With American Thanksgiving over and winter fast approaching, the playing season is winding down for most golfers. That doesn’t mean the next few months need to be unproductive when it comes to improving your game.
There is an abundance of training gadgets designed to hone various elements of the game, from putting to full swings. Here are just a few available.
All golfers are in a constant quest to improve their putting, and the Dropmore putting aid aims to help players of all skill levels and putting styles to improve path, tempo, swing length and ball striking with their putter.
The Dropmore putting aid ($79.95) was designed by friends and collaborators Ray Johnson and Justin Kutz over the course of three years utilizing input from top-100 teachers, club fitters, elite amateur players, PGA professionals and regular golfers. Their goal was to produce a putting training aid that would make anyone better on the greens.
The Dropmore’s patented design allows players to work more purposefully on their stroke. By resting the nose of the putter against the Dropmore’s arc wall, players produce a shallow putting stroke both back and through the ball, creating a noticeably pure moment of impact. The arc wall and length promote a compact inside-to-inside swing path on the horizontal plane.
Intended for players of any skill level, any style of putting stroke and compatible with any model of putter, the Dropmore putting aid is portable, lightweight and durable to use at the office, in the home or on the practice putting green. As its literature says, just set it down, line it up, rest the toe of the putter against the arc wall and let it guide the stroke.
For those who struggle to keep their head still during the swing, the Kavooa Pro swing training aid ($129.99) is designed to help golfers quickly improve and develop consistent contact with the ball. The tripod-based product – invented by college golfer Dylan Horowitz during the pandemic – can be adjusted via a telescoping device with rods (golf alignment sticks) to stabilize a golfer’s head and hips during the swing which, in turn, helps solidify pure contact for consistent ball-striking. The unit also includes a phone clip holder, allowing you to easily take videos of your swing.
By quieting excessive head movement, the Kavooa Pro targets a litany of swing issues – eliminate an over-the-top downswing, reduce unwanted hip sliding, improve a too-shallow downswing, promote proper turn and rotation, help groove the correct top-of-swing position and dial in proper low-point contact, improve swing path and plane for chipping and help improve putting aim and path.
Sure-Golf provides a range of training aids and golf instruction (for adults and juniors) created by golf coach Dan Frost with the goal of providing “transformational training for your golf skillset and mindset.”
Sure-Golf’s array of products includes the Sure-Set, Sure-Speed and Sure-Chip devices. Two of its newest products are the Sure-Strike and The Connector.
The Sure-Strike ($140) is designed to perfect impact mechanics, leading to better compression and improved performance. Using a patented side-to-side hinge, the tool helps fine-tune shaft lean and hone impact alignment, letting the golfer learn to replicate the moment of impact by sensation instead of information by facilitating “a tactile understanding of how proper alignment should feel.”
The Connector ($149) is Sure-Golf’s most versatile training device, offering a comprehensive solution for mastering the fundamentals of all aspects of the game from putting and chipping to pitching and full swings. A soft foam wedge with alignment rods protruding from it, the Connector effortlessly trains the correct arm structure to work in unison with your body.