Meta Description: Are you losing power on the downswing and slicing your golf shots? Hit straighter and longer with the best golf training aid for swing plane in 2023.
A plane in golf is the angle we swing a club on, which is essential to the power and rotation of each shot.
In this guide, I will introduce you to the best golf training aid for swing plane in 2023. Not only does it accelerate your clubhead speed, but it also improves accuracy, launch, and distance.
But what are the best golf training aid for swing plane?
- SKLZ Gold Flex – Overall Best Golf Swing Trainer
- Springen Golf Swing Trainer Ball – Best Budget Golf Swing Plane Trainer
- Orange Whip Trainer – Most Versatile Swing Plane Trainer
- Swing Jacket Trainer – Most Efficient Best Swing Plane Trainer
- Callaway Swing Easy – Best Golf Swing Plane Trainer Armband
- Sure-Set Swing Trainer – Best Swing Plane Training Aid For Power
- GForce 7-Iron – Best Backswing Training Aid
- Swingyde Aid – Best Golf Swing Trainer For Forearm Rotation
- Lag Shot Driver – Best Golf Swing Plane Trainer For Clubhead Speed
- Divot Swing Power Connector – Best Single Plane Golf Swing Plane Training Aid
Each training aid will have its strengths and weaknesses, and getting the wrong one could actually hurt your game.
That’s why this review introduces you to the 10 best golf training aids for swing planes. Besides keeping your club on plane, I will explain how they improve your club lag, forearm rotation, rhythm, balance, and shoulder and hip turn.
Here is a quick rundown of what you can expect to see in this post:
- The Top 10 swing plane training aids with pros and cons
- How to choose the best swing plane training aid
- Are swing training aids worth it?
- Do swing plane training aids work?
3 Best Golf Swing Plane Trainers
| Best Overall | Best Budget | Best Cool Belt | |
| SKLZ Gold Flex | Springen Swing Trainer | Orange Whip Trainer | |
| Pros |
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
| Price Score | 89.5 | 98.9 | 81.6 |
| Performance | 94.9 | 85.2 | 95.2 |
| Usability | 90.1 | 88.3 | 90.1 |
| Durability | 92.4 | 84.1 | 93.0 |
| Rating | 4.5 Stars | 4 Stars | 4 Stars |
What To Consider When Purchasing Swing Plane Training Aids
Budget
Golf swing plane training aids range in price from less than ten dollars to hundreds of dollars. How much you spend boils down to the type of golf swing plane training aid you acquire. For example, you can pick up a simple armband construction for next to nothing.
However, if you want a golf club training aid or multi-piece kit, you must budget a couple of hundred dollars.
Design
Swing plane training aids work because they focus on improving your biomechanics. But that doesn’t mean they need to be complex.
There are various designs, although they aim to achieve the same purpose. A simplistic design is an armband contraption restricting arm movement, enhancing shoulder turn, and promoting an inside path on the backswing.
Another affordable option is an inflatable ball necklace, which syncs your arms and promotes maximum turn. Then we graduate to golf clubs with flexible shafts, which fix your swing plane and promote lag and power on the downswing.
Finally, you have premium options like a swing jacket or multi-piece set which connects your hips to the golf club. I find the final two mentions offer the best feedback of all golf training aids for swing plane.
Feedback
Feedback is a vital component of training aids as it notifies you when your club is off plane or path.
Designs like the Swing Jacket Trainer or Tour Strike Mate 2.0 limit you from going off track, and if you do, it is impossible to strike the ball cleanly. That’s why players often find themselves hooking, slicing, or straight-up shanking their first few shots with these contraptions.
Conversely, golf club swing training aids like the Lag Shot or G Force lose their load when your club reaches the incorrect position.
Consequently, you produce a weak strike and may open or close your clubface at impact. As you improve, you feel the difference in the power of your downswing when the club is fully loaded.
Finally, a product like the Swingyde training aid provides feedback based on the position relative to your top-hand forearm. If the device sits anywhere other than that point on the backswing and follows through, you have gone wrong and need to reset.
Versatility
The final factor to consider is the versatility of the swing plane training aid. Some aids also help you improve your rhythm, balance, and lag to boost power on the downswing. Think about the elements of your swing mechanics that need work, and look for a training aid that offers all the solutions in one.
Read more: The Best Training Aids on the Market
The Best Golf Training Aids For Swing Plane 2023
1) SKLZ Gold Flex – Overall Best Golf Swing Trainer
Pros
- More affordable than its closest rival
- Provides excellent feedback
- Pushes you to shallow the club
- Available in 2 lengths
- Promotes maximum distance and accuracy
Cons
- It is not built to strike golf balls
- Players may find it difficult to transfer their training onto the golf course.
The SKLZ Gold Flex excelled in our golf training aids swing plane test. Besides enhancing my swing plane, it improved my:
- Takeaway
- Club path
- Lag
- Rhythm
- Tempo
- Balance
As a result, it helped me produce straighter shots and ample yardage.
The training aid features a highly flexible shaft and weighted head to provide greater feedback during your swing. If I took the rod inside too early, I would receive a violent whip through the shaft, informing me of my errors.
As a result, I kept the head in front of me for longer on the takeaway to increase lag and load up the shaft. At the top of the backswing, you notice that the shaft is loaded and ready to release.
However, you have to shallow out the training aid on the downswing for added power, and this position leaves you sufficient time to square the clubface at contact for greater accuracy.
Finally, SKLZ offers the training aid in a 40 and 448-inch version. The former is designed for shorter golfers and higher handicappers. Conversely, the 48-inch suits players over 5 foot 6 and mid to low-handicap golfers.
Rating: 4.5
2) Springen Golf Swing Trainer Ball – Best Budget Golf Swing Plane Trainer
Pros
- Exceptional price point
- Promotes a consistent swing plane
- Limits face rotation for straighter shots
- Includes an inflatable tube
- Portable
Cons
- Pumping air into the ball every time is annoying
- It seemed to offer greater assistance on shorter swing shots
Not all golf swing plane training aids fetch a premium and the Springen tool is proof. For less than a tenner, golfers can acquire an effective swing training aid that enhances plane, swing path, posture, and muscle memory.
An inflatable ball attaches to a lanyard which you wear around your neck when practicing. Before using the training aid, you must pump air into the ball with the accompanying tube.
Once set up, place the lanyard around your neck and let the ball hang between your forearms. Start with two to three easy half swings and feel the club travel back and through with limited clubface manipulation.
Increase your swing to a ¾ length and repeat until you are happy with your plane and path. End off the set with full swings and keep going until you are hitting straight shots with a full swing.
Ultimately the inflatable ball limits face rotation and keeps your club on the desired plane for greater accuracy.
Rating: 4
3) Orange Whip Trainer – Most Versatile Swing Plane Trainer
Pros
- Improves a range of elements in your swing
- Constructed with high-quality materials
- Promotes a flatter swing plane
- Encourages lag
- Improves your rhythm
Cons
- Priced at a premium
- Not designed for you to hit golf balls.
Orange Whip consistently creates the best golf swing aids on the market to improve mechanics, balance, power, and accuracy. The Orange Whip trainer proved its worth in all these fields to earn the prize of the most versatile swing plane trainer in 2023.
The high-quality trainer sports a super flexible shaft, a weighted ball head, and a counterweighted design for maximum feedback. Like the SKLZ Gold Flex, it promotes a smoother backswing, shallow plane, lag, and a square clubface at impact.
In addition, the Orange Whip Trainer helps the average golfer discover the rhythm and tempo of a swing by gently rocking the aid back and forth. I found it generated enhanced whiplash through the shaft when I produced sudden movements like snapping it off path.
The combination of a flexible shaft and heavy clubhead combination helped me activate my core golf muscles for supreme rotation. As a result, I found it easier to shallow my club, produce maximum power and keep the head square to the target. All without overthinking everything.
Lastly, Orange Whip offers their popular and effective swing trainer in a full-size, mid-size, compact, and junior model.
Rating: 4
Read more: The Full Orange Whip Review
4) Swing Jacket Trainer – Most Efficient Best Swing Plane Trainer
Pros
- Promotes a fluid swing
- Restricts arm and elbow movement
- Limits clubface manipulation
- Encourages optimal hip and shoulder rotation
- Improves rhythm and tempo
Cons
- Expensive
- Difficult to get on the first time.
Some golf swing plane training aids take time to figure out how they work and to see results. However, I felt the Swing Jacket Trainer took all the guesswork out of my swing mechanics and set me up to remain on plane and produce a consistent swing.
Now, although the results and impact were experienced in my first outing with the aid, fitting the jacket took up a large portion of my time. I struggled to figure out how to wear it and put it in position. Plus, once I got it on it felt incredibly weird and uncomfortable. But that discomfort kept my elbows and arms in place for limited clubface manipulation during my swing.
I started using the Swing Jacket to bring back my one plane swing that I once had and found it did the trick. This lowered the risk of clubface rotation and improved my chances of squaring it at impact for a straighter shot.
In addition, the Swing Jacket proved effective in helping me unlock the magic of my shoulder and hip rotation. By restricting my elbow and arm movement, I relied on my turn to generate maximum power and speed on the downswing.
Rating: 4
5) Callaway Swing Easy – Best Golf Swing Plane Trainer Armband
Pros
- Entry level price
- One size fits all design
- Prevents golfers coming over the top
- Portable and easy to fold
- Promotes a smooth takeaway
Cons
- Not the most advanced swing plane aid
- Only available in one color
Not all golfers like robust swing trainer aids and prefer simple contraptions, which also get the job done. The Callaway Swing Easy trainer is a simple band design that you fit your arms through, restricting your limbs from running wild on the backswing and downswing.
The highly affordable band is compact and fits seamlessly into your golf bag pockets. In addition, the simple design performed well and prevented my right elbow from kicking out at the top of the swing, saving me from heading over the top.
By restricting my arm and elbow movement, I stand a higher chance of keeping the club on the intended plane and path for greater power and accuracy. Plus, containing your arms forces you to use your shoulder and hip turn for optimal speed and power.
Finally, the orange band is constructed in a one size fits all design to cover all golfers. While every player will appreciate the quality of its stretchable material, this aid best suit high handicappers looking for simple accessories.
Rating: 4
6) Sure-Set Swing Trainer – Best Swing Plane Training Aid For Power
Pros
- Promotes optimal wrist hinge
- Boost shoulder turn
- Portable
- You can use it indoors and outdoors
- Works for left and right handers
Cons
- Moderately expensive
- Includes no instructional tutorials to coach you
The downswing demands maximum power to accelerate the clubface into the ball at impact for rapid ball speed and optimal distance. In my experience, the Sure-Set Swing Trainer serves as an excellent swing plane training aid to invoke wrist hinge and unload the golf club on the way down.
Besides its incredible wrist hinge abilities, the Sure-Set Swing Trainer guides your arms back to where they need to be. Supreme hand position at the top of the swing made it easy to keep my club on plane and release down to the ball.
In addition, the restricted arm movement induced by the Sure-Set encouraged me to activate my shoulder turn for added power. The trainer impressed me with its comfortable, ergonomic grip, which enhanced my control.
The light, compact design of the Sure-Set Swing Trainer makes it easy to transport and use indoors and outdoors. Whether at work or home, I can work on my swing plane whenever I have a spare moment.
Rating: 4
Read more: The Best Golf Impact Bags To Train Your Moment of Impact
7) GForce 7-Iron – Best Backswing Training Aid
Pros
- Encourages increased shoulder turn on the backswing
- Promotes a pendulum swing
- It is permitted on the golf course
- You can hit balls and work on your golf swing simultaneously
- Prompts natural lag
Cons
- Pricey
- It takes time to adjust to its path, plane and lag demands.
The GForce 7-iron proved the finest of the golf backswing training aids as it promoted a longer backswing, enhanced rotation, and a fluid rhythm. In addition, the swing aid features a standard 7-iron clubhead, allowing you to strike golf balls and work on your swing mechanics simultaneously.
I enjoyed the feedback provided by its flexible shaft and standard clubhead, making it easy to decipher when my plan and path were off-kilter. After several shots where the shafts whipped aggressively and vibrated, I started developing a pendulum swing.
The trick was to keep my clubhead in front of me for longer on the takeaway, prompting my shoulder turn to propel the club to the top of the swing. This prevented my club from heading off path to keep it on line down to impact.
I also appreciated the smooth trajectory that it promotes and found it helped me generate natural lag for accelerated swing speed. Since you can use the GForce 7 iron on the golf course, it is worthwhile for high handicappers in desperate need of accuracy and extra yards.
Rating: 4
8) Swingyde Aid – Best Golf Swing Trainer For Forearm Rotation
Pros
- Promotes optimal forearm rotation
- Creates wrist hinge
- Affordable
- The package includes DVD tutorials
- Portable
Cons
- Outdated DVD
- The construction feels cheap but showed no signs of buckling during testing.
Without forearm rotation, you cannot keep your club on plane, costing you speed and accuracy.
In addition, it prevents wrist hinge and makes it impossible to unload your golf club from the top of the swing. The Swingyde Aid corrects this challenge by keeping your wrists in place and promoting optimal positioning on the backswing and follow-through.
The Swingyde Aid easily attaches to the grip of your golf club. When used correctly, the top part of the aid will sit comfortably on the forearm of your top hand. That’s left for right-handers and right for lefties.
Conversely, when you rotate your forearms correctly on the follow-through, the Swingyde will touch your left forearm once again. Golf coach Brian Fitzegerald highlights how this works in the below video.
This easy to use training aid is accompanied by DVD tutorials which highlight how to leverage the assistance of the Swingyde. Finally, it is affordable and portable for use at home and the driving range.
Rating: 4
9) Lag Shot Driver – Best Golf Swing Plane Trainer For Clubhead Speed
Pros
- Produces faster clubhead speed
- Promotes an inside-out swing path
- Enables golfers to hit balls
- Creates lag for added power
- Optimizes rotation
Cons
- Expensive
- Seniors and ladies may prefer the lighter 7-iron
Every golfer could use additional clubhead speed to increase distance off the tee. Trackman suggests that every 1 mph of clubhead speed equals 3 extra yards with a driver. The Lag Shot Driver teaches you to get the clubhead inside at the top, shallow out and unload on the way down.
This driver training aid is purposed to help golfers follow a plane that maximizes lag and power on the downswing. The highly flexible shaft and 325-gram head provide enhanced feedback on fast takeaways or rushed transitions. The moment I felt a jolt, I knew I had erred and pulled out of the shot.
After a few erratic shots, I leveraged the shaft’s flexibility and built a fluid rhythm. The club went back and forth effortlessly, only requiring the push of my shoulder and hip turn. As a result, the clubhead ended inside at the top of my backswing and was fully loaded to let loose on my downswing.
As my body led the way, the energy-filled clubhead followed and waited to transfer it to the golf ball at impact. The results were accelerated swing speed, rapid ball speed, and a mid-to-high launch with solid carry distance.
Rating: 4
10) Divot Swing Power Connector – Best Single Plane Golf Swing Plane Training Aid
Pros
- Promotes one-piece takeaway
- Keeps body and arms together
- Affordable
- Easily transportable
- Flexible elastic material
Cons
- Entry-level swing training aid
- One trick pony
We close out our best golf training aid for swing plane guide with the Divot Swing Power Connector. The simple armband design keeps your body and arms together to promote a synchronized swing and enhanced shoulder turn.
I felt the setup simplified the task of creating a single plane swing because it prevented you from veering off path. While the tension in the trainer was ideal for keeping me on plane, I felt restricted. This prompted me to induce optimal shoulder and hip turn to boost power without relying on my arms.
The beauty of a single-plane swing is that it’s easier for the average golfer to induce greater accuracy and consistent distance. Although you do not generate the power of a shallow swing, it is easier to keep on plane and path on every swing.
Finally, the affordable swing training armband design is easy to use, and it is light and portable. As a result, you can keep it in your bag and use it on the range or to warm up before a round of golf.
Rating: 4
FAQ
Can You Carry A Training Aid In Your Golf Bag?
Yes, you can carry a training aid in your bag, but you cannot use it to make a practice swing. USGA Rule 4.3a(6) states that you can use training aids to stretch but not for a practice swing that helps you find your plane and path. This gives you an unfair advantage over your competitors.
Are Swing Jackets A Good Idea?
Yes, in my experience, swing jackets are a good idea and have helped me produce a consistent path, plane, and power. I used the Swing Jacket Trainer, and besides the challenge of getting it on, I enjoyed impressive results.
In addition, to figuring it out, the jackets are usually uncomfortable at first because your upper body feels restricted. But, over time, you get used to it and start seeing results.
Are Swing Plane Training Aids Worth It?
Yes, swing plane training aids are worth it because they also help you improve your swing path, lag, and rotation for increased power on each shot. In addition, many swing plane training aids serve as excellent warm-up tools to help you activate your core golf muscles before a round.
Do Swing Plane Training Aids Work?
Yes, swing plane training aids work. I have enjoyed great success with my Orange Whip training aid which I have owned for 3 years. It improved my swing plane and optimized my rhythm, balance, power and rotation. Combining all these features has helped me produce more accurate shots and consistent distance.
Can You Make Your Own Swing Trainer?
Yes, you can make your own swing trainer aids. Tom Sovay shows a nifty DIY swing plane trainer using a hula hoop and masking tape. I have also used a flex PVC pipe to induce a consistent rhythm, superior swing path, and swing plane.
Conclusion
A swing plane training aid does wonders for your club path and keeps you on the best plane to create lag and optimize rotation.
When these factors combine, you stand a higher chance of unloading correctly on the downswing, increasing clubhead speed, and imparting rampant pace on the golf ball. As a result, it enables you to generate longer, straighter shots on the golf course.
After the features, benefits, and downsides of our class of 2023, I am satisfied that the SKLZ Gold Flex is the best golf training aid for swing plane. It is moderately affordable, encourages an inside-out path, and helps you flatten your club on the downswing to accelerate toward the ball.
Take a look at the length options for the Gold Flex and decide if you can handle the 48-inch contraption or if 40 inches is sufficient.
Matt has played golf since he was 4 years old and has written over 150 articles at GolfSpan since 2021. Matt specializes in product reviews using his postgraduate degree in Sports Marketing from Johan Cruyff Institute. Matt has a handicap index of 10.8 and currently plays weekly at Pilar Golf Course near his home in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also loves his Callaway Odyssey Exo Rossie putter and likes a pepper steak pie with curry gravy at the turn. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
- Best score: 70
- Favorite club: Callaway Odyssey Exo Rossie
- Favorite ball: Srixon Q-Star Tour
- Favorite food at the turn: Pepper steak pie with curry gravy
