David Young
“One of my first teachers used to say, ‘If it costs more than five bucks or needs batteries, it’s probably not good for you.’ Now that I have a learning center here with over $50,000 worth of electronics, I’ve sort of broken his rule. For home use, though, a putting track is good. It will get you into a good posture and iron out a decent path with enough repetitions. It’s good to feel where the putter needs to go path-wise.”
James K. Wahl
“I get people to swing a piece of cut-off garden hose. It creates a feeling of centrifugal force. You have to keep your body rotating or it will come up and slap you in the head. Same thing happens if you flip your hands. When you videotape something like that, it looks like the way a shaft reacts. If they can get the same feeling, it’s great.”
James Ondo
“I am a big fan of the impact bag. It’s easy to use — you just hit it! It will quickly teach you how important it is to let your hands lead the club head through the swing. It’s also good for feeling how to square up your club face. It may not be high-tech, but it works.”
Brian Crowell
“Lots of players — especially slicers — lose power when their elbows start moving around. To get the feel for where they should be during the swing, put a partially deflated volleyball or something that size between your elbows, then take some small, relaxed half-swings. Stay centered, turn properly, and use your normal wrist-hinge and forearm rotation.”
Frank Bensel
“I use the Putting T-Bar all the time. It reminds me to keep everything connected — shoulders, arms, and hands — in a simple stroke. It also helps confirm the alignment of my body with the putter face for an accurate roll.”
Patrick Langan
Trump National Golf Club Westchester
“People think they’re lined up right, but most of the time they’re not. That’s where alignment sticks (6) come in handy. You can pay $20 for them with a golf logo, or just $3 for fiberglass driveway markers at your favorite neighborhood improvement center, but they’re worth every penny. If you’re not set up right, you have to do something wrong to hit your target.”
