Golf Industry Online Equipment Reviews

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Vision Track – A Training Device that Works Brilliantly!

By: Dr. Barry Lotz

As one can imagine, as a director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association (PGTAA), we are usually inundated with scores of "the best new swing training devices" ever created. Suffice to say that we do investigate these game improvement devices, both on our own initiative and those swing aids sent to the PGTAA.

Furthermore, the single most sought after advice, whether to teach or to learn, is the golf swing – how do I improve/teach the golf swing? The only path to golfing excellence is through correct practice. Until now only the Touring Professionals could afford to have their swing consistently, correctly monitored by a teaching professional.

The number one illusion in golf involves swinging the club on a linear, or straight back and forth fashion. This illusion unfortunately is reinforced by well-intentioned alignment advice asking the golfer to visualize railroad tracks where the outer track is the target line and the inner track is the foot line. The golfer then attempts to swing the club on the target line, or outer track and likely never makes meaningful improvement and, usually reverts back to their old habits. The typical golfer usually resorts to their form of logical reasoning "If I want to hit a ball straight, why not swing straight?" This form of logical but incorrect line of thinking is probably why 80 to 90 percent of all golfers cut across the ball, usually resulting in a slice. The golf illusion of linear swing path results in loss of distance, loss of accuracy, and the loss of pure enjoyment from solid club contact with the ball. It really is amazing that one faulty illusion can cause so much trouble.

The reason: Unfortunately, attempting straight ball flight conflicts visually with swinging a clubhead on a curve or arc –which is the path of a correct golf swing. Body rotation exists in every full swing thereby creating a curved swing path. Due to this fact, the clubhead should naturally return to the target line at the right time just prior to impact. However, linear path swingers connect to the target line too early and their natural body rotation pulls the club head across the ball resulting most often in slices.

At the PGTAA, we have "discovered" an extremely useful and easy to use teaching device called the "Vision Track". Vision Track corrects the linear golf path illusion. Since the brain directs the body to swing the golf club, it demands visual information as to which direction to swing the clubhead. The Vision Track, with its innovative "eye positioning technique" provides the precise visual information as to where the clubhead must be swung on track prior to impact. The golf ball is then easily seen as an object simply positioned at a certain point on the curved swing path made clearly visible by Vision Track.

Vision Track is a patented teaching device, invented by Blair Douglass, endorsed totally by the PGTAA for its ease of use, proven results and acceptance by both PGTAA teachers and their students. Vision Track uses precise visual information, feel and sound to provide you with immediate correct feedback every swing. No more excessive swing thoughts or focusing on bits and pieces of the swing. The Vision track trains you how to control swing path, face angle and angle of attack. When you control these you control ball flight.

Other primary reasons we at the PGTAA wholeheartedly endorse Vision Track, is that a student can use this training aid, anytime, anywhere to perfect their swing. It fits in a golf bag, works for left-handers and all different sizes of golfers. It is very reasonably priced and comes with an excellent instructional video AND Blair Douglass is always available to answer questions. We thoroughly agree with Bruce Devlin when he says, "The best training device I have ever experienced"

Barry Lotz, J.D., Ph.D. is the director of the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America. He is also a member of the Golf Writers Association of America and the California Golf Writers Association. He is a contributing writer to numerous national magazines. He can be reached at www.pgtaa.com or drlotz@cbsgolf.com.