The Pros and Cons of golf and putting training aids I’ve purchased.
Ratings:
★★★★★ Excellent
★★★★ Real Good
★★★ Good
★★ OK
★ Not for me
Blast Motion Golf
★★★★★
Pros
Stats, stats, stats… Measure what your are doing. Together, the sensor and app track putting, short game, bunker and full swing stats. It’s never been easier. The product uses a sensor that fits on the end of your putter grip or club grip. Blast Motion Golf keeps track of a wide variety of metrics.
The shot data instantly shows up on your phone or tablet app. You can view the player report, which is a database of all putts or shots. It can be viewed online or in the app . Your data can be sorted by day, month, year.
The app has a verbal output that reads back your stats as you putt. You can choose what metrics are displayed and read back to you.
Here are the stats you can measure when putting. You can arrange the stats displayed according to your preference.
SPEED CONTROL – Tempo, Backstroke Time, Forward Stroke Time, Impact Stroke Speed, Backstroke Length, Loft Change, and Total Stroke Time
DIRECTION – Face Angle at Impact, Backstroke Rotation, Forward Stroke Rotation, and Lie Change
It also collects stats for Short Game, Bunker and Full Swing shots. Click here for a feature article.
Blast Motion Golf is available for the Apple IOS and Android OS at their respective online app stores. It works great for putting outside or inside.
There is no charge for data storage. I have it set to track my last 1,000 shots.
Good value for the price $, one of my favorite putting training aids and I would buy it again.
Cons
They’ve only recently made the full functioning app available for the Android OS. For a long time, the Android app only worked for putting and I believe driving. Now it works for putting, short game, bunker shots and full swings.
According to their customer service department, they do not plan on making it available for Android tablets. Come on Blast Motion!!!
It’s handy for putting inside or outside. Unfortunately, they only give you two rubber sensor holders that fit over your clubs. One for the putter. The other one, which I have on a wedge, I use it outside for hitting off a mat or at the course.
The is a practice item in my mind. Switching the sensor from club to club is an issue.
EXPUTT RG
★★★★★
If you are looking for a first rate putting simulator, EXPUTT RG is the real deal. You can use it at home or take it along with you on the road. There are a ton of new features. Let’s take a detailed look.
Great new features include the ability to use mobile devices with it.
In the prior version, you hooked up the high-speed video camera to your television via HDMI cable.
With the new model, they’ve added a Mobile setup using an app on your tablet or phone.
My intent here is to go into detail. Maybe from a different perspective than is currently available online.
I am an end user. It’s for personal use.
I like the EXPUTT RG a lot. I would buy it again.’
Pros
If you need to practice indoors during the winter, all year round, or have limited room to practice putting indoors, this a great training aid.
The graphics are great, it’s accurate and it allows you to make much longer putts that other mats.
Example: The Wellputt is a great mat. I can make 10 foot putts maximum. The EXPUTT RG gives you the opportunity to make putts long putts, breaking putts and play on real life greens.
From the EXPUTT and it’s true:
Easy to set up and simple to use, Exputt RG uses a high-speed camera and innovative tracking software to track your swing mechanics and ball movement.
Just roll out the putting mat and plug in the high-speed camera, and you’ll be on your favorite course green in no time.
Cons
I suppose some people would say the 4 foot putting mat isn’t great, It does take some time to get used to. I find the benefits out weigh that issue.
Cost – It’s $469, which may be a high price for some people. To put that in perspective, there are no other putting simulators in that price range. Some putting simulators are in the $10,000 range or more.
These are not deal breakers. It a great product.
Wellputt Putting Mat
★★★★★
Pros
This is a great option for indoor putting. It has fast action and is a true roller. The mat has a stimp rating of 11. You can take various length putts up to 10 ft. (13ft model) It’s one of the putting training aids that is handy and makes it convenient to putt daily. I keep 3 golf balls and my putter right by it. Cleaning is easy with a vacuum.
Good value for the price $, one of my favorite putting training aids and I would buy it again.
Cons
There really aren’t any.
PuttOUT Tournament Inspired Putting Studio
★★★★★
Pros
The PuttOUT Tournament Inspired Putting Studio is a great overall value with excellent components. The mat, the trainer, the mirror and accessories are first rate.
It doesn’t take up a lot of room like a large putting mat which makes it more useable year-round.
The training aids minus the mat pack up easily for travel. The mat also has a case if you did want to travel with it.
Most mirrors look they would break in a minute. This one is a three ply mirror, metal inner plate and a rubber surround.
The price is pretty reasonable for what you get.
Good value for the price $, one of my favorite putting training aids and I would buy it again.
Cons
I don’t have a big problem with anything. However, the 50 mm / 1.97 inch putting gate is going to be tight for a lot of people. The gate has an “S” or small printed on it.
I looked at their website and they offer additional gates. However, the first size is small, then medium and large. So you could end up with two smalls if you bought the studio and extra gates.
I think they could sell a better setup for gates. I suggested 4 different gate sizes:
Beginner (72mm), Intermediate (64mm), Professional (57mm), Perfect putt gate (50mm).
I understand that the 50 mm gates demands that your face angle at impact is plus or minus 0.5 degrees which means you hole putts. That is the whole idea.
ShotScope V3
★★★★★
Pros
This is a GPS golf watch that excels at performance tracking. It also keeps your score. You wear the watch on your forward wrist and you do not need your phone to be anywhere close. The system works with screw in tags for each club grip that register with the watch prior to the shot.
ShotScope V3 tracks many different stats. The general categories are tee shots, approach shots, short game, bunker shots and putting. The are no data storage fees and it works with Apple IOS and Android OS. Stats can be viewed in the app or online.
Putting make percentage from different distances is a good example of one the stats it displays. It tracks what your are doing right and where you need to improve.
The watch is very comfortable. Just play golf and it tracks your shots.
The “Collect Pin” function is the only thing you do on each hole as you putt out. To finish the round, you are prompted to end round. All the data is uploaded to your phone and is available online.
They’ve added Strokes Gained to the app. You can compare you game against other players with your same handicap by changing the strokes gained setting.
Knowing how far you hit clubs in important. ShotScope displays average, playing average and longest yardage for each club.
Good value for the price $, one of my favorite putting training aids and I would buy it again.
Cons
You can go into the app and edit. Which is good. You can edit shots, add shots, and modify a round if necessary.
However, it is not fun on a phone. I do any editing I need to do at home on a PC.
The app on your phone and online portal use Google Maps with your shots overlaid on the map.
Here are a couple examples of a reason to edit. You get to the second hole and then remember to turn on the watch. You forgot to collect the pin on a given hole. Your click on collect pin walking off the green.
Light putts like tap-ins don’t register well. Longer putts are no problem. A solution I’ve used is to put my foot right next to the ball and hit my foot firmly with the putter. I click collect pin. Then make the putt to be legit. I just assume it’s not going to pick up the putt if it’s inside 3 feet.
After a few rounds and once you get used to the process. There won’t be many reasons to edit anything.
The Perfect Putter
★★★★★
Pros
The Perfect Putter takes the human element out of setting up a practice round. It does help with green reading while you are doing that, but my point is you will know you are lined up right from the start by using this.
The construction and material used is excellent. I like the extension so you can roll longer putts and the markings include a location on the ramp so you can check stimp readings for greens as well.
The accessories offered are excellent.
Cons
This is by far the most expensive training aid I have. The I added the laser to it and one more accessory. It was more than I normally even consider spending. $$$
The rubber or late tube that fits over the rail comes off all the time if you use the case. The case is very tight. Don’t get me wrong it’s a nice case, but I don’t use it at all, because I pretty much had to take the latex off every time or run the risk of ruining the latex rail tubes. All the other cases are fine.
Good value for the price $$$, I would buy it again, but it’s not for everyone. I consider this a pro device or one for an instructor or serious putting enthusiast.