orange Whip offers a full line of products, including regular, mid, compact, junior and putter-length trainers.
According to 2007 PGA National Teacher of the Year Jim Hardy, the Orange Whip trainer does, in fact, work. He applauds its ability to build a one-plane swing and get golfers turning their hips and core to generate power.
Speed Stik
Built to add speed to a golfer’s swing, the Speed Stik is a simple tool that does just that — while also adding distance thanks to the increased swing speed!
Like the Orange Whip, the Speed Stik is designed to offer immediate feedback to help accelerate the learning process. To accomplish this, the Speed Stik features a speed gauge that offers the speed of your swing. To use the speed gauge, simply swing the Speed Stik and you’ll receive miles-per-hour data immediately.
Many of the game’s biggest names have used the Speed Stik to add speed to their own swings. PGA Tour star Vijay Singh reportedly gained 10 miles per hour on his swing. Legend Arnold Palmer used the Speed Stik and gave one to his grandson to add speed to his swing.
Blast Golf
Different than your typical golf swing trainers, Blast Golf is a combined sensor-app system that provides a number of statistics after just one swing.
The Blast system works by adding a single sensor to your club and pairing it with the Blast Golf 360 app. The system records and displays info on backswing time, downswing time, total swing time, swing tempo, swing speed, blast factor, power index, efficiency index, velocity index and energy transfer.
Differently from Zepp Golf, one of the first-to-market mobile swing analyzers, Blast Golf captures and displays in true video format. The app captures and stores video with relevant data to support, guide and help you build your swing.
Impact Snap
Named best training aid by Golf Digest, Impact Snap is a simple — yet very effective — training tool. The Impact Snap is a golf grip with a ball extending from the grip end. By making the ball “snap” in the right place and rest against your back forearm, you’re on your way to a fundamentally sound golf swing.
It’s that simple.
Following the trends of the other swing trainers mentioned in this article, the Impact Snap provides instant feedback to help you make small but valuable tweaks in your swing. The sound and feel analysis provided immediately by Impact Snap make it an invaluable and easy-to-use tool for any golfer hoping to improve their swing.
— Ben Larsen