We Tried It: Lagshot Swing Trainer

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly 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

The Lagshot Swing Trainer

Our Lag-Seeking Swinger

Dave Wolfe – MyGolfSpy writer and putter fanatic. I am always looking for ways to improve my “non-Tour level” golf game.

Golf is Hard

I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve bought a bunch of training aids through the years. I know I am not alone in this. Millions of training aids have been purchased by improvement-minded (aka desperate) golfers. The draw of the training aid is that it, theoretically, allows you to improve on your own. Unfortunately, it has been my experience that most of training aids don’t really help. For me, only the Orange Whip and Tour Striker have proved their usefulness.

Typically, an exceptionally poor round of golf sends me searching for a new training tool. Most recently, it was the flexible blue shaft of the Lagshot that caught my eye. The Lagshot reminded me of the Orange Whip which was instrumental for me to finally feel the correct sequencing and tempo with my driver. When I saw the Lagshot, my brain said, “hittable Orange Whip.”  I had to give it a try.

What is the Lagshot?

Essentially, the Lagshot is a 7-iron with a little more heft and a very flexible shaft. According to the Lagshot literature, it “promotes ideal tempo, sequencing throughout your golf swing and boosts lag so you can hit longer, more accurate golf shots.”

What golfer wouldn’t want all of that?

Testing the Lagshot: Going Solo

When the Lagshot arrived, I bypassed reading the instructions and started swinging it in the backyard as soon as I had it out of the box. It was a promising first pass as it did feel like the expected lovechild of a 7-iron and an Orange Whip.

Next, I took the Lagshot to the range. After my usual warm-up, I hit some balls with the Lagshot. Those first shots were not pure. Like “duck for cover” not pure. While it was easy to swing the Lagshot and feel some tempo and sequence feedback, hitting a ball was not automatic.

The first balls I hit with the Lagshot were erratic so I started hitting half shots to see if I could keep the ball inside the range. After a spell, I could do just that. Nothing amazing but I could control the club and hit balls roughly in the intended direction.

Soon I was taking full swings with the Lagshot. I did make sure to mix in my own 7-iron here and there to ensure that whatever I was grooving in with the Lagshot wasn’t making my normal club unhittable. Oddly, my 7-iron seemed to be producing some better-than-normal shots. No, I don’t have launch monitor data to show specific changes but the shots I was seeing on the range were atypically good.

I found that the most important aspect of the Lagshot was that gave me massive amounts of feedback. It felt like it almost forced me into better swing positions. This felt uncomfortable initially but that’s to be expected as my “comfortable” swing is flawed. The Lagshot helped me feel the club load and it couldn’t be rushed from the top. Feedback is critical for functionality. Since you don’t have an instructor watching, the only way to know if you are in the correct position is if the tool tells you. A tool that can do this well is a treasure. Check a box for the Lagshot.

Improved Impact

By the end of a few sessions with the Lagshot, I was hitting fairly frequent “soft” shots with my 7-iron. What is a “soft” shot? You know that feeling when the ball just feels squishy at impact and then goes forever? It’s the effortless power that comes from pure contact. You good players out there likely feel this all of the time. For a chop like me, finding that pure feeling at impact is like capturing a leprechaun while it’s riding a solid gold unicorn.

Even without following the instructions or doing any official drills, the Lagshot helped me hit better shots. Additionally, the Lagshot proved to be durable, holding up well versus mats and winter-hardened range balls.

Testing the Lagshot: With Some Instructions

Encouraged by my experiences, I read the directions. By “directions,” I mean the 10 Lagshot instructional videos provided with the included-in-price Scratch Golf Academy app access. The Scratch Golf Academy is run by Florida golf instructor Adam Bazelgette. I had not heard of Bazelgette or his academy but, since access was included with the Lagshot, I thought it worth checking out.

The videos focusing on the Lagshot are excellent tutorials. After watching them, range sessions with the Lagshot have been more productive and focused. I appreciate Bazelgette’s relaxed teaching style. The instructional videos are easy to follow and the demonstrated drills are easy to practice.

Overall Impressions of the Lagshot Swing Trainer

Although it has only been a few months, the Lagshot has helped my golf swing. My sequencing and tempo are better. Though I’m not yet seeing a jump in distances, I do feel like distance gains are destined to happen. Should improvements continue, I have no doubt the the Lagshot will see a great deal of use in the coming months, ideally years.

The Lagshot has a MSRP of $119 and is available in both left- and right-handed models. That price equates to the cost of a one-hour golf lesson in my area. Nothing will replicate time spent with a quality golf instructor. However, I’ve definitely had lessons with instructors that have had less of a lasting impact on my swing than the Lagshot. To me, trying the Lagshot seems less risky than trying a new golf teacher for an hour. Plus, the Lagshot also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. I’ve yet to have an instructor offer that.

Find out more about the Lagshot at Lagshotgolf.com.

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