Best swing training aid for the $$(noob)??

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

I understand the folks on here who say you should go get a lesson.  My feeling is that - getting a lesson is an easy way to burn through $50 to $100 or more very quickly.  My recommendation is to:

1.) Get a video camera - or cell phone that can record your swing.

2.) Video your swing.

3.) Analyze it using this site and other online resources.

4.) Read a lot of resources (online and elsewhere)

5.) Watch a lot of video online (Youtube)

6.) Practice, practice, practice.

Time is money. Hundreds of hours spent doing #3 and #4 will only get you to the point where you might know what you need to do. And the odds that you're wrong are still high. Better to find an instructor and build your base of knowledge as you work with him (or her).

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by jaysquared

New here and new to the game of golf started about a couple of months ago and have never had a lesson just tips from friends... I would like to get some training tools that will help my swing.. As of right now i'm now just like any other noob I have a problem hitting the ball consistently.. I don't have a lot of money so I really want to keep things cheap so I can still play some golf.. I was thinking of getting this.. Has good reviews on Amazon.. Thanks in advance..

http://www.amazon.com/Swingyde-Golf-Swing-Training-Aid/dp/B000OZI256/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid;=1341376282&sr;=8-1&keywords;=golf+training+aides

Not sure about the one you posted, but this one looks interesting:

http://www.amazon.com/GolfJOC-Power-Flat-Wrist-Trainer/dp/B004GZ4IWQ/ref=pd_sim_sg_4

[JackLee]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I like this one.  If you actually cut weeds (or grass) with it, it will encourage an inside-out body powered swing...body and hands...not arms and hands.  Hitting an impact bag with a weighted golf club can do the same thing.  The club doesn't need to be real heavy, just about the weight of a weed cutter.

[Beachcomber]

Originally Posted by iacas

Time is money. Hundreds of hours spent doing #3 and #4 will only get you to the point where you might know what you need to do. And the odds that you're wrong are still high. Better to find an instructor and build your base of knowledge as you work with him (or her).

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

He's talking about how kids, with their coaches, use technology to get better faster. He's not talking about kids just figuring things out for themselves after researching on the Internet. So I'm not sure what your point was...? The average guy, right now, looking to improve is going to have to filter through a LOT of information and spend a LOT of time trying to figure out not only what's right and what's wrong, but which of the "right" stuff applies to their golf swing, and in what order it applies. That's a lot LOT of time.

[sparnar]

hi there, first post on the site.

take it from a fellow high-handicapper... take a lesson.

it is BY FAR the best investment you can make in your game.

you need a pro to show you the proper alignment, stance, grip, posture, ball position. these are not called the fundamentals for nothing.

if you don't have solid fundamentals, you will be buying plenty of training aids over the years to come, without seeing much improvement.

earlier this year i decided that i would enjoy my golf alot more if i was playing better. i decided to find a pga pro near me (i am from south africa), and have taken many lessons over the last 3/4 months. sure, it has cost me a fair bit (luckily my pro charges roughly $25, which sounds very cheap compared to the rates that has been mentioned in this thread).

now, if you can't afford more than one lesson, don't worry about it. go take that first lesson, and make sure to take meticulous notes of EVERY SINGLE WORD that comes out of the pro's mouth. this is vital, since you will only be having one lesson to start off with. once you have these notes, you can practise these over and over again.

these fundamentals are something you can practice at home. grip, stance, alignment, posture, ball position can all be ingrained without hitting any balls. now this seems counter intuitive to a hacker, i know i just wanted to start hitting some balls.

take alignment for instance, i almost always dropped a club at my feet when hitting balls at the range. but i couldn't see the alignment mistakes i were making, and because my alignment was off, i was making a subconscious over-the-top move that lead to my big slice. i would never have known the cause

but i promise you, you would be surprised how much EASIER it is to hit a golf ball once you have these fundamentals down pat. i can guarantee you that during your half hour lesson with the pro, you will already start hitting the ball better. you just have to make sure that you practise everything he says until it becomes second nature. this is the hard part, your grip, etc is probably ingrained already, and it takes a whole lot of conscious effort to not revert back to the old, incorrect grip, etc.

apart from the fundamentals, make sure that you practice your short game at least as much as your full shots (i am currently practising short game twice as much as my full shots, if not more).

to give you an idea, three months ago i was shooting around 110. i have already gained 10 strokes, and funny thing, my putting is worse now than when i began. i neglected my putting while working on the full swing, and am now paying the price for that poor decision.

have been working really hard on my putting, and i seriously feel that i can shoot very close to 95 in my following two rounds.

go take that lesson!!!

if you are still not convinced to take a lesson, then don't just waste your money on any random training aid. google for the y-drill and l-drill. these are short-swing drills, that you can practice at the range. no need for a training aid. but i fear without proper fundamentals, the results might not be as good as otherwise.

but, i still think the lesson would be your best investment!

[Big Lex]

There are many ways to learn golf. Some people recommend that beginners struggle for a while on their own (3-6 months, maybe) before taking lessons. Harvey Penick, one of the most respected teachers ever, did this with some of his family members. Some people want lessons right away. You asked about a training aid. If I were to recommend a training aid for a beginner, it would be something that just generally trains your eye hand coordination to hit a ball cleanly off the ground. I would recommend Molor Flatballs. http://www.molor.com/fb-401.htm An alternative would be to get some sturdy poker chips and use them the same way. When you can make a swing and consistently hit these discs forward, you will be off to a great start in golf.

[iacas]

I would recommend Molor Flatballs. http://www.molor.com/fb-401.htm

FWIW those don't work off the ground and they don't work at all off any mat. You almost need to hit them off a very firm surface or it's very easy to hit the ball fat and still achieve what appears to be success with the Flatball.

[mtthwdrn]

FWIW those don't work off the ground and they don't work at all off any mat. You almost need to hit them off a very firm surface or it's very easy to hit the ball fat and still achieve what appears to be success with the Flatball.

+1 They do work off of cheap commercial carpet on concrete though. I've played with them at work. The main thing they showed me was I was still moving my head early. When I would move my head early complete whiff, head down contact. YMMV.