What is your favorite short game training aid?

The Putt Ruler, designed by Bob Walton. In teaching putting, historically I have taught players first how to practice by making 10 putts in a row from 2ft,3ft,4ft, etc. Straight putts, curves,uphill and downhill. If we need to go to the mechanics we do.

The Putt Ruler teaches people how to read breaking putts as well as alignment,path, and what it feels like to compress your putts. It is the best putting aide I have ever worked with!

The more you can make practice like actual game situations the better the student will respond when in competition.

My favorite short game teaching aid is the golf tee!

The golf tee is such a versatile teaching aid that you can use it in a multitude of ways.On the green I use it to make the whole smaller to make a gate to put through when teaching green reading. Placement for controlling the length of the backswing and the follow-through. I set up putting practice courses by using the tees as markers for predetermined length putts with a score for the course so that game like conditions are created. Chipping as markers where to land shots for proper roll out to target.

The best investment anyone can make is in The Putting Arc. They can use it for a lifetime. Nobody can disprove it as a training tool. Wish I had one when I was a junior. Only 1500+ worldwide wins and nobody gets paid to use it but many have more $$ in the bank after training with it.

My favorite short game training aid is the Hack Motion Wrist Sensor. It’s a wearable device that connects to your iPad and provides real-time feedback on your lead-hand wrist conditions (crucial for short-game success). It can also be used to provide instant biofeedback. Although it’s pricey, it is versatile enough to be used for full-swing training as well. It’s changed the way I teach short-game, and expedites the learning curve for my clients.

My advice: Find a knowledgeable coach who teaches with the Hack Motion sensor and can help you understand how to use your wrists effectively- It’s that good.

My favorite training aid for Short game is aiming sticks.

4 Ways I use them:

1. Perfect the setup of the feet
2. Keep the swing on plane
3. Keep the clubhead in the correct position on the backswing.
4. Help the student complete their follow thru.

One common problem I often see in golfer’s short game is trying to help the ball into the air. The lightweight nature of a wiffle ball combined with the fact that it is not an actual golf ball allows the golfer to relax.

Stabilize the lower body, experiment with moving pressure to the lead side (left side for RH golfers/right side for LH golfers) in varying percentages (60%, 70%, 80%), and let the club FALL down.

Once you get consistent results and effortless trajectory, use same technique with real golf balls.

My favorite short game training aid is an alignment stick!  I like to have players hold it under the grip with their fingers, extending up and under the left shoulder.  I have them practice short chips and pitches holding the stick, and hopefully not having it hit the left side of their body.  I see countless players that flip their hands and the ball, this helps them learn and feel what it is like to keep the hands quiet and make better contact.

My favorite short game drill is to putt over loose coins. I lay a few coins right in front of the hole and from 3-5 feet away work on pureeing my putts. If the putt is hit squarely the ball will have no issue rolling over the coins and into the hole. If the ball is mis-struck, the coins will deflect the ball offline. Its great for ensuring those short game putts are made.

My favorite short game training aid is the Golf In Sync. It gives the necessary feedback to train the golfer to use the shoulders to move the arms and sync up the movements. I have been using it for almost 10 years and in that time, I have seen people that had the yips and poor wrist/hand control become confident with their short game. Golf In Sync is a versatile tool and can be used for all aspects of the game from putting, chipping, pitching, bunker, to even full swing.

The Total Golf trainer arm setting on the back of the right wrist is my favorite. Makes you feel and keep the back of the right arm in a better position through feedback from feel. It doesn’t hold it in place.

I use the EyeLine Putting Alignment Mirror for all my putting lessons. It gives instant feedback to my students so they can identify the proper putter face aim, alignment and eye position over the ball. In addition, you can use the putter gate slots with tees to assure the putter face is square through impact.

The EyeLine Putting Alignment Mirror is the perfect tool for checking all parts of your putting setup, alignment and putter face position at impact.

Pool noodle! Makes you stay connected while maintaining a nice turn of the torso. Too many people disconnect their arms from their body. This helps you keep the body turning and not let the arms take over!

It has to be the concept of attaching an extended rod at the end of the club being practiced to get the golfer to quit flipping their wrists. This is commonly referred to as “The Punisher.”

This training aid activates the use of the golfer’s shoulders and back muscles to get the club in motion. It also promotes the use of keeping your arms and shoulders in the triangle position throughout impact. If you use your wrists or hands too much, the golfer will be hit with the extended rod in the side as direct feedback to an incorrect chipping motion. Practice this before and after you practice your short game without the training aid to get maximum results.

The best putting training aid that I use is a very simple one. I use a long golf tee! Simply stick the tee in the putting green and putt to the tee. Try and bump the golf ball off the tee. Start from 12 – 24 inches away. This drill really fine tunes your aim and distance.

Do it everyday for best results!

My favorite training aid is a good old carpenters chalk line.  I use it frequently on the putting green to check my alignment, aim and stroke path.  It really helps to train my eyes to aim the putter face correctly.  Learning to roll the ball end over end down a strait line is a crucial stepping stone to grooving a repeatable stroke.

My favorite short game teaching aid is Golf In Sync . It is the most versatile and comprehensive training aid I’ve ever utilized.

Because putting is arguably the most important part of scoring , I like the Blast Motion Putting aid. The metrics revealed help to quickly make a consistent stroke. Backswing length, forward swing length, backswing time, forward swing time, etc. help to improve quickly.

My favorite short game training aid is the one you will use.  They are all good and serve a purpose.  The problem is, most golfers will buy, then use a few times, then stick it in the drawer with all the others.  Repetition over time is most important.

The best training aids are those they let us practice ball trajectory and ball distance. If we execute a nice beautiful looking golf shot but it does not go the right distance at the right trajectory we could have some unfortunate results (short in the bunker or maybe even over the green).

I like line or ropes on the green so we can work on our distance. I also like to create windows out of PVC pipe in order to help students work on ball trajectory.

Final the most neglected tool – is your brain and eyes. We must be able to see and visualize before we can create.

I would have to say with short game training, I’m very big on controlling trajectory and distance with wedges. I like to see my students hitting through different windows while still controlling the distance. For this I have different height ropes hung at the driving range that I use.

With putting I would have to say my favorite aid would be a putting mirror with lines. This allows your eyes to be right over the golf ball while also allowing you to control/see the movement of the putter face.

My favorite short game training aid is “The Hanger” by Watson Golf. The Hanger is very versatile and extremely effective. It provides immediate feedback and can be used just about anywhere. It’s also quite small so it can fit in a students golf bag. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to improve their chipping, pitching, or bunker play.

One of my favorite short game training aids is the Pelz putting tutor. Reason number one is it’s simplicity. Secondly, I can have players tell me how much break they think they see on a putt and I’ll set up the putting tutor according to their line. I find that the majority of amateurs do not play enough break so this really gives them a better understanding of where they should be aiming. I also find this helps a players green reading and speed control. Lastly, it helps a player hit putts with a putter face that is perpendicular to the target line which especially helps on shorter putts. These factors combined make this one of the top training aids for putting I use with students.

My favorite training aid for the short game is the putting Arc which helps develop the mechanics of a perfect putting stroke. Very simple and builds confidence!

My favorite short game training aid is the “Impact Ball” which I use for chipping pitching and putting. It keeps the arms hands and body moving together which really benefits those players that don’t move the body and just flip their hands at the ball. On short shots this gives the feeling of hitting the shot with body motion versus all hands.

I recommend the junior size for all golfers as it fits in the golf bag and is a great tool to warm up with before every round! A must have for the serious golfers!

My favorite short game training aid is by David Woods and Tour Striker called the PlaneMate. The short game attachment has made a world of difference in my students ability to turn through the chip/pitch shot without “flipping”. This is without a doubt my favorite all around training aid helping my students hit better golf shots.

One of the easiest and cheapest training aids for the short game is a driver’s license or credit card. If you struggle with breaking down through impact and flip your hands a lot then place your credit card/driver’s license inside the Velcro on your glove of your top hand so the card is against your wrist. Make a few practice swings keeping your lead hand moving towards the target. If you feel the card bend a little it means you are flipping and most likely making inconsistent contact. Hope this tip helps.

I like using a towel to land the ball on for chipping and pitching.

The teaching aid I use the most for putting is a chalk line, to train students how to properly align the face of the putter. And on a straight putt, it trains them to control the face during the stroke to get the ball rolling towards the hole.

The 7 in one putting coach. New to the market.

Favorite short game training aid is a metronome. Having the same rhythm each shot is paramount to consistent contact and results.

I like to use up to 4 alignment sticks, to check on ball position, face alignment and path. All of these factors create a different shot affecting height, spin and bounce. As we all know there are many different shots needed given the many variables when chipping or pitching. Distance to the pin, slope, grain, types of grass, height of cut, lies, are a few factors that we need to know in order to select the correct shot to play with the best odds of success.

My favorite training aid for short game is an aiming stick that you hold against the grip on your lead hand, and goes up under your armpit. This allows you to make small turns and eliminates any hand flips while chipping or pitching.

Medicus for understanding the importance of quiet wrists during a short game swing.

My favorite is the orange whip wedge. Helps me stay in a groove with proper tempo and keeps my hands in front of the club head.

Since the putter is the most used club in the bag……I like the blast motion as a means of finding the right hosel for my students.
Also weighting the putter and seeing the results on my IPad.

I really like the slot trainer from Eyeline golf. It’s a simple and easy putting aid that teaches you how to start your putts online. If you can start your putts where you’re aiming, it becomes a lot easier.

My favorite short game training aid would be a hula hoop. Old school I know, but placing it around the hole and having a player focus on getting their shot inside the circumference of the hoop is great visually and mentally. Great confidence builder. I also have each player hit these short game shots with clubs they would normally never use. Six iron, putter, all the wedges and even a hybrid pending the situation. The ability to execute the shot with an odd club builds even more confidence. Short game is all confidence.

Greg Norman’s “The Secret”.