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Review: The Pill

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Pros: The Pill is idiot-proof; you set it on its edge to practice your putting or on its side for chipping and bunker shots. If your stroke is off, The Pill won’t lie. It’s affordable, portable and easy to use.

Cons: The Pill looks like a fat Necco wafer or an Oreo cookie with dimples. Your friends will give you loads of grief for honing your stroke with a silver dollar pancake wannabe, even after you take their money.

Bottom Line: If you want to become a better putter, you have to develop a solid stroke and strong mental approach. One way to do this is to use smaller targets for your practice. Aim your ball at a smaller hole and the regulation one’s 4.25-inch diameter will seem wider. The Pill, which is roughly half the width of a golf ball, was built on the same concept. Roll it well and your stroke is in good shape. Cut across it and it will wobble or spin out.

Overview

The Pill is so simple that instructions aren’t necessary. All it requires is time. My suggestion is to work between The Pill and your favorite golf ball so that the stroke that you develop when training is subsequently transferred to the ball that you will use on the course.

Plain and simple, The Pill product measures face angle at impact. Too many amateur golfers get ball-bound when addressing putts. It doesn’t matter if the golfer is on the practice green or putting during the course of the round: it happens. The Pill has the potential to free golfers from that tendency.

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When practicing with this product, golfers can line up The Pill to a preselected target, and then align themselves to that target at address. A simpler way is to pick a target once you square yourself to The Pill…or better yet, don’t pick a target! Strike The Pill as a child would, without care for its destination. All that matters is your stroke and the reaction of the little disk.

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The Pill is sold on the company’s website. For the curious ones, a single Pill may be purchased for $12.95. A sleeve of Pills saves you a bit of cash at $39.95, while a dozen Pills (a chipping set) are available for $129.95. A Pro Set of Pills, including 50 of the little guys, sells for $497.50.

The Pill offers a series of videos on its website, for the benefit of the customer. There’s an introductory video that shows how to align the disc for one and two-Pill drills. Another video shows how an inside-out swing path causes an open club face and a pushed putt, as well as a quick fix for the problem, while the subsequent video reverses the problem and examines how a closed club face may be caused by an outside-in swing path, with pulled putt as the bottom line.

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There’s also commercial footage that shows the Pill’s ability to be used for chipping and sand play. The golfer lays The Pill flat, on the round side, then plays a routine recovery shot. The device either spins back-to-front (when contacted properly) or erratically in a sideways fashion, if the club face or swing path were not square to the target line.

Performance

The Pill promises to do one of two things: roll out or spin out. It does both when it should. The Pill is a modified golf ball and reacts to a putter-blade strike as any top-shelf orb would. If you have the time to use a chalk line or a set of pins and a string to visually lay out a straight putt, The Pill will serve you well as an alignment tool. If the line and The Pill appear to be misaligned, you’ll know that your eyes deceive you.

I made an effort to replicate the chipping and explosion shots practiced in the aforementioned video. You need to be quick with the eyes to look up and determine the spin, so it’s best to work with a partner (or a video camera) to monitor your path, face alignment and spin outcome.

Looks and Feel

The surface of The Pill is dimpled like a golf ball. It feels like a golf ball and is not distracting in any way. The Pill employs a Surlyn cover that offers a different feel from a premium tour quality ball; you’ll notice this most in the sound, which offers more of a click echo than heard with a urethane cover. For golfers who don’t use premium golf balls, the sound won’t present a problem.

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I struck The Pill with anser-style and high-MOI putters and found that the product sounded and felt as would an actual golf ball. Understand that it wasn’t similar to or like an actual golf ball, but as an actual golf ball would feel.

The Takeaway

The question the consumer must answer is, does the value of the The Pill justify its cost? I’d stake my reputation on the efficacy of The Pill, but I won’t give you a money-back guarantee. Could The Pill 2.0 have an alignment line on it, or would that be overkill? How about a Pill with a softer, tour-ball cover? There is room to grow for this teaching aid.

[wrx_buy_now oemlink=”Learn more from The Pill” oemtext=”http://www.thepillgolf.com” amazonlink=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JRS6Q68/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00JRS6Q68&linkCode=as2&tag=golfwrxcom-20&linkId=GTXFOG4ATOKKJPH4″]

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Ronald Montesano writes for GolfWRX.com from western New York. He dabbles in coaching golf and teaching Spanish, in addition to scribbling columns on all aspects of golf, from apparel to architecture, from equipment to travel. Follow Ronald on Twitter at @buffalogolfer.

23 Comments

23 Comments

  1. Mike

    Nov 24, 2016 at 3:31 am

    Or you can just buy on aliexpress for 3.58

  2. pugster22

    Sep 30, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    With that price, no wonder golf is on the decline!

  3. MIKE COLLINS

    Aug 20, 2014 at 6:55 am

    I have had a set of 3 practice putting balls for 40+ years. They are called the “Align Pure Strike”. They are similar to the Pill but there are 3 differing widths. You start with the thickest one and when you are able to roll this smoothly you graduate to the next size down and eventually to the skinny one.
    By the time you can putt the skinny one smoothly you will have an excellent putting stroke.
    I pull these out every now and then for a refresher course. I thoroughly recommend them but they have not been available for years. Maybe the Pill makers can do something similar.
    Mike.

    • Jorge

      Oct 1, 2014 at 9:08 am

      I utilized to have a wstbiee that I used to cover this, but it got spammed to death. You seem to be much better at weeding out the spam than I did! Dont give up!???:?? [1.9.22_1171]??????? ???? …?????????????: 0.0/5 (0 ??? ???????)???:?? [1.9.22_1171]?????????????: 0 (???? 0 ???)

  4. george kolb

    Jul 3, 2014 at 2:15 pm

    How much of a kickback are you getting from the Pill? I agree with the guy who said he would rather get a bag of oreo cookies. My wife saw this item being pushed on the Today Show, and not knowing anything about golf she purchased them. They were quick to take her money, but when I told her to return them, we have not heard from them to this date. My next letter is to the Today Show to have them explain why they have people push things on the show who don’t back them up. Good Customer SERVICE! I will do everything in social media to tell people not to waste their money.

  5. Gus

    Jun 15, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    I tried these at Golf Galaxy today and they are really neat. Came home and ordered a set of 3 from their website and used the Father’s Day discount code. They seem like a great training aid.

  6. Johnc

    May 24, 2014 at 1:02 pm

    I got a bottle, I mean sleeve of “Pills,”
    And I love them!
    The Pill shows you immediately what you stroke is doing.
    The mistakes are more emphasized than a regular ball, forcing you to hit it “square”. You can kinda flub up a real put and have a decent result with a real ball. But with the Pill, you practice to eliminate the mis-hit bs putts all together.
    Thanks for the Pills

  7. Brett

    Feb 17, 2014 at 3:51 pm

    If people really want to improve their game they would take the time to practice putting and chipping not just ripping the ball as long as they can then go out and buy things like this use it for 5 minutes question why they aren’t getting better then go back to the long ball

  8. KCCO

    Feb 9, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    I’m just baffled by their “deal” for a sleeve…..$.90 savings!?! That’s a bargain! LOL

    I’ll use a marker….doesn’t say anything about weight difference, and I like practicing with the cover feel of the ball I play.

    Conclusion, I’d rather buy $13 worth of Oreo’s

  9. Colm

    Feb 9, 2014 at 12:52 am

    Check out the “Putterwheel” which adds additional visual advantages with two inner red rings and a name line that will give you sighting and has a great feel …… may be what you are looking for
    I found the “real” ball marker that comes with it with two lines just brilliant when lining up my putts – one line good two lines better – I line it up and then forget it – and trust that line – then all i need to do is get the pace right …. I paid silly shipping charges from US to UK just to get my hands on one !

    website is here – http://www.putterwheel.com/

    • Coll

      Mar 10, 2014 at 2:49 pm

      Putter wheel is weighted plastic crap- not actually like a golf ball. So what does it teach you?

  10. John

    Feb 8, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    Why can’t I just take a crappy practice ball and cut it to look like this thing?

    • Ronald Montesano

      Feb 9, 2014 at 6:44 am

      I wouldn’t want to be remotely responsible for the damage you would do to your body and soul in the process! Is the avoidance/prevention physical harm not worth the price of The Pill?

      Thanks for the comment, John. Keep reading and commenting.

  11. Ronald Montesano

    Feb 8, 2014 at 4:36 pm

    A) Not like the Birdie Ball. The BB is an amazing product. I love it.

    B) Not covered by insurance, lad.

    C) Paul, the line rotates too quickly to be seen. This disk veers sideways when mishit, a more obvious flaw-revealer.

  12. paul

    Feb 8, 2014 at 12:48 am

    I think its a bit silly. I am sure a ball with a line is fine. Or a lesson with a pro is probably enough.

  13. Tony

    Feb 7, 2014 at 3:06 pm

    I travel alot and these are great to practice the stroke with while in hotel rooms.

  14. Jeremy

    Feb 7, 2014 at 11:25 am

    My insurance covers it. Low co-pay too.

  15. tbowles411

    Feb 7, 2014 at 10:33 am

    Well, heck. It’s worth a shot. My putting is terrible!

  16. Ach Underhill

    Feb 7, 2014 at 10:20 am

    Does this perform like the Birdie Ball? I bought my brother a pack of the Birdie Balls (4) for like $12 for Christmas, and they are awesome.

  17. MattyTeaks

    Feb 7, 2014 at 10:16 am

    “a single Pill may be purchased for $12.95. A sleeve of Pills saves you a bit of cash at $39.95”

    $39.95 / 3 = $13.32

    That’s not exactly saving a bit of cash. Sure it’s not $35.95?

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Accessory Reviews

Insider photos from Tiger Woods’ launch event for his new “Sun Day Red” apparel line

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On Monday evening, inside the swanky, second-story “Coach House” event center in the Palisades Village, just minutes down the road from the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, Tiger Woods and TaylorMade officially announced their new apparel/footwear/accessory line, called “Sun Day Red.”

The Sun Day Red website officially launched on Monday night during the event, and the products are set to go on sale starting May 1.

The “Sun Day Red,” or “SDR” name will be self-explanatory for most golf fans, since he’s been wearing a victory-red shirt on Sunday’s for his entire professional career, but Woods explained the meaning of Sun Day Red at the launch event:

“It started with mom. Mom thought – being a Capricorn – that my power color was red, so I wore red as a junior golfer and I won some tournaments. Lo and behold, I go to a university that is red; Stanford is red. We wore red on the final day of every single tournament, and then every single tournament I’ve played as a professional I’ve worn red. It’s just become synonymous with me.”

The Sunday Red outfit has worked to perfection for his 82 PGA Tour victories, including 15 majors, so why not make an entire apparel line based on the career-long superstition?

As I learned at Monday’s launch event, the new Sun Day Red line includes much more than just clothing. To go along with a slew of different golf shirt designs and colorways, there were also windbreakers, hoodies, shoes, hats, headcovers, ball markers and gloves on display.

The upscale event was hosted by sports media personality Erin Andrews, with special guests David Abeles (CEO of TaylorMade) and Tiger Woods himself.

As explained by Abeles, the Sun Day Red brand is an independently-run business under the TaylorMade umbrella, and is based in San Clemente, California (rather than Carlsbad, where TaylorMade headquarters is located), and it’s run by a newly-formed, independent group. Brad Blackinship, formerly of Quiksilver and RVCA, is the appointed president of the new brand.

As for the logo itself, obviously, it’s made to look like a Tiger (the animal), and is comprised of 15 tiger stripes, which correspond with Woods’ 15 major championships. While the logo may need a 16th stripe if Woods adds a major trophy to his collection, it makes perfect sense for the time being.

The golf/lifestyle line is meant to combine premium precision and athletic comfort, while still having plenty of wearability and style off the course. Like Woods said on stage at the event, he wants to be able to go right from the course to dinner wearing Sun Day Red, and that was exactly the aesthetic on display at the event on Monday.

Following the official announcement from Woods and Abeles, they revealed multiple pieces of clothing, accessories and footwear for the event-goers to ogle (and photograph). Check out a selection of product/event photos below, or head over to our @GolfWRX Instagram page for video coverage…OR, head into our GolfWRX Forums for even more photos and member discussion.

Enjoy this exclusive look at Tiger Woods’ new Sun Day Red apparel lineup below.

See more photos from the Sun Day Red launch event here

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Motocaddy M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC electric cart review

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I have been thinking about electric golf push carts, or trollies, ever since I started playing in my league seven years ago.

Motocaddy has been making high-quality electric, and non-electric, carts since 2004 and has a couple of great options for the golfer who loves to walk. Motocaddy was nice enough to get their M7 Remote and M5 GPS DHC in my hands to try out on the course for a few weeks.

I have had a lot of people stop me to ask about the carts, and the one thing I keep telling them is that these carts are just flat out fun to use on the course.

Motocaddy M7 Remote

The M7 Remote was very easy to get set up right out of the box. All you have to do is charge the battery, install the wheels, and you are pretty much ready to go. The M7 folds up pretty small, just a little larger than the 3-wheel pushcart that I had been using for years. Getting it to the course should be no problem with just about any trunk space. Now, the one downside to an electric cart is the weight when moving it around, and both carts come in at around 35 pounds each. Even with that extra weight, I didn’t have much trouble lifting them in and out of the back of a pickup.

The M7 unfolds quickly with the flick of two levers and extends the front wheels automatically. Once unfolded, you drop in the battery, plug it in, and secure your bag. If you own a Motocaddy bag, they have developed a really nice system called EasiLock that involves two metal studs that fit into the bottom of the cart. This system also includes a molded base that prevents the bag from rotating at all, even on the roughest terrain. You can still use the M7 with almost any other golf bag as it includes elastic straps that wrap around the top and bottom of the bag.

As soon as you plug in the battery the LCD screen comes to life and you are ready to go. You can use the M7 without the remote by using the dial on the handle to control the starting, stopping, and speed. But the M7 has a remote that is activated by a simple press of the power button to get going. The remote is very simple with just five buttons to control where the M7 goes.

Getting a feel for the M7 takes no time at all and by the time you drive it from your car to the 1st tee you will be in complete, and confident, control of the cart. You simply press the “+” button to start moving forward and the cart takes off gently without any rattling of your clubs, and you can press that same button again to increase the speed. The cart will go from a slow crawl, for bumpy or tight areas, too, as fast as I could run with just a few presses of the button. The big red “stop” button in the center stops the cart immediately, and when stopped it is locked in place, even on steep hills. You don’t have to worry about remembering to set the brakes or anything because it is done automatically.

Steering is just as easy: simply press the right or left button to turn the cart. Small, quick presses will just slightly adjust the cart as it moves down the fairway while a long hold of the button can make it turn on a dime to the right or left.

Almost everyone asked me how stable the cart was and if it would tip over. I can proudly say that it has stayed upright even on some unseen bumps at maximum speed. Side hills, ruts, and even curbs are handled with ease with the help of the small rear wheel.

I really enjoy strolling down the fairway with nothing but the M7’s remote in my hand — it just makes golfing more fun!

Motocaddy M5 GPS DHC

After using the M7 and its fancy remote, I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t like not having it. But to be honest the M5 was just as fun to use, but for a different reason.

As the name suggests, the M5 has a built-in GPS with 40,000 courses preloaded into it. The screen is a good size, pretty responsive to the touch, and easy to read in direct sunlight. Having the GPS directly on the cart is great, you drive up to your ball and immediately have yardage to the front, back, and center of the green as well as bunkers and hazards. You can easily toggle between screens on the GPS and it offers a couple of different views to help navigate the hole. The M5 can also keep score and let you know shot distances right on the screen. Motocaddy even includes nice little touches like a screen protecter kit to ensure durability.

Driving the M5 is just as easy as the M7 with using the dial on the handle. And speaking of the handle, the grips have a great tacky rubber that grips well even in hot and humid conditions. To start the M5 you just press the dial down and the cart will gently start down the fairway. You can turn the dial to increase or decrease the speed — I found between 5-6 to be the most comfortable for me. But the speed can go up to a very fast pace if you are looking to set a record for fastest round of the day.

As you walk down the fairway, or rough, stopping the cart is as simple as pressing he dial again. When stopped the M5 engages a parking brake automatically so you don’t have to worry about it running down a hill without your approval. The M5 has tons of power to go up just about any hill and the Down Hill Control (DHC) keeps the speed consistent even when going down a steep decent.

Since the M5 has so much power, and it is a little heavy, I thought steering would be a little bit of a challenge. It wasn’t, at all. Guiding the M5 took very little effort and slight adjustments going down the fairway were very easy. Really tight turns took a slight bit more effort as the torque can want to go forward a little more than turn. Again, once you get the M5 from the car to the first tee, you will be a master at driving it.

Overall, Motocaddy has created two great carts that provide additional enjoyment to walking your favorite 9 or 18. Having the ability to walk without carrying or pushing your bag, clubs, and whatever else goes with you. I like them so much that it is going to be hard to get the M7’s remote out of my hands when I go play!

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Accessory Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Crossrope weighted jump rope & app

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An 18-hole round of golf averages out to just under five miles of walking, which on its own is a good workout. Once you throw in some potential uphill trekking you get some serious cardio too, but if you all looking for a quick workout between rounds of golf look no further than Crossrope.

Crossrope – The details

Crossrope is a system of the weighted jump rope that allows you to quickly switch the weight of the ropes you are using to boost your workout—they range from 1/4 lbs all the way up to 2 lbs depending on the kit you start out with. There is an accompanying app that helps you go through multiple workout routines and is available free, or you can upgrade to the entire library of workout routines along with more workout tracking options.

This is NOT your middle school jump rope

The handles are heavy duty and feature precision bearings to allow the rope to move smoothly around as you go through a routine. They are also ergonomic and fit into your hand naturally, which making gripping easy, something that is really nice when you’re swinging a 2 lbs coated steel cable around. The handles also come with a fast clip system to make changing cables depending on your selected workout easier too.

The ropes themselves are made from braided steel and are almost impossible to tangle, allowing them to be easily transported and stored when not in use. All in you are getting a premium piece of workout equipment that is effective and easy to store—hard to same the same thing about a treadmill.

When it comes to a workout, skipping rope is one of the most effective cardio workouts you can do, and with Crossrope, you can get both cardio and low impact weight training when using the heaviest ropes, and follow along with the guided workouts.

As someone that hadn’t used a jump rope in over a decade, starting out lighter was a nice way to ease in before moving up, and I was pleasantly surprised how easy and fun some of the workouts in the app were. If you are looking for a fun way to add something to your workouts, or you just want to try something new to get you into golf course walking shape, this could be right up your alley. To learn more check out crossrope.com

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