Golf Training Aids Beneficial Only When Used Properly
Training aids can make learning golf easier and more fun for women, says Kay McMahon, LPGA National Teacher of the Year and an instructor at Lakes Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif.
“Many of my women students take training aids home with them to practice what they have learned,” McMahon said.
McMahon offered cautions, however, to women looking for an aid.
First, she said, don’t expect quick fixes or perfection. Also, make sure the training aid works on the part of your swing that you want to improve. And, remember, there is no one aid that can fix or develop every aspect of your golf swing.
She suggested that golfers consult an instructor to make sure they are using training aids properly.
“The whole idea behind using ‘toys and tools’ is that people learn faster when they can relate what they’re learning to senses they already know,” McMahon said.
She added that golfers learn in three ways: visually (seeing), auditorily (hearing) and kinesthetically (feeling). She advised female golfers to look for devices that reinforce these senses.
As an example, McMahon demonstrated the “Smooth Stroke,” a training device that uses a Velcro wrist wrap and grip adaptor to help train a golfer’s hands to work together during short shots. Unnecessary movement in the hands and wrist results in the tabs tearing apart.
“This product offers golfers training that is auditory, because you can hear it breaking away; visual, because you can see it broken; and kinesthetic, because you can feel the tug,” she explained.
Another training aid that gives you a “feel” for a correct golf swing is called the Medicus. The Medicus is a hinged club that breaks if your takeaway is too fast, jerky or off the swing plane.
When used correctly, McMahon said the Medicus can teach you clubface position, swing plane as well as rhythm and tempo.
McMahon named the Excelerator by Sports Revolution as one of the most entertaining training tools on the market. Used as an impact drill to increase clubhead speed and to teach square impact, the product consists of a round “clubhead” with a Velcro back that sticks to a taut, flat-backed cloth target, which opens like a wind sock when struck. The drill forces you to accelerate through the ball, teaching the feel of a true striking motion when the clubhead collides against the target and moves past it.
McMahon pointed out that finding a suitable training aid takes time and research. But she said many teaching centers and golf schools have access to a variety of aids. So, go ahead, give them a try.