My friend, the Tour Striker
There are many gimmicks out there when it pertains to improving your golf game. All you have to do is watch late night television on the golf channel, or flip through the back pages of any golf magazine to find them.
One of these so-called gimmicks is a golf club called the Tour Striker. This club came out a few years ago and is designed to help golfers learn how to hit down on the golf ball by encouraging a strong shaft angle leading into impact.
It may sound confusing, but the concept isn’t bad.
Low and behold, shortly after learning of this Tour Striker club, I see a commercial for it on the golf channel. Gary McCord was talking about it, but an old friend of mine was demonstrating how the club should be used.
My friend’s name is Martin Chuck. As it turns out, Chuck designed and patented this club.
I met Chuck during my college playing days at the University of New Mexico. Chuck was a golfer at New Mexico State. I always considered Chuck to be a nice guy from Canada, but he wasn’t considered to be a top talent in college golf.
Little did I know at the time, but Chuck knows a heck of a lot about the golf swing.
Recently, another training aid designed by Chuck has been getting plenty of air time throughout the world of golf. This most recent aid is called the Smart Ball, and it may be the hottest aid in the game right now.
The Smart Ball is a light, soft ball that is slightly smaller than a volleyball. The ball is placed between your elbows, and the concept is to complete your backswing by keeping the ball between your elbows. It’s not easy, but it trains the proper muscle groups in your swing.
In case you are still not convinced, this Smart Ball is now used regularly by Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
Chuck is a great example of a good guy who put an idea to paper and was able to create two of the most successful training aids in the game.
Seeing some of the greatest players in the world embrace this most recent aid brings a smile to my face.
Though I am still not a big fan of training aid gimmicks, Chuck is getting close to changing my mind.