| Every time we go into the golf store or watch | | | | most people and there are certain things that |
| the Golf Channel or page through our favorite golf | | | | require attention for improvement. Golf requires |
| publication we are subjected to countless golf | | | | physical skills and mental skills. Specific golf training |
| training aids. How do we know the product we | | | | aids can develop certain physical skills, when used |
| are purchasing will actually give us the results we | | | | in the manner in which they are intended. As your |
| are looking for in our golf game? | | | | physical skills improve chances are your |
| There are five criteria that you should look at | | | | confidence will improve as well. Mental skills are |
| before purchasing a golf training aid. | | | | greatly increased as your confidence increases, so |
| 1. Validity. Simply put, does this device do what it | | | | the mental game and the physical game go hand |
| is advertised to do? | | | | in hand. |
| 2. Reliability. Does it give consistent results for | | | | The golf training aids that I personally prefer are |
| golfers of different abilities? | | | | ones that help the average weekend amateur |
| 3. Durability. Is it constructed of quality material? | | | | golfer with the most common problems such as |
| 4. Simplicity. Is the device so complicated that the | | | | slicing, poor chipping and pitching as well as putting |
| average golfer can't operate it? | | | | problems. I personally believe that the average |
| 5. Conformity. Does the product conform to the | | | | weekend amateur golfer can dramatically improve |
| rules set forth by the USGA and R&A? Most | | | | their scores by concentrating on three key |
| training aids cannot be used during a tournament | | | | elements. 1. Reducing or eliminating their slice to |
| round of golf, but if the device manipulates the | | | | cut down on penalty shots. Also, playing from the |
| golfer in some bizarre fashion, I would steer clear. | | | | fairway is always better than playing from behind |
| Does a scene from the movie Tin Cup come to | | | | a tree in the rough. 2. Improving chipping and |
| mind? | | | | pitching near the green. 3. Improve putting by |
| There are hundreds of very fine golf training aids | | | | distance control of their lag putts. A tap-in second |
| that meet most, if not all, of these criteria. The | | | | putt is nothing to be ashamed of, but a tap-in |
| funny thing is that many people fall into a trap | | | | three putt can destroy a good score quickly. |
| that I like to refer to the silver bullet trap. What is | | | | Straighter shots from the tee, chip shots that roll |
| the silver bullet trap you may be asking? No, it's | | | | close to the pin and improved putting are just a |
| not a new golf training aid developed for bunker | | | | couple of the things you can look forward to this |
| play. What I'm referring to when I use the term | | | | season as you find the right golf training aid to |
| silver bullet trap is that many people think that | | | | improve your game and increase your enjoyment |
| simply purchasing the product cures their problem! | | | | on the golf course. |
| The fact remains that golf is a difficult game for | | | | |