Training aids can be a controversial topic among golfers. For some, they are bizarre gizmos that announce athletic inadequacies, never to be used in public. For others, they are a guaranteed cure for swing ailments and a sure-fire path to lower scores. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle however.
Now comes Training Aid Spotlights, here to help you find the ones that will benefit your game and sort out the ones that won’t. First out of the chute is the Leadbetter StraightAway. The StraightAway boasts improved ball-striking and consistency in a short amount of time. Can it back up these claims? Read on.
StraightAway 101
Visually, the StraightAway is unlike any other training aid we’ve seen and will certainly stand out on a driving range. Unless your wardrobe looks like Ian Poulter’s, its loud purple, yellow, and red color combination will likely stand out against your best golf duds when you strap the StraightAway on your club.
To do that, simply slide it over the shaft of your club just below the grip, then use the attached threaded fasteners to clamp it down. Align the red-background arrow down the shaft, and you’ll find the yellow-background arrow pointing roughly 45-degrees towards your trail side. And yes lefties, the StraightAway is set up to work for you too.
How to Use the StraightAway
If impact is “the moment of truth” in the golf swing, the takeaway is where you determine what that truth is going to be. A common fault among amateurs is a tendency to rip the club inside at the beginning of the swing with early and excessive wrist hinge. It’s a symptom of an overly “armsy” swing that isn’t in sequence with the torso and hips. The result is an open club face and a club that is essentially trapped behind you. The only way to get back to the moment of truth is to make compensations and re-route the club, often kicking the club out and creating an over-the-top move.
Enter the StraightAway. Place an alignment stick at your toe line, and use your core muscles to turn the club away from the ball rather than your arms and wrists. You should feel like your right oblique muscle is higher than your left (for a right-handed player) when done correctly. Ideally you’ll use the Leadbetter Aimstick, which has an arrow on the stick for you to align the StraightAway arrow with at the end of the movement.
When your done, you’ll find you’ve engaged your body, your arms are in synch, and the club is outside your hands. You’re now positioned to complete a backswing that makes efficient impact possible.
Training Aid Musts
As you’ve surely read in our previous training aid articles, there are some important prerequisites for a training aid to be considered a good product. One, it must put you to work, not do the work for you. Two, it must be supported with instruction or direction on how to use it properly. The StraightAway checks both boxes.
It’s your job to start a proper turn and align the yellow-background arrow with the alignment rod. The StraightAway isn’t going to do it for you, but it will show you when you’ve done it right. And if you’re unsure how to properly use it, scan the QR code on the packaging and watch the video lesson drills from David Leadbetter himself.
Does it Work?
So does it deliver improved ball-striking and consistency after just a few minutes of use as claimed? Yes. Those of you looking for an instant panacea for your swing ills will still be disappointed, because it will take repeated regular use to commit the “new” takeaway this training aid is teaching to your natural swing. But the StraightAway WILL teach you what a correct takeaway looks and feels like, and it will result in better contact. It’s your job to continuously work to replicate those feels through regular use of the StraightAway, and to dial up those same feels when the device comes off.
You can buy the Leadbetter StraightAway here.