Equipment

Alignment Pro: The Hottest New Training Aid on the PGA Tour

Published

7 years ago

Dec 23, 2016

Each year, golf equipment companies spends millions of dollars trying to get their new products in the hands of the best golfers of in the world. Success is often measured in getting just a few players to try a product. Getting one of them to use your product during a tournament? A monumental success.

So how did a relatively unknown Class-A PGA Professional from Utah get his product in the hands of more than 130 PGA Tour players with almost no investment? He had an idea to improve a product that nearly all of them use and all function basically the same: an alignment stick.

One day, Matt Baird was giving a lesson at Riverside Country Club in Provo, Utah, and a student asked him to explain the arc of the putting stroke. Baird had recently watched a YouTube video where another instructor was explaining how the putter head arcs during the stroke, but the shaft moves in a straight line. The instructor used a practice station made up of a driver shaft and two chairs to demonstrate the concept.

Baird says that got him thinking, “Who’s going to want to take two chairs on the putting green?” He had the idea to create a similar practice station with a modified alignment stick. If two hinges were added to its construction, it could function just like the two chairs and driver shaft. He mentioned the idea to the father of one of his students, who he knew had a friend who was an engineer.

Five months later, Baird had a functioning prototype, and soon after, a PGA Tour player who wanted it. Zac Blair was on the putting green with Baird at Riverside as Baird was practicing with his hinged alignment stick. At the time, Blair was using a large piece of wood as a putting training aid. Blair immediately saw the benefit of the hinged alignment stick, Baird says, and asked Baird if he could have it. Of course, Baird agreed, and when Blair took it to the PGA Tour players started asking him about his new training aid.

Shortly after, Baird received a call from PGA Tour equipment rep Mark Gerent, who said he could get the product into the hands of more PGA Tour players. Baird had 43 units made in the product’s first manufacturing run, each of which went to the PGA Tour and eventually home with a Tour player. The next 50 units, same story.

Tiger Woods with an Alignment Pro in his bag in the final round of the 2016 Hero World Challenge.

Tiger Woods had an Alignment Pro in his bag during the final round of the 2016 Hero World Challenge.

Baird estimates that more than three dozen PGA Tour players are regularly using his product, which because of its two-hinge design, can do things that fixed alignment sticks simply can’t, both in putting and full-swing practice.

“There are a lot of guys using it in creative ways that I haven’t even thought of,” Baird says. “You can use it to help you with just about any problem you’re having.”

Baird’s company, Alignment Pro, sells the hinged alignment sticks for $39.99 on his website, along with black or white leather sleeves ($19.99) that are meant to protect golfers and their clubs from the Alignment Pro’s pointed ends. Notable users of the product include Tiger Woods, who had an Alignment Pro in his bag when he made his return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge, as well as 2016 U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson, Jim Furky and K.J. Choi.

Baird says the Alignment Pro will be available in select Dick’s Sporting Goods stores starting in mid-January.

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21 Comments

JIM IMRIE

Jan 11, 2017 at 4:22 pm

I use three simple things: 1. Two long tees with a heavy carpet thread 2. Just the heavy thread on the putting surface 3. Equilateral triangle with the thread for alignment.

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Furky?.

Jan 5, 2017 at 3:21 pm

Shoot, if Jim Furky is using one, I want one.

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Matt

Jan 4, 2017 at 9:44 am

and it aerates your green free of charge, leaving annoying holes for the rest of us to deal with.

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Mad-Mex

Jan 1, 2017 at 10:46 pm

How in the world did this get 238 likes?!?!?! Seriously,,,

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JR

Dec 24, 2016 at 5:31 am

Better cover that tip or else its gonna gouge your 500 dollar driver.

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Good wood

Dec 24, 2016 at 12:19 am

A string attached to some sticks=$0

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Good wood

Dec 24, 2016 at 12:15 am

Dave pelz has some metal sticks with string attached to them for $20. Save your money people!

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Philip

Dec 23, 2016 at 5:07 pm

I think I’ll just go with two thin knitting needles and some twine. Placing one needle after the hole.

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Gary

Dec 23, 2016 at 1:56 pm

Looks like something Tin Cup would use.

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Sam

Dec 23, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Another item for the joy of golf…what ever works and it is toys for the avid golfer…just like new drivers every year or two, we got to have something to be excited about, after all something has to rank second to the thrill of making the tee time…..

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Jason

Dec 23, 2016 at 11:44 am

Yeah, so after watching this….what can I use this for? This commercial is very underwhelming. I’m sure I could think some something to use it for, but this commercial doesn’t do a good job explaining that.

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Gregory M Platupe

Dec 23, 2016 at 11:36 am

That’s awesome Matt. Glad to see you’ll doing well. I knew Matt in Los Angeles, we all knew each other through certain friends. Ben Krug and Scott from the The hunt golf club

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KV

Dec 23, 2016 at 11:22 am

This apparently doubles as a green aerator. Why such a large pin? I’m not sure my superintendent is going to be pleased with the large punch marks.

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- Double Mocha Man
  
  Dec 23, 2016 at 12:49 pm
  
  I know Scotty, my greens superintendent, would be “all over me” if I stuck that thing into the practice putting green!
  
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RAT

Dec 23, 2016 at 11:03 am

Putting is not all mechanical , this nor any other thing will help as much as learning to read the greens have feel with touch in putting the ball. It’s like holding an egg with just the right amount of pressure ,using your minds eye along with your dominate eye . Then be calm and confident ! If you have doubt in anything you do there is a greater chance that it will not be the outcome you desire.
The other in the mechanical – is the putter the correct length for you. Also does it have the eye appeal that gives you confidence . Just because the putter cost you +300 bucks doesn’t mean it’s right for you. I had a lot of different style and priced putters from cheap to very expensive and I finally put away my ego and decided that I would play the putter that gets me the best results .Guess you know it wasn’t the Scotty and Bett. etc. The one I use is producing great results. I play a mallet style 34″ Cheap in cost , you can’t argue with results. I really like beating those expensive putter guys . Taking there money is great and it kills them when my non +300 dollar putter is knocking them in the cup. Its not an image thing, it’s WINNING!

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Jax

Dec 23, 2016 at 10:31 am

If you have any style at all you will dump your crappy Home Depot sticks and replace it with these sick alignment pros. I love these sticks

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- Egor
  
  Dec 23, 2016 at 4:45 pm
  
  Sarcasm right? The “pros” must have straighter lines right.
  
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Guia

Dec 23, 2016 at 10:07 am

Curious if the putter actually connects/touches the alignment stick, or does not touch and is free wheeling?

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Egor

Dec 23, 2016 at 9:56 am

My driveway markers from Lowe’s do pretty good for $4

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- BIG STU
  
  Jan 4, 2017 at 1:43 pm
  
  Mine were $2.50 at Home depot
  
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Weekend Duffer

Dec 23, 2016 at 9:49 am

Pretty cool. I think I will stick with my $2 driveway markers though.

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/16/24): LAB DF3 green head putter

Published

49 mins ago

Apr 16, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a LAB DF3 green head putter.

From the seller: (@Lvanwheeler1): “LAB DF3 green head with white Accra shaft. 35 inches and 69 lie angle. Is brand new and hasn’t been taken outside of the house except for the pics I took in the yard. A bit over retail but this one is hand and will be to you in a matter of days. $650 and this one is firm.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: LAB DF3 green head putter

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Whats in the Bag

Max Homa WITB 2024 (April)

Published

19 hours ago

Apr 15, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Max Homa what’s in the bag accurate as of the Masters.

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red 80 TX

Check out more in-hand photos of Max Homa’s WITB in the forums.

5-wood: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees @19.25, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 9 TX

Irons: Titleist T100S (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 620 (6-9)
Shafts: KBS $ Taper 130 (4-9)

Check out more in-hand photos of Max Homa’s WITB in the forums.

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 50-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60)
Shafts: KBS $ Taper 130 (46) KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X (50, 56), KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 125 X (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5.5 Proto