I don’t know about you but I just can’t get enough of golf accessories. No, I am not referring to matching glove and hat combinations (although that isn’t ALL bad). I’m referring to training aids and accessories that make things more convenient on the course among others. Over the past few months I’ve tried out a few things – some great, others confusing but each a kick to try out.

RoboCup

The RoboCup was voted the Best New Product at the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show. The origins of this ball return robot are rather interesting. Keith Foley, President and Co-founder of the product was watching an inventors show on The Golf Channel. He noticed a training aid that went into the hole that had strings around the hole. Soon, he realized how terribly convenient it would be to have your practice balls returned to you. After 2 years of development the product was introduced at the Show where it won the award. This I had to try.

Inside the box are instructions, caddy cord, and the RoboCup itself. I actually read the directions and saw that if I was using a full-depth cup I would need to put balls underneath so not to make the robot too deep. Why? Well, I don’t think the ball will come out of the cup if it is too deep. It needs to be an inch below the putting surface. Not only will the ball not come out but you might not get the RoboCup back out.

At any rate, I really enjoyed this product. The caddy cord was great, most of the time this directs the ball into the cup and the robot returns it to you. Only when I really belted the ball (oops) did it go over the cord and I had to go chasing after the ball. Otherwise, if I got the ball in or near the hole it came right back to me. This product lived up to the promises and made quite a scene at the practice green. A gentleman and his kids had a great time laughing at the ball popping back out at me. Of course, they had to try it out too. I was just excited not to be chasing my balls when I overshot the cup. Give this a try, you’ll like it!

Check it out in action here.

Rule Twenty-One

Wet towel. Dry pocket. This simple product is essentially a towel that you stick in your back pocket for a round and you always have something to clean your ball. How does this work? This is a waterproof exterior with a bamboo terry interior that is pre-folded with a plastic tab that fits into your back pocket. The terry is designed to stay wet for an entire round while the exterior keeps your clothing dry. It is intended for cleaning your ball while reading your putt or wiping off your club while away from your bag.

This is also a great addition to my collection of accessories. I’m not one to clean my ball too much during a round but I do like to keep my clubs sparkling. The wet surface did stay moist for all 18 holes and it never made a mess in my back pocket. After use, it can be put in the washing machine and then air dried. This item can also be customized for giveaways.

Check out the company website here.

ProStance

Good balance is a good thing to have for your golf swing. ProStance is supposed to help you balance while you practice. Yeah, if you’ve ever seen me swing a club you’d know that this is something that I really need to work on.

This product is a long tube that has a flat bottom that you put under your feet while you practice. It comes with a pump to inflate it as well. I’m not sure what I did wrong but I couldn’t get the pump to come off of the tube. It has the locking lever and I put it both ways but no luck. Someone else tried and still no luck.

Undaunted, I took it out back to give it a try. I put the pump behind me so that it wouldn’t interfere with my swing. After a few tries I got the hang of it. The key is to have the tube under your feet so that your heels or your toes are not up off the ground. It is a bit tricky at first but gets you to center yourself and stay balanced. Now I just have to get the pump to detach.

You can get more information about this product on their website.

Photo Ball Marker

This is a really fun product that is also a great gift. Simply go to the site, click on the icon to build your set, upload three pictures, select hat clip or divot tool, and you’re set. For only about $30 shipped you have a personalized ball marker with your picture or logo. The set comes with three markers. I got all of my pets on mine with the hat clip. I swear I started putting better with this as my marker! Not really but they made a good conversation piece and most everyone who saw my big, silly dog on my marker just had to know where I got it!

Get yours on this website.

Swing Reminders

This is another fun product that makes a cool gift. You get a box of tokens with simple reminders like “No 3 Putts” or “Don’t Hold Back”. Each token has a matching phrase on the back and you get a few sheets with helpful commentary for each of the tokens. Swing Reminders is the brain child of Scott Jessee, a Head Golf Professional in Arizona. He woke up in the middle of the night back in November of 2006 when the idea hit him.

The reminders have evolved since their inception and are broken down into categories, as explained in the accompanying hints. The box has 25 wooden tokens for a total of 50 tips. I find them to be great little reminders that yes, it’s only a game!

You can see more about Swing Reminders here.