The 7 best golf putting aids

Posted by & filed under Golf Equipment.

With various golf putting aids on the market, there’s no reason why you can’t work more on your putting game—the best way to get your handicap down.

For whatever reason, putting doesn’t get practised nearly enough as it should, but that should all be changing with an increasing number of quality golf putting aids entering the market.

In this article, we’ll look at a selection of our favourites.

 

The best golf putting aids

 

1. PuttOUT Premium Pressure Putt Trainer

golf putting aids

RRP: £29.99

This is a clever piece of kit as it replicates what is needed to hole a putt. There is a micro-target within the ramp that can be pressed down, and the ball will only stick in the target when you’ve hit a putt with the perfect speed.

Most of your time will likely be spent with the ball rolling back to you—for holed putts, the ball will return to you at the same distance it would have gone past the hole. Hopefully, less of your time will be spent watching your ball ‘lip out’, when a putt rolls over the side of the ramp. This happens when a putt is hit with either a bad line or a poor pace.

There are also several options to vary your practice with three dots on the base set up for target precision.

 

2. Perfect Practice Putting Mat

golf putting aids

RRP: £129.99

You might already be familiar with this product as it’s endorsed by none other than Dustin Johnson.

This is a high-quality offering with alignment guides, and it will return your ball to you should you hole the putt. It will work on any surface, and the alignment guides will help you to understand what’s happening with your start lines and—given that most putters come with alignment lines—you’ll get plenty of feedback on your stroke.

There are two holes so you can narrow your focus, so when you head out onto the course, the hole will look a lot bigger. The mat comes in different sizes and configurations; simply roll it out, and it’s ready for use straight away. 

 

3. PuttOUT Mirror Trainer With Gates

golf putting aids

RRP: £49.99

There are various mirror training aids on the market to help with your stroke and eye-line, but this is a great catch-all product. The mirror and alignment guides help get your body and stroke in the right positions, and the 50mm putting gate allows for a face angle tolerance of 0.5˚ either way when placed one foot away, to encourage a correct start line.

Its spiked base allows for stable use anywhere. The magnetic barriers help build a consistent stroke path and are adjustable so you can build your stroke.

 

4. Breaking Ball Putting Mat

golf putting aids

RRP: £99.99

Most golf putting aids don’t give you much chance to understand your tendencies on breaking putts. However, this one from Me And My Golf duo Piers Ward and Andy Proudman involves three breaking balls and a putting mat.

The balls (green, red and blue) are weighted differently to reflect varying levels of break, and it’s easy to grasp how they work. If the screw is on the right, the ball will break that way. And you can choose from three different lengths of mat, from 7.5ft to 14ft, so wherever your weaknesses on the greens might lie, you can practice it. The balls aren’t clicky, and it will teach you plenty about your start lines and pace, too.

 

5. PuttOUT Devil Balls

golf putting aids

RRP: £24.99

As the name suggests, this putting aid will play havoc with mishit putts. This exaggerates the face angle of your putter at impact, so you soon appreciate whether you’re coming into a putt too open or too closed. Up to 90% of a putt’s start direction is dictated by the face angle delivered, so it’s crucial that you get this right.

It features a flat-edged impact zone, and there are three difficulty levels for you to get the ball to roll properly. This is particularly good for putts from six feet and in. Putts with the Devil Ball are twice as hard as a normal ball, so if there’s a kink in your stroke, it will find it out. Brilliant, immediate feedback on your putting.

 

6. Anywhere Golf Hole

RRP: £30.00

Things don’t have to be overly complicated to practice your putting. This silicone putting aid has a slight incline, meaning you’ll need to hit a putt with perfect speed to see the ball finish up in the hole.

So, you can just throw it down and hit putts to different parts of the green (or your carpet). 

 

7. Ghost Hole

RRP: £15.00

This is a firm favourite with many putting coaches and is a simple and great way to understand your greens at your home club. It’s a lightweight circular disc, the same size as a golf hole, with eight entry zones, like a clock face, giving you a great view of where the ball is going and what gives you your best chance of holing a putt.

How to practice golf at home

Posted by & filed under Golf Tips.

In this article, we’ll look at affordable ways to practice golf at home and become a better player without even having to go out. Yes—it can be done!

There are many ways you can practice and improve your golf at home. And, while the more space, the better, it’s not necessarily essential to have a garden or any outdoor space to make inroads on some progress away from the course.

 

How to practice golf at home

 

1. Putting

Putting is one of the most obvious areas of your game to make progress in from home, and given that around 45% of your shots will come on the greens, it’ll benefit you hugely when you get back out there.

You don’t have to break the bank to buy a putting mat, either. The carpet or flooring you already have in your house can work just fine, and this is a great way to work on your alignment, stroke and distance control, too.

There are a wide range of training aids to help you with the different aspects of putting—mirrors, holes, gates, pressure putts, path trainers, breaking putts and mats that return the ball to you. There’s even a ball that has to be hit perfectly to roll straight. So, however you struggle on the greens, there’s no excuse not to put some work in!

 

2. Chipping

how to practice golf at home

Similarly, there are all sorts of training aids to help you with your short game. Whether you like something technical that will help you get your arms and body in the right position, or something more visual so you have a target, there’s plenty of help out there.

Being able to chip better is a quick way to get your scores down, and you need very little space to practice this at home—just some air-flow or indoor balls to get a feel for a good chip. This is also a great way to use your imagination around the garden for different types of shots and trajectories, and the more you practice, the more likely you are to start getting up and down a few more times. 

 

3. Mirror work

You often hear about golfers using mirrors for practising, but how many of us have actually made the most of what we’ve got at home to work on our swings?

A great way to add a new move to a swing is by doing it in slow motion. Robert Rock is one of the best swingers in the game, and he’s a big fan of slow-motion work.

 

4. Practice net

how to practice golf at home

We all love the feeling of hitting balls, and if you have the space, a good practice net is a brilliant purchase.

During the various lockdowns, these were among the most popular purchases for golfers, as they’re a great way of maintaining your swing away from the course. Just make sure you have enough room to hit it and that the net is decent quality—the last thing you want is to smash through it and break a window!

If you’re looking to hit a lot of drivers, consider how much headroom you have, too, as well as a strong net.

Hitting balls on a regular basis should really bolster your confidence. In fact, simply having a club in your hands every day will make it start to feel like second nature, and you can work on hitting different shots with different clubs.

 

5. Video analysis

how to practice golf at home

An adjustable tripod for your phone is an excellent purchase if you’re looking at how to practice golf at home, as you can see exactly what you’re doing each time.

Of course, there’s nothing better than having an in-person lesson with a PGA pro, but this way, you can share your progress outside of lessons by sending videos. Your instructor can then send feedback quickly and easily.

 

6. Strength and flexibility

The importance of being strong and flexible when it comes to hitting it better and further has never been more evident.

By adding yards, you’ll lower your scores. Fact. YouTube is full of tips to help your balance, bad back, shoulders and neck, core and any other body part used in the golf swing.

Try and spend just 15 minutes a day working on some part of your golfing fitness, and you’ll notice the difference very quickly—whether it’s longer drives, less pain or more stamina at the end of a round. Where you may lack in inspiration when it comes to getting going, you should make up for it in how you’re generally feeling and swinging.

 

7. The mind game

We can probably all think better on the course, and if there’s one thing that Tiger Woods always did brilliantly throughout his career, it was his breathing and visualisation.

Just look at a video of his chip-in at the 16th at The Masters in 2005, and look how much attention he’s paying to the shot before hitting it.

Golf is a game played between the ears, and by being able to deal with the inner voices and awkward situations we’re guaranteed to face on the course, we’ll all be better off. Read up, seek the relevant information, and start to practice at home, too.

 

8. Read, watch, listen

Golf has arguably never been in a better place in terms of what’s ‘out there’ in regards to online instructions, playing tips, reading material and podcasts.

Some of the greatest golf teachers and instructors on the planet are giving their tips away for free, and there’s always an answer to the questions we might have.

If you’ve never read a Dr Bob Rotella on the mental game of golf, you truly are missing out. Feed your mind and educate yourself on all areas of the game, and it will add to your overall enjoyment and lust to get better at playing it. 

What’s the penalty for hitting a tee marker in anger?

Posted by & filed under Golf Tips.

The article below was written by Steve Carroll of National Club Golfer.

Chucking a tantrum after a poor shot can cause some proper damage on the course. I’ve seen players take chunks out of greens, swish around like an unruly child in a bunker, and detonate a tee marker into a hundred different pieces.

Tee markers seem a semi-regular outlet for frustration on a course and there’s a curious clarification in the Rules of Golf that addresses when and how they are moved and what that’s going to do to your score card.

Did you know there is not an automatic penalty in the rules for hitting a tee marker in anger and causing it to move?

Check out Rule 6.2b (4)/1 – Tee-Marker Moved Without Improvement. It reveals that if a player causes a tee-marker to move, either by striking it in anger, tripping over it, or – and this is my personal favourite – “lifting it for no apparent reason”, there is no penalty if it does not improve the conditions affecting the stroke.

But there’s a big caveat on hitting golf tee markers in anger

That’s even “if the player does not replace it before playing from the teeing area”.

Don’t just start moving them, though, and put them back if you do so. You’ll get the general penalty if you don’t.

Now, before you all start smashing up markers in a fit of rage and thinking you can get away with it, there is a very large caveat in this clarification.

If you move the golf tee markers because you reckon they should be in a different place, or “deliberately” destroy them, your committee has the power to disqualify you for “serious conduct contrary to the spirit of the game” using Rule 1.2a.

You could also be disciplined under your club’s own Code of Conduct if it includes sanctions for damaging the course and equipment.

How many wedges should you carry?

Posted by & filed under Playing Tips.

The article below was written by Hannah Holden of National Club Golfer.

With space for just fourteen clubs in the bag, getting the split between different clubs is crucial to your success out on the golf course. There are loads of factors affecting how many wedges you should put in play, so let’s take a look…

 

What are the different types of wedges?

Firstly, what are the options when it comes to wedges? Typically golfers will have at least a pitching wedge included in their iron sets. This typically has between 45 and 50 degrees of loft. It is worth knowing what loft your pitching wedge is to help with gapping the rest of your bag.

After this, players will carry a gap wedge that generally has 50 to 54 degrees of loft; these are included in some iron sets and are known as utility wedges. Sand wedges come next and can be from 54-58°. Finally, lob wedges are the highest lofted wedges, with loft varying from 58 to 64 degrees!

You can have wedges that match your iron sets, or you can have what I would refer to as a specialist wedge. This would be something like a Vokey or a Ping Glide 4.0.

I would always recommend someone carries at least one specialist wedge. They are designed for more finesse shots around the green, and I also find the thinner structure, and sole makes it much easier to get out of bunkers with. They generally have a tighter grind on the sole, so it is easier to open up the face and hit high chip shots without worrying about thinning it off the front edge of the club.

 

What wedge shots do you want to play?

Firstly, you need to look at what you want to use your wedges for and how versatile each club may be. Do you want something that is mainly for chip shots? Do you want something really high lofted for bunker and flop shots? Or do you prefer to run the ball low? Will you be using your wedges for full shots, and what do you want the distance gapping to look like?

Personally, my most lofted club is my starting point for sorting out my wedge set-up. I have used a 58° for a long time, so I feel very comfortable with this around the green and know I can hit all my short game shots with this.

If you don’t know what wedge you like to chip with, I would recommend trying a few out and seeing which you are most consistent with. Lob wedges or someone’s most lofted club generally vary between 56 and 60 degrees of loft. Lots of tour pros who play on faster greens opt for a 60-degree wedge; however, Tiger Woods uses just 56 degrees and still manages to hit all the shots.

 

How does the rest of your bag setup look?

From here, I will then build my wedge set up around this most lofted club and my pitching wedge carry distance.

My most lofted wedge carries 80 yards, and my pitching wedge carries 125 yards. That leaves me with a 45-yard gap to fill. Personally, I only really need two clubs to fill this gap. I also know I prefer hitting three-quarter shots with a smaller wedge than I do with a pitching wedge, so I will probably get a gap wedge that is fairly near in loft to my pitching wedge.

If you are a slower swing player, you may have a smaller gap between your pitching wedge and lob wedge in which case only one other wedge would be required.

If you are a high club head speed player, you may find your pitching wedge goes a lot further, and you need fewer clubs at the top of the bag. This would make space for you to have four specialist wedges as well as a pitching wedge.

It is also important to remember a 46-degree pitching wedge will fly further than a specialist 46° wedge due to the club head being smaller, and it is designed for precision rather than ball speed. So it is always best to try to hit each wedge loft on a launch monitor before purchasing to make sure the carry distances are perfect.

 

What wedge grind should you use?

When you are picking lofts, it is also worth looking at sole grinds and what might suit your game or golf course. The grind actually refers to the shaping of the sole of the club. Different amounts of material can be removed from the sole, heel and toe of the club to change how the leading edge sits and how it reacts through impact.

A fuller grind is best for wedges you hit full swings with, whereas you might want a more versatile grind on a wedge you chip with and want to use to open or close the face.

RELATED: Which wedge grind is right for you?

 

How many wedges do pros carry?

As with all equipment on tour, wedge setups vary from player to player. In general, all pros will carry a pitching wedge and three specialist wedges. Some players drop a club at the top of the bag to allow them to carry four specialist wedges. Rory McIlroy uses a 46°, 54° and 60° whereas Jordan Spieth uses a 46°, 52°, 56° and 60°.

The golf diet: what do golfers eat?

Posted by & filed under Interviews.

“I have had the same pre-round routine for nearly 30 years. It’s not complicated, but I think that’s important,” says two-time European Tour winner Markus Brier.

“That goes for what I eat just as much as how I warm up. I arrive at the course an hour and ten minutes before my tee time to start to warm up—but my routine has already started before then—with my nutrition.”

He’s not alone.

The days of a solitary banana being the extent of a ‘golf diet’ are long gone—and this development is not just confined to elite golfers either. The golf diet has certainly evolved, with many more amateurs taking more interest in what they fuel up with before and during a round.

A two-week-old banana that’s turned entirely black at the bottom of a bag might still be the extent of many club golfers’ nutrition, but there is an increasing awareness across the game that what you eat can help your golf game.

 

The golf diet

So, what should you eat before and during the round to give yourself the best chance of a low score?

“Most rounds start before lunch, so a good breakfast is key to any golf diet,” says Brier.

“I’ll usually go for cereal with yoghurt and fruit—substantial but won’t leave me feeling sluggish. If I have a later tee time, I’ll also have scrambled or poached eggs on toast.”

The Austrian’s start to the day provides plenty of fibre and sustainable energy—key for breakfast as far as golfers are concerned. A slow release of energy through the cereal and toast—especially wholemeal toast—is what you want.

But what should you eat when you’re actually on the golf course?

 

What do golfers eat during a round?

golf diet

“We’re out there for probably five hours on average, and that’s too long to go without food,” says Brier.

“If I have an early tee time, I’ll probably just have some snacks with me, but I need a sandwich if it’s later. I avoid sugary snacks such as chocolate bars and so on—I avoid the high and low.”

Instead of sugar-filled snacks, the best on-course nibbles to keep you going are things like apples, bananas (of course), or cereal bars, which are often a good source of protein.

Nuts are another good choice; making your own ‘trail mix’ is a great idea. If that sounds too much like a hike in the mountains with Bear Grylls, fear not—it’s simply a case of buying some almonds, unsalted nuts, and fruit like raisins, dried pineapple, banana and apricot pieces and mixing them all together.

Pack a sandwich if you need something more substantial. We’ve all seen Tiger Woods munching a sandwich walking down the fairway, and you can be sure his are peanut butter or lean meat and salad. Golf is certainly no time for an ‘all-day breakfast’ feast between two big slabs of white bread.

 

The amateur golf diet

golf diet

Amateur golfers will start their round in the afternoon more often than Tour pros do.

“Don’t go for a heavy meal before you tee off. If you need a decent meal, finish it at least 90 minutes before your tee time,” says Brier.

“And avoid burgers, chips, and other heavy foods like these as part of your golf diet—they’ll make you feel full, yes, but they’ll also make you feel tired.”

Your body has to work harder to digest processed foods, which can make you feel lethargic—and no one swings well when they’re lethargic.

Instead, opt for a chicken salad, a small pasta dish with some vegetables or a chicken or ham wrap (we’ll let you have a small packet of crisps too).

Beans on wholemeal toast is probably the easiest and cheapest way to load up on slow-releasing energy. A poached egg on top, too, is a good, easy source of protein.

If you’re eating closer to your tee time, you need to be more careful with carbs like pasta and bread, as they can make you feel sluggish. While chicken and beans might sound like a footballer’s pre-match meal from the 1980s, it’s not a bad option at all if it’s 12:10 and you tee off at 13:22.

Staying hydrated is important, too, naturally, and with many clubs having water fountains dotted about the course, it’s not difficult either. There’s no excuse not to stay hydrated—and the old saying is certainly not a myth—that if you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

Take on water every few holes, even when it’s not especially warm. A protein shake can also keep you feeling full as well as hydrated, and release some energy, too.

Caffeine is also a useful stimulant in the golf diet, so a nice cup of coffee with your breakfast is not a bad idea either.

 

Sweet treats for golfers

golf diet

Is there ever an occasion when sweet tooths can justifiably get stuck into some chocolate in a golfing context?

“I wouldn’t really recommend it, but I know some players on the Legends Tour will have a bag of sweets and might have one now and again,” says Brier.

Colin Montgomerie made jelly babies popular when he started popping them at the Senior Open at Gleneagles in 2022, and three or four per round can actually give you a nice boost in energy without the crash.

Jaffa Cakes, too, are another light, acceptable option—but when you start talking about larger chocolate bars, like a Snickers, for example, you’re running the risk of having a sugar crash three holes later.

The 8 best golf travel bags for 2023

Posted by & filed under Golf Equipment, Golf Travel.

It makes no sense whatsoever to spend hundreds of pounds on a new driver and some shiny new irons, only to then skimp on a travel bag.

In this article, we’ll look at the best golf travel bags to make your next golfing holiday as straightforward as possible.

We all love to get away for some golf in the sun, but we want to arrive there with our favourite possessions in one piece. All too often, we see photos on social media of an airline making a mess of some clubs with a driver in two pieces.

You should be looking for a strong and reliable golf travel bag. You want plenty of padding, great manoeuvrability and wheels that make things easy to move about the place. A great set of wheels can make all the difference between gliding from A to B or having to lug 14 clubs and half your wardrobe around an airport. 

Here are some of the best golf travel bags currently on the market.

 

1. Sun Mountain Club Glider Meridian

golf travel bags

RRP: £269.00

This travel bag is a fantastic investment with an integrated leg set that retracts easily, making moving about the place straightforward and easy on the back.

It’s also brilliantly well-made and will keep going for years, so it’s worth shelling out for. It can’t be stressed enough that travel bags are one part of your golf gear that you shouldn’t be skimping on—you’ll only be let down.

This golf bag has plenty of padding at the top, where your woods are housed, and there are two pockets to keep some of your other bits, leaving room in your other travel bags. Internal cinch straps secure everything nicely, too, and there are plenty of colour options.

 

2. Ping Rolling

golf travel bags

RRP: £269.00

You don’t need to be a Ping advocate to take advantage of this. Even if you want to transport a full-size cart bag around, this will get the job done. One of the benefits of this golf bag is that it folds down to fit into its own bag, so it doesn’t have to take up a large chunk of your hotel room.

There are also interlocking skid rails to roll smoothly over curbs, and its strong base means it can stand up in airport queues. You’ll also see there are six handles, so you’re not wrestling with it at any point. It’s a pricier option, but there’s plenty to it.

 

3. Titleist Players

golf travel bags

RRP: £180.00

This flight bag has a new U-shaped opening, so you can easily get in and out of it. Everything about Titleist is stylish, and this golf travel bag is no exception.

There’s plenty of room inside for your clubs and other belongings, and there are also two interior shoe pockets and straps to keep everything tightly tucked away. 

It features durable skate wheels, a large carry handle, an external valuables pocket, and two external straps to tighten everything up.

 

4. Ogio Alpha

golf travel bags

RRP: £179.00

If you were to describe this Ogio golf travel bag in two words, they might be ‘roomy’ and ‘dazzling’.

There is a black option, but otherwise, the colour options are off the charts. Ogio is renowned for being ‘out-there’ with its golf bags, and the travel bags are no different.

The bags are also renowned for their exceptional quality, and, despite all the space that the Alpha offers, it’s also lightweight, so it ticks all the boxes. There are plenty of strap options, and dense foam around your clubheads provides plenty of protection.

 

5. Sun Mountain Kube

golf travel bags

RRP: £199.00

This bag is very clever as it collapses into a neat cabin bag with a robust hard-case shell (pictured). In terms of looking after your clubs, there’s a reinforced padded area at the business end, where your clubheads are, to make sure that your driver doesn’t arrive in two pieces.

Sun Mountain does golf travel bags extremely well, and the wheels make getting about very straightforward, too. There are also lots of colour options to choose from—we all have our favourite colourway, and you won’t be disappointed. The Kube is particularly light, despite its make-up, and it also has rubberised pull and carry handles.

 

6. OutdoorMaster Padded Golf

RRP: £75.99

Golf travel bags can be pricey, but sometimes, going for the cheaper option doesn’t have to mean missing out on quality. This bag offers excellent padding and protection, thanks to extra-foam cushioning, and the reinforced in-line skate wheels are reliable and hard-working.

OutdoorMaster has been clever in its design, with extra pockets and handles making it easier to get off an airport carousel. There’s loads of extra storage, too, which almost makes it like a second piece of luggage. Better still—it’s water and wear-resistant, so you won’t need to reinvest after your golf travel bag has begun to let you down.

 

7. Club Glove Last Bag Large Pro

RRP: £439.00

If anyone knows about travelling with your clubs, it’s the tour pros. And, while the superstars of the game might have their own private jets, they still have to look after their prized possessions.

This premium collapsible bag is relied upon by the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, et al., with plenty of room for a 47-inch driver or broomhandle putter. This bag ticks all the boxes; in-line skate wheels, an over-the-top zipper for easy packing and unpacking and—get this—there are 18 colour options!

Everything about this bag smacks of quality. Of course, it comes at a price, but this will likely be a one-and-done deal.

 

8. Motocaddy Flightsafe

RRP: £199.00

This might not look too different to the rest of the golf travel bags we’ve already mentioned, but Motocaddy, which has now entered this market having had huge success with electric golf trolleys and cart bags, have certainly delivered here.

There are no fewer than six wheels for easy transportation, and it neatly folds down into a small cube shape for easy storage. This bag is particularly strong on the protection of your clubs but, unlike others, offers a more comfy fit.

There’s room for additional storage, but the neater size of this bag makes it very easy to get about the place. It’s an ideal choice of travel bag as far as functionality goes.