Sticks n Stuff: Bottom of the Bag

by Hack Alexander

Get a clue on your alignment and path with the Swing Detective.

We all know the cliché: When one door closes, another opens. Same for golf: When one high season ends, another kicks into gear. And speaking of gear, autumn is no time to let the desire to gain a couple of yards off the tee or fix that nagging swing flaw go dormant.

Heck, to Hack’s mind, you’re just getting started and your best scores of the year are yet to come. To stoke that fall fire, following are three simple products that will keep you reaching for the sticks even as winter bears down — or heat up that short-day game if you’re lucky enough to live in or visit the West’s great desert destinations.

Stay Put Golf Tee $6 | www.stayputgolftee.com

The Hack admits he was skeptical about this little product out of Southern California. After all, how many ways can you improve the lowly golf tee? We’ve reviewed lots of them over the years, from the Brush-T to three-pronged plastic pegs. All work just fine. But this one is (surprisingly) different: A two-piece, colorful plastic tee that serves two purposes — to reduce friction at impact and remain reusable for many rounds. It takes a bit of dexterity to balance the tee’s top part (on which the ball rests) on the bottom part, especially if you’re swinging an oversized driver and want to tee it up as tall as possible. In fact, we urge developer and company president Michael Newton to develop a longer version for the 460s of the world. Still, his idea is sound; the tee’s two parts are connected by a small cord that gives way at impact, which eliminates resistance and, as far as Hack’s tests could tell, tack on a few yards. Each package includes Stay Put’s clear color tee for drivers exclusively and a white model for irons and fairway metals.

Swing Detective $60 | www.sklz.com

It’s said that 90 percent of golfers swing out-to-in, leading to an epic slice. Through personal experience, the Hack has no quarrel with that figure. Still, it’s impossible for the naked eye to get a bead on swing path or face angle at impact. No problem for this handy gadget, however. After attaching Swing Detective to the hosel of any club you choose and using the attached alignment mat to property line it up with the club’s face, simply take a few swings to engage its two bright LEDs. Pay close attention through the hitting zone and the mat’s “ball” and alignment line; if the red light’s path is outside that of the green line, your clubface is open and swing path is out-to-in, and vice-versa. If the light lines overlap, the clubface is square and you can expect to find more fairways and greens. Once you’ve figured out what needs work, the included DVD offers a slew of helpful drills. There’s also a handy carrying case, but we advise attaching Swing Detective to one club — an extra 7-iron, maybe — and having that club close at hand whenever you need a little practice. And you don’t need a real ball, just the mat, so you can use it indoors.

Champ Stinger Soft Spikes $13 | www.champspikes.com

Champ spikes aren’t just found on golf shoes, of course. Over the company’s 75-year history, Champ has helped athletes of every stripe stay in firm contact with terra firma. These Stingers — a new version of the popular Scorpion — certainly do the job for golfers without the clogging, breaking or quick wear of other soft spikes. That’s important in fall as leaves and soft turf can stick to soles pretty easily. When it’s time to switch the Stingers out, their “visible wear indicators” let you know. And the Q-Lok system is unique to the industry, standard on certain Nike, Etonic, Dexter and Hi-TEC shoes. Screw-in types are available. The Stinger’s popular on Tour. Hack can see why. Champ’s no chump.