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Ah, the humble put. Seemingly simple, easy, and straightforward. But once you actually find yourself in the putting situation, it might not be as effortless as it seems. The put is possibly the most crucial shot of any golf game because it will determine whether or not you’ll be able to move to the next hole. According to expert golfers, mastering the put shot is a basic fundamental that any self-respecting golfer should make time for. But how exactly can you practice the put?
If you’re a beginner, a high handicapper, or simply a golfer hoping to improve, there’s a lot to gain out of using a putting aid. These days, there are a variety of different aids designed to help you understand the physics of the put - so which one is the best of the best putting aids? Discover the top choices and the features that make them reliable picks with our comprehensive buying guide.
Before you write off the putting aid as an unnecessary expense, it’s worth knowing that these specially designed aids do more than just help you put your practice ball into a hole. If you’re questioning whether you need one, consider these top benefits of investing in the right putting aid.
The visual feedback provided by a putting aid can help golfers establish an idea as to how a ball moves over certain topographies. For instance, a hole located at the bottom of a low hill can cause the ball to move forward rapidly as it closes the distance. If there are other inconsistencies in topography, the ball’s direction could change and cause it to miss the hole completely.
The visual guidance provided by a putting aid can help players understand how the ground’s topography affects the ball. With frequent practice, this can become instinctual to golfers, so they can better anticipate how to put a ball given different green conditions.
The backswing sway is one of the most common issues beginners and senior players experience when delivering a put shot. The sway interferes with the accuracy of the shot, and thus causes the player to hit the ball off-center. Fortunately, there are putting aids that help address this by correcting the player’s stance.
Specialized wedges that fit underneath the golfer’s foot help prevent the weight from rolling outwards towards the lateral side of the foot, maintaining proper posture. Over time, this helps the golfer establish muscle memory which will prevent the foot from rolling outwards even without the assistance of the aid.
When it comes right down to it, putting aids can be suitable practice materials because they give you feedback on everything and anything you might want to know about your shot. These tools are designed to help you understand how your swing affects the outcomes of your put, and thus makes it easier for your body to remember what and what not to do.
Putting aids can be great learning tools for all kinds of players who feel like they just need to improve on their put shot. Plus the fact that they’re really not all that expensive, they are quite practical as well.
The putting stick is exactly as its name suggests. This lengthy stick features a curved configuration that serves as something of a track for a golf ball. The lifted sides keep the ball straight on the track for its entire length, allowing you to place the stick a short distance from the hole to guarantee a straight shot. The putting stick is best for players who want to practice the strength of their shot to determine how much power is needed in order to cover different distances between your ball and the pin.
These put trainers feature a small level surface with an upward curving tail design that’s typically a little larger than an open palm. The ball moves towards the hole in the center by way of the flat platform, and is then pushed back to the player or out of the trainer all together, depending on whether it was a good or bad shot. The good ones are held momentarily in the simulated hole, and are then returned to the player to ease up ball retrieval. Bad shots are rejected by sending them over the curved tail and off the aid. The purpose of this design is to train consistency.
The best putting training aid designs often incorporate the use of a mirror. The small mirror platform rests just at the foot of the player, and lets you check the alignment of your putter to the ball, as well as your posture and position relative to the club and golf ball. The benefit of using this kind of putting aid is that it helps you better adjust your stance and form so you can teach your muscles the “feel” of proper alignment.
Attaching by way of a clasp to the head of your putter, this aid helps give you visual feedback on the alignment of your club in relation to the ball. It mainly works by way of guide lines that give you a clear understanding of how different shots affect the direction your ball takes.
Most of those who have used putting aids vouch for The Putting Stick. It’s simple design makes it easy to set up, use, and store, reducing all the effort you’d have to put into the process of practicing your put shot. The simple aid works by helping you learn the strength required in order to close the distance between your ball and the hole.
What’s nice about it is that it challenges the player to produce a straight shot since the sides don’t curve upwards. Hit your ball off-center, and you risk having it roll of the sides. So aside from the strength of your shot, it also helps with accuracy, making the benefit behind the design two-fold.
The PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer is yet another impressive putting aid. The compact design can easily fit in your travel golf bag, and boasts an obvious yet clever mechanism to help you perfect your put. Basically, the curving putting aid accepts your ball on one end, and either catches it or rejects it based on whether or not you were able to execute the proper shot.
Good shots are caught momentarily in the hole, and are then pushed back to the player with the same force that was imparted on it. Bad shots travel the length of the PuttOut and fall up and over the curving tail. Essentially, this design teaches players accuracy and consistency. What we particularly like is that you can place it on different ground topographies to get a different challenge with each use.
Another putting aid worth buying is the Eyeline Golf Classic Putting Aid. Designed with an acrylic mirror across the entire surface of the aid, it gives players a better idea as to their posture and form, so they can make any necessary corrections before they take a swing. This also helps you determine whether or not you’re hitting the ball dead center, improving muscle memory in terms of consistency.
The only real issue we found with the Eyline Putting Aid is that it’s made primarily form acrylic. If left out in the sun for too long, it can warp or melt. So if you were hoping to clock in a few practice hours out in the summer sun, this aid might not be able to take the heat. Other than that, it really does deserve the title of the best putting mirror thanks to its affordable cost and effective design.
The last design on our list of the best putting alignment aid choices is The Navigator Putting Aid. This putter club attachment can be easily installed on any club with its universal configuration. It features a small protruding alignment assistant that helps you determine whether you’re hitting your ball dead center, and whether you’re properly positioned relative to the hole. While it doesn’t have a laser, the design does get the job done, so it’s a better aid than even the best laser putting aid we’ve seen.
Another reason why we love it is because it’s lightweight. Unlike most putting aids with laser attachments, this specific design doesn’t add to the weight of the putter. Because of that, it won’t alter the swing weight, allowing you to translate your learning more efficiently to the course compared to any other putter attachment you’ll find.
The put is the most crucial shot in a game of golf - so what are you doing to guarantee a perfect swing once you’re within putting distance of the pin? To make sure you give it nothing but your best shot, we recommend that you purchase one of the best putting aids for your specific needs and preferences, so no swing is wasted when you’re that close to completing a hole.
Our best bet for the top putting aid? We can confidently vouch for The Putting Stick - an intuitive, challenging, and effective design guaranteed to help you polish your skill without spoon feeding so what you learn during those practice sessions can be effectively translated to the course.
