Golf Views

David Leadbetter is one of the most well known and respected swing coaches in the game of golf today, and that’s evident by the number of tour professionals he coaches; from Nick Price, Charles Howell III, Michele Wie, and others. Not all of us are lucky enough to have access to David Leadbetter and learn from his many years of experience on building a solid swing, but now you can in the privacy of your own home with the SwingSetter Pro™ training aid.

The SwingSetter Pro™ is the second generation of the already popular SwingSetter, but with one major difference, it allows you to hit golf balls, something you could not do with the original SwingSetter. The real-time feedback of hitting golf balls with the SwingSetter Pro™ allows you develop great technique and improvement in your game. I’ve been testing the SwingSetter Pro for several weeks and the results have been very positive, it has really helped improve my tempo of my golf swing.

Look and Feel

Similar to the original SwingSetter, the SwingSetter Pro™ helps to develop the four basic fundamentals of the golf swing: Grip, Swing Plane, Proper Release and Tempo. The SwingSetter Pro takes those four fundamentals and adds real-time feedback as you are now able to hit a ball! With the length and lie of standard 6 iron, the SwingSetter Pro™ offers the instant feedback that every golfer looks for.

The grip is one of the biggest problem areas for golfers and the cause of numerous swing faults. The molded Golf Pride grip will help place your hands on the club correctly every time. This is done by the use of innovative fins and outlines for the pinky fingers and thumbs that ensure a great grip. I really liked the molded grip, not only was it very comfortable to use, but it was a great visual reminder to see what a proper grip looks like. I really wished I had this when I first started playing golf, it would have saved me from countless swing errors as a result of a poor grip.

For a consistent swing, you need to be able to set/hinge your wrists properly on the backswing and keep them on plane. The SwingSetter Pro™ allows you to check your swing plane by using the Plane Pointer at the end of the grip. To use the Plane Pointer, simply extend the pointer prior to swinging and check to see that at the halfway back position the Plane Pointer is aimed down toward the ground and on or slightly inside the target line.  This is a great feature to have, because it gives you instant feedback on whether your club is on plane or not.

You hear a lot about swing tempo and how it is important to a good golf swing, but you may have no idea how to tell if your tempo is too slow. This is what the single adjustable magnetic ball is  used for in the SwingSetter Pro™. It has three resistance settings: 1 offering the least resistance and 3 being the highest. This promotes correct setting on the backswing. Hearing the snapping of the magnetic ball along with the impact of an actual golf ball, you will develop leverage in the swing so you can accelerate the club aggressively through impact.The audio feedback of the magnetic ball snapping will help with improving your swing tempo; a key component of a good golf swing. Sensory feedback is very helpful when learning and it makes a huge difference, especially with the mechanics of the golf swing. This is particularly useful, because is difficult to tell if you are setting your wrists too late by practicing with a regular golf club, unless you have someone watching you.

The ability to hit golf balls with SwingSetter Pro™ is one of the best features, becuase you can now practice the four fundamentals, plus get instant feedback by hitting golf balls.

Performance

In order to get the most out of the SwingSetter Pro™, practice at least twice a week for consistency by doing the following drills:

Drill # 1 Halfway Back: Take the club back to the “L” position, snapping the the magnetic ball as you bring the clubhead back. Check the Plane Pointer as you hold the “L” position to make sure it is pointing on a path parallel to your target line.

Drill # 2 Halfway Down: Make a complete backswing. As you begin downward toward impact, hold your position as your leading arm returns to parallel. Check to make sure the Plane Pointer is pointing on a path parallel to your target.

Drill # 3 Swing to Finish: Make a complete backswing and check your swing plane and swing all the way through to a complete swing. You can tee up a golf ball and hit it while doing this drill.

Drill # 4 “L” to “L”: Make a compact movement, swinging the club back to halfway to form the “L” between your arms (see Drill # 1) and club. Once you reach the “L” position, continue the swing forward, striking the golf ball and continuing your swing until you form a second “L” position with your arms and golf club.

Drill # 5 Hit Golf Balls: Once you have completed drills 1 through 4, you can begin to make full swings with the SwingSetter Pro™ and your own golf clubs.

I have to say that after using the SwingSetter Pro™ and following the drills, I’ve seen my swing tempo improve and have developed greater consistency in my swing. I think if you are a golfer who is looking for a complete swing training aid, that provides real-time feedback, you should do yourself a favor and buy the SwingSetter Pro™.

SwingSetter Pro™ $149