What is it? And how does it work?
-The Swing Boss consists of soft foam balls with velcro attached, and velcro pads to stick to a club face. -When the club is swung at the ball, the ball attaches to the velcro pad on your club face, indicating the impact point.
-With Swing Boss you will know if you hit the ball in the centre because it will stick to the club. It can also tell you if you hit it more towards the toe or heel of the club face. -If you completely mis-hit the ball, the ball doesn’t stick and instead slices off harmlessly and ricochet off your tv and no harm is done!! -The kit also comes with a miniature driving range mat and a set of rubber tees
What is the purpose of the Swing Boss?
The purpose of Swing Boss is to straighten out your shots and give you more distance by capturing the exact point where your ball makes contact with the club face at impact. Does it increase distance and straighten out shots? Read below in effectiveness to find out…
Set-Up:
The device is easy to setup -Take the mat, place a rubber tee underneath for the desired height -Stick the appropriate size velcro pad onto your club face. They are pre-cut specifically for an iron or a driver…etc. -Align ball with velcro side where club face will hit (proper alignment of the ball is important in order for the Swing Boss to provide correct feedback to the golfer)
-Here is the link on how to use the Swing Boss:Using the Swing Boss Golf Training Aid -A suggestion I have that may make Swing Boss more easy to use is if perhaps the entire ball be covered in velcro material. That way the golfer will not have to worry about aligning the ball a certain direction for the ball to stick to the club, and maybe this way the ball can be hit directly off the mat
My practice setup:
-I use the swing boss combined with 3 other aids: 1. Swing Profile (video analysis app) -This aid provides me information about my alignment and it also shows me other aspects of my swing (shaft lean, etc.) Swing Profile Home Page 2. 3 Bays GSA Swing Analyzer -Provides my swing path (read effectiveness for further explanation) 3 Bays GSA Swing Analyzer Home Page 3. Alignment sticks -Allows my alignment to be more consistent and quicker
Ease of use:
-Easy to set up (don’t really need instructions) -Feedback the device provides is easy to understand -All around the Swing Boss is very easy to use for all levels of golfers
Effectiveness:
To assess the effectiveness of the Swing Boss we will address the following 5 questions:
1) Does Swing Boss capture your exact ball contact at impact? Simply Yes, the velcro area of the ball will stick to the velcro on the club face indicating where ball contact is.
2) Does it help you start hitting the “sweet spot” for straighter shots and more distance. To answer that question we have to discuss the relationship club face impact has on distance and direction. Where you contact the ball on the face heavily influences distance and direction because different contact points affect launch angle, ball speed and spin. The directional effect of contact point is most severe with your driver because of the gear effect inherent in its design. Because the centre of gravity in most modern drivers sits about an inch behind the face(and not in the face like it does on your irons), contact made away from the sweet spot causes the club head to twist radically. And since the club head can only rotate around it’s centre of gravity, catching one on the toe will cause the club head to rotate clockwise, while making contact towards the heel will cause it to rotate counter-clockwise. The rotation is significant enough to apply spin to the ball in the direction opposite of the head rotation. This is gear effect. It happens on any shot where you make contact away from the sweet spot, including points above and below the centre as well as towards the heel and toe. Here’s what you can expect: (reference: golf magazine the best driving instruction book ever! A Sports Illustrated Publication)
The point is impact location matters!
High Face impact results in higher launch and lower spin; often with a measurable decrease in ball speed. Low Face impact results in lower launch with higher spin; often with less drop-off in ball speed. Interestingly, the data suggests that slower swingers may be better off missing low on the face, while higher swing speed players are better served by missing high.
Toe Hit: Draw or Hook Spin Heel Hit: Fade or Slice Spin That said, middle of the face contact is best. (Ref: http://www.mygolfspy.com/mygolfspy-labs-the-impact-location-study/)
-So if you are hitting the sweet spot every time then this aid won’t help you. I mean, really, who misses the sweet spot right? Oh, you do? That’s ok, so do I. Then this aid will help you out tremendously (note: swing boss provides feedback on ball contact but does not fix it. It’s your job to figure out how to fix it. That’s where Swing Boss provides stroke tips to improve your golf swing on their website Stroke Tips to Improve your Golf Swing By Swing Boss. You can also try “trial and error” and try to adjust different aspects to see if your contact gets better. Also there are lots of Golf instruction articles and videos on the internet (YouTube). (ref: http://pluggedingolf.com/ball-flight-laws-5-gear-effect/)
3)Your Hitting the sweet spot on the club face but the ball is still curving (slicing or hooking)? Why is that? -This might surprise you but! -You can slice every ball for the rest of your life having your club face dead square to the target/flag or you can play on the PGA tour and have your club face virtually never square to the target and have the ball curve towards and land on the target. -How does this work ? First Lets discuss the basic factors effecting ball flight then move onto a few examples. -There are 2 main factors we are going to discuss: The club face is factor number 1, and the club path is factor number 2. -The club face is the start line for the ball (the ball starts where the club face is pointed at impact) -The club path is the direction the club head is moving (right or left) at impact and is measured relative to the target line. Many Golfers think club path impacts curvature on the ball but actually its the relationship between the club face and club path that creates curvature. The ball starts at the face, then curves away from the path. Another way of saying it is when the club face is closed (more left) relative to the path, the ball will draw, or curve left. When the club face is open (more right) relative to the path, the ball will fade, or curve right. (Ref: http://pluggedingolf.com/ball-flight-laws-2-curve/) The point is there is a relationship that cannot be uncoupled, they come together as a package. Lets get to some examples: In the following 3 the club face will be square to the target and the path will change. (The following 3 examples are to prove the above mentioned statement regarding square club face) (Note:Zoom In to Enlarge)
Example A: Club Face: Square to the target Club Head Path: When the club face is closed (more left) relative to the path, the ball will draw, or curve left. Example B: Club Face: Square to the target Club Head Path: Club face is square relative to the path Or another way of saying it, Club head path is matching the face Example C: Club Face: Square to the target Club Head Path:When the club face is open (more right) relative to the path, the ball will fade, or curve right. In Example A,B and C the club face is square to the target and only the swing path changes. -So this is why even if you hit the middle of the club face and your club face is square to the target with the Swing Boss you can still curve the ball if your swing path is off. -So why don’t you just hit it straight like in example b, that would make life easier. Because hitting a straight shot is unlikely to be replicated cause it means having the club face exactly aimed at the target with the club path matching the face and the ball in contact with the centre of the club face without gear effect so if hitting it straight is not logical by definition curving the ball is logical. -The point is you don’t need a club face thats square to the target , you need a club face thats aimed away from the target (left or right) and a path that curves it back to the target That means that you will always have curve in your ball flight. So get used to it…lol, it will make golf so much easier. (note: I am not going to discuss how to fix every problem because there are too many reasons and this article would turn simple into a book, but you are welcome to email me and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have) Fun fact: Do you slice your driver but not your irons? Did you know? -When you hit down on the ball, your club path is more to the right. -When you hit up on the ball, your club path is more to the left. -So in terms of practical application, it is easier to draw the ball when you’re hitting it off the ground (hitting down) than when you’re hitting it off a tee (hitting up). Conclusion -So does Swing Boss help golfers hit the sweet spot for straighter and longer shots? Longer & straighter shots yes, but that does not mean your ball will go dead straight and stop curving. This is because of swing path which the aid does not take into account. That being said if you get your contact more consistent you will be able to eliminate that variable and work on your swing path.
4) Does Swing Boss replace expensive video analysis? This can be debated till the cows come home because some teachers love video and others don’t. I am just gonna try to give you the facts and my opinion so you can make up your own mind. As we know we need the missing ingredient “swing path” to make this whole thing work, does video analysis provide this missing ingredient?
-You might be surprised to hear no -To be able to see your swing path you need a 3D representation. Most people think video is enough but actually video only shows 2 dimensions. To get a 3D representation of your swing, you require motion sensors to digitize every element of your swing, then compiled into a 3D playback. -A couple examples that have this capability are Swing analyzer devices such as: Zepp Golf Swing Analyzer and 3Bays GSA PRO Golf Swing Analyzer. There are many more if you want to search on google. -So Does it replace expensive video analysis, video analysis has gotten a lot cheaper these days with apps like Swing Profile. In my opinion both are helpful. -If you are getting feedback from the Swing Boss that you are hitting it off the toe, take a video and try to figure out your swing fault. For example, you could have too much vertical movement, aka standing up or bending over too much. Yes, you could time your swing to have the same movement up and down and you will hit the ball where you want, but you’re going to build a more consistent swing if you just don’t have as much vertical movement. This is where video comes into play, so why eliminate one, just use both.
5) Does it help you uncover your swing flaws? By now you know from reading above that it will help uncover some of the flaws and others it won’t because you require other info that it does not provide aka swing path. Longevity: -Will I keep using this device? Yes, most definitely! It is great before a round and my go-to for winter time. -How long will this device last? I’ve been extensively testing using this aid daily about 3 months, and the velcro is still in good condition. I do recommend taking the velcro off the club face right after each use because over time it can be difficult to take off. Overall, I feel this golf aid is well made. At first glance the aid may not appear to last but with multiple usages it has proven to be durable. -I also recommend following the product care instruction to make this golf aid last longer. -Here is the link for the product care instruction: Product Care for your Training Aid By Swing Boss
My concluding thoughts…:
-The Swing Boss does what it says -It Straightens out your shots and will increase distance. -If you are hitting the middle of the club face but still curving the ball you need to asses your club head path, do that by buying a swing analyzer (refer to effectiveness for further info). -It’s also easy to use -I love this aid and I think you will too -Definitely a good buy
Cheaper Alternatives:
The alternatives have a few negatives, they need to be used with real balls this means the noise level will be louder and need to be outside or have a net inside (this will require more space). 1) Dr. Scholls foot spray for face contact 2) You can use some sunscreen on your club face to see where you hit it on the face 3) Impact tape
4) Masking tape works great too and it’s cheap 5) Dry-erase marker
ClubLink Academy Tip: The dry erase method -The one advantage The Swing Boss does have over the others is that you can use it indoors. The ball doesn’t go flying when you strike it.
Links
Swing Boss Home Page
Swing Boss Facebook Page
Swing Boss Twitter
Swing Boss Instagram
Swing Boss Google +
The Swing Boss Blog
Using the Swing Boss Golf Training Aid
Swing Boss FAQ
Stroke Tips to Improve your Golf Swing By Swing Boss
GolfStinks.com Review
Amazon Reviews
GolfBlogger.com Review
Hookedongolfblog.com Review
Golf Swing Training Aid Testimonials By Swing Boss
The Swing Boss, improve your golf swing youtube video
thelearningtee.com product description and one review
HittingitSolid.com “Is it Possible to Achieve the Perfect Golf Swing?”
Product Care for your Training Aid By Swing Boss
Swing Boss Shop
Can Golf Training Aids Improve Your Golf Swing? by Sportsbanter.com terapeak.com Sells Swing Boss (Description of the product)
Swing Boss ebay