Tour Striker Training Aid

[DublinMeUp]

Was up in the range with it again today.. seemed a lot easier yesterday lol still hit some ok to good shots but at a way lower ratio of good to bad.

That's what i bought it for though so still pleased with it.

[Doctorfro]

What I want to know is how this trainer translates to the driver?

[rustyredcab]

Hit it off firm grass this afternoon and it IS HARDER to get the ball up. WOW.

I will also share that even after not doing consistently well with the TS, I hit some regular 7-irons and the contact was really good. I can only imagine if I'm consistent with the TS, I'll be awesome with regular clubs. :)

[rustyredcab]

Can you carry a TS during a round? Here's the answer from Rich at Tour Striker...

Quote from Rich at Tour Striker:

You can Carry an illegal club as long as you do not use it in play. However, if the illegal club is your 15th club, then you will be penalized for having more than 14 clubs.

[newtogolf]

I'm glad I wasn't the only one to have a tougher time on real grass.  I am pretty confident as well that this will help my ball contact and distance.

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Hit it off firm grass this afternoon and it IS HARDER to get the ball up. WOW.

I will also share that even after not doing consistently well with the TS, I hit some regular 7-irons and the contact was really good. I can only imagine if I'm consistent with the TS, I'll be awesome with regular clubs. :)

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I believe it's considered a training club so I don't think it would be allowed.  I had checked this when I got it, and couldn't find the answer on their website.

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

Can you carry a TS during a round? Here's the answer from Rich at Tour Striker...

i actually wish they would make the whole set haha they actually feel rather solid when hit well almost like they made them just solid enough to tell you where your at. they already have a 5 iron, 7 iron, and 8 iron. so, why not? haha they also have that 56 degree wedge which im not quite sure if it would help me "trap" my wedge shots. ive heard its pretty easy to hit.

obviously making them legal would be the biggest thing. they would have to find a way to change their purpose from a "training club" to a legal iron. i think it should be as easy as switching out the shaft in my opinion. wouldnt be an aide if it has a legal made shaft. or at least didnt have the stock TS shaft.

[bunkerputt]

Originally Posted by Doctorfro

What I want to know is how this trainer translates to the driver?

I wondered that at first as well.  Basically, as long as you are playing the ball forward with your driver (off left foot), the swing is the same.  If you press to maintain lag and lose it at the same time in your swing, you get forward shaft lean with the irons and neutral shaft lean with the driver simply because you are releasing at the same time and the ball is in a different position.  Don't move your head around a lot and don't release at different times (i.e. make different swings) and it works great.  Even if it didn't work on training you to maintain lag with the driver, I would still say it's worth it just for the iron play.

[DublinMeUp]

@bunker just wondering, when I do my sessions with the TS and I am getting good distance plus flight should I just forget about any swing thoughts? Ie no matter what way I'm swinging I'm getting correct contact and must have some forward lean to achieve proper shots. The only way I can see of 'cheating' is if you use fake lag as referenced before here, I'm pretty sure I'm not doing this.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I wondered that at first as well.  Basically, as long as you are playing the ball forward with your driver (off left foot), the swing is the same.  If you press to maintain lag and lose it at the same time in your swing, you get forward shaft lean with the irons and neutral shaft lean with the driver simply because you are releasing at the same time and the ball is in a different position.  Don't move your head around a lot and don't release at different times (i.e. make different swings) and it works great.  Even if it didn't work on training you to maintain lag with the driver, I would still say it's worth it just for the iron play.

i was unsure of when it would add "20 yards to my drive" although it has. when practicing lag with the driver, or 3 wood (which is what i was using at the time when i noticed this), i was releasing the club wayyy to late and shooting shots maybe 15-20 feet off the ground. no matter they were straight and long but i wouldnt want my stock 3 wood shot to not have height when it needs it. like you said the longer the club, the further the ball moves up in the stance. the release point is all the same but forward shaft lean only noticeably occurs with clubs shorter than the fairway woods. now im one to think that hitting a proper 15 deg 3 wood should divot some. as well as the hybrid. but then release points must become a bit more precise.

this club (TS 8i) however has helped me with my driver and fairway wood play in many ways. swing path or just simply the direction the club is going the same as the ball. ive been working on a low rising high draw. almost like a cut. its really all because i try to push the ball away from me and send it about 10-15 yards to the right of my body and then rope it back in.

i think with iron play this club helps with proper mechanics heavily. with woods, it helps with tempo and swing path. the shots that are much longer and how a mishit can be more devastating on longer shots. but thats my opinion. although i dont think it helps immensely with the driver i do think it helps with certain aspects. the 5 iron might translate a little more towards long irons, hybrids, and fairways. but im not sure how much.

[handlez42]

Originally Posted by DublinMeUp

@bunker just wondering, when I do my sessions with the TS and I am getting good distance plus flight should I just forget about any swing thoughts? Ie no matter what way I'm swinging I'm getting correct contact and must have some forward lean to achieve proper shots.

The only way I can see of 'cheating' is if you use fake lag as referenced before here, I'm pretty sure I'm not doing this.

thats how i looked at it. i was hitting FAT large cavity backs and they were TOO forgiving. id only been playing for 6 months (after first year of college) and i realized i needed something more precise. i looked into forged but from past perspectives the forgiveness is nothing spectacular and distance loss is noticeable. i was deciding between wilson staff ci9's and wilson staff fg tours  (cavity) and the local sports store golf pro said i could probly handle the fg's (this might have been a marketing scam but i recently hit my lowest score of 77 with the fgs so he may have been right) i ordered the FGs and had already ordered the Tour Striker 8 iron fit to my length and lie. the first thing i cared about was just hitting the club properly. you start to notice that if you slice the ball, you cant hit the sweet spot nearly as well. (i can only imagine having the 7iron or 5 iron with this problem). most "pushed" misshits are towards the toe. and because the leading edge and part of the toe are grounded off, its not nearly as possible to get the ball up properly. any misshits to the inside feel awful at the hands and sometimes hit the hosel.

so in short, worry about hitting this club properly. it instinctively changes your mechanics slightly and will help you make more consistent, better/good contact. i still push shots with the TS but im able to hit very straight and sometimes control the flight which with this casted club makes my forged irons control easier than the alphabet. IF there was one thing id tell you to remember when using it, it would be to just ensure that in your mind your finishing towards the target at which you have chosen. Even if its a blade of grass or a divot in front of you. in most cases this will help with making sure the ball goes in the proper direction in which your aimed. Your body will adjust in slight ways to help your mind hit in that direction.

They said it on the Tour Striker Infomercial. there were soo many players with strange swings and mechanics during the earliest eras of tour level golf. BUT, they all have the same thing. impact position. just do it with the tour striker. make it a part of your daily golf routine. I myself even prefer to range 3-4 times including the tour striker in that session before i play my next round. it took me all summer to get that round of 77. so patience will be rewarded.

[handlez42]

and to some people on this website (OR MOST PEOPLE) a round of 77 isnt very good. But ive been playing for just over a year and prior to that round my best was an 85. some of which i consider having my irons regripped to my proper midsize hands. but alot had to do with compressing the ball with the tour striker which also helped with distance and trajectory control

[iacas]

Just a heads up... Martin Chuck, inventor of the Tour Striker, has seen this thread and has offered to run a contest with The Sand Trap to give a couple of people free Tour Strikers. Details are still being determined, and we'll post a new thread when the contest is ready in a week or so, but everyone posting in this thread, good job, and keep it up.

[DublinMeUp]

Sweet! 5i or wedge hmm

[applejr]

Originally Posted by iacas

Just a heads up... Martin Chuck, inventor of the Tour Striker, has seen this thread and has offered to run a contest with The Sand Trap to give a couple of people free Tour Strikers. Details are still being determined, and we'll post a new thread when the contest is ready in a week or so, but everyone posting in this thread, good job, and keep it up.

He'll only need to see my swing once to know I need it the most :)

[rustyredcab]

Used my TS 7-iron pro in pre-round warmup Saturday. Wasn't sure if it would instill confidence or destroy it. Chipped a few. Hit some worm burners, Got some up and felt OK. Divots looked pretty good. Switched to my regular 7-iron and they felt great, looked great, were straight as arrows, and left pretty little divots. Then hit some 3-woods (did not notice anything different) and time was up. A frost delay forced range time to just a few minutes.

First hole was a long par 5. I hit three solid shots with the 9-iron third feeling like I really trapped the ball nicely. Perfect ball flight, distance was 5-yards long, and the line was exactly where I aimed -- should have gone right at the pin. All day my short irons and wedges were much better than normal. After a few holes my confidence was terrific with my irons. After just a few sessions with the TS, I can see a big difference. Can't wait until I've worked with it all winter.

TS is my new pre-round warmup first club for the few rounds I have left this fall.

[rustyredcab]

Anyone using the TS wedge? Would it help me learn to put more spin on chip shots any better than working with the 7-iron pro? Note that I am likely on matts until Spring.

I have never been a bounce, bounce check player. I normally just play for the release. Last round out, I was striking the ball very well. I thought, this is it. My TS has me leading nicely and striking well. I'll hit a firm shot and get that check up after a hop or two.. Had a 20 yard chip from the fairway a bit up hill. Hit the ball crisp and took a pretty little divot after the ball. Flight was great and landed exactly where I wanted, just on the green. Good ball (ProV1). New wedges. I felt like I could not have hit the ball any better. Ball still hit and released a long way.

Would a TS wedge off matts help me any better than the 7-iron?

[Tour Striker]

Originally Posted by handlez42

i actually wish they would make the whole set haha they actually feel rather solid when hit well almost like they made them just solid enough to tell you where your at. they already have a 5 iron, 7 iron, and 8 iron. so, why not? haha they also have that 56 degree wedge which im not quite sure if it would help me "trap" my wedge shots. ive heard its pretty easy to hit.

obviously making them legal would be the biggest thing. they would have to find a way to change their purpose from a "training club" to a legal iron. i think it should be as easy as switching out the shaft in my opinion. wouldnt be an aide if it has a legal made shaft. or at least didnt have the stock TS shaft.

Funny you say that...when I was a kid and first met Moe (I was 9 and got to shag for him...pretty cool) his irons all had the leading edge ground off on a 45*. I do have a prototype iron I'm testing, that is a Moe/TS version. I love the thing, but I'm not sure I want to get into the playing club market. Tough to compete with the marketing engine of TM, Callaway, Titleist, etc... I'll post some pics. It is presently in shipping. Just moved from Bend, OR to Phoenix, AZ. Running my schools and coaching in AZ provides more "usable" weather.

Originally Posted by bunkerputt

I wondered that at first as well.  Basically, as long as you are playing the ball forward with your driver (off left foot), the swing is the same.  If you press to maintain lag and lose it at the same time in your swing, you get forward shaft lean with the irons and neutral shaft lean with the driver simply because you are releasing at the same time and the ball is in a different position.  Don't move your head around a lot and don't release at different times (i.e. make different swings) and it works great.  Even if it didn't work on training you to maintain lag with the driver, I would still say it's worth it just for the iron play.

I've had a lot of folks say they added significant length with their driver. The marketing guys pitch the "30 yards" rubbish. Frankly that makes me ill. The reality is, if you deliver the club properly you'll hit it a helluva lot better and yes, you'll hit it farther. 30 yards?? Who knows.

Originally Posted by handlez42

i was unsure of when it would add "20 yards to my drive" although it has. when practicing lag with the driver, or 3 wood (which is what i was using at the time when i noticed this), i was releasing the club wayyy to late and shooting shots maybe 15-20 feet off the ground. no matter they were straight and long but i wouldnt want my stock 3 wood shot to not have height when it needs it. like you said the longer the club, the further the ball moves up in the stance. the release point is all the same but forward shaft lean only noticeably occurs with clubs shorter than the fairway woods. now im one to think that hitting a proper 15 deg 3 wood should divot some. as well as the hybrid. but then release points must become a bit more precise.

this club (TS 8i) however has helped me with my driver and fairway wood play in many ways. swing path or just simply the direction the club is going the same as the ball. ive been working on a low rising high draw. almost like a cut. its really all because i try to push the ball away from me and send it about 10-15 yards to the right of my body and then rope it back in.

i think with iron play this club helps with proper mechanics heavily. with woods, it helps with tempo and swing path. the shots that are much longer and how a mishit can be more devastating on longer shots. but thats my opinion. although i dont think it helps immensely with the driver i do think it helps with certain aspects. the 5 iron might translate a little more towards long irons, hybrids, and fairways. but im not sure how much.

Glad it helped with your overall yardage! That's great.

Originally Posted by handlez42

and to some people on this website (OR MOST PEOPLE) a round of 77 isnt very good. But ive been playing for just over a year and prior to that round my best was an 85. some of which i consider having my irons regripped to my proper midsize hands. but alot had to do with compressing the ball with the tour striker which also helped with distance and trajectory control

Hey, 77 is nothing to sneeze at. Way to go. Golf is damn hard and you should be proud of "double hockey sticks."

[Tour Striker]

Guys, thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the majority of folks enjoy the club and see the benefit of practicing with it.

To answer some of your questions:

I have designed and tested a Tour Striker playing iron. I'll post some more pics. The club is in transit right now as I just moved from Bend, OR to Phoenix, AZ. Much better weather to coach and run my schools. I'm at The Raven. Great spot for golf and coaching.

The problem with this head is the weight disc concept on the back. It has more IP protection than an iPad!

The face is a baby version of easy Tour Striker. It has an elevated leading edge like Moe's old Scotch Blades. I thought I had a face shot, but I can't find it?

Anyway, I'll prowl around The Sand Trap and answer Q's and help where I can.

Cheers,

Martin Chuck