Make a Golf Swing Training Club for $10

[@stratovani]

Many years ago I had built myself a homemade heavy club to practice with. I used a steel bar from Home Depot, had a small hole drilled in the bottom, and glued in an old 4-iron clubhead into it with a wood dowel. I painted it red, and attached a training grip in a neutral position. The thing is heavy, and I mean HEAVY!! While I can't hit balls with it it has allowed me to learn to make a solid backswing, and reach a good impact position. Ten or so really slow swings is all I need to do with this club.

[@DCN2010]

I just made one of these yesterday and took it out to the driving range this morning. I found a "like new" Titleist 775 CB Forged 6-iron, with a Dynamic Gold Lite S300 shaft, at Goodwill for $3.00. It was a demo club with the length (37.5), lie (62.5°), and shaft (DGL-S) imprinted on the toe. This club has a nice deep cavity back that made adding a ton of lead tape quite easy. After adding the grip and lead tape, I brought the total weight up to 475g with a swing weight of D8. I warmed up with six shots with my 6-iron followed by a dozen shots with the "trainer". Afterwards I went back to my 6-iron and I will say, it did feel like my club head speed increased some and the ball was carrying and additional 7 or 8 yards. I definitely feel like this may have some benefits for my game. Time will tell. Thanks for the video.

[@AustinThe_Asset]

I've used those Lamkin training grips for a few years now, i have a driver, 7 iron, & 56 wedge i use for training/teaching purposes. Grip is the first fundamental. if you don't hold it correctly, it's gonna be hard to swing it correctly

[@donreinholz8121]

Thanks Ajay. I have a heavy swing trainer club to loosen up. Also a putting tool that shoots the ball back at you.

[@jamesmc81]

The training grip is genius. As well as grip technique , It makes it less fatiguing on the hands to hold the club. You don't want grip to be a limiting factor in gym based training so you use weightlifting straps. Make sense to get extra help with golf too. Very clever.

[@biggregg5]

My understanding with regards to the swing speed trainers is that the head weight is much lighter rather than heavier. So, instead of the standard 200 gram headweight of a driver, for instance, the headweight starts at 150 grams. The exact weight, I can't remember, but, you get the idea. Lighter rather than heavier....at least the more recent ones.

[@jwwlovesgolf9874]

Thanks very much for this video. Very helpful. Watching this and thinking could you make a DIY LagShot trainer this way. Same training grip and head, but use a seven iron head and put in a 3 iron shaft, which would be soft stepped four times. Between that, and the heavy counter weighting at each end, the shaft should be pretty soft. You could hit balls with it, you'd have to improve rhythm, and if you wanted a head with not as much offset (or no offset) as the real LagShot (which for me is unusable there is so much offset on it) you could do it. I don't know the shaft FM specs for a genuine LagShot, but this would seem to come close, but would allow hitting real shots. Thanks again!

[@larryps]

Can't wait to make this. Thank you

[@Whitewolf76802]

Very good. Will try that.

[@donniecorrigan8519]

Great idea right there! Thanks AJ

[@roncarlton1882]

Grand idea. Tks for the video.

[@davidsmith812]

Great idea! Thanks for the tip.

[@MarvinofMars]

Ohh this reminds me of a lead tape experiment some years back, but I would change my grip from short ( weak) > mid ( normal) > long irons ( strong) , I have used a 100 gram reg/stiff flexed 3 iron for this and yes it is great for learning flush the shots.

[@davidjennings6937]

Years ago I wrapped some lead tape around the shaft of an old first generation metal head driver to practice with. It increased the weight of the club but didn't help my distance. LOL

[@joelb099]

Good advice on how a weighted training club cannot just be head heavy. The shaft should be slightly weighted as well..Well in this case you used the grip area to add the extra weight…same thing..I do know a touring pro who instead of installing the training grip for the extra weight he did something ingenious..He added 20 to 30 grams to the head, And added lead tape starting from the grip end all the way down the shaft to the Ferrell near the hosel..This was approx 3 feet of lead tape..I believe it was an old 7 iron he did this to..He could hit this weighted 7 iron on the range approx 150 yds…Then when switched to his regular 7 iron he could hit that 170 yds…

[@mikereiter4768]

Love the videos. With the grip trainer, should your grip be the same with all your clubs, with the exception of the putter

[@EFGMC]

YES, for sure.

[@PbD187]

love it! I'm doing this!

[@Criscross292]

Funny... I did the exact same thing a few months ago with an old 8 Iron and some lead tape. It’s been the best training aid I’ve ever used so far, and promotes a consistent swing.

[@puttenmoore]

would it be the same if using counterweight in the butt end instead of the heavier practice grip?

[@noonster55]

I need your expert advice. Not with swing trainers, but with building up driver shafts. I watched your videos on an alternative to the auto-flex shaft and I bought a few un cut shafts and added grips an adapters. I found a really good one in a senior flex that feels great and works great for my swing. My question is, should I put the grip on first, or the adapter? I have a hard time lining up the grip and shaft logos. Does it matter?

[@EFGMC]

If it's a round grip (not ribbed) then it won't matter. I always save the grip for last because it's easier to line up with the head on. If it's an adapter, I put the head on before gripping so I know they are lined up.

[@noonster55]

@@EFGMC Thanks

[@cgmac2931]

I’ve been thinking about this since I watched the video. I’m considering doing two clubs…one being a 6 iron and another being a pitching wedge to be used to practice both pitching and chipping. What do you think?

[@EFGMC]

Try it. If you don't find it helpful you can remove the grip and lead tape and go back to original club. $10 loss.

[@craigscott3133]

OK. I'll try it

[@bigjmal]

I just can’t seem to find a grip trainer bit enough for my hands!

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

If I want to make this trainer with a 5 wood where would I place the lead tape, on top and the back of the club? Thanks!

[@EFGMC]

Back and sole if you have a space. Need be since it's a trainer, you could put it on the crown.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

@@EFGMC Thank you!

[@Daniel-36]

I put one of these grips on an old pitching wedge and I literally busted the bottom out of the grip. I think the grip is so thin it has a hard time getting over the shaft, so I had to force it and this broke the bottom out of it

[@safranic]

Question. I play X100’s in my T100’s and love them, but I have a set of MP32’s with S300’s. My question is how can I make those S300’s play like a X100? Is this possible. Keep up the great content, AJ. Thanks!

[@EFGMC]

You can tip trim them to make them stiffer. Tip 3/8 inch will still fit into a tapered hosel. You will however then have shafts that are 3/8 too short so you would need to install extensions to get them back to length. Considering that X100 shafts are only around $25, I would just reshaft them, less work in the end.

[@mojodanslabiblioteque]

Only drawback to increasing club head/ball speed is then having to upgrade to a new shaft, I’m assuming this would be the case?

[@EFGMC]

Only if you feel like you lose control with the added speed or are getting more launch and spin than you did before.

[@hawkness_monster]

Grabbed two of those grips off Amazon, does the right hand grip feel really weak to you? Left hand V feels good, but the bottom V seems to point straight up the grip

[@EFGMC]

Matched up to my personal grip very nicely. I've used these types of grips in the past so I think I am used to them.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Will it work with a 5 iron that I'm not using

[@EFGMC]

Sure, just makes it a little harder to hit well like any longer iron.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

​@@EFGMC thank you

[@marksteitz918]

Where would you place the lead tape on a 3wood?

[@EFGMC]

On the sole towards the back.

[@marksteitz918]

@@EFGMC thank you!

[@skengzy0684]

Hi, not sure where to post the question... But I've been looking at the Takomo 201 and 301cb clubs. Would you say there is a big difference in how forgiving they are (currently playing 2019 forged tec's off a 6 index). Looking for something less "jumpy". Also noted you switched out the 201's quite quickly, any particular reason for this?

[@EFGMC]

The 201 is more forgiving than the 301 CB. The long irons are very easy to hit in that 201. I think the closer comparison is between the 201 and the 101T. As for not playing the 201 anymore. I somehow lost the 5 iron (random) and then just decided that I felt like building something new and different.

[@skengzy0684]

@@EFGMC thank you for the response!

[@patrickbigras5232]

The purpose of speed training is not to learn how to hit a ball. It is to train your brain and your body to go faster. Then you dial it back to get the precision required to hit the ball. You will end faster than before the training.

[@robertcourt8593]

Thats what the marketing says for the likes of speed stick, the stack etc. Doesn't mean there aren't other ways.

[@jonchadwick1171]

You can not be serious AJ The DST COMPRESSOR is used by over 400 touring pros world wide and 25 major tournament winners. Where have you been?

[@cubuffs4life275]

I would think a stiffer shaft would be needed too due to the much heavier head. 20g added to the head is like 3x soft stepping the shaft. I'm gonna try building one with both a heavier and stiffer shaft than what I normally play. Thanks AJ.

[@danring505]

Scheffler and Shauflee both warm up with an iron with that training grip .. I don’t think they add weight to it.

[@eddietrich6257]

This club is a game changer. It’ll change your path, your face, your timing and your speed.

[@ΜΟΛΩΝΛΑΒΕ_1776]

I gripped all of my clubs with these training grips.

[@Johnny_smathers]

I saw schauffle and sam burns are using these

[@EFGMC]

And Scottie Scheffler

[@marcuszettergren8885]

I think you might have misunderstood why you do swing speed training. It's not about ball contact or ball flight or any feedback whatsoever.

[@fredbosco6104]

Someone with more experience, please explain why people do not install the training grip on their normal clubs? As our guy here states, using that trainer grip, "at the very least tells you that your hand position and grip is correct."

[@biggregg5]

Illegal. Plus, even if that doesn't matter to you, I think most people want the flexibility of gripping up, down, strong, or weak for different shots.

[@joeb5958]

A grip “must not be moulded for any part of the hands”. If a certain feature on the grip enables the player to place his or her hands in exactly the same position every time, solely by feel, then it must be determined whether that feature renders the grip “moulded for the hands”. I think it was this rule they used on Harris English’s putter grip at the Ryder cup.

[@donbernhardt2424]

Breaks my heart that you're using a Takomo as your "old club that you don't use anymore"

[@EFGMC]

I lost my 5i with that set so.

[@donbernhardt2424]

@@EFGMC if you have the 6 through PW heads and don't need them, I'd buy them from you

[@joelb099]

What would be interesting is to make a club that is 20~30 grams LIGHTER….swing that for 20 reps and then see what the results are…hmmmm

[@rsicho]

Not as far as your normal 6 iron??? So you hit your 6 iron around 200 yards? No way….

[@EFGMC]

6i is 185-190yds

[@aaron_b.]

Eh

[@SteveSiwak-sv8sd]

When installing a training grip what do you consider a neutral thank you