The 10 Best Golf Training Aids of 2024

Dial in before tee off with Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks

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Best Golf Training Aids

TripSavvy / Chloe Jeong

For golfers looking to get better at the game, training aids can be true difference-makers. Fortunately, there are several good tools on the market to facilitate improvement. 

“As a general rule, training tools are all good,” says Laird Small, master instructor of Pebble Beach Golf Academy at Pebble Beach Resorts. Of course, like with most things, there are some tools players can do without. Avoid training tools that don’t specifically address your swing or short game problems. All training tools should help you feel the difference between what you do and what you should do,” Small says.

So whether a player has issues with alignment, tempo, impact, or putting, there’s an aid that can help. Here are the best golf training aids for all facets of the game.

Best for Alignment

Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks

Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks

Fairway Golf

What We Like
  • Multi-purpose

  • Comes with video training drills

What We Don't Like
  • Fiberglass can give splinters

Every golfer should have a set of alignment rods in the bag for warming up before a round or for dedicated range sessions. As the gold standard, Tour Sticks are a versatile tool that can help square your body to the target and ingrain that feeling for when you’re on the course. You can also use them to practice swing plane drills or to keep your putter on line. They are affordable and offer many ways to help you practice; there’s little reason not to pick up a set.

Price at time of publication: $21

Best for Putting Practice

EyeLine Golf Groove Putting Laser Plus

EyeLine Golf Groove Putting Laser Plus

EyeLine

What We Like
  • Compact and lightweight

  • Specific focus

What We Don't Like
  • Doesn't fit all putter shafts

The EyeLine Golf Groove Putting Laser Plus attaches to the grip of your putter and shoots perpendicular laser lines to display on the putting surface. Golfers then use the lines to keep their face and path alignment on track throughout their stroke. The sleek tool comes with a case and can fit easily in your golf bag, so you can bring it to all your practice sessions to start saving strokes on the green. And considering the shortest of putts counts just as much as the longest of drives, we suggest spending time on putting training.

Price at time of publication: $125

Best Affordable Launch Monitor

FlightScope Mevo

FlightScope Mevo - Portable Personal Launch Monitor for Golf

Amazon

What We Like
  • Tracks lots of data

  • Captures and trims videos for you

  • Easy to use

What We Don't Like
  • Does not sync across devices

You will need a radar system if you want to dial in your distances like the pros do. Of course, the Trackman models tour stars use are wildly expensive. But the Mevo is an infinitely more affordable option. The device uses 3D Doppler radar to send club head speed, ball speed, spin rate, carry distance, and launch angle data to a smartphone app. So players can gather data on their swing, improve launch conditions and figure out just how far they hit each club.

Price at time of publication: $499

Best for On the Course

Arccos Golf Caddie Smart Sensors

Arccos Golf Caddie Smart Sensors 3rd Generation

Amazon

What We Like
  • Comes with 14 sensors

  • Many users report improved play

What We Don't Like
  • Requires some effort to function well

The Arccos system is a training aid you use on the course. Sensors that players attach to each club paired with a smartphone app automatically track shots during a round. The software also serves as a GPS rangefinder and offers artificial intelligence-provided strokes gained information so the golfer can better target areas of their game that require improvement.

After 90 holes played using the system, the golfer also gets access to A.I. caddy advice, which is fantastic during practice rounds and can be made USGA competition conforming by flipping into tournament mode, which turns off the live elevation adjustments.

Price at time of publication: $180

Best for Improving Tempo

Orange Whip Golf Swing Trainer Aid

Orange Whip Golf Swing Trainer Aid

Amazon

What We Like
  • Doubles as a warm-up tool

  • Improves lag

  • Strengthens swing muscles

What We Don't Like
  • Pricey

Tempo, tempo, tempo—is one of the keys to a precise, repeatable golf swing. The Orange Whip presents players with a weighted orange ball attached to 47 inch-long, hyper-flexible driver shaft, and grip. The extra heft and length compels golfers to swing in better rhythm and balance while practicing with the device. It’s also less clunky and clinky than using two or three irons at once to stretch out on the first tee.

Price at time of publication: $109

Best for Promoting Extension

The Tour Striker Smart Ball

The Tour Striker Smart Ball

Tour Striker

What We Like
  • Super specific focus

  • Easy to use

What We Don't Like
  • Some reviews mention air leaks

This training aid helps golfers keep their arms together during the swing for more fluidity and better shots. The genius of the Tour Striker Smart Ball is its simplicity. The device is just an inflatable ball attached to a lanyard worn around the neck. When practicing with the Smart Ball, the aim is to hold the ball between the forearms throughout the swing, promoting more extension and helping players eliminate the “chicken wing” that typically ends in poor contact.

Price at time of publication: $50

Best for Seeing Impact

Acu-Strike Practice Mat

Acu-Strike Practice Mat

Acu-Strike

What We Like
  • Has professional endorsements

  • Compact

What We Don't Like
  • No exchanges or returns

During range sessions on mats or bashing foam balls in the garage during winter, it can be difficult to know at what point the club's sole is interacting with the ground. You could be hitting it fat or thin, not knowing it, and then committing the error to muscle memory—which is hard for your body to forget. The Acu-Strike Practice Mat lets you see where that impact has happened thanks to a fabric surface that leaves a dark mark where the club head struck it and the direction it was traveling. So you can adjust your swing path accordingly, and the dark mark wipes away with a rub of the club the other way.

Price at time of publication: $120

Best for Boosting Speed

Super Speed Golf Training System

Super Speed Golf Training System

Dick's Sporting Goods

What We Like
  • Includes online video instruction

  • Recommended 10 mins, 3x per week

What We Don't Like
  • Pricey

For players who want to hit it farther… and that’s all of them, speed is the name of the game. You can’t bomb it 300 yards off the tee with a mediocre swing speed, and you must learn how to swing it faster. The Super Speed Golf Training System features an overspeed training regiment using three “clubs,” one 20 percent lighter than a normal driver, another 10 percent lighter, and one 5 percent heavier that players swing according to the brand’s online lessons they call “swing protocols.” Golfers advance through the program as they develop more speed.

Price at time of publication: $230

Best for Feeling Impact Position

SKLZ Smash Bag Golf Swing Trainer

SKLZ Smash Bag Golf Swing Trainer

Amazon

What We Like
  • Ideal for off-course practice

  • Helps engage lower body

What We Don't Like
  • Some reviews mention durability issues

Perfect for indoor training during the winter or a rainy day, an impact bag helps you feel what you’re trying to accomplish with the swing. Swing the club into the SKLZ Smash Bag and stops the club and the swing at the impact position so players can better understand where their chest, hips, feet, balance, and hands are when the club hits the ball. It also works as a trainer on the range, so golfers can try to execute any modifications they make using a ball immediately afterward.

Price at time of publication: $35

Beset for Putter Face Alignment

Pelz Golf DP4007 Putting Tutor

Pelz Golf DP4007 Putting Tutor

Amazon

What We Like
  • Useful for all skill levels

  • Many reviews mention improvement

What We Don't Like
  • Doesn't include golf ball

A 300-yard drive and a six-foot putt count the same in golf, and for most players, the key to shooting lower scores for most golfers is improved putting. But to be good on the greens, players need to get the ball started on line with a square club face. The Pelz Golf Putting Tutor helps with both of those goals. A line on the board points the way to the target, but if the ball isn’t struck properly, it collides with metal marbles giving the player feedback for improvement.

Price at time of publication: $50

Final Verdict

Choosing a golf aid should depend on what area of the player's game needs improvement. But we think most golfers would benefit from throwing Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks in the bag for practice sessions. The Arccos Caddie Sensors are also an excellent choice for players who want to use data to analyze their game and hone in on areas for improvement. 

What to Look for in Golf Training Aids

Look for aids that can help your personalized game. If you consistently hit it fat, think about one that helps with impact. If you’re concerned about ball flight, a launch monitor might be the ticket to success.

Frequently Asked Questions
  • What part of my game should I target first?

    This of course, is a personal choice, but pros tend to agree that your short game is the key to scoring well. So consider starting with aids designed to help your chipping and putting.

  • How much should I be spending on golf aids?

    Super serious equipment like high-end launch monitors can measure every little thing you can think of—launch angle, spin rate, degrees of loft, etc.—but those are not necessary for most golfers. A lot of really helpful tools are out there for under $100.

Why Trust TripSavvy

Sam Hayes has been writing about local news and lifestyle topics since 2009. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he wrote for the college's newspaper, The Daily Collegian. He covers anything and everything golf-related for TripSavvy.

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