Everyone’s time is valuable. We cherish our time on the golf course and many of us just wish we had more time in the day to play or practice.
Whether it is work, family or whatever else may be going on in life, finding the time to practice can be a challenge. What’s worse is wasting that precious time on skills or drills that won’t help your game.
We can help! Read on.
Putting Training
PuttOut Pressure Trainer
This one is pretty straightforward. If you follow MyGolfSpy, you will have heard about these a lot. The PuttOut Pressure trainer is a wonderfully frustrating putting tool that provides immediate feedback, precise practice and scalable difficulty. It is small, portable, and can be used anywhere that you can roll a golf ball. It may make you want to pull your hair out but it will make you a better putter.
Putting Mat
Having a good putting mat is valuable. We have done several reviews on Amazon putting mats but a slightly larger investment in a higher-quality mat might be warranted.
The BirdieBall Classic Depth starts at $90. Available in three widths and six lengths, there is an option that can fit your space. BirdieBall mats have consistently scored well and been highly ranked year over year in MyGolfSpy Most Wanted testing. With a clean and true roll, easy setup and an array of optional accessories, the BirdieBall Classic Depth is a great putting mat for any space enabling golfers to have a quick and easy place to practice.
PUTTR Ai Putting Mat
If you want some added technology data to go with your putting practice, the PUTTR Ai putting mat may be exactly what you are looking for. It is an investment at $599 plus subscription but between games, tracking putts, competitions, there are few putting items that can help get you more out of practice in a short time.
Full Swing Training
Rapsodo MLM2PRO
A clear and obvious device is the Rapsodo MLM2PRO. Similar to the PUTTR Ai putting mat, it is a more costly device with a subscription but the first year of the subscription is included with the purchase of the device. With the premium subscription, Rapsodo offers a variety of features and training options to help you optimize your time.
For example, those looking at a quick speed training session can open up the R-Speed function and, with or without an actual program, work on speed training. Want to play a quick nine? Rapsodo has steadily improved its quality of simulator play and now includes things like penalties for being in the rough and elevation changes as well as the option to connect to E6 or Awesome Golf for even more sim play options.
The range function option has multiple camera angles, allowing golfers to see up to three different angles of the same shot. Down-the-line from the unit itself, face-on from your phone or tablet and impact view are available from the unit.
Of course, a net and, possibly, a hitting mat would be required for at-home use but being its light weight and portability allows you to bring it anywhere you are hitting golf balls. The Rapsodo MLM2PRO collects data on Android or iOS devices, all while your shots and numbers get sent to R-Cloud for review later on mobile or PC. This is easily one of the best devices I have invested in to help make practice more fun, varied and complete in a short time.
Alignment Sticks
Now for some simpler and cheaper options. Alignment sticks are a must. They are simple but there is a reason we see the pros using them all of the time. They work.
Alignment sticks will help with a whole range of swing mechanics and have multiple functions. Of course, there is the standard setup for lining up your stance and aiding in swing path and ball position.
Alignment sticks can also be used to help with bunker practice, putting drills, hip rotation, swing plane and shot shaping as well as ground force, just to name a few. Every golfer who practices with purpose should own alignment sticks.
Impact Stickers or Foot Spray
Both impact stickers and foot spray are easy, effective ways to work on strike location in a short period of time. Plus, they are fun to use. Impact stickers are pretty straightforward. Just place them on the clubface and swing away. Don’t worry about spin, flight or even direction as the sticker impacts those characteristics. The important part is where you are hitting on the clubface.
Foot spray does something very similar. It coats the clubface with a white mist that reveals exactly where a shot was struck. The best part is that after the spray has been worn away, you simply wipe it off, spray again and start hitting again.
Both of these items will help you get immediate feedback with any club in your bag and allow you to start working on fixes immediately.
Hitting Net
Our final recommendation is a hitting net of some sort. I have a larger unit that is not very portable but it is stationary and stays up all year ready to use. MyGolfSpy has seen great success with the Spornia series that pops up in seconds and has multiple sizes and accessories that are equally easy to take down and store for later use.
In particular, the Spornia PSG-8 is a great product that can be used indoors or out and functions for every club in your bag.
Short Game
This is an area which I don’t practice enough. With the limited time I have, I focus more on full swings and putting. I am sure I am not alone in this so how do we practice our short games with the limited time we have?
Training Aids
There are two training aids that work for me to get simple and effective practice in. The first is the Smart Ball. It’s a ball that is inflated and hangs between your forearms, connected to a lanyard that goes around your neck. The goal is to squeeze your forearms together so the ball does not fall out, thus making sure the body and arms stay connected and move as one unit. This is also a great tool to help correct flippy hands and focus more on bigger muscles.
The Smart Ball is effective in engraining the feel of connectivity during the chipping motion. This can be done with dry swings (no ball) or with a club and ball, both of which can be an instant improvement to any short game.
Chipping Net
The other training aid is a simple chipping net. Space may be a bigger challenge and I am not a fan of using rubber balls in practice. But a chipping net does narrow your focus and is simple and easy to set up. Given the space, golfers can move the target forward or back for practice at different distances. This can also help them explore different heights and trajectories. Simple and kinda fun, a chipping net is a good solution if your short game is a weakness.
Conclusion
Not all products are going to work for all golfers. However, even with limited time, there are methods and products to make the most out of the time you do have. Whether you go with a full setup with launch monitor, net, hitting mat and more or something as simple and effective as the PuttOUT pressure trainer, there are ways for every golfer to work on their games even with limited time.
Have any of these products already? How do you use them? Are there other, more effective ways you have found to make practice more efficient? Let us know in the comments below.
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