Training Aids Are Only Good When They Are Used

By Mike Stevens,USGTF contributing Writer

I just got back from the World Golf Teachers Cup gathering in Las Vegas. On the driving range, we were treated to demonstrations of several training aids. Some to increase swing speed, some to improve impact position and some to improve the overall swing motion. Over the years, I have used or recommended certain training aids to students based on their specific needs. I believe there is value in using them if one is committed to getting better. The key word is committed. That takes effort, and effort is not easy because it takes time. No truer words than “Rome was not built in a day” can be applied to learning golf techniques. It takes time and commitment.

One of the problems I see when aids are advertised on TV is that they would have one believe that there is almost instant success. Often, I see a fellow working with a training aid, and then maybe a few weeks later, there he is on the range without it. When I ask why he is not using the aid, often the reply is, “It didn’t work.”

Unfortunately, we live in a world where people want instant gratification, the worst thing when it comes to learning golf. That is why I emphasize in all my lessons that getting good at golf is a long-term process that takes patience, commitment and effort. When I recommend a training aid, I let the student know that using it will help ingrain good habits over time, and those habits will stay in place with continued use.