Golf-X-Cube review

Walking around in an open field, scouring the bushes and woods with a club in your hand and then beating the stuffing out of a little white ball when you find it, that is the definition of golf. Oh wait maybe that is the definition of how I play golf. But whether you’re a scratch golfer or a high handicapper, one key to playing good golf is consistency. Now to be truthful, when I look at what is involved in hitting a golf ball with a club, I sometimes find it amazing that I can hit the ball, let alone hit one straight. One of the key elements to a good golf game is your upper body rotation, the turning of your hips and shoulders in the correct manner to hit a consistent and good golf shot. The Golf-X-Cube is a training tool to help promote proper upper body rotation.  How does it work for me?

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So what exactly is the Golf-X-Cube and how does it work? The Golf-X-Cube is a 2 9/16″ W x 2 9/16″ L x 2 9/16″ T polyamide glassball-reinforced X-shaped golf training aid with a dark green top and neon green/yellow sides. The reasoning for the color and the shape of the Golf-X-Cube will be revealed a little later.

The Golf-X-Cube comes with a user manual and an instructional DVD. The user manual and DVD include instructions in many different languages. The user manual only has about two pages of instructions, while the DVD goes into more detailed use on how to use the Golf-X-Cube.

The first thing I will say about the instructions and use of this device is that the developers of the Golf-X-Cube seem to understand that this device will not replace the need for a good golf instructor; instead they have come up with a device that is intended to help you develop good habits before, during, and after your session with the instructor. And that being said, you will only get out of a device what you put into it, meaning you need to use it often to develop good fundamentals.

After reading the instructions and watching the DVD, it was time for me to take this baby for a spin at my local golf driving range. Setup is as simple as placing the Golf-X-Cube on the ground, lining yourself up so you only see the dark green top of it, and taking some swings. A nice feature of this device is that there is a hole in the bottom of it so you can anchor it in place if you are worried about hitting it or it moving. By now I figure you are asking yourselves what exactly does the Golf-X-Cube do and how does it help my golf game? The best quote I can get from the websites is “The GOLF-X-CUBE™ helps to promote upper body rotation ensuring a stable shoulder turn, you can see immediately any misalignment and this produces a more stable stance.” In basic simple terms it is a swing trainer. The website also states that you can prevent back problems when playing golf by using the Golf-X-Cube. Now there are several different types of swing trainers on the market today, all with their unique approach to how they achieve results, but I must say I do like the concept of this device. The fact that you can see if you are having an issue in the process of making your swing not just after you make the swing is a way to correct the issue before you swing. Like I have said in other golf training products, one key to a good golf game is a consistent swing.

Now for the area of this product that could use some help. While the written manual (both online and the included one) is pretty good and thorough, the video for the product to me is rather poor in quality and content. The video looks like it was homemade and poorly edited. To me it was hard to see what the errors were in the improper swings even though the video stated what the error was. I have been playing golf for a number of years, and if I had issues with this, think of how hard it would be for a beginning golfer to understand.

Did the Golf-X-Cube improve my game? That is a little harder to answer. While the visual cues I received during my practice using the Golf-X-Cube did help me see when I was making incorrect swings, I don’t know that it made that much of a difference for me. That could be because of the short amount of time I have had to evaluate the Golf-X-Cube or the fact that I have a 30-year+ ingrained swing. Don’t get me wrong here – I am sure with more time and practice I can improve my swing with this tool.

So what’s my verdict on the Golf-X-Cube? As the makers of this product say, nothing will replace lessons from a golf pro, but as a training aid to augment your lessons it is a pretty good product. The only real issue I have with the Golf-X-Cube is the video instructions; they could really use better instructions and illustrations in the video. At a price of $33.95, I can think of worse ways to spend your dollars for golf trainers.