At the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show, I got a tweet from ZENIO asking me to stop by their booth and check out the ZENIO Putting System. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of this company and I was really curious.

[View with PicLens]

This was probably one of the more interesting putting training aids I saw at the PGA Merchandise Show and in the video, you’ll see Dr. Richard Jaekel talk about the benefits of the ZENIO Putting System.

How Does it Work?
ZENIO is a revolutionary new training and fitting system that gives golfers immediate and accurate data on their putting in real time and in real outdoor conditions. Measuring the size of a matchbox and weighing just 29 grams, the ZENIO attaches to any putter in just 15 seconds. It uses the latest sensor technology to measure the key parameters of the putting stroke – impact, rhythm and face angle – and then immediately transmits the information to a Smartphone of PDA via Bluetooth, where it is displayed in an easy-to-understand graphical format.

Why ZENIO?
With data from each session being recorded, users can chart their progress over time on all manner of putts (straight, breaking, uphill, downhill) from a variety of different distances, helping to build up a clear picture of putting strengths and weaknesses and how to improve your putting consistency . ZENIO’s innovative software uses the player’s ‘Best’ performance as a benchmark for future sessions and also includes a Tour player consistency benchmark for comparison. Golfers can also use the ZENIO to find their optimum stance, grip and posture, and by using the fitting option can even reveal which putter type suits their stroke best.

The real beauty of the ZENIO is that you can use it to train in real conditions rather than in the protected environment of a putting lab (not sure how many of have access to one). ZENIO’s mobility allows you to test your putting on the practice green as well as on the golf course in real time, anywhere you want, anytime. All you need is the ZENIO and a Smartphone and you have your putting coach in your pocket.

My Thoughts on the ZENIO
I really liked the idea of the ZENIO Putting System, but there are a few minor drawbacks. It only works on a Windows Mobile Operating System Smartphone/PDA. But they will release a version eventually for the iPhone. The other drawback is the high price tag. At 671 Euros or $912 USD, the cost might be a little too high for most consumers. Hopefully, as they sell more units the  manufacturing costs of the ZENIO will go down.

Overall, I was really impressed by the ZENIO Putting System and it shows a lot of promise as robust putting training aid, that gives you tons of quantitative data and feedback.

http://www.zeniosports.com

One of the reasons for having so many two and three putts is not having the putter face square at impact, especially for putts under 10 feet. How can you practice squaring the putter face at impact both indoor and outdoors and get immediate feedback? That’s what the new SKLZ Putting Gate attempts to solve with its portable putting training aid.

SKLZ Putting Gate

What is the SKLZ Putting Gate?
The SKLZ Putting Gate consists of several items: two wood blocks that are sloped that serve as your gate that have velcro on the bottom to attach to a rubber mat. The rubber mat has a white alignment stripe that you use to square with your putter’s corresponding alignment stripe and to square the Deuce 2-Ball Training Aid alignment guide.

The Deuce 2-Ball Training Aid resembles a small dumbbell with two golf balls that are attached to a plastic dowel that you use with the Putting Gate to get instant feedback.

How Does the SKLZ Putting Gate Work
The Putting Gate is quite simple to use, all you do is set the with of the gates to the desired width of your putter and adjust how wide or narrow you want the gate to be. Once the gate width is set, you place the 2-Ball Training Aid to lineup with the mats white alignment stripe. Sole your putter head behind the 2-Ball Training Aid making sure that the putter’s alignment guide is square with the 2-Ball and the putting mat.

Now all you have to is make a normal putting stroke and get instant feedback. Pretty simple. If you hit the 2-Ball with the toe of your putter the 2-Ball will veer left, if you hit the 2-Ball with the heel, the 2-Ball will veer right, and if your stroke is square, the 2-ball will go straight. Talk about instant feedback.

In my tests, I was able to see instantly how well I hit my putts using the SKLZ Putting Gate and 2-Ball Training Aid. I have a tendency to hit the ball with the toe of my putter more often and the 2-Ball would push to the left. I knew exactly what I needed to work on. I also used the Putting Gate without the 2-Ball Training Aid and practiced making practice strokes through the gates without hitting the sides of the gate. To make it more challenging I would narrow the width of the gate. This helps with keeping the putter square. Now if you don’t want to use the 2-Ball Training Aid, you can substitute a golf ball instead, and take the Putting Gate to an outdoor practice green. Overall the SKLZ Putting Gate works well.

You might be thinking, couldn’t I just place two tees in the ground and make my own putting gate? Yes, you could, but you wouldn’t be able to do that indoors and you wouldn’t be able to use the alignment guide of the Putting Gate.

Can The SKLZ Putting Gate Improve Your Putting?
I think that a training aid like the SKLZ Putting Gate can definitely help any golfer become more aware of out what problem they may have with their putting stroke by using this training aid. Will it solve the reason why you constantly close the putter face or hit the ball more often with the heel of the putter? No, only PGA instructor can help you with finding the cause and correct your putting stroke.

I do think that SKLZ Putting Gate is a good training aid that can be used booth indoors and outdoors to help you groove your putting stroke.

SKLZ Putting Gate $24.99