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Top 3 full swing training aids of 2019—and a new one for 2020

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The title says it all. I have tried a bunch of training aids at this point, and frankly, I have really liked most of them. In this day and age, the amount of thought that goes into these training devices is enormous and one thing that is true for all of them is that if they are used correctly and consistently, the intended change will come. There is enough out there now that you can identify exactly what you need to work on and find something to help groove it in.

I based my list on overall ease of use, the ability to use it unsupervised (i.e. by yourself without the help of a coach), and at-home convenience. So, to be fair to the market, the title could be a bit more granular and perhaps I could have done a list for each category, but it’s the holidays and I felt this was a fair assessment.

Here we go…

The Tour Striker PlaneMate

David Woods and Martin Chuck demonstrating the use of the Tour Striker PlaneMate

This thing is RED HOT in terms of sales and overall marketing presence but truth is, the buzz is earned. It’s a fantastic product IF you know how to use it. The given protocols and system must be followed and if you do and become an expert on what to do, it WILL make a positive change in your action. For some, it’s a backswing fixer, for the tour guys it’s face control and exit point, and for the general golfer, it’s a swing plane educator with proper feedback. The PlaneMate is a good “in the mirror at home” aid, which for me is always a big plus living in a polar vortex half the year. Can’t go wrong with this one.

Created by: Martin Chuck and David Woods

Price: $162.99

Website

GForce Swing Trainer

This one was a nice discovery for me. As someone who gets very handsy in my golf swing, finding a timing device that I can use at home and that helps me focus on rotating, instead of whatever it is I do, is big.

The idea is simple, its a 7-iron (Also comes is driver/wedge/putter) with a REALLY whippy shaft in it. My old teacher from Seattle had one he built and we would use it when things would get way out of sync. That’s what this thing does, it simply gets your body moving in harmony again. The flex of the shaft demands it and if you get out of harmony, the ball will go all over the place. Yes, there have been aids like it in the past, but this one is the beefed-up version and it is well put together. This product can be used on and off the range which is awesome for most people.

Creator: Stuart Small

Price: $119.99

Website

SuperSpeed Swing training System

Unless you have been living under a rock this past year, it’s hard to have not seen these things everywhere. The system has legit benefits for anyone and like the rest of the gear on this list, if used responsibly IT WILL HELP YOU. I have seen players use this over a season and get swing speeds up 5-10 MPH. That’s a big jump, and I like how the system keeps you from overdoing which is something you can definitely do with these. There are sets for men, women, and juniors, and once again they don’t require hitting a golf ball to be effective.

Creators: Michael Napoleon and Kyle Shay

Price: $199.99

Website

And this is the one that I think will create some buzz in 2020…..

George Gankas G Box

As I’ve gotten older, I just don’t turn like I used to….this is the first device I’ve tried in a long time that gives me points of reference to turn properly. Designed by arguably the hottest instructor out there, George sent me a prototype a few months back, and as someone who loves to work on stuff in the mirror, the G Box took that work to the next level. It needs to be said that this may not be for everyone, at least right outta the box, but like anything with George Gankas, there is plenty of content to explain what and what not to do with it.

The idea is simple, there are points of reference built into the blocks. The blocks are strapped to your midsection in a specific way and there is literally a map to follow that puts you in a loaded position at the top (without cheating) and a map to rotating properly on the downswing. It’s that simple. Like the Plane Mate, the G Box will help better players with face control and exit path—and the best thing is no ball hitting is required to use it and it works in the house.

Creator: George Gankas

Release date: Late January 2020

Price: $99.95 to $199.95

Website

 

 

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  1. Gunter Eisenberg

    Dec 25, 2019 at 8:45 am

    For me, the best training aid in my 19 years of golf is Youtube videos.

  2. ButchT

    Dec 24, 2019 at 9:39 am

    Too damned expensive! Plenty of profit at half the price!

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Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

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Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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