Short Game
How to Choose Golf Training Aids That Actually Get Used
A Framework for Buying Practice Equipment That Works
April 10, 2026 · 8 min read · Stephen Pickering
A Framework for Buying Practice Equipment That Works
April 10, 2026 · 8 min read · Stephen Pickering
Key takeaway: Most golf training aids gather dust because they don’t match the golfer’s actual skill gap or practice environment. Before buying anything, track your stats for 5 rounds to identify where you’re losing shots — for most amateurs, that’s the short game, not the swing.
The average golfer has spent money on at least one training aid they no longer use. A putting mirror in the back of the wardrobe. A swing trainer gathering dust in the garage. An alignment kit still in its packaging.
Golf training aids work — but only when they match the skill you’re actually trying to build, fit the space you have to practise, and give you measurable feedback. Before you buy anything, you need a framework. Here’s one that works.
The number one mistake golfers make when buying training aids is buying for a shot they think is their weakness — not the one that’s actually costing them strokes.
Track 5 rounds before you spend anything. Record: - Fairways hit - Greens in regulation - Up-and-down percentage - Putts per round (and three putts specifically) - Proximity from 30, 50, and 100 yards
When you have that data, the answer becomes obvious. Most golfers find their short game is the biggest leak — not their driver. Around 60% of all shots in a round happen within 100 yards of the hole. That’s where the training aid money should go.
The driving range is where most golfers spend their time. It’s also where most training aids are targeted — swing trainers, impact bags, weighted clubs, shaft alignment tools. These have genuine value for golfers with significant mechanical issues.
But if you’re a 12–18 handicap losing shots to three putts and poor chipping, a swing trainer won’t fix your scores. Be honest about which part of your game is actually costing you shots before you decide where to invest.
If you have outdoor space, you can practise chipping and pitching year-round. The most useful aids for outdoor use:
Chipping net: A decent net gives you a defined target and stops you losing balls. Choose one with multiple target zones — a single pocket gives you no feedback on how close you are.
Alignment sticks: The most versatile and underrated aid in golf. Use them for setup alignment, ball position, swing path, and target lines. Two sticks plus some creativity gives you a dozen different drills.
Putting mat (for garden putting): A flat mat on a firm surface works well for stroke mechanics and alignment. On grass you get more realistic feedback on pace.
Short game practice transfers well indoors. Putting mechanics — stroke path, face angle, alignment — can all be trained on a mat. Indoor putting practice is genuinely useful if you do it with specific targets and scoring, not just rolling balls.
Putting mat: Look for one that’s at least 8 feet long. Shorter mats only let you practise from 3–4 feet — too short for meaningful distance control work.
Putting mirror: Shows you eye position, alignment, and shoulder tilt at address. Useful for diagnosing setup problems, less useful for building putting skills.
Alignment sticks: Work indoors too. Use them for stance width, ball position, and shoulder alignment.
If you have regular access to a practice green and short game area, the physical aids matter less. What you need instead is a system — a way to structure your sessions so you’re not just hitting balls aimlessly.
A scoring and tracking app at a practice facility gives you what physical aids can’t: benchmarks for how good your shots actually are, a record of improvement over time, and pressure through consequence-based drills.
Need a system for your short game practice sessions?
Practice Assistant →The best training aids don’t let you lie to yourself. A gate drill tells you immediately if you missed the gate. An alignment stick shows you exactly where the club face is pointing.
Aids that rely on “feel“ feedback — where you decide whether it felt right — are far less effective. Look for aids where the result is binary: you either hit the target, opened the gate, made the green, or you didn’t.
A training aid that doesn’t let you track progress is just a prop. You want to know: am I 15% more accurate with my chipping net than I was last month? Am I making the 10-in-a-row short putt drill faster than before?
Physical aids generally can’t measure this. You have to add scoring yourself — count how many out of 10 land within your target zone, record your best streak, time yourself through a sequence. Scoring structures turn physical aids into actual training tools.
An indoor putting mirror is useless if you only ever practise on the putting green. A full net and mat setup is useless if you live in a flat with no outdoor space.
Before you buy: picture your most common practice scenario. Where are you? How long do you have? What’s already there? The aid has to fit that picture to get used.
Buying a swing path trainer when your short game is your weakness is like buying running shoes when you’re trying to build upper body strength. The aid might be excellent — but it’s not solving your problem.
Only buy an aid for a skill that’s actively on your practice agenda. If you’re not working on swing path right now, the swing trainer will sit unused until you are.
Not sure what to work on first? Track your rounds for a few weeks.
Round Stats →Alignment sticks (£10–£15): Non-negotiable. Use them for every type of shot. They travel in the bag.
Chipping net with multiple targets (£20–£40): Gives you a target in the garden or on the practice green. Pick one with at least two target zones.
Putting mat, 8ft+ (£20–£40): For indoor stroke mechanics work. The longer the better for distance control practice.
This combination covers chipping, pitching, putting alignment, and setup — the foundations of the short game — for less than a single golf lesson.
PuttOut pressure trainer (£30–£50): A small putting target that only accepts putts with the right pace. Too hard and the ball bounces back. Too soft and it misses. Good immediate feedback on pace.
Tour Striker PlaneMate (£80–£120): For golfers with significant swing path issues. Highly specific — only buy if swing path is your documented problem.
Wellputt mat (£80–£130): A quality putting mat with printed alignment lines at 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 feet. Better feedback than most basic mats.
Single-purpose gadgets: Anything that solves one hyper-specific problem (wrist hinge angle, face angle at impact) is only useful if that exact thing is your documented issue. If it’s not, it will sit on the shelf.
Anything you can’t quantify: If you can’t measure your performance with it — if it just “feels right“ or “doesn’t feel right“ — it won’t produce reliable improvement.
Duplication: A putting mirror, alignment sticks, and three different putting guides all address the same alignment problem. Pick one.
Scoring Zone’s chipping and putting drills give you the scoring structure that physical aids on their own can’t provide — turning your net and mat sessions into proper benchmarked practice.
See what scored short game practice looks like in practice.
Chipping Drills →The aids worth buying are the ones that target your specific skill gap and fit your practice environment. For most amateurs, a putting mat with alignment guides, a chipping net, and a structured practice app cover the two areas where they lose the most shots. Swing aids have their place but are less universally useful.
The ones that work share a common feature: they give you immediate feedback on whether you did the thing correctly. Alignment sticks show you your setup. A gate drill tells you immediately if you missed the gate. A training aid that just makes you feel like you’re doing it right — without concrete feedback — is the kind that ends up in the garage.
Alignment sticks are the best starting point for beginners — cheap, versatile, and applicable to almost every shot. After that, a putting mat for home practice and a chipping net for the garden. These three cover the fundamentals without spending much money.
Yes — and for short game practice specifically, a structured practice app is one of the highest-value training aids available. It provides scored drills, benchmarks, progress tracking, and pressure simulation without requiring any additional equipment. Unlike most physical aids, it works anywhere — garden, practice green, or indoor mat.
Stephen Pickering
3-handicap golfer with 25 years on the course. Built Scoring Zone to bring structure and pressure to short game practice. Writes about what actually works from the practice green, not the press box.
Scored drills, benchmarks, and progress tracking — the structure that makes your practice aids actually work. Free during early access.
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