Best Golf Training Aids 2024
A look at some of the superb training aids on the market that could help improve your game
Golf is one of the most technically challenging sports out there and playing just once a week is certainly not enough to see you make big improvements. It's therefore wise to think about practicing more. And while we all have very busy schedules that restrict us from getting out on the course perhaps as much as we'd like, a comprehensive golf training aid is an excellent way to improve your skills. Manufacturers produce a whole variety of equipment, including some of the best golf accessories on the market, that can help you improve all parts of your game. You can use these tools to work on everything from your putting to your driving to help you become a more accomplished player.
You can also implement many of these tools both at home or on the driving range. And whether the training aids are designed to help you improve your swing or to perfect your putting, a little bit of work goes a long way and could see you knocking shots off your handicap. Below we've set out some of the best golf training aids on the market that we think will help you improve as a player. Be sure to also check out our guides on the best golf launch monitors, best golf simulator and our picks for the best golf net.
The Quick List
Top pick
A brilliant putting training aid that gives instant feedback on face angle at impact. A stand-out device that should be part of anyone's training aid rotation or home putting studio.
Best for swing plane
Not many training aids engrain as many good golf swing habits as the Sure-Set. A neutral grip and swing plane is paired with additional width and connection, helping increase both power and ball-striking control.
Most affordable
As used by world number one Scottie Scheffler, this molded rubber grip will guide your hands into place on the club for ultimate control and consistency.
Best for slicers
The Champkey swing trainer does an excellent job of grooving a smooth rhythm with gradual acceleration. It should also improve your timing, sequencing and swing plane as well as acting as an effective warm-up device.
Best for sequencing
This fantastic training aid will help with transition, rhythm and speed. It's also great to help you warm up and, given its approval by the USGA, it can also be used out on the course.
Best putting mat
If you have space for it at home at home the Perfect Practice Putting Mat is a great training aid that will help hone your stroke. The various lines do a great job of providing clear visual feedback.
Load the next 3 products
Best for hooker
With clear instruction as to where to have the grip sit in your hands, holding the club correctly has never been easier with the True Grip glove from Me And My Golf.
Best for speed
If you can commit to the training schedule, there is genuine clubhead speed and distance to be gained here. With this kit you don't have to bulk up like Bryson DeChambeau if you want to start hitting the ball further.
Best for breaking putts
Work on a part of your game that you've likely ignored, the breaking putt, which makes up around 90 per cent of your work on the greens. The days of repeatedly finishing on the low side could be at an end.
Best Golf Training Aids
Why you can trust Golf Monthly
Our top pick
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
First in the list is the Devil Balls from PuttOUT; we were so impressed by these devious little balls that we included them in our Editors Choice Awards. It’s no secret that putting is one of the most complicated aspects of the game to hone, which is what makes tools like this one so popular with golfers. Particularly as, for golfers of all abilities, putting is where shots can be won or lost around the course, so improving putting skills is a task worth putting the time into.
This fantastic putting training aid - which has three difficulty levels that reduce the tolerance of the face angle - offers instant feedback on the face angle of the putter at impact, thanks to its flat-edge impact zone. This unique design exaggerates the face angle of the club at impact, which makes the process of learning to keep the putter face square, through both the impact and strike, easier.
When we put this putting aid to the test, we found that it was unlike any putting aid we’d ever used for practice before. We quickly gained a stronger understanding of face angle and found that our putts improved as a result. Our testers were also pleased with the alignment marker that comes in the pack and found that it acts as a useful training aid which encourages golfers to hit up on the ball.
- Read our full PuttOUT Devil Balls Review
Best for swing plane
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
For golfers looking to improve their swing and eliminate bad habits, the Sure-Set training aid, which was designed and produced by Dan Frost, is a fantastic tool. It trains you on how to ‘set’ the club into the correct loaded position at the top of the swing with great width, on the right plane and with all the right angles.
It starts with the grip, it comes with a moulded grip trainer to ensure you take a neutral hold on the club that is neither too strong or weak. Then you simply swing back the ideas is for the ball positioned at the end of the L-shaped device to naturally come to rest inside your lead armpit. If it does, you have blended rotation in the forearms, shoulders and wrists to the ideal amount.
In our testing this helped create a feeling of width throughout the swing, and as a result this device will certainly help with sequencing as the body moves from upswing to downswing. Ultimately it is a very handy tool that can also help with swing plane, and it is easy to adjust too so anyone can use it.
- Read our full Sure Set Training Aid Review
Most affordable
G-Rip Grip Trainer
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
If you need help with consistency when it comes gripping the golf club then we might have found the training aid for you. Used by world number one Scottie Scheffler, this is a rubber grip that ensures he places his hands on the club the same way every single time. For testing and research purposes, our gear tester Joe Ferguson made a replica of his seven-iron and fitted one of these grips on it, to see if it could make a difference. After a period of time, Joe said;
"I personally believe that the training grip has had a monumental impact on my ability to place my hands on the club consistently and in turn my ability to control the clubface....With so many things that can and do go wrong within the golf swing, eliminating a variable such as the grip is both easy to do and will reap huge rewards in terms of consistency."
Therefore if you need help when it comes to the grip, then we cannot recommend this very affordable option enough.
- Read our full article on Scottie Scheffler's use of this grip
Best for slicers
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
For any golfer wanting to develop their timing and sequencing, the Champkey Golf Swing Trainer is a tool worth trying. Designed to help hone the rhythm and tempo of your golf swing, it works well for helping to improve timing and accuracy.
Made for use both outside and indoors, this training aid features a high traction rubber grip, a flexible shaft, and a silica gel head. Whether you’re looking to improve golf swing tempo or increase muscle strength, this training aid is a great buy.
When we put it to the test, we found that it took a little time to adjust to, but within a session or two you should start to gain a better insight into the right time to release the club. For mid-to-high handicappers who tend to lose tempo in high pressure situations and end up slicing the ball as a result, we think this tool will be highly beneficial.
- Read our full Champkey Swing Trainer Review
Best for sequencing
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The GForce 7 Iron Swing Trainer is designed to support a wide range of golfing abilities, aiming to help hone swings, targeting swing faults and other transitionary issues. When used regularly, this swing trainer can also help golfers to improve both swing speed and rhythm.
When we first put it to the test, we noticed that it did feel a little whippy, but also noted that it’s a really great training club that works well to help you warm up ahead of your round. Especially as the feedback offered is instant, meaning if you have a bad swing it allows you to determine what the issue is and how to approach correcting it. And, as it’s USGA approved, you can also use it out on the golf course, should you want to.
Thanks to how flexible the shaft is, this training aid allows players to better understand the clubhead weight. This means that, when used over time, it’ll teach you how to ensure that you’re not hurling yourself at the ball, flick your wrists, or square the clubface.
For exaggerating the feel and shot shape, this tool is a game-changer. It will help you to understand the feel through exactly what you’ve played.
- Read our full GForce 7 Iron Swing Trainer Review
Best putting mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The Perfect Practice Putting Mat has been endorsed by Dustin Johnson and is a great mat to help you dial in your putting game, it will help with pace control and more consistency at address. The mat comes in three parts, the mat itself that you attach to the raised wooden part that has two different-sized holes, the wooden backstop, and four wooden slats that you put together for the ball to be returned to you. It is easy to assemble and only takes a few minutes in total.
You have different lines on the mat which helps with the path and the starting line for putts. These elements really matter when looking for consistency on the greens. Clear visual aids like what you get on this mat, make it a great way to practice and get something meaningful out of practicing at home. For more aids like this, check out our best putting aids guide.
- Read our full Perfect Practice Perfect Putting Mat Review
Best for hookers
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
It's hard to over-emphasize the importance of a consistent grip and this glove is fantastic at giving you a neutral grip with some outstanding feedback features.
There are three blue silicone areas that will tell you that you've got a consistent grip on the club. Across the base of the left-hand fingers – this is just for right-handed golfers – is a blue channel which is crucial to sit the club in the right place, at the bottom of the fingers. There is a dual knuckle silicone spot on top of the glove, which will be visible when you look down on the ball, and an arrow tip which should point to your right shoulder.
As such this gives clear visual feedback on how you are setting up grip-wise which could help you eliminate flaws from the outset. The glove actually conforms to the Rules of Golf so there's no reason why you wouldn't play a few rounds to get yourself into some improved habits. The glove can come up slightly small but it does stretch well so I would recommend ordering to your usual sizing.
- Read our full Me And My Golf True Grip Glove review
Best for improving speed
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The SuperSpeed Golf Training set claims to help golfers add a massive 30 yards onto overall driver distance, which is quite a claim. The manufacturer says that, in order to be able to achieve this kind of goal, it takes at least six weeks of patience and persistence to help increase club head speed.
The set comes with three different golf shafts, each in varying colors and weights. The idea is to start by using the lightest shaft and swing as hard as you can on your dominant side, before then switching and doing the same on the other side.
While we put this training aid to the test, we weren’t able to devote the amount of time needed to try this tool out to the full extent. But, after two weeks of testing, we did find that we were much happier with our swing speed, as well as noticing improved flexibility.
- Read our full SuperSpeed Golf Training Set Review
Best for breaking putts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
This putting mat comes with a set of three unique weighted golf balls that each features a different weight to help replicate three different types of break. The green ball has a slight break, the red ball has a medium break, and the blue ball has a heavy break.
What makes this mat (and the revolutionary balls it comes with) so beneficial for golfers wanting to improve their game, is the fact that it allows users to practice breaking balls, rather than just straight putts. It adds another dimension at putting practice, ensuring that when you’re next out on the course you should feel confident with your putting.
Interestingly, despite the weights of these balls, they aren’t clicky to play with and don’t feel all that different to regular golf balls. The mat itself is easy to set up, pack up, and transport, and offers medium to fast ball pay.
- Read our full Breaking Ball Putting Mat review
How we test training aids
When it comes to our gear testing methodology, including training aids, we think the best way to do this is by using it. This may seem like an obvious thing but we mean using it a lot, not just once to see how it works, this gives us an understanding of usability, versatility, durability, value for money, and above all else, does it actually have a positive impact on our game? We test products at home, the range on a putting green, or the course, we can then see if a specific training aid is performing where it is meant to and is actually worth it. We also pride ourselves on the fact that no manufacturer can buy a good review, with us all you will get is honesty whether it is good or bad.
What to consider when buying a training aid
There are several factors to consider when looking at buying a training aid. Let's go into them here.
1. What do you want to work on?
First things first, what is the part of your game that needs work? Putting? Short-game? Grip? Whatever it is there will be a training aid to help so this is obviously the first question you have to consider. Indeed be very specific with this, because the more detailed you can be, the more a specific aid will help.
2. Usability
Do you want a training aid to be simple to use, or do you want something that can be complicated so you can really delve into the process and fine-tune your game to minute detail? Ultimately there are models above and elsewhere in the golf world which are both.
3. Versatility
Do you want to be able to carry around the training aid? Do you want to be able to use it at home as well as the local course? Many aids slot nicely into your bag whilst others are more difficult to pack away and store. So have a think about how versatile and portable you want your training aid to be.
4. Durability
A good golf training aid should also be strong as well so be aware of what certain models are made from and whether brands offer warranty's on their products in case they break from use.
5. Price
Golf can be an expensive sport right and given the choice of buying new clubs, balls, bags or clothes, a training aid might be the bottom of that list despite it helping maybe the most. However it is important to realise that there are aids at lots of different price points so if you do decide to invest in one, be aware of how much you are willing to spend.
6. Lessons?
Our final point here is to have a good think about whether a training aid is the right way to go in solving a problem in your game. Perhaps investing in lessons may be a better way to go because a professional coach will be able to point out the issue and look at solving it, whereas a training aid may not get to the root of the issue. Whereas if you just want to gain more confidence by playing putting games or seeing the ball go in the hole, then a training aid like a model we picked above will be perfect for this and a lesson won't be needed. We cannot recommend thinking about this enough.
If you're after more golf training aids, why not check out some of the best putting aids on the market, best alignment sticks and best putting mats.
FAQs
What training aids do golf pros use?
When we cover Tour golf we tend to see lots of different players using different training aids to help them practice. This is because every single golfer on the planet is different and swings the club in unique ways. However, despite this was tend to see a lot of professionals carry alignment sticks and putting mirrors for their work on the driving range and putting greens.
Are golf training aids worth it?
The simple answer to this question is yes. We have found there are aids to help in every aspect of the game and most golfers can benefit from a quality model, and yet it is worth saying that training aids don't solve every problem. We have rarely found a training aid that doesn't work but no single aid is perfect for every golfer either.
Are alignment sticks useful?
Yes, a golf alignment stick is a handy tool that many players should keep in their bags. They can be used in a variety of drills to help players improve their aim, swing stroke and their connection on the golf ball.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Sam is Golf Monthly's E-commerce Editor which mean's he oversees everything E-com related on the site.
This takes the form of creating and updating Buying Guides, reviews, and finding bargain prices for deals content.
Working with golf gear and equipment over the last six years, Sam has quickly built outstanding knowledge and expertise on golf products ranging from drivers, to balls, to shoes.
He combines this knowledge with a passion for helping golfers get the best gear for them, and as such Sam manages a team of writers that look to deliver the most accurate and informative reviews and buying advice. This is so the reader can find exactly what they are looking for, at a good price.
Additionally Sam oversees Golf Monthly voucher/coupon content which seeks to find you the best offers and promotions from well-known brands like Callaway, TaylorMade and many more.
Unfortunately, Sam is not a member of any club at the moment but regularly gets out on the golf course to keep up the facade of having a single-figure handicap.
-
LIV Golf Pair Hint At Ryder Cup-Style Match Against PGA Tour
Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have hinted that their 'Showdown' match with Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler could be just a preview of a Ryder Cup style LIV Golf-PGA Tour clash in the future
By Paul Higham Published
-
'It Was Really About Us Taking This Into Our Own Hands' - McIlroy On How PGA Tour-LIV Golf Showdown Came To Fruition
Rory McIlroy says the players organized the PGA Tour-LIV Golf Showdown match themselves to show fans they're trying to bring the sport back together
By Paul Higham Published
-
10 Essential Winter Golf Items
We take a look through the 10 essential winter golf items every golfer needs for when the conditions are against them
By Joel Tadman Published
-
Best Winter Golf Gear Deals 2024 - We Pick Our Favorite Deals On Winter Golf Gear
If you want to save some money on winter golf equipment then you have come to the right place!
By Matt Cradock Published
-
We've Played In The Worst Golf Conditions In This Five Star Waterproof Jacket, And Right Now It Has More Than 50% Off
We tested the HydroLite from FootJoy back in 2021 and it is still one of the top models for waterproof protection out there.
By Sam Tremlett Published
-
Best Waterproof Golf Bags 2024
A waterproof bag is crucial for protecting your equipment out on the golf course and, in this guide, we've taken a look at the very best.
By Dan Parker Last updated
-
Best Winter Golf Ball 2024
When the mercury dips you may need to consider mixing it up a little when it comes to the golf ball you choose to play with. Here's why...
By Sam Tremlett Last updated
-
Best Golf Mid Layers 2024
Looking for a mid layer that will keep you warm and protected on the golf course? We take a look at the best on the market
By Matt Cradock Last updated
-
Best Golf Quarter Zips 2024
Check out some of our favorite quarter zip golf tops that you can buy right now!
By Sam Tremlett Last updated
-
Best Lightweight Golf Jackets 2024
Check out some of our favorite lightweight golf jackets, that'll keep you well protected from the elements without the bulk.
By Sam Tremlett Last updated