GForce Wedge Trainer Review

Chipping anxiety can be one of the most debilitating and frustrating ailments a golfer suffers with. Often it can seem like there’s no route out and that you’re destined to be forever known as a bad chipper, the thought of which compounds the problem. 

Watch: Joel Tadman details why the GForce Wedge Trainer was included in Golf Monthly's Editor's Choice for 2024. 

But one possible solution, along with a switch to the most forgiving wedges, is to try the GForce Wedge Trainer, which has been designed to engrain a better strike, rhythm and tempo on all types of wedge shot. Where the GForce 7-iron swing trainer helps with the full swing, this product is specifically designed for the short game (although you can hit full shots with it too).

Its main design feature is a strong yet highly flexible shaft which encourages a smoother motion around the greens. Problems with chipping often arise when the golfer pulls the handle or flick the clubhead too quickly and aggressively, causing issues with strike and distance control. This isn’t possible with the GForce wedge trainer if you want to make solid contact with the ball. Instead, you are encouraged to implement smooth changes in direction by using a more body-driven motion and feeling the weight of the clubhead as you swing. 

Our first impressions when picking up the NXT Gen wedge trainer were of surprise - we weren't sure how this was going to help our chipping and the first few attempts were not pretty! But in time and with practice, the results became more favourable as we learned to sync up the movement of the hands, arms and body. If we didn't do this, the feedback from the flexible shaft was immediate in the form of a poor strike. It's worth mentioning the ball flight too, which on well-struck shots was comparable to our normal wedge, as was the control we experienced when the ball landed on the green.

Eventually, you can cover all distances and even transfer the feelings into your full swing. The GForce wedge trainer is surprisingly easy to use. By starting with full swings and working your way up to longer pitches and eventually full shots, it begins to engrain good habits like correct sequencing and a smoother transition. 

The clubhead itself has a lovely brushed steel finish and we particularly enjoyed the jazzy ferrule. With 10 degrees of bounce, it’s playable in all conditions and fully conforming to the Rules of Golf should you wish to take it out on the course. It also comes with micro milled CNC grooves to ensure you get similar greenside control to your normal wedge and an online video series to get the most out of it and ensure you're using it correctly.

While we’d only recommend transferring the feelings the GForce Wedge trainer provides into a round of golf rather than the club itself, there’s no doubt that spending some time with this effective training aid will have a positive impact on your short game performance. 

With that comes added confidence and commitment to pull off the most difficult of shots, which should ensure your scores start to come down. This clever training can really help golfers that perhaps struggle with the yips by encouraging a more body or pivot driven action or for those who simply don't release the club correctly.