I Tested The Real Divot Board Against A Cheap Amazon Version

The Divot Board has all the time been one in all my favourite golf coaching aids.

It’s good, easy and helpful. I’ve had one for about six years and have used it not just for my very own follow but in addition to assist different golfers perceive what is occurring at influence. It’s particularly good for indoor follow when you’ll be able to’t take actual divots or see turf interplay.

Because the Divot Board has develop into so fashionable, I’ve seen different merchandise pop up that declare to do the identical factor. Most are less expensive. So I broke down and purchased one of many inexpensive variations accessible on Amazon to see what the variations had been.

Like quite a lot of stuff you take a look at in golf, this one grew to become fairly clear: you get what you pay for.

What’s the Divot Board?

The Divot Board is a transportable coaching assist that exhibits you the place your membership is putting the bottom. It provides prompt visible suggestions on low level, swing path and whether or not you might be catching the bottom too early or too late.

You should use it indoors or open air with or with out a golf ball. The floor adjustments because the membership strikes by way of it. You’ll be able to see the trail and call level instantly after every swing.

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The usual Divot Board is at present on sale for $99.99. There’s additionally a Divot Board Mini for $59.99 which brings the worth a lot nearer to a few of the cheaper alternate options.

Alternative pads can be found for each fashions. The total-size substitute pad is $49.99 and the Mini substitute pad is $29.99. Divot Board says the pad lasts between 1,000 and three,000 swings relying on swing pace, power and the way typically you hit behind the ball. In my expertise, they final a very long time.

You may also purchase grip pads to assist hold the board from transferring when practising on clean surfaces.

What’s the cheaper model?

The cheaper model I examined was the Cosportic Golf Hitting Mat with Swing Path Suggestions. It sells on Amazon for $27.99 and comes with a rubber base, a replaceable velvet floor and an additional floor pad.

The concept is comparable. You swing throughout the mat and the floor exhibits your swing path. It claims that will help you see toe, middle or heel contact and provides you a method to follow indoors, within the storage, on the patio or within the yard.

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var slides = $( ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726 .mgs-gallery-images .mgs-gallery-image‘ ).size;
if ( slides 6 ) {
slides = 6;
}
$( ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726 .mgs-gallery-images‘ ).slick( {
slidesToShow: 1,
slidesToScroll: 1,
fade: true,
prevArrow: ‚‚,
nextArrow: ‚‚,
asNavFor: ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726 .mgs-gallery-thumbs‘,
swipe: false,
mobileFirst: true,
} );

$( ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726 .mgs-gallery-thumbs‘ ).slick( {
slidesToShow: ( slides – 1 ), //lower than variety of slides, so it all the time exhibits infinite scroll (bugfix)
slidesToScroll: 1,
arrows: false,
asNavFor: ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726 .mgs-gallery-images‘,
centerMode: true,
focusOnSelect: true,
infinite: true,
mobileFirst: true,
responsive: [
{
breakpoint: 1023,
settings: {
slidesToShow: 3,
},
}, {
breakpoint: 600,
settings: {
slidesToShow: 1,
},
},
],
} );
$( ‚#mgs_gallery_6a4740ca4e726‘ ).magnificPopup( {
delegate: ‚.mgs-gallery-trigger‘,
kind: ‚picture‘,
gallery: {
enabled: true,
arrowMarkup: “,
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The largest distinction I observed

The cheaper mat moved round an excessive amount of.

That was the primary situation and it was sufficient to make follow irritating. When you find yourself engaged on low-point management, you want the board or mat to remain put. If the mat slides, shifts or strikes after influence, the suggestions turns into much less helpful.

With the Divot Board, it’s a must to really strike it to get helpful suggestions. That makes it really feel nearer to the kind of interplay you are attempting to coach.

With the cheaper model, the suggestions was not as clear (most likely as a result of it was sliding) and the contact didn’t really feel as sensible. It confirmed some path info however it didn’t give me the identical degree of confidence in what I used to be seeing.

The Divot Board additionally does a greater job visually. One thing so simple as the colour variation on the board makes a distinction. You’ll be able to see the strike sample clearly and that visible sticks with you. Your complete level of a coaching assist like that is to create suggestions you’ll be able to bear in mind and use on the subsequent swing.

Is a budget model value it?

Usually, I can discover a use case for the cheaper model of a golf product.

Perhaps it’s adequate for a newbie or it is sensible if you’re undecided you’ll use the coaching assist typically. Perhaps it really works as a method to take a look at the idea earlier than spending more cash.

On this case, I actually can’t discover that use case.

I might both purchase the Divot Board or skip this class solely and work on low-point management utilizing grass. Put a tee within the floor, draw a line on the turf or take note of the place your divot begins. These are free methods to be taught the identical fundamental idea.

The Mini adjustments the worth dialog

The discharge of the Divot Board Mini makes this comparability much more attention-grabbing.

At $59.99, the Mini continues to be greater than the Amazon mat however it’s nearer. I’ve solely lately began utilizing the Mini and I prefer it simply as a lot as the unique.

It’s smaller, simpler to retailer and nonetheless provides the identical kind of unpolluted suggestions that makes the Divot Board helpful within the first place. For many golfers practising at dwelling, the Mini could also be all you want. It’s about the identical measurement because the Cosportic Golf Hitting mat.

If the full-size Divot Board looks like an excessive amount of cash, I’d look arduous on the Mini earlier than shopping for a less expensive knockoff.

Ultimate verdict

For me, this one is Divot Board or bust.

The actual Divot Board prices extra however it works higher, lasts a very long time and has substitute components accessible. It additionally provides cleaner suggestions and a greater strike really feel which is the entire purpose to purchase one of these coaching assist within the first place.

As with every golf coaching assist, it’s a must to be sensible. In the event you’re going to make use of it twice and throw it in a closet, don’t purchase one. However if you’d like one thing you should utilize at dwelling to work on contact, low level and swing path, the Divot Board is value it.

The publish I Examined The Actual Divot Board In opposition to A Low-cost Amazon Model appeared first on MyGolfSpy.

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