HoleOut is a brand that brings both training aids and products to make the life of golfers near and far.Before continuing, I must add that while I was attending their booth last January I learned that Golf Channel selected not one but three of their "Absurdly Functional" products as "Favourite Thing of the Day" awards. In the case of the AntiSway Pro I found myself doubly intrigued. The AntiSway Pro has one goal in mind. Make you a better golfer. As a matter of fact, literature on the HoleOut Golf website (holeout.com) states that this product is perfect for every golfer who isn't #1 in the world. A pretty lofty statement but a statement that is very confident which is something that I admire and after talking to Mark and Dave of HoleOut you understand why they are so confident in their product(s).
The AntiSway Pro is designed to help golfers eliminate a "sway" (or lateral shift) while performing the backswing. The sway is an affliction in the golf swing that causes so many problems that I care not to really discuss them. But for the purposes of giving a full understanding of what the AntiSway Pro is truly intended for...I will. Through the five years of my swing reconstruction under the watchful eye of my coach I fought a sway. This was something he noticed the first time he watched me in the dome February 2011. As I progressed with my changes I had one "Achilles Heel" that would creep in... the sway (okay pulling the hands inside was one too). The primary root cause of a sway is that you have had a poor turn in the first place. You definitely have become disconnected and pulled the hands inside (refer to my above statement and the correlation is there) So now instead of getting back nicely and in synch you have picked up speed in the backswing. Now your weight is no longer kept on the inside of the trail foot and your weight has shifted to the out-step of your trailing foot. Now your trail knee has lost all stability and the fault is set. But we haven't even started the downswing yet. Our body (see brain) realizes that something is out and then the compensatory moves start. You try to get back into the hitting area and now you're on the down range side of the ball.You're shot is nearly finished now but you haven't even had the effect of the sway occur yet. You're either really fat, thin or you have sliced the ball. Worst case scenario.. two of three of those effects have happened and you're really on your way to frustration... and a big score. of course, the sway has also caused a lack of power and distance. As you can clearly see... there is no good that can come of this. So how does the AntiSway Pro fix this.
Well, for $59.95 USD you receive an implement that is constructed from a high impact plastic (or polymer) and it consists of two "posts", a lanyard (strap) and a couple of bolts that easily screw in and holds the components together. Upon completion of putting the AntiSway Pro together you simply attach it to your trail foot and wrap the lanyard around your ankle. The purpose of the two posts is that when you sway the back post simply makes contact with your lower leg. While the back post lets you know if you've straightened your trail knee (also the cause of a fat shot). All in all it gives the golfer very quick and effective feedback. The AntiSway Pro travels very well and fits easily into any golf bag (well maybe not a "Sunday Bag") and is very light.
Earlier in the testing phase of the AntiSway Pro my use was somewhat limited as I was not able to play too much. But regardless of that I would strap on the AntiSway Pro and work on my pivot. This is also the beautiful part of this "absurdly functional product" you don't even to make a swing to work on killing that sway. Improvement without hitting a ball you ask? Absolutely. HoleOut recommends using AntiSway Pro for five minutes a day for the purposes of reinforcing muscle memory. While you can definitely practice a proper one-piece takeaway with a club in hand I simply recommend to "dumb it down" just a little more. Place your arms across your chest like you're trying to hug yourself and pivot. Getting that lead shoulder down. Oops.. you felt the post? Well your swing got too much horizontal (false turn). Repeat the pivot and then an epiphany happens. No contact with the post!! Congratulations! You had a proper turn and you maintained your solid foundation that you had at address. Now you are on your way to striking that is both more solid and consistent.
Getting back to my coach and my sway struggles. On more than one occasion he referred to a device that he had that was intended for the same purpose. He simply called it "The Boot". I dreaded talk of "The Boot" being used on me and I actually feared it. Then I saw him use it on another student of his. It resembled a torture device from the medieval era more than something to help out the golfer. It looked like a walking cast that had a strap and then there was the metal spike in the bottom. In a word... cumbersome. The AntiSway Pro is definitely not cumbersome and as a matter of fact you can walk around with it on. I watched the chap at their booth in January walk around while wearing it. This is where I have my only negative feedback about the device. In my experiences walking around with the AntiSway Pro on the deviceconstantly rode up my shin sometimes twisting around said shin in the process. I'm hoping that it was me having a "mimbo moment" but I could not satisfactorily tighten the device. My solution if in the event that I was in fact not a mimbo is for HoleOut to include a velcro enclosure just to ensure a snug fit. Otherwise, I fail to have one beef against the device.
I recently found out about a match at the course that we have against another course from the United States. To be more precise, I found out that it was customary for the two Professionals to play against one another. Seeing that I haven't really played or practiced a lot I figured that I better get at it... it's on October 1st. So over thelast two days i had some serious and focused practice sessions on the range. During my 3 hour session yesterday I wore the AntiSway Pro just to reinforce everything going on in my takeaway. I was pleased and relieved to know that I had no sway. Ultimately, I was striking the ball very well and there is no doubt that the quick positive reinforcement and instantaneous feedback built my confidence. That carried over to today's session in a torrential downpour that was literally falling sideways. It was some kind of nasty. As I continue to prep for the event the AntiSway Pro will be integral and this device is even better when coupled with an Orange Whip Trainer. The AntiSway Pro has also been very effective when teaching my students.
If you happen to be like the vast majority of amateur golfers and struggle with a sway. Definitely give the HoleOut AntiSway Pro a serious look and serious consideration.
Until The Next Tee!
