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7 Best Golf Training Aids Under $100
I have spent over $2,000 on training aids. Half of them are in a box in my garage. The Orange Whip I bought in 2022 is in there. The putting arc trainer I swore would fix my stroke is in there. The seven below are the ones I actually use. They are all under $100. Five of them are under $50. They fix the four things that cost amateurs the most strokes: alignment, putting, ball striking, and tempo.
If you only buy one thing from this list, buy the PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer ($30). It is the best dollars-to-strokes ratio in golf. If you buy three things, add alignment sticks ($15) and a Smart Ball ($45). That is $90 total for a practice setup that covers more of your game than a $500 launch monitor ever will.
What Makes a Training Aid Worth Buying
Most training aids solve a problem you do not have. Before spending money, ask three questions.
Does it fix alignment, ball striking, putting, or tempo? Those four things account for roughly 80 percent of the strokes an amateur loses per round. If a training aid does not address one of them, skip it.
Does it give you feedback, or do you have to guess? For most golfers shooting 90-plus, visual feedback is more useful than data feedback. βMy feet are aimed rightβ tells you more than βmy club path is 4.2 degrees in-to-out.β You can fix the first one immediately. The second requires a coach.
Will you actually use it? If it takes more than 30 seconds to set up, it becomes furniture.
1. PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer: $30
The verdict. The single best training aid under $50 in golf. A curved plastic ramp that catches perfect putts and rejects anything hit too hard. It turns putting practice into a game, and it is the reason I dropped from 36 putts per round to 31 in six weeks.
What works. The feedback is instant. Roll a putt with good pace and it sticks. Hit it too hard and it spits the ball back. Hit it with perfect pace dead center and it catches on a small indentation. Genuinely satisfying. It works on carpet, hardwood, or a putting mat. I keep mine next to my desk and hit 10 putts every time I stand up. About 60 putts a day without trying.
What does not. Flat surfaces only. You cannot practice breaking putts with the standard version. The AirBreak ($100) adds break simulation but costs twice as much.
Buy this if: You want to practice putting at home and actually enjoy it. Skip if: You only practice on actual greens.
2. Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks: $15
The verdict. The most boring purchase in golf and the most useful. Fiberglass rods you lay on the ground to check your aim. Every tour pro has them. Your feet lie to you. Alignment sticks tell you the truth.
What works. Three tools for $15: an alignment checker, a path trainer, and a putting gate (stick two in the ground with tees spaced just wider than your putter). That is a full practice station. Setup takes 20 seconds. I use them before every range session and they correct the setup drift that creeps in between rounds.
What does not. The fiberglass splinters if you step on it or leave it in a hot car. Cheap generics shed paint within a month. Buy Tour Sticks or Callaway. The extra $5 buys sticks that do not flake paint all over your bag.
Buy this if: You have never checked your alignment with a stick. Skip if: You already own a set.
3. Tour Striker Smart Ball: $45
The verdict. An inflatable ball on a lanyard that hangs between your forearms. It looks ridiculous. It works. It is the most effective training aid on this list. It forces your arms to stay connected to your body through the swing.
What works. If your trail elbow flies, the ball drops. If your arms disconnect from your chest, the ball falls. You physically cannot chicken-wing a chip or cast the club from the top without the ball hitting the ground. It fixes the root cause of chunks, thins, and slices: arms doing something your body did not ask them to do. After two weeks of 10 minutes a day, my ball striking was noticeably cleaner.
What does not. You look like an idiot. The lanyard toggle slips and needs constant re-tightening. You cannot hit balls with it. The Sleeve version ($77) adds adjustable straps for nearly twice the price.
Buy this if: You fight a slice, chunk chips, or your swing feels disconnected. Skip if: Your connection is solid and you are working on path or face control.
4. SKLZ Gold Flex: $50
The verdict. A budget Orange Whip. Flexible shaft with a weighted head for warming up, stretching, and grooving tempo. It is $50. The Orange Whip is $130. Is the Orange Whip better? Yes. Is it $80 better? For most golfers shooting 90-plus, no.
What works. Loosens your shoulders and back, forces you to sequence your swing (muscle it with your arms and it wobbles; let your body rotate and it whips through), and gives you a pre-round ritual. Five minutes of Gold Flex swings before a round, and your first tee shot is your actual swing. Not a cold, stiff approximation of it. I keep one in my trunk and use it in the parking lot.
What does not. Lighter than the Orange Whip, so less resistance for strength-building. The plastic head feels cheap. This is a warm-up and tempo tool, not a speed trainer.
Buy this if: You want a pre-round warm-up under $50. Skip if: You already own an Orange Whip or are specifically training for speed.
5. EyeLine Putting Alignment Mirror: $35
The verdict. A small acrylic mirror with alignment lines and tee slots. You stand over it, check your eyes, and confirm your putter face is square. Tour pros swear by these. It costs less than two dozen Pro V1s.
What works. Your eye position drifts over weeks. Your posture tilts, and suddenly you are looking at the ball from two inches inside the target line. That means you miss putts you think you read correctly. The mirror fixes it in five seconds. Look down, see your eyes, adjust. The tee slots let you build a gate to check your start line. Five minutes before a round, and your setup is dialed.
What does not. Slides on slick surfaces. Put it on a mat. Scratches if you toss it in your bag without the case. The Classic model ($60) is larger and more stable but overkill for most golfers.
Buy this if: You miss short putts or your putting feels inconsistent. Skip if: You already have a putting mirror.
6. Divot Board: $50
The verdict. A roll-up mat that shows exactly where your club hit the ground. Low-point feedback. The simplest concept in golf and one of the hardest skills to learn without it. Fat shots, thin shots, and inconsistent striking all share the same root cause: your low point is off.
What works. Set it down, put a ball on it, swing. The board marks where the club first touches. Behind the ball, fat. After the ball, compressed. The feedback is immediate and undeniable. After a week, I realized my low point was consistently two inches behind the ball. Three weeks of focused practice later, my fat shots dropped from five per round to maybe one.
What does not. Loud. The βthwackβ is not subtle. You cannot use it indoors without annoying everyone. The surface wears out, especially with fresh wedge grooves.
Buy this if: You hit fat or thin shots. Skip if: Your striking is already clean or you practice on grass.
7. Impact Bag: $30
The verdict. The ugliest training aid in golf. A heavy fabric bag you fill with old towels and hit with a club. Old school. Loud. Works.
What works. Teaches you what impact should feel like: hands ahead, weight forward, shaft leaning toward the target. If you flip your wrists, the bag does not compress. If you get into position with forward shaft lean, it compresses with a satisfying thud. After 20 reps a day for two weeks, your body learns proper impact, and that feeling shows up in your actual swing. This is the cheapest way to learn forward shaft lean without a lesson.
What does not. Ugly. Loud. You cannot leave it in the living room. You have to fill it yourself, and underfill means the club goes right through. It is a static drill. You hit into the bag and stop, which builds muscle memory for impact position but not for a flowing swing.
Buy this if: You struggle with flipping or never feeling compression. Skip if: Your impact position is already solid.
The Verdict: What to Buy First
You do not need all seven. You need three, and they depend on what is costing you strokes.
If you have $100 and do not know where to start, buy alignment sticks ($15), the PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer ($30), and the Smart Ball ($45). That is $90. Set up the sticks on the range before every session. Hit 10 putts on the PuttOut every time you walk past it. Use the Smart Ball for 10 minutes of practice swings three times a week. That routine fixes what separates a 95 from an 85. Set up right and strike it clean. The putting will take care of itself.
If you already have sticks and a putting aid, add the SKLZ Gold Flex ($50) and the Divot Board ($50). Tempo and low-point control are the next two dominoes.
Total cost for all seven: about $280. That is less than one driver. And all seven will help your score more than a $600 driver ever will.
I keep my PuttOut next to my couch and my alignment sticks live in my bag. My Smart Ball hangs on a hook in the garage where I see it every morning. The stuff in the box in the garage is the stuff I had to go looking for. The stuff I actually use is the stuff I trip over.
Where to Buy
- PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer β $29-$40 at Amazon
- Tour Striker Smart Ball β $40-$50 at Amazon
- EyeLine Putting Alignment Mirror β $35-$39 at Amazon
- Impact Bag β $25-$40 at Amazon
- Tour Sticks Alignment Sticks β $15 at Amazon
Prices updated July 2026. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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