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Review: Gabe Golf Swing Trainer

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Pros: No setup required. The Gabe Golf Swing Trainer is simple, and you can hit golf balls with it. It can make drastic improvements to your swing tempo and transition.

Cons: At $150 for one club, it’s an expensive training aid. Only available in a 7-iron and sand wedge.

Who it’s for: Golfers with transition issues in their downswing, and any golfer looking to load more on their right side in the backswing.

The Review

The Gabe Golf Swing Trainer has truth serum built in at two points:

  1. The marble in the shaft.
  2. The flight of the golf ball.

For most of golfers, maintenance in bite size portions is always a good thing, and the Gabe Golf Swing Trainer provides the perfect tool for a golfer to properly ingrain important swing fundamentals.

If you keep up with the weekly Tour photos on GolfWRX, then you know how popular the the training aid has become with the best players in the world. The first time I saw the club while trolling on Instagram, I thought it was quite weird looking… and naturally I wanted to give it a try. I’m just that kind of guy, since I don’t play all that much, I’m looking for something I can swing in my living room while I watch Seinfeld re-runs. And with a club that’s in the bag of so many Tour players, I figured there had to be some serious benefits to the product.

As I’ve since found out, the club itself has a metal marble in the shaft that when properly loaded falls from the head to the grip, loading like a bullet in a gun. When the player initiates a proper downswing, the marble takes the ride to a nice click when the club is released.

The beautiful thing about Gabe Golf Swing Trainer is the instant feedback. The legendary Medicus Swing Trainer had this in certain ways, and while I wasn’t a huge fan of it, the feedback was jarring and undeniably positive. If you perform a swing correctly with the Gabe Golf Swing Trainer, the results are cut and dry, too.

Here’s how it works.

It should be of no surprise that a popular swing trainer on the PGA Tour is developed by a two-time PGA Tour champion, Gabriel “Gabe” Hjertstedt, especially when you know a bit about the man himself. Hjertstedt first came onto my radar when he won the BC Open in 1997, and followed that up a couple years later with a win in Tucson. As it turned out, we were working with the same swing instructor, and met face-to-face for the first time after his win in Tucson.

Hjertstedt stresses simplicity in golf instruction, so it’s no wonder he came up with the idea for such a simple product. In his words, here’s how it happened.

“It just started as a shower idea,” Hjertstedt said. “I was getting frustrated teaching some of my clients who couldn’t make a proper backswing. They were always over-swinging. I needed to find a way to slow them down a little, give them enough time to load up and make a proper swing. Now afterward, having used it on myself and students for almost two years, I am now starting to understand the benefits even more. It’s changing the way people are playing golf. People that used to cut the ball are now drawing the ball. The feedback is amazing.”

And obviously, the Tour feedback has been amazing as well.

“Charley Hoffman was the first guy that really that got it, he went on to win a couple of weeks after. Danny Lee the same shortly after.”

After using the product for a few weeks, I believe in its simplicity and that you can’t cheat with it. The feedback is as cut and dry as hitting an old blade; you either wait for the marble or you don’t. You either hit it properly and the ball goes where you are looking, or you don’t.

My swing fault is a handsy, inside takeaway followed by an across-the-line position at the top. If my timing is good I hit it where I’m aiming, but if not, the club gets stuck and the ball could go anywhere. After making 20 swings with the Gabe Golf Swing Trainer, I was able to get the club on-plane, and from a correct position at the top of the swing, I could identify what needed to be done on the way down to hit good shots. Video and Trackman can’t provide this kind of feedback because FEEL is what better players are ultimately searching for.

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As far as the product itself, the training aid was crafted with attention to detail. It comes with a KBS Tour shaft, a hand-forged head from a company in Texas and can be built to your specs. Most training aids are not customized to spec, and I believe this is a vital part in the product’s effectiveness. The black forged head certainly has that “cool factor,” and with a playable sole, the turf interaction is actually quite similar to any top iron head on the market. If I were to compare it with an OEM club, it would probably be the Ping S55 as far as address and turf interaction.

So if you’re struggling with transition, tempo, plane or loading in the backswing, and like to hit real golf balls with your swing aids, there’s just no reason to not give this club a shot… unless the $150 is too steep or unjustifiable, which I can understand.

I would 100 percent recommend the Gabe Golf Swing Trainer to better golfers (10-handicap or less) and would encourage the higher-handicappers to use it as a compliment to proper instruction from a local professional.

To learn more about the Gabe Golf Swing Trainer visit www.GabeGolf.com

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21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. Philip

    Jan 11, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    I have a sand filled 7i I picked up on sale a while ago … I’ll have to try it out again and see if I can use it to help myself

  2. Smitty

    Oct 13, 2016 at 10:41 am

    Just placed an order for the 7 iron. Over-swinging is a huge issue I have in my back swing and I think this is exactly what I’ve been looking for, similar to the student Gabe mentioned.

  3. Desmond

    Oct 8, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    Mine arrived yesterday — best swing aid ever for smoothing out the transition. Even though the shaft was much heavier than I use in my gamers, my best swings with this club were as long as my gamers – the gamers were a heckuva lot more consistent. Impressed.

    • Desmond

      Oct 28, 2016 at 9:07 am

      Have used the Gabe Golf Trainer for 3 weeks. For me, it helped start the downswing with my lower body while I waited at the top. It als helps you take the club back more vertical so you shallow it out in the transition, and smooths out tempo. Enjoy.

      • Desmond

        Nov 7, 2016 at 3:31 pm

        Whomever made that black finish did a great job – a month and no sign of wear.

  4. BigBoy

    Oct 5, 2016 at 9:46 am

    The coitus interuptus club.

  5. Jeffrey Purtell

    Oct 4, 2016 at 2:55 am

    Gimmick number 394876543897546548376543987654387543654398756486598765897654654987765987654789654765498659865489657479865659865798657659865798657. keep em coming.

    • Norm StCyr

      Dec 2, 2016 at 8:59 am

      Great feedback Jeff! Your insight will probably help many golfers trying to improve their swing.

  6. Eric M.

    Oct 3, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    How hard is it to put a ball bearing (or marble) in the shaft and re-grip an old club? That’s what I did after seeing the Impact-Snap aid. I also added a coat hanger with a foam practice ball on the end of the grip and positioned it to hit my forearm for forward shaft lean at impact. Total cost $10.

  7. B

    Oct 3, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    The head is just a Maltby DBM rebranded

    • Desmond

      Oct 4, 2016 at 2:22 am

      Makes sense since they ship from GolfWorks

  8. Sceptical smizzle

    Oct 3, 2016 at 10:43 am

    So it’s a marble inside a golf shaft?
    Not convinced I want a pause like Maryama, he seems to get out of sequence quite often.

    • Desmond

      Oct 4, 2016 at 2:21 am

      I think the long pause is one technique; they also have the short pause where you swing, when you hear the bearing beginning to move down the shaft.

  9. Desmond

    Oct 3, 2016 at 9:10 am

    On the website, it does not say anything about the shaft or specs – KBS Tour What? – Tour 90 R Flex? No warranty – the site needs more information.

  10. Mark

    Oct 3, 2016 at 1:57 am

    What is a “hand-forged head”? I think it is impossible for hand strength alone to be able to pound a billet in a die. Did you mean hand finished?

  11. cgasucks

    Oct 2, 2016 at 6:05 pm

    A frickin’ swing fan will do the same job as this overpriced training aid and cheaper too.

    • Jeffrey Purtell

      Oct 4, 2016 at 3:27 am

      How far do these swing fans hit the ball? Do they come in different lofts?

  12. SS

    Oct 2, 2016 at 3:16 pm

    No thanks. I don’t want to pause at the top, I prefer to be fluid in my return transition

  13. Mike

    Oct 2, 2016 at 1:12 pm

    I worked at a web.com event this year on the driving range, i saw about 2-3 pros using this aid. Their swing sequence was amazing.

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Equipment

Spotted: Tony Finau’s driver shaft change at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open

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Tony Finau has always been known as one of the longest players on the PGA Tour, but he has recently been working on adding a little more distance. Last year, Finau averaged 118.3 mph club head speed and 178.08 mph ball speed, all while playing a Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX driver shaft. This year, he has increased his club head speed to 123.93 mph and his ball speed to 183.32 mph.

However, Finau’s overall distance has decreased by two yards in that time. From a fitting perspective, something was amiss. We asked Tony about the shaft change at the Texas Children’s Hospital Open.

“[I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin. My driver’s been a little high spin for me over the last month or so, and so I just figured it was time to probably check out the equipment,” Finau said. “And it definitely showed me that I was using a shaft that’s maybe a little too tip-stiff for me, the way I load the club now. [I’m seeing] better numbers with the spin.”

Finau switched from the Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 70 TX into the Diamana GT 70 TX. The newer Diamana GT has a slightly different profile than the D+ Limited with the stiffest handle section in the Diamana lineup. The mid sections between the two are similar stiffness but the tip is just slightly stiffer in the Diamana GT. Both shafts are within one gram of each other in the 70 TX. The torque rating on the GT is 0.1 higher than the D+Limited’s 2.7 measurement.

Mitsubishi lists the Diamana GT as a shaft between the mid-launching Diamana TB and the new low-launch Diamana WB shafts. For most players, it would be considered a mid/low launch and low-spin shaft option. Mitsubishi’s Xlink Tech Resin System makes sure the maximum carbon fiber content is there for smooth feel without reducing the strength of the shaft. MR70 carbon fiber is used for reinforcing the shaft and boron is used in the tip for its high strength and compression properties.

Finau is still using his trusty Ping G430 LST driver in 9 degrees and has the adjustable hosel set to -1 degree of loft (standard lie angle). Finau’s long-time favorite Lamkin UTX Green grip is installed. He definitely has a few extra wraps of tape under that grip as you can see the bulge down where the grip meets the shaft.

One final note: Per Ping’s PGA Tour rep Kenton Oates, Finau’s driver is also adjusted to play with an additional degree of loft to help dial in his desired launch.

We’ll see how he fares with the new setup this week in Houston!

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Whats in the Bag

Zac Blair WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR2 (10 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Red 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade M5 Rocket 3 (14 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution V1 X

Utility: Titleist U510 (3)
Shaft: Aldila Tour Blue 85 X

Irons: Ping i210 (4-6), Miura MB-001 (7-9)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46-10F, 58-08M @57, 60 @61), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (52-M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 105 X

Putter: Scotty Cameron prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

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Whats in the Bag

Martin Trainer WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Wilson Staff Staff Model (6.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kai’li Blue 70 TX

3-wood: Wilson Staff WLabs Prototype (13 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 80 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Staff Model (2, 4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Wilson Staff Staff Model (52, 56, 60)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Putter: Bobby Grace Greg Chalmers Prototype

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

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