The Patented Tour Striker Smart Ball

Absolutely great training tool

This is a training aid for golfers. Just using it a few times a week teachs excellent arm positioning and movement. I tried other methods including just placing a soccer ball between my arms but this does a much better and easier job. I wish I got it years ago.

Only issue I had was placement of the shipping sticker, it blocked information needed from the company.

My original Tour Striker ball broke when I pulled too hard on the lanyard trying to get the device free of an obstruction. I didn't even think about getting a new one since I think it is one of the most effective golf training devices ever made. I ordered that same day. I had had the prior one for something like 10 years.

It's a piece of junk. It's a small beachball with felt around it with a string that hangs from your neck. You have to blow up the ball with your mouth. $5 worth of material for $50.

Had difficulties positioning ball between my arms. And, once positioned, it would easily slide off arms.

I'll start with this: there really is no one size fits all training aid. Unless the training aid addresses a swing flaw specific to your golf swing, you are unlikely to see any material difference from using any given swing aid. I say that as someone who has wasted more money on training aids than I'd care to think about.With that said, this item made a tremendous difference for me. If you struggle with understanding the concept of getting width in the backswing, if you pull your right elbow behind you and get "stuck" which leads to flipping and chicken winging, this device may help you. I'm extremely pleased that I purchased it; it's helpful for engraining some of the right swing feels and provides immediate feedback if you do them incorrectly.Lastly, I'd recommend watching Russell Heritage's YouTube video on how to use this to get the most out of it.

Does it work? Yes, the training concept is great and provided noticeable improvement for me from the beginning.What’s wrong with it? Cheaply constructed and not durable, particularly at this steep price point. I find it difficult to believe that the item is patented as claimed in the product description since the item is essentially an inflatable ball attached to a lanyard.What alternatives are there? Build your own using a lanyard, small inflatable ball and moving tape, all of which can be had inexpensively on Amazon. Or, buy one of the many cheaper alternatives available on Amazon, which appear to be roughly the same quality at a fraction of the price.