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We Tried It: GForce Swing Trainer
There‘s a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried
Your Reviewer
Phillip Bishop – Avid fan of U.S. Open carnage, tester of golf equipment, and pretzel lover.
We Tried It: GForce Swing Trainer
Being a golf media outlet and specializing in golf equipment testing, it is natural for a plethora of products to pass through our doors. I’ve gotten my hands on some unique and helpful training aids. But I’ve also seen and used some that are bewildering, to say the least.
Recently, the GForce Swing Trainer was brought to our attention and, I must say, it does grab your attention. It isn’t every day that you have an extremely flexible and lightweight golf club, especially one that allows you to hit golf balls. When you first see it, you can’t help but think, “There is no way I can hit golf balls with this!”
What Is GForce Swing Trainer?
GForce offers four products: driver, 7-iron, wedge, putter. Although each of these is different, they all perform in a similar manner. Each consists of a lightweight, highly flexible shaft that promotes swing path, transition, rhythm, tempo and timing. There are additional potential benefits.
If there is one thing I’ve learned in my own golf swing, it is the importance of rhythm, tempo and timing. The beauty of the golf swing is that almost every golfer is consistent with how they deliver the golf club to the golf ball. Some are out-to-in, others are in-to-out. That doesn’t make one better than the other.
You have professional golfers who prefer or play a specific shot shape. Take Bryson DeChambeau, for example. He predominantly plays a draw or right-to-left shot shape and does it extremely effectively. Yes, he has mastered his craft but without rhythm, tempo and timing, he wouldn’t be nearly as effective. This goes for you, me and every other golfer.
Stuart Small, GForce’s founder, is obsessed with the golf swing. He believes in his product, the uniqueness of it, and does a diligent job of providing insightful information regarding its use. Let’s take a look at the GForce Swing Trainer in action.
GForce Swing Trainer
For this particular “We Tried It”, I’ll be focusing on the GForce Swing Trainer 7-iron.
My first impression, admittedly, was uncertainty. I pulled the 7-iron out of the box and wasn’t sure what to make of it, let alone believe I could hit golf balls with it. Training aids are a dime in a dozen. Some are proven successes. Others fall to the wayside. There is an old saying, “never judge a book by its cover”, and I believe this is appropriate for the GForce Swing Trainer.
GForce Swing Trainer Testing
The GForce Swing Trainer serves as a long-term training aid. But I’ll dare to say that it serves as an intriguing, easy-to-use training aid for immediate feedback and use. Being able to pull it out of the box and immediately hit shots with it is impressive. You don’t need a warm up. It can easily serve as a warm-up tool.
But how about actual data that showcases the feedback the GForce Swing Trainer is made to provide? Stuart Small explains cause and effect regarding the use of the Swing Trainer and you can read all of it here.
I wanted to see if there were any noticeable differences while swinging the GForce Swing Trainer. In order to do so, I hit shots with my usual 7-iron to establish a baseline with clubhead data. Next, I hit shots with the GForce Swing Trainer 7-iron with clubhead data. Finally, I hit another batch of shots with my 7-iron that include clubhead data.
Data Feedback
Hitting shots with my 7-iron, then switching to the GForce Swing Trainer 7-iron is a weird sensation. And, Small states that you shouldn’t be surprised when you hit shots or miss shots to the right. This is the cause of one’s arms and hands moving too fast through the downswing, and I am definitely a culprit of that move.
The most noticeable, positive feedback I saw in the data was my face-to-path relationship. For me, this is encouraging because the GForce Swing Trainer is doing exactly what it is suppose to do and producing an outcome that Small says is natural.
For example, here are my two face-to-path relationships:
7-Iron – 3.5° Closed GForce 7-Iron – 1.7° ClosedYou can see that I nearly cut my face-to-path relationship in half with the GForce 7-iron. Whether this is a positive or negative, that is up for debate. To me, this is a positive reinforcement as the GForce is giving you live feedback. While hitting, it made me be conscious of getting my core to move and to slow my hands and arms down. For several shots, I was able to actually execute my natural draw shaping, and to see that shot with the GForce is thrilling.
This is clearly not a long-term use situation, however, in my sampling, I think the GForce can certainly teach a golfer’s body better timing, rhythm, and sequencing.
Is GForce Swing Trainer For You?
In the end, as golfers, we are always looking for the remedy to our golf swing. It is a constant journey – filled with happiness as well as frustration. One moment, we hit the shot of our life. The next, we hit a shot that leaves us bewildered. I know I often wonder, “How in the world can I hit two totally different shots within a matter of minutes?”
Can the GForce Swing Trainer be the remedy for your golf swing? There are certainly measurable feedbacks that suggest it can in the long run. I witnessed this firsthand with the data I collected. The simple act of hitting the golf ball with the GForce Swing Trainer (whichever one you opt for) allows you to have feedback wherever and whenever you choose. Maybe, you use it as a warm-up tool. Perhaps, you commit an entire range session to it. Or you take a long-term, deep-dive approach with it and utilize Stuart Small’s guidance. The options are endless.
This article was written in partnership with GForce.
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