Power Package Device Mini-Review

[xrayvizhen]

I wasn't exactly sure where this should go but since I suppose a training aid is "Gear", here it is; my mini-review of the PowerPackage Device.

 

I'm not usually one to buy training aids or other gizmos. I did buy a Medicus 5-Iron about 15-18 years ago and have found it to be fairly helpful from time to time when my swing really gets out of whack. I also have an Impact Snap device that someone loaned me. That's OK too, but it's not anything you can use while hitting balls. Maybe I've always done it and never realized it but I only recently discovered by watching a video of my swing that I was casting from the top - unhinging my wrists too early, not enough lag....it's a fault that goes under a number of names. In any case I've been working diligently at trying to correct it with minor success. That being said I was intrigued enough by the website videos and an endorsement from the Paulson's on PGA Satellite Radio (yes, I know those guys will endorse anything) that I ordered the Power Package and used it today for the first time. After 5 minutes, I realized it's not for me.

For those who haven't seen it (click on the above link), the device clamps onto the grip so you can use it to hit balls with your own clubs which is what intrigued me the most about it. As you swing the club back your arms are supposed to fall into two semi-circular cups or guides that extend out from the clamp at the proper angles. I started with an 8-iron, as recommended, and immediately realized that getting my hands and arms set into the correct position at the top of the back-swing and into my follow through is not my problem and that's what this thing is designed to correct. Evidently there are a lot of people who don't set their hands and arms correctly and that's who this may help the most. The main problem with the unit as I see it is that while your arms, if properly swung and set, fall nicely into the cups/guides though the backswing and then into the downswing, as you approach the impact zone your arms are released from the cups. There is no feel provided for the proper impact position so it really doesn't do anything to teach you how to delay the release and promote lag which is what I was looking to do. Once you follow through properly, your arms and the guide cups will reunite, but by then, the ball is well on it's way to wherever it's going.

They do have a 30 day return policy and so I will be sending it back. If anyone knows of a training aid that will help an early unhinging of the wrists / not enough lag / not enough compression on the ball - whatever you want to call it, let me know!

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, xrayvizhen said:

I wasn't exactly sure where this should go but since I suppose a training aid is "Gear", here it is; my mini-review of the PowerPackage Device.

I'm not usually one to buy training aids or other gizmos. I did buy a Medicus 5-Iron about 15-18 years ago and have found it to be fairly helpful from time to time when my swing really gets out of whack. I also have an Impact Snap device that someone loaned me. That's OK too, but it's not anything you can use while hitting balls. Maybe I've always done it and never realized it but I only recently discovered by watching a video of my swing that I was casting from the top - unhinging my wrists too early, not enough lag....it's a fault that goes under a number of names. In any case I've been working diligently at trying to correct it with minor success. That being said I was intrigued enough by the website videos and an endorsement from the Paulson's on PGA Satellite Radio (yes, I know those guys will endorse anything) that I ordered the Power Package and used it today for the first time. After 5 minutes, I realized it's not for me.

For those who haven't seen it (click on the above link), the device clamps onto the grip so you can use it to hit balls with your own clubs which is what intrigued me the most about it. As you swing the club back your arms are supposed to fall into two semi-circular cups or guides that extend out from the clamp at the proper angles. I started with an 8-iron, as recommended, and immediately realized that getting my hands and arms set into the correct position at the top of the back-swing and into my follow through is not my problem and that's what this thing is designed to correct. Evidently there are a lot of people who don't set their hands and arms correctly and that's who this may help the most. The main problem with the unit as I see it is that while your arms, if properly swung and set, fall nicely into the cups/guides though the backswing and then into the downswing, as you approach the impact zone your arms are released from the cups. There is no feel provided for the proper impact position so it really doesn't do anything to teach you how to delay the release and promote lag which is what I was looking to do. Once you follow through properly, your arms and the guide cups will reunite, but by then, the ball is well on it's way to wherever it's going.

They do have a 30 day return policy and so I will be sending it back. If anyone knows of a training aid that will help an early unhinging of the wrists / not enough lag / not enough compression on the ball - whatever you want to call it, let me know!

Have you tried the hanger? It’s pretty easy to use and you can hit balls with it. Feedback is given if you flip as the hanger will miss your forearm whereas  if you have a straight lead wrist leading the club the hanger will press up against your forearm.

https://www.hangergolf.com/

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by Vinsk

[xrayvizhen]

58 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Have you tried the hanger? It’s pretty easy to use and you can hit balls with it. Feedback is given if you flip as the hanger will miss your forearm whereas  if you have a straight lead wrist leading the club the hanger will press up against your forearm.

https://www.hangergolf.com/

 

Funny you should mention The Hanger. I recently looked at that too and went for the Power Package instead. (I mean, how many of these things can a person buy?) When I looked at it, I actually took a wire coat hanger and swung a club with it and sort of, I think, got the idea of what it does. I understand what the impact position is supposed to be, but somewhere between the start of my downswing and the point halfway down my wrists start to unload. Consciously trying to delay them doesn't really work. I took a few lessons over the winter too. I'm fine on chips, pitches and even half - 3/4 swings. It only happens on full swings and only with my irons. It's a puzzle.

I may take a closer look at the The Hanger again. Thanks for reminding me about it.

 

[Vinsk]

1 minute ago, xrayvizhen said:

Funny you should mention The Hanger. I recently looked at that too and went for the Power Package instead. (I mean, how many of these things can a person buy?) When I looked at it, I actually took a wire coat hanger and swung a club with it and sort of, I think, got the idea of what it does. I understand what the impact position is supposed to be, but somewhere between the start of my downswing and the point halfway down my wrists start to unload. Consciously trying to delay them doesn't really work. I took a few lessons over the winter too. I'm fine on chips, pitches and even half - 3/4 swings. It only happens on full swings and only with my irons. It's a puzzle.

I may take a closer look at the The Hanger again. Thanks for reminding me about it.

 

You could also post a swing video in “My Swing” section. There are some really good instructors here who will give you advice/drills.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

You could also post a swing video in “My Swing” section. There are some really good instructors here who will give you advice/drills.

He has one there, and so far as I can tell, has not updated it or ever really worked on what he's been told:

@xrayvizhen, you flip because you HAVE to flip to get down to the ball. Your legs race out ahead, your arms lag behind, and if you actually maintained the lag you'd not really be able to reach the golf ball. The radius of your left shoulder to your clubhead has to lengthen (by flipping) earlier than you want because your lower body is ahead.

You flip because you don't use your arms enough, so something (flipping) has to get the clubhead down to the ball before it's too late.

There are not really any good training aids for this. Update your Member Swing topic with a recent good slow-motion video.

[xrayvizhen]

I

11 hours ago, iacas said:

He has one there, and so far as I can tell, has not updated it or ever really worked on what he's been told:

@xrayvizhen, you flip because you HAVE to flip to get down to the ball. Your legs race out ahead, your arms lag behind, and if you actually maintained the lag you'd not really be able to reach the golf ball. The radius of your left shoulder to your clubhead has to lengthen (by flipping) earlier than you want because your lower body is ahead.

You flip because you don't use your arms enough, so something (flipping) has to get the clubhead down to the ball before it's too late.

There are not really any good training aids for this. Update your Member Swing topic with a recent good slow-motion video.

I haven't posted any new vids because my full swing looks almost the same now as it did then. The fact that I can now do up to 3/4 swings without flipping is where the improvement has been. I'll take the advice and hold off on more aids and try to concentrate on keeping my left side from what I call "collapsing". Getting my arms to just move faster, which is what I may be misinterpreting when I've been told to "use the arms more", by itself hasn't really worked, I'm also in a league and with my faulty old swing am in 1st place at the moment so I can't afford to take a step back in order to move 2 steps forward right now. After we're done at the end of September, I'll vigorously try to make changes.

But one thing I've been wondering... is my lower body ahead because my arms are too slow or are my arms too slow because my legs race out ahead?

[iacas]

I don’t ask people to slow things down. Speed the other things up. Then the sequencing as a whole improves.

[mvmac]

@xrayvizhen, like @iacas said, your flip helps you hit the ball. It's not something you need to "fix". If you tried to hold the lag you'd lose speed and have a very hard time with contact. 

The solution is to fix the piece(s) that cause you to flip in order to make contact with the ball.

On 8/25/2018 at 6:35 AM, xrayvizhen said:

But one thing I've been wondering... is my lower body ahead because my arms are too slow or are my arms too slow because my legs race out ahead?

I'd take it a step further and say that it's due to the hips sliding back to your right, stalling the pivot, causing the arms to lift. So basically you get out of sync mid to late backswing and that causes a chain of events where the body gets ahead of the arms.

From a practice perspective, that's what I would work on. From a playing perspective I would just speed the arms up on the downswing.