Best and worst golf aid you've bought

[chopper]

Whats the best and worst golf aid you've bought? There must be some good ones and some right stinkers. A customer of mine once bought this laser aid that was attached to the lower end of the shaft, that when you practiced your swing would give an alarm when you went of plane. Now I'm no pro but I know what swing I hope to achieve and in a controlled manner its alright but regardless of how slow I took the club back at just past parallel this would scream like a pig that had just been smacked over the head with a driver. TOTAL GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!. So please let us know your experiences with these tools that make the game easy.
Chopper

[PowerPenguin]

I remember seeing a practice ball attached to a long bit of string, which was connected to a tent peg, in American Golf once. And they were charging £10! :eek:

Dave

[chopper]

did you buy yourself a dozen. I would have I would, never loose one on the first in a medal again

[GedK]

Never really been into outside agencies to help me swing, but i've got loads of books and video's.

Strange thing is, the best and worst things I 've got came from the same source.

Now, I know this is name dropping but here goes.

Steve Elkington is a friend. More of a nodding aquaintance, but I've had a few beers with him over the past 10 years or so. He was a good friend of my Dads.
Now, Steve knows i'm a bit of a technique freak, (prefer watching the range than follow a match at a pro event, that type of thing...). He had just been passed his exams in teaching Geometrically Oriented Linear Force, as preached by a guy called Ben Doyle, based on the principles in the book by Homer Kelly - "The Golfing Machine".
Still there?? Good...
When the open was at Muirfield, I went down to see Elk at the flat he was staying in , and he introduced me to this stuff which is Super Technical. Anyway to cut a long story short, Steve sent me over Ben Doyle's video 'How to build a G.O.L.F game'. I watched it over and over, but couldn't understand a word the guy said.They content was good, but the presentation is awful. Has to be seen to be believed. Had me thinking all sorts. Blew my head off trying to understand it.
It wasn't until the following year at the Dunhill that Elk took me through it in laymans terms, then told me to get the book (The Golfing Machine), read chapters 5 & 7, and leave the rest well alone. I've done that, and got to say that the combination of the video (in short doses), the book, and more importantly the insight into it from someone like Elk has been invaluable.

The video on it's own though was, for a year, the worst aid I've come across, an afternoon on the West sands talking, and understanding the method at St Andrews with Elk has been the best.
p.s. - He still can't putt.
If he could he'd have won 4 majors...:)

[Creosote]

Some lessons with a half decent pro and a few thousand practice balls are all the training aids anyone needs.

Anything else is a waste of money.

[shanker]

I had a momentus swing trainer which I'm sure did my left shoulder in. Managed to off load on ebay for just about what I paid for it - but shoulder still hurts now.:mad:

Hopefully best training aid will be the lessons I'm about to take.:)

[I can hack it]

Beach ball between the knees - as demostrated by my pro

[runonpark]

worst - swing setter

best - lessons

[MisterS3]

A 'putting mat'.

It came rolled up and is like velcro.

I've never been able to get it flat! Total waste of money.