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Pre-Season Special
Get Your Game in Shape for 2008
Equipment and gadget expert Stina Sternberg finds 12 cool tools for off-course training.
By Stina Sternberg
Additional reporting by Ashley Mayo
March/April 2008
- Swing Aids
- Cold weather shouldn't keep you from shaking the rust off that swing. These tools will get you ready for the season's first tee time.
- The Forearm Flexor
What It Does: Uses resistance to build wrist and forearm strength, both crucial to maximizing distance and making solid ball contact. Also trains you to fully hinge your wrists in the backswing without breaking down at the top?a common problem. $25; 800-824-4279.
Stina's Take: "If you're like me, your back-swing is long and loose and you don't take much of a divot. Ten minutes' work with the Forearm Flexor three times a week can help fix both problems."
- The Hillshot Golf Trainer
What It Does: It allows you to practice hitting balls from uphill lies, downhill lies and every possible sidehill lie. Set it up on the driving range or in your backyard?just turn the mat to the angle you want to try next. Brilliant. $800; 877-445-5746.
- The Gyro Swing Trainer
What It Does: A motor-driven high-speed rotor in the head creates gyroscopic resistance that you'll feel if you take the club back off plane. It also helps you release at the proper time. $219; 858-675-3350.
Stina's Take: "The most surprising swing trainer you'll ever try. The minute you turn it on and start swinging the club with the gyroscope spinning, you're put on a correct path that you can't easily break away from."
- The Chipping Ladder
What It Does: One of the few chipping aids on the market; sets up easily next to any practice green or in your backyard. Practice controlling your ball's trajectory by chipping through the spaces between the bars. $90; 800-824-4279.
Stina's Take: "This chipping aid has multiple benefits: It makes chipping practice more fun; it forces you to use different clubs and shot shapes to get through the different targets; and it helps you focus on the landing area rather than the hole."
- Betterswing by Flexor
What It Does: A comprehensive work-out system that uses golf-specific exercises performed on unstable surfaces such as inflat-able balance discs and an exercise ball. It strengthens the core while honing balance, a vital component many golfers lack. $159; 203-656-4461.
Stina's Take: "I don't have a lot of time to work out, but 10 minutes on the Betterswing before a round helps me stay balanced and gain extra distance."
- The Smart Path
What It Does: This aid helps you work on three things at once: If you're off plane, you'll hit the red or yellow posts; the white lines visually indicate your club-face position at impact; and if you release the club too early, you'll hit the plastic surface rather than scuff the turf. $130; 800-813-6897.
Stina's Take: "A low-impact, immediate-feedback, full-swing aid that shows you right away what you're doing wrong and helps you build the correct muscle memory. Who could ask for more?"
- The Easy Grip
What It Does: Performs the same function as a molded grip?allowing you to feel the correct position your hands should take on the club. Just place the plastic pieces on your existing club as indicated and practice away. $12 for three; 800-969-3764.
Stina's Take: "Most problems on the course can be linked directly to the basics: grip, stance and/or alignment. In most cases, a faulty grip is the biggest culprit. Practicing with the Easy Grip hones the proper grip position."
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