The 'cheapest training aid in golf' will level up your ball striking

The best golf training aids are often rather complex devices. They've been thought out and over-engineered from day one, and often represent a hefty investment as a result.

Sometimes, it's best just to keep things simple.

This is the message Sky Sports broadcaster and former pro Inci Mehmet shared over the weekend, while canvassing the practice range at the DP World Tour Turkish Airlines Open. 

Stumbling upon big-hitting Spaniard Alejandro del Rey, she noticed him training with one of the simplest and most accessible fitness accessories available: a straightforward resistance band.

In the video, del Rey has the theraband crossed over around his back, with his two hands providing tension on the band as he swings. Obviously, you want a fairly light level of resistance here – enough to feel it without it impinging on your mobility.

The idea is to maintain this tension by keeping the arms together while creating instant width and extension in the backswing – a fundamental pillar of good ball striking with both the irons and the wedges.

"This might be the cheapest training aid in golf," says Mehmet in the video. "And for players like Alejandro it's delivered huge return for almost no cost. 

"For just four Euros, a simple theraband trains width and extension, two things elite ball strikers do consistently better than the rest."

"Create width early, maintain it, no collapsing, no narrowing, and you're welcome."

You can grab one for yourself to try out below.