A community recap of the Leadbetter Straight Away, Swing Setter, and Aimstick
Every so often, a Community Lab drops into the forum that reminds us why we built Life At The Turn in the first place. Golfers helping golfers. Real experiences. Real feedback. No fluff.
Our testers spent the past stretch working with the Leadbetter Straight Away, Swing Setter, and Aimstick. Some were hopeful. Some were skeptical. But importantly all were honest. What follows is a unified look at how these tools performed for a range of golfers with different swings, different learning styles, and different expectations.
Could they achieve better swings with these training aids?
This recap is built entirely from the testers’ feedback and experiences allowing the community to speak for itself.
First impressions from the group
A handful of testers went into this experiment with their guard up. One set the tone immediately:
“I’m generally skeptical when it comes to training aids as the market is flooded with far too many of them for all of them to work.”
Another echoed the same feeling and added:
“With that in mind, I’m still overall skeptical about training aids. They might be effective in identifying symptoms, but the market is flooded and trying to distinguish good from bad gets more difficult as time goes on.”
Yet several testers were quickly impressed by the construction and purposefulness of the bundle:
“These are well-constructed, quality products that do exactly what they’re designed to do.”
And another summed up their first impression in a simple sentence:
“I think these tools are great in concert, and aim to work on specific parts of your swing in a very intentional way.”
Across the board, the Straight Away stood out as the clear star. The Swing Setter split the room depending on swing DNA and feel preferences. And the Aimstick was exactly what golfers expected: a portable alignment stick with a couple of thoughtful touches and a couple of quirks.
The Straight Away
The community favorite
The Straight Away quickly became the tool most testers gravitated toward. Some even called it the standout of the entire set.
“Honestly, this one is the star of the bundle. It’s simple, it fits onto almost any club, and you can take actual swings with it.”
Others doubled down:
“First off, the Straight Away is definitely a keeper.”
“If I were to recommend one product from this line, this would be it.”
The Straight Away earned its praise for three reasons: ease of use, immediate visual feedback, and real swing improvement.
What testers felt
Most golfers used the Straight Away to monitor their takeaway. Several noticed the same pattern:
“The StraightAway is designed to help golfers with the most important part of the swing which is the first couple of feet.”
“It gives immediate, no nonsense feedback on the takeaway.”
“It insures that you are keeping your hands inside while the club head moves away from your body at takeaway.”
A few paired it with the Aimstick for a simple but effective combo:
“Add in the Aimstick as a visual guide at your feet and this worked beautifully.”
Another detailed the exact drill:
“Clip the Straight Away on just below the grip, set up the Aim Stick along your toe line, then follow the drills Leadbetter provides. Rehearse that feel 3 times, then complete the backswing. On the downswing, focus on returning the Straight Away’s arrow to that same aligned position, and fire.”
What changed for their swings
Several testers saw noticeable performance gains.
One of the strongest results came from a self-described seven handicap:
“Since using the Straight Away, I am hitting the ball farther and straighter than ever.”
“My Angle of Attack and club path numbers have all improved, and I am consistently carrying the ball 5-7 yards farther across the set.”
Another tester experienced similar improvements:
“Results so far are incredibly positive, I’m seeing much better contact with my irons and wedges and the ball seems to be taking off and carrying in a much better window.”
And a third noticed clear positional benefit:
“For me, the Straightaway produces a more neutral takeaway in terms of path.”
Practical advantages
Many enjoyed how simple it is to use anywhere:
“It’s so convenient to use, I can just clip it on to a club and rehearse the movement in my house.”
“This is easy to use and a great yet simple tool to warm up before a round.”
A couple of limitations
Equipment fit was the main issue raised:
“It did not fit my wedge shafts… these were KBS 610 Wedge shafts… so a bit thicker than usual.”
And a few felt the value could be questioned:
“Maybe a bit expensive for what it is, but it works.”
Still, this remained the most universally praised aid of the entire bundle.
The Swing Setter
Polarizing, powerful, or puzzling depending on the golfer
The Swing Setter sparked the widest spectrum of reactions in our testing group.
For some, it clicked right away
One tester described the experience as:
“Welcome to Tempo Town!”
They added:
“When used correctly it is not only very satisfying but promotes a good powerful feel to the swing.”
Another tester found it rewarding over time:
“The adjustable resistance and audible click force you to sequence properly, and if you’re out of sync, the tool won’t let you fake it.”
“After dedicated use, I’m now generating the audible clicks that let me know I’m swinging in the right positions and in the proper tempo.”
One player even found a very specific benefit:
“I started feeling much more compact and organized almost like a Tommy Fleetwood rehearsal feel.”
Who it seemed built for
Several testers agreed on the target golfer:
“If you have an aggressive transition, struggle to set your wrists in the backswing, or release the club too early in the downswing then this could do you wonders.”
Others pointed out that the molded grip and general structure may also benefit newer players.
Where testers struggled
A few golfers found the Swing Setter extremely difficult to use based on their natural motion:
“Oh man. I wanted to like this one. I really tried.”
One golfer with a slower, deliberate takeaway found that:
“No matter what settings I used for the ‘set’ ball, the only way I could get that one to separate in the backswing is to deliberately speed up my takeaway and set my wrists early.”
“Even then, it was 50/50.”
Others found the grip trainer foreign:
“I have a pretty strong grip… I’m only seeing two knuckles with it. I also feel like my right hand is extremely weak compared to normal.”
Build-quality hiccups
Only one tester reported deeper quality concerns:
“Within the first days of using it, the ‘release’ ball actually slid all the way down the shaft.”
“The rotational adjustment for both pieces no longer align.”
“The informational booklet… claims that the aid uses green for the target side of the balls when the actual color used is red.”
These were not common across all testers, but they were important enough to document.
Overall swing value
Despite the challenges, even the skeptics found one core benefit:
“It is purely an aid to take some shadow swings throughout the day and to ensure that I consciously mind the transition area of my swing.”
For others, it became a staple:
“For me, the Swing Setter fits perfectly into my quick refresher routine.”
The Aimstick / Straight Stick
Simple, portable, and functional
Testers universally agreed that this is exactly what it looks like.
One summed it up with a smile:
“It’s a fancied up alignment stick.”
Another confirmed:
“It’s good at what it does, but there are cheaper, more versatile options out there.”
Several liked the portability:
“The Straight Stick is a three piece alignment aid… I love the fact you can break it down and fit it into your bag.”
The tee-hole anchoring feature got praise and critique at the same time:
“A nice feature, but I wish the holes aligned while everything was screwed together tightly.”
Despite the imperfections, most testers found it extremely useful when paired with the Straight Away:
“With the Straight Away clipped just below the grip and the Aim Stick placed along the toe line, the drill becomes extremely intuitive.”
The community consensus
Across all reviews, the same theme came through. The Straight Away is a trusted, repeatable, and helpful addition for golfers trying to clean up their takeaway. The Swing Setter can be exceptional for the right golfer, but it asks more of the player and may require tinkering. The Aimstick is a convenience tool rather than a transformational one.
Or, in the most honest summary we received:
“The Straightaway is clearly the star. The Aimstick works, but there are better options. The SwingSetter works for some. I am not in that category.”
And on the other end of the spectrum:
“These training aids have already helped me hone my swing with simple and quick practice sessions… If you want simple, effective, high qual training aids that deliver on what they promise, these are worth considering.”
Why we share these
Life At The Turn is not about promoting products. It is about giving golfers a place to talk openly about what works, what does not, and what might help the next golfer in line.
Every one of these reviews was offered with honesty, curiosity, and a desire to help the community learn something real about the Leadbetter training tools. That is what makes these Lab recaps worth reading.
If you tested the bundle, feel free to add your own notes to the thread.
If you are thinking about trying these tools, we hope this recap helps you make your decision.
And if you just enjoy seeing golfers work together… well, that is exactly why we built this place.