{"id":894,"date":"2005-08-04T13:19:46","date_gmt":"2005-08-04T18:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/uncategorized\/david_leadbetter_swing_setter_review\/"},"modified":"2007-01-31T09:59:30","modified_gmt":"2007-01-31T14:59:30","slug":"david_leadbetter_swing_setter_review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/b\/training\/david_leadbetter_swing_setter_review","title":{"rendered":"David Leadbetter Swing Setter Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LeadbetterYou may have seen the David Leadbetter Swing Setter on television and wondered, “What in the heck can a golf club that makes clacking noises and looks like a weapon do for my game?” As I began this review I intended to find out if using this goofy looking contraption could improve my grip, swing plane, release, and tempo like it promised.<\/p>\n

Leadbetter, the Swing Setter’s creator, is among the world’s most recognized golf instructors and founder of the David Leadbetter Golf Academy<\/a>. He has made a name for himself instructing players like Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Charles Howell III, and Aaron Baddeley. The Swing Setter is his attempt at providing a tool that any player can use to improve swing fundamentals.
\n
\nYou might be interested to know that I am a high-handicapper and can expect to score somewhere in the nineties on any given day. My goal is to be in the eighties on a regular basis and I feel that I’m getting closer to achieving that goal. I’ve been playing golf in earnest for a year and my first lessons with a PGA Professional coincided with my acquisition of the Swing Setter. I feel I was given a better foundation to understand the Swing Setter by getting straightened out by a professional.<\/p>\n

Leadbetter says the Swing Setter is:<\/p>\n

\n

…a perfect tool for golfers who want to get better but just don’t have the time. As little as six minutes twice a week will give you the feel for a great swing, solid ball striking and will improve your distance, accuracy and consistency. The SwingSetter™ is the most complete golf training aid ever devised.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Of course he’s is going to say that: it’s his product. When I first pulled the Swing Setter out of its box I was skeptical of its ability to improve my game. I wasn’t sure that it would live up to all the hype. What I began to discover is that some of the principals I was learning in my lessons were reinforced using the Swing Setter.<\/p>\n

Leadbetter claims that the Swing Setter develops your grip, swing plane, release, and tempo. Anyone who studies the game of golf will agree that all of these are keys to a consistent and productive swing. Following is a review of each component of the Swing Setter. Can it be used to improve your swing?<\/p>\n

Grip<\/strong>
\nYour only connection to a golf club is your grip and the Swing Setter forces your hands into a strong grip position. A strong grip doesn’t mean that you squeeze the club hard but indicates that your hands are turned more to the right (for righties): your right hand is more underneath the golf club and the left hand more on top. This strong grip position might feel unnatural at first but is an important first fundamental. I had developed a neutral grip through my own self study, trial and error and had to make adjustments to properly hold the Swing Setter.<\/p>\n

This stronger grip has made it easier for me to keep the clubface square at impact. The “weak grip” that I had used previously tended to leave the clubface open causing the ball to start right of the target line. Generally, stronger players and longer hitters have a slightly stronger grip than normal, and most higher-handicappers would do well to take a stronger grip.<\/p>\n

The molded grip has helped me hit the ball on the target line on a more consistent basis instead of into the weeds on the right. I actually had to weaken my grip slightly relative to the Swing Setter’s grip position to prevent a hook – the grip may be aligned a tad too strong. It has been refreshing to end up in more fairways these days and I give this tool credit for straitening me out.<\/p>\n

One quick note: make sure that you get the grip that fits your hand. There are several grip sizes available.<\/p>\n

Swing Plane<\/strong>
\nAs the science of golf has grown so has talk of a proper swing plane. Hogan made discussion of swing plane commonplace in his Five Fundamentals<\/em>. I believe that my understanding and application of proper swing plane has improved in recent weeks. I give credit both to lessons and the Swing Setter for helping me in this area. <\/p>\n

\"SwingThe Plane Pointer draws a visual line off the grip end of the club and provides visual feedback to determine if you are on the proper swing plane. My understanding of swing plane improved as I paid attention to the Plane Pointer. If nothing else it reminds me where the swing plane is as I pick it up from time to time.<\/p>\n

Release<\/strong>
\nI really have struggled to release the golf club at the proper time in the last year. I used to have a late release coupled with an outside-in swing path. You can imagine the kind of frustration this produced. The golf ball would start right of the target line and slice further right. I threatened quitting on many occasions but stuck with it because I love the game so much. Through professional instruction and use of the Swing Setter that shot has virtually disappeared from my game.<\/p>\n

When the Swing Setter is used properly, there are two clicking noises you’ll hear at specific points in the swing. There is a click just before halfway in the backswing to ensure wrist cock and a click at the point of impact to ensure proper release. Leadbetter says:<\/p>\n

\n

The Swing Setter’s Adjustable Magnetic Balls (settings vary depending on strength and swing speed) promote a correct setting of the wrists on the backswing – setting the stage for an accelerated release through impact. The key to “swinging easy and hitting hard.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Swing Setter does a good job of teaching release. I know it has added distance and greater consistency to my game. It promotes a very strong finish position. I have finally achieved that coveted position where my right wrist is over the top of my left wrist after impact. Heck, my swing looks just like Ernie Els now. Errr, not. All that to say I have been pleased with the results.<\/p>\n

The Swing Setter provides a visual, audible, and tactile response the moment of clubhead release. This translates to more consistency and a greater connection to the point of impact.<\/p>\n

I didn’t feel that the EZSee Clubface helped me see the clubhead at impact but it did provide a way to ensure that my grip was lined up properly relative to the clubface at address.<\/p>\n

Tempo<\/strong>
\nBefore using the Swing Setter I was what I would consider a slow tempo player whose back-swing tempo was disconnected from the rest of my swing. I had a very slow takeaway and was overly deliberate, wanting to get all the parts of the swing right. Leadbetter claims in his instructional material that, “Your tempo may have to be sped up to accomplish the snapping on the back-swing as some people, believe it or not, actually swing back too slowly.” That would include me. My tempo has improved by using the Swing Setter. It has also made me more efficient on the golf course.<\/p>\n

\"SwingThe biggest benefit for me has been that I have a connected swing. I can feel when any one part of my swing has become disconnected from the rest. It is easier for me to understand the cause of miss-hits and has helped me self-diagnose and fix any problems I’m having on the course.<\/p>\n

One thing that I didn’t about the Swing Setter is that it caused a considerable amount of wrist pain. The Swing Setter is approximately 50% heavier than my 5 iron. The added weight intended to help you feel the club at all points during the swing puts a lot of pressure on your wrists in the process.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong>
\nI have to admit that using the Swing Setter is fairly addictive. When I pop into the living-room I almost compulsively grab it. I’ve followed the exercises described in the instructional materials and have found most of them helpful in achieving a sound swing. Granted, some of the exercises you could do with a golf club too.<\/p>\n

It would be easy to reinforce bad swing habits while using this training tool if the material contained in the instruction manual and DVD is not fully understood or practiced. It can be difficult to put concepts to practice in golf because what may “feel right” may not “be right.” Some quality time with a real PGA Professional is going to help you understand what you should be aiming to achieve in a golf swing unless you have an above average eye for a proper swing. My use of the Swing Setter was enhanced as I took lessons. I don’t feel that I would have understood all of the concepts presented by the Swing Setter’s instructional materials had I not exposed myself to hands on teaching with a PGA Professional.<\/p>\n

\"LeadbetterI have enjoyed golf more and have seen greater improvement in the individual parts of my game as a result of using the Swing Setter. Don’t expect the Swing Setter to make a professional out of you, but do expect that you’ll begin to understand four key swing fundamentals: grip, swing plane, release, and tempo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While no substitute for instruction from a PGA Professional, the Leadbetter Swing Setter promotes key swing fundamentals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[99,12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-review","category-training"],"yoast_head":"\nDavid Leadbetter Swing Setter Review (Review, Training) - 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