First Look at the HackersRx

[billchao]

I received a training aid today that I wanted to share with you all, it's called the HackersRx. It's an alignment and ball position training aid. You can visit their website here: https://www.hackersrx.com/homepage/

Quote

HackersRx is a small, collapsible, portable teaching and training device consisting of three telescoping rods and two plastic golf balls that can be unfolded into a “T” configuration and is adjustable for a variety of club positions that will fit in any golf bag. It gives you, the golfer, right-handed or left-handed, consistent reference points on all clubs and desired shot shapes.

HackersRx is being used by PGA and LPGA tour professionals to help refine good fundamentals as well as amateurs to correct their stance, aim and ball position, all of which are keys to becoming a better golfer.

I haven't been able to get outside with it yet so I'll just jot some quick first thoughts:

1. It is lightweight and will fit easily into a golf bag so you can take it anywhere.
2. I like how the rods are marked in 1" increments but they are a little hard to see clearly in the glare of the overhead lighting in my house.
3. It's a multitasker. I'm a big fan of multitasking tools.

It seems pretty simple to use. One other function I thought of is how you can use it to easily line up your camera for filming swings.

They are selling it for $44.95, but are currently offering a fall sale for $10 off plus free shipping. Take a look at their site and let me know what you guys think. @iacas got one, too, and we will both be using this thread for discussion, writing down thoughts, and answering questions anyone may have.

[iacas]

• The center rod extends to about 30". That's really pretty far… I'll put the folding pair of rods behind my heels, not in front of my toes so it doesn't cross my target line.
• The folding two extend to about 20".
• The balls mean that the training aid wobbles a bit. The center part could have been flatter. True of the end piece, too…
• The folding two sticks don't lock into place at 90°, so you don't get a perfectly straight or perpendicular setup. It can be a few degrees off.
• It is lightweight and folds up pretty small.

[carpediem4300]

Looks to me like the same effect could be achieved with some simple alignment sticks,....although the alignment sticks can be used for other applications like hip slide, swing plane etc etc

[iacas]

4 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

Looks to me like the same effect could be achieved with some simple alignment sticks,....although the alignment sticks can be used for other applications like hip slide, swing plane etc etc

That's pretty much the central question.

I have all the sticks I'd ever need, but I'd still pay for a training aid that was flat, could collapse to a smaller size, and which gave me nice 90° angles. I don't know that this is it.

[carpediem4300]

I guess so, perhaps a device that you can put your alignment sticks into to create perfect 90* angles would be better? makes your sticks multipurpose then

[Hacker James]

1 hour ago, carpediem4300 said:

I guess so, perhaps a device that you can put your alignment sticks into to create perfect 90* angles would be better? makes your sticks multipurpose then

 

[iacas]

4 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

I guess so, perhaps a device that you can put your alignment sticks into to create perfect 90* angles would be better? makes your sticks multipurpose then

Right.

I do like that they telescope and collapse, don't get me wrong there…

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Some photos:

[Hacker James]

I think it is a great design. Very compact and handy. The rods remind me of the extendable "pointers" I used to use in class room instruction when I was an Instructor at Fleet Training Center and Naval Training Center in San Diego. They would fit in a shirt pocket and even had a clip. The graduations on the rods are nice also. You wouldn't have to measure each time and look like you are about to attend "confession".

[billchao]

19 hours ago, iacas said:

The center rod extends to about 30". That's really pretty far… I'll put the folding pair of rods behind my heels, not in front of my toes so it doesn't cross my target line.

Is that necessary? You don't have to extend it all the way.

I personally think having a second "ball" to the inside of mine is going to be weird, I'll have to see. It rained today so no practice.

20 hours ago, iacas said:

The balls mean that the training aid wobbles a bit. The center part could have been flatter. True of the end piece, too…

Yea I'm not a big fan of the golf balls at all. They could have just used flat discs or something so the whole thing sits nicely on the ground.

20 hours ago, iacas said:

The folding two sticks don't lock into place at 90°, so you don't get a perfectly straight or perpendicular setup. It can be a few degrees off.

I stuck my speed square on it and it passed the eye test.

13 hours ago, carpediem4300 said:

Looks to me like the same effect could be achieved with some simple alignment sticks,....although the alignment sticks can be used for other applications like hip slide, swing plane etc etc

Alignment sticks are good but they don't line up perpendicular to each other well and they are very easy to knock out of alignment if you aren't careful. They are good tools certainly but I think the HackersRx does what it does a little better than alignment sticks do.

3 hours ago, Hacker James said:

The graduations on the rods are nice also.

I do like the measurements in theory. I don't know how easy they are to read in practice. I might end up using some colored sharpie to mark out important spots to me.

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The ball on the end of the center rod makes it really easy to practice your ball position at home. Just put a club in your hands and set up at address as if that was your golf ball.

[iacas]

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

Is that necessary? You don't have to extend it all the way.

I know. Just saying… 30" is pretty far. Almost no real need for it to be that long, unless you can think of another way to orient it.

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

I personally think having a second "ball" to the inside of mine is going to be weird, I'll have to see. It rained today so no practice.

Should be fine. You'll see.

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

Yea I'm not a big fan of the golf balls at all. They could have just used flat discs or something so the whole thing sits nicely on the ground.

Yes. In cold weather I could see them cracking too. And it's not like they have tension, so you can't swing the arms out to a certain spot and then be sure they'll kind of stay in that spot.

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

I stuck my speed square on it and it passed the eye test.

See my picture above: not quite 90°.

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

Alignment sticks are good but they don't line up perpendicular to each other well and they are very easy to knock out of alignment if you aren't careful. They are good tools certainly but I think the HackersRx does what it does a little better than alignment sticks do.

The question will be… $25 to $30 better?

17 minutes ago, billchao said:

The ball on the end of the center rod makes it really easy to practice your ball position at home. Just put a club in your hands and set up at address as if that was your golf ball.

You realize you just suggested people are going to work on their ball position at home, right?

[billchao]

11 minutes ago, iacas said:

Just saying… 30" is pretty far. Almost no real need for it to be that long, unless you can think of another way to orient it.

It's useful for practicing your ball position indoors with your driver, not that anybody but me is going to do that 

13 minutes ago, iacas said:

See my picture above: not quite 90°.

Mine can hyperextend a hair but they seem to spring back. I just checked it against my kitchen tile and some angles it doesn't quite look right, but for the most part it seems ok. Could there be a distortion issue with both alignment rods being slightly elevated and tilting in different directions? Does it ultimately matter if it is 88-99° instead of 90°?

19 minutes ago, iacas said:

The question will be… $25 to $30 better?

Yea that really is the question isn't it?

[Hacker James]

actually, I was semi serious concerning using the wheels from Tinker Toys. You could easily insert wooden dowels into the holes and achieve 90 degree and other angles, create T shapes, e.t.c.  Granted, not compact, and a few minutes to put together, but would stay put. 

[iacas]

38 minutes ago, Hacker James said:

actually, I was semi serious concerning using the wheels from Tinker Toys. You could easily insert wooden dowels into the holes and achieve 90 degree and other angles, create T shapes, e.t.c.  Granted, not compact, and a few minutes to put together, but would stay put. 

We're not talking about how to make your own here.

We're talking about this product.

[billchao]

So I played around with this yesterday and I definitely find it weird with the extra ball next to a real ball. It made me feel like I had to make a conscious effort to not hit it, probably has to do with my swing path.

Also on one swing I had to too close and hit it with the real ball at the same time. Now I don't have a ball on the center rod anymore, though it should be an easy fix with some superglue.

It doesn't do alignment better than sticks because it seems just as easy to knock out of place and the side rods don't stay locked perpendicular of the center one as noted above. The markings are very easy to read in the sunlight.

[iacas]

26 minutes ago, billchao said:

So I played around with this yesterday and I definitely find it weird with the extra ball next to a real ball. It made me feel like I had to make a conscious effort to not hit it, probably has to do with my swing path.

Also on one swing I had to too close and hit it with the real ball at the same time. Now I don't have a ball on the center rod anymore, though it should be an easy fix with some superglue.

It doesn't do alignment better than sticks because it seems just as easy to knock out of place and the side rods don't stay locked perpendicular of the center one as noted above. The markings are very easy to read in the sunlight.

If the thing cost $9.95, maybe… That's basically where I come down on this one.