Pros and Cons of Teaching Aids
by Dr. T. J. Tomasi, Keiser University College of Golf Senior Faculty and Director of Research
The best teaching aids are those that allow you to actually hit balls while using them. In addition to the big three considerations — cost, portability, and ease of use — here are a few other things to remember when choosing and using a teaching aid:
- Be prepared for some uncomfortable feelings, and don’t confuse comfort with correctness. If it feels like nothing new is happening with the teaching aid on, that’s what it’s worth — nothing. Ignore ball flight. If the aid is any good, it will give you the feedback in feel, but not necessarily in flight.
- Choose your aids carefully with the help of your pro. They must fit your body type (flexibility, strength, etc.) and your circumstance. The teaching aid must deal with the cause of the problem; otherwise, no matter how fancy it is, it won’t work.
- Hit balls until the feel of the move is yours. Once you can identify the feel, take the aid off and alternate swings with it off, then on. After that, the minute you lose the feel, put the aid back on. This is why “ease of use” is so important.
- Some teaching aids should be used on a weekly basis as a prophylactic — ask your pro.
- Some aids deal with the overall swing, but most teach you a key position or cure a specific error. Just make sure you identify the problem before you apply the solution.
- Don’t leave the aid on too long. When you hit 50 balls with a teaching aid on, all you learn is how to hit 50 balls with a teaching aid on.
I have found that as helpful as these devices can be, they also have their problems:
- They are often used incorrectly.
- Most don’t work; their claims far exceed their performance.
- Students don’t stick with them long enough so that even if they did work, their effectiveness is neutralized.
- The more expensive they are, the less effective they are.
- In most cases, you can invent your own teaching aid once you know what the problem is.
This tour player is practicing with a teaching aid that helps him control his elbow motion.
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