If there’s any single swing flaw that will almost always prevent good contact and solid ball striking, a poor swing path has to be right up near the top of that list. You hear it all the time from struggling golfers. They know it’s happening, but they just don’t know how to stop it. Whether it’s an outside-in path that has you swiping across the ball or something else robbing you of precious distance, an improper swing path can be the root of some very bad things in your golf game.
THP was recently sent a training aid from Bob Krause Golf called The Slot Machine that could very well be the answer to your swing path woes. The Slot Machine is designed to get you swinging on a proper swing path or “in the slot” as it is most often referred to by teaching professionals. The Slot Machine could not have arrived at a better time for me, as I was about to start on some off season improvements to my golf swing. I don’t have the luxury of playing year round, but I do have several options available to me to practice my game, which is exactly what I set out to do with The Slot Machine.
From the Company
A practical effective golf swing training aid which reinforces through mind and muscle memory a great golf swing.
It is printed on both sides – the training side teaches you an exceptional golf swing and trains your body and mind to consistently drop your club into the elusive ‘slot’ that until now has been reserved for professional players, the practicing side gives you professional ball positions and alignment.
The Training Side
- promotes slow and full ‘take back’ which provides width to golf swing promoting ball control and distance.
- promotes a slower smoother and consistent tempo
- promotes increased wrist lag resulting in crisp contact and longer/straighter shots
- makes it simple and instinctive to drop club in to ‘the slot’
- keeps your head still and over the ball resulting in correct body ‘release’.
- forces the proper release and a longer extension resulting in a better finish and transfer of power to the ball.
- overall promotes longer and straighter ball flight – effortless power resulting in more distance.
The Practice Side
- gives you the same instructions professionals receive to position the ball in relation to your left foot for driver, woods, irons and wedges.
- alignment guides ensure correct set up and promote more accurate ball path to target.
Testing the Slot Machine
Testing The Slot Machine is definitely going to be an ongoing process, but so far testing has consisted of driving range sessions at a local indoor golf dome as well as some time in an indoor golf simulator. The first thing I’ll mention is the ease of transporting the Slot Machine, which makes it a very handy and easy to use option. It easily fits into my golf bag, so it’s always with me when I go practice. Setup takes a matter of seconds and you are ready to roll.
The Slot Machine will not immediately fix your golf swing after one use. In fact, it’s definitely a device that will require repeated use in order to ingrain the designed swing path into muscle memory. It is a bit awkward at first, as most every swing change winds up being early on. With the Slot Machine laid out you address a dot on the board, swing along a path down the line of the face of the Slot Machine, and then from there you actually turn your focus to your own ball and make contact from there. This resulted in some pretty funny looking shots at first. In fact, I even got a look from a couple other folks sharing the range with me that were wondering who was sending hosel rockets sideways along the range.
It doesn’t take long to get the idea of the feeling and the swing that inventor and teaching professional Bob Krause wants to accomplish with the Slot Machine. It is recommended to use the Slot Machine each time you practice. Eventually this movement will become ingrained into your mental and muscle memory. The way I have used the Slot Machine so far is that I’ll start my driving range session using it, then after 15 minutes or so I will slide it away and hit balls trying to keep that same process and swing feeling without the visual aid.
One more aspect of The Slot Machine is something that I also find quite valuable – the flip side. You can flip it over and connect the two pieces to make one longer board with markings to provide visual aid of proper ball positions at setup. I find this to be very helpful since I had been letting the golf ball to creep a little too far forward in my stance in my iron shots. The reverse side of The Slot Machine points out proper ball positioning very well. I also find that when it is connected together the long way it also makes a great alignment aid. This was another good feature of this versatile training aid.
Closing thoughts
In order for me to actually want to use a training aid it has to be effective, easy to use, and easy to carry with me. The Slot Machine seems to do all 3 of those things very well. I definitely feel the improvements early in my testing. I believe that as I continue to use this it will improve my ball striking. I plan to continue using it the remainder of my off season practice sessions as I hope to start 2013 off fast. The great thing about it is that it packs away and stores without taking up any space at all, so it’ll always be with me in the trunk of my car or in the pocket of my golf bag.
The Slot Machine is available on the website www.bobkrausepureimpactgolf.com for a price of $58 shipped. At first I thought that price seemed a little steep, but that feeling went away as I used the Slot Machine more and more. The thing that I like most about it is that it serves more than just the single purpose. Once you feel like you’re getting your swing in the slot you can continue to get use out of the ball position guide on the flip side. Not to mention the option of the alignment aid benefits I have found. It’s likely that you won’t run out of ways to use the Slot Machine. This is not a quick fix promise to guarantee lower scores after one use, but more of a device that will get you swinging better and hitting the golf ball more solidly over time.
