Golf Swing Teaching Aids: They Work, But Are Not Silver Bullets

You can read all kinds of reviews on the Internet about golf swing teaching aids, and the comments--from professionals to weekend warriors alike--are all over the map. Some golfers swear by this or that golf swing training aid, and still others just swear at them. Many teaching pros use training aids that cost next to nothing--shoe boxes, reflector strips, hula hoops, basketballs--to help golfers who are looking to learn how to golf swing, and to give them a mental image that can help them keep the swing grooved when they're on the links.

High-Tech, Low-Tech, No Tech

As you can already tell, golf swing teaching aids come in lots of price ranges and varieties. There are special hinged clubs or other clublike instruments that help you get the feel of a proper--and improper--swing; there are wrist and arm braces that help you key in on proper positioning during the swing; there are computerized gadgets that can tell you about clubhead speed, club face position, and other things. You'll even find simple gadgets like specialized grips. 

The Key Ingredient

The big thing is to recognize that there is no panacea--there is no single golf swing teaching aid that will immediately fix your game. Realistically, there is no teaching aid that will even improve every part of your swing. Instead, each teaching aid will assist you with a specific piece of your golf swing. But that's okay, as specialization and focus are key to really absorbing these motions into muscle memory.

The other important thing to realize is that you must use common sense in selecting and purchasing golf swing teaching aids. Realistically, long-term game improvement comes through effort and focus -- and that comes from practice. A golf swing teaching aid can help, but it's up to you to apply it properly to your game.

For that matter, some of the best improvements you will encounter will come from two decidedly no-tech sources: exercise and a video camera. Exercise that specifically works your core will do wonders for your swing and distance, especially over the course of a round. I'm not talking about crunches and the like, but a full core workout, e.g. using Pilates or a physioball. And the video camera can correct a multitude of swing problems without a fancy teaching aid. But stack them all together, and you could be a force to be reckoned with!