Golf is a difficult and sometimes maddening game. You can be striping it one day and unable to hit a decent shot the next. The difficulty of building a consistent, repeatable swing is even greater for those of us with one of those pesky day jobs. Fortunately, maybe, there are plenty of gadgets that offer to aid you in building that swing. One of those training aids is the Callaway Swing Easy.
The Problem:
There are a lot of moving parts to the golf swing. It can be all too easy to get lost in playing “golf swing” and trying to commit to different positions with your arms and hands, hips, torso, etc. Synchronizing all those movements and positions could probably go a long way towards consistency in your golf game. But how can you work on that synchronization?
The Solution:
Enter the Callaway Swing Easy. The Swing Easy promises to teach you how to use the arms and body in a consistent synchronized motion. At just $14.99 on Amazon, you’ll receive a bright “safety orange” Callaway-branded elastic band with a hole on each side for you to insert your arms. Slide it up past your elbows to lower-bicep height and swing away!
How I Found It:
It should be noted that while we found this on Amazon, it is in fact available at golf retailers. I found it on the shelf at Golf Galaxy for the same price, right next to the Callaway Connect Easy. Try not to get them confused. The Connect Easy wraps around your torso and your trail arm and is designed to correct a “flying elbow.” The Swing Easy wraps around both arms with the intent of helping you sync the arms and torso. Whatever you’re working on, Callaway apparently really wants you to take it “Easy” doing it. Moving on …
How It Worked:
Wearing the Swing Easy, I found myself consistently hitting the ball flush and with generally less curvature than my normal shot. I tend to hit a sometimes-overcooked draw with my irons. Shots while wearing the Swing Easy were a bit shorter (it’s hard to feel like you can go after it while wearing it) but they were certainly straight. The band actively worked to keep me from lifting the club with my arms, instead encouraging a full shoulder turn. The Swing Easy is also small, light and folds up easily, meaning you can stuff it in your bag and have it at the ready for any driving range emergency.
How It Didn’t Work:
That said, I found the Swing Easy to be damned uncomfortable. For starters, I’ve spent a little time in the gym but I’m not exactly Arnold, yet the Swing Easy was overly snug on my arms. I get that you wouldn’t want it sliding around but the Swing Easy clung to me a little tighter than necessary. Of greater concern was the general straitjacket feeling that comes with wearing the Swing Easy. The band actively works to keep your arms working together but the constant pulling together means your arms aren’t hanging naturally at all. I’m also convinced the force of it encourages some rounding of the shoulders as it pulls your arms together.
Beyond the comfort factor, it seems to me there is a better way to do this. I’m certainly no swing instructor but I’ve got some experience with training aids. In my opinion, one important element of a good training aid is that it requires you to do the work. If the aid forces you into a position and you’re just along for the ride, I’m not sure that translates to your swing as effectively as an aid that makes you put in the effort of that position.
The Pro SNDR, for instance, possibly the most popular training aid right now. It attempts to teach you the proper wrist positions in the swing. It doesn’t force your wrists into that position; you have to move your wrists yourself. If you’re looking for a training aid to help you synchronize the torso and arms like the Swing Easy, one option that will consistently come up in your Google search is the ever-popular Tour Striker Smart Ball.
Seen in use on PGA Tour driving ranges by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Max Homa, the Smart Ball requires you to hold the ball between your arms as you synchronize the motion of your arms and body in the swing. In other words, the ball isn’t held there for you—you have to do the work. I suspect that’s a better recipe for training aid success.
The Bottom Line:
The Callaway Swing Easy can teach you a synchronized golf swing while you are using it. Once you take it off, though, I’m not sure how much of those feels will translate to your swing. Although the Callaway Swing Easy costs three times less than the Tour Striker Smart Ball, this is one case where it might be wise to spend the extra dough. Get a training aid that puts you to work—not one that does the work for you.
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