Hitting the golf ball repeatedly won’t improve your game much if you are doing it the wrong way. Especially for beginners, it is essential to know the weak points and work on them from the very beginning. Otherwise, errors could end up becoming a habit or muscle memory, making it harder to fix later.
Now, everyone can’t afford one-on-one learning sessions with a professional regularly. In that case, golf training aids are the easiest solution. They let you practice anytime and come at different price ranges. However, “What is the best golf training aid for beginners?” is a difficult question to answer. It’s because different golf training aids are designed to help fix different issues. Some are to strengthen your golf basics like grip or alignment, while some are to improve your swing sequence or could be for your putting skill and many more.
The best one for you depends on what you want to improve. We have reviewed the 5 best training aids for beginners and stated how they help to refine your game. Let’s learn about them to find the best one for you.
5 Best Golf Training Aids for Beginners
1. Swing Master CTRL
Every golfer has their own pace of improvement. Rather than comparing themselves with professionals or fellow golfers, having a competition with ownself gives more encouragement to improve. Swing Master CTRL, with sensors on the sleeve and control app, makes that happen. It analyzes your swing, compares it with your style and gives suggestions.
To get started, simply put on the sleeve on your lead arm. If you are a right-handed golfer, wear it on the left and vice versa. It attaches to your thumb, index, and ring finger, so it doesn’t move easily. It has 2 sensors. One goes above the elbow, and the other is near your knuckles. Double-tap the sensors to turn them on. When the white light is on, you are ready to go.
The control app lets you build your own swing baseline. In addition, it has an easy and advanced mood. Easy mode lets you hit center, right, or left. Not being able to hit straight is a common problem among beginners. This mode helps beginners to fix slices, hooks, draws, etc. And advanced mode specifies the flight path. It is beneficial when you want to learn fade or draw shots etc.
After you have taken swings, it tells you how your tempo ratio, backswing, downswing, club face, and club path should be compared to the baseline you selected. Rushing in different parts of the swing is one of the main reasons for inconsistent shots. These pointers let you know where you need to slow down. As for the audio feedback, you can specifically select what you want suggestions on. On days when you need some motivation, you can select good feedback only.
Pros
- Gives personalized feedback
- Shows images of how your clubface and club path should be
- Easy to charge and pair the sensors
- Sleeve itself is quite breathable
Cons
- As it attaches with 3 of your fingers, gripping the golf club might be a little uncomfortable at first
Final verdict
Swing Master CTRL is the best overall of our list as it works like a personal golf instructor that you can have all the time at your home. It’s for those golfers who don’t mind spending extra money to get detailed feedback and improve at their own pace.
2. Puttout Pressure Training Aid
Hitting the ball too hard or slightly in the wrong direction are two of the most common reasons why most beginners miss the putt. Puttout Pressure training aid helps to improve your control over the speed and direction of the putts. This aids in understanding better what adjustments you need to make for better putts.
It has a parabolic curve design that gives instant feedback. The function is quite simple. You hit it, targeting the center. It returns good putts. The ball goes sideways when you hit it in the wrong direction. It also returns the ball to the same distance it would have gone past the hole when you hit too hard. There is a micro-target slot in the middle that holds the ball when you make a perfect putt. This part is quite challenging. It helps you make more precise shots.
Putting from different distances with this trainer makes you better in short-distance shots. Know that it works best for putts up to 6 feet. While using indoors, it is good to use it with indoor putting green or at least with carpet to help you understand surface effect on putts.
Coming to the build quality, it has a quite sturdy construction. This trainer has a heavy rubber base and folds securely. It will easily fit in your golf bag.
Pros
- Very easy to setup and use
- Helps to stop pulling or pushing putts
- Can be folded and carried anywhere
Cons
- It is comparatively expensive for a plastic and rubber-made product
Final verdict
This one is for those struggling to get the correct pace, distance, and alignment while making putts. It is slightly expensive for a plastic-made training aid. But the quality is good too.
3. Swing Jacket
Swing jacket restricts your wrong motion while swinging. The clips and straps on the jacket limit your arm movement. It ensures that you stay on a proper swing plane, keeping the elbow and arm closer to the body. It makes the swing well coordinated.
For many right-handed players, especially beginners, the right side naturally tries to take over, or the right elbow flies out while making swings. And vice versa for left-handed players. Sometimes golfers don’t even realize it. Swing jacket makes you feel it by resisting your muscles from going that way. It keeps the arms connected to the torso and helps to take better full turns. Eventually, your swing gets smoother. Proper swing helps gain straighter, longer, and more consistent shots.
As the straps and clips do the major job here, ensure you have adjusted them correctly. It may feel awkward at first. It means it is resisting your motion. Give in to it. Go according to the jacket, and you will slowly get used to it. When you start feeling comfortable swinging with the jacket on means your swing is improving. It is slowly building your muscle memory to take better shots.
Pros
- Helps to get used to the “square to square” swing path
- Aids in controlling the drivers better
- Improves clubhead speed
- Available for both right-handed and left-handed golfers
Cons
- Adjusting the jacket correctly is a slightly difficult task
- The adjustment clips are comparatively less durable
Final verdict
Swing jacket is for those struggling to keep the arm connected while swinging. This training aid resists disconnection and builds muscle memory for a better swing.
4. SKLZ Golf Grip Trainer
Grip is a very basic thing in golf. Placing the fingers even in a slightly wrong direction can cause slices and hooks. But it can be pretty hard to detect what is wrong with it and grip the same out of habit. SKLZ golf grip trainer aids in solving this issue by building muscle memory of a better grip.
This helps you to pick up the correct finger placement on the golf club. In addition, the grip pressure gets better. It’s very easy to use. You just need to align it with the arrow, clip it with a club, grip it, and hit the ball.
What makes it more suitable for beginners is that it stops you from flipping the club. By placing your hand and wrist in a correct position, it saves you from muscle strain. It might feel strange at first to place fingers according to the grip. It will start to seem more natural with time.
The best way to use it is to take a few shots with the grip on, then practice the motion without the grip. Using it for a long time without a break isn’t a good idea. It might cause blisters. As the grip is a little slippery, you need to be careful not to slip it away as well.
Pros
- Helps to get a firmer grip
- Aids in fixing push shots
- Fits on all standard grips and some midsize grips as well
Cons
- Designed for right-handed players only
- Thumb spacers might feel small for bigger hands
Final verdict
SKLZ golf grip trainer is for right-handed players looking for an affordable training aid to improve finger, wrist, and hand placement; and grip pressure on the club.
5. Aero swing
Higher swing speed gets better distance, which helps you stay ahead in the game. But beginners often struggle to increase swing speed. Aero swing is an effective way to change that. It uses patented air drag technology to create resistance while you swing the golf club.
The setup is quite easy. You simply need to slide it down the shaft. When you take the swing, the air gets in. That creates drag causing your swing speed to go slower. You need to swing harder than before to get better swing speed. But the faster you swing, the more air gets in and creates more resistance. This eventually makes your muscles stronger. So, when you swing without the trainer, swinging faster becomes a lot easier for you. That’s how the swing speed increases.
It is designed to put the most resistance in the hitting area to gain a better distance. It gets a lot easier to move the club in the follow-through, as you don’t need to increase your speed there. When you improve your swing speed and get comfortable, you can use two at a time to create more resistance.
Another good thing is that even without the drag, it puts a noticeable weight on the club. This makes you more conscious of your swing plane and aids in improving that as well. It can also be a good warm-up tool before the round.
Pros
- Helps to increases swing speed and gain better distance
- You can hit a golf ball with it on
- A great warm-up tool
Cons
- It’s hard to slide it down some clubs with a jumbo grip
Final verdict
Aero swing is for those looking for an affordable and easy-to-setup training aid to increase swing speed.
Things to Consider Before Buying Golf Training Aids for Beginners
1. Your weak point
Knowing your weak point is the crucial first step to improving. It is the first factor to consider while buying training aids too. Analyze your own game. Observe when you lose par the most.
The common things beginners need to do for better long-distance shots are to strengthen the swing basics, increase their swing speed to get better distance, learn to make straighter shots, etc. You could use golf swing analyzers, swing speed trainers, wrist hinge trainers, impact bags, etc. for that. For improving short-game, putting aids are pretty helpful. In comparison, training aids like alignment sticks and grip trainers are for strengthening basics.
2. Ease of use and portability
It’s not a good idea to get into something very complicated, especially for beginners. Focus on one thing at a time. Something simple that helps to improve a specific area of your game is good to go. And when you choose swing analyzers or any other trainer with sensors, choose the one that has a simple and easy-to-understand setup.
If you are going to use the training aid indoors, make sure that you have enough space or a suitable surface or ceiling height for that. A trainer that you can bring to your office and practice between the breaks is even better.
3. Price
Anything that helps you in training is considered a training aid. Thus, it has quite a broad range. It can come under $20, or it can be more than $20,000. For example, impact tape is a training aid too, and many of them come under $20. In comparison, a golf simulator that helps you analyze and improve your game can cost even more than $20,000. Most golfers look for training aids for around $100.
FAQ
Are golf training aids worth it?
Yes, golf training aids let you practice at your convenient time, place, and budget. There are various types and options available for you to choose according to your preference. They help to make straighter shots, increase swing speed, improve control over the direction of shots, etc.
Training aids do that by giving you instant feedback or by letting you know the motion helping to gain the improvement you desire. It eventually helps to fix the problem and build the correct muscle memory. In addition, many of them can also be used as warm-up tools.
What training aids do golf pros use?
Different pros use different training aids. However, many of them are seen carrying mirrors and alignment sticks. When we get product specific, the Superspeed golf training system and Orange whip are two of the famous golf training aids used by PGA professionals.
Summing it up
Knowing yourself and your game is the first step to choosing the best training aid for yourself. Remember that no training aid is going to do miracles overnight. You need to be patient and persistent about the game. So, when you succeed, you are the one who deserves praise the most. Hope that you find your best one and achieve the score you desire.
Happy golfing!
Author Bio:
Emily, a golf enthusiast and tech expert, shares her valuable insights on golf drills, equipment and training aids. She stays up to date with the latest updates in golf simulation technology, from high-fidelity graphics to advanced ball tracking and swing analysis. She shares her thoughts and experience with fellow golf lovers through Nifty Golf.