It’s been more than a month since the PGA Merchandise Show ended, and I still have a number of good companies and products to write about. One of them that lives up to my key requirement for training aids—simple is better!—is the Drain-O Instant Pro Putting Fix.
In many ways, Drain-O is one of those items that you look at, slap your head, and say something like, “Why didn’t I think of that?” But while it’s true that others have had a similar idea, Drain-O takes the concept a few smart steps further.
Drain-O is hardly the first putting aid that works by resting your putter along a fixed arc and then making a stroke. But what makes Drain-O better is that it doesn’t force all golfers to mimic the same arc, allowing for personalization based on factors such as a golfer’s size, shape, and feel.
The Drain-O arc is a curved metal rod that easily can be manipulated to replicate a straight, inside-in, or outside-out putting stroke. Once you know which stroke works best for you (and a little time with Drain-O will help determine that), you can groove that stroke quickly and easily by orienting the rod the right way.
Once your arc is determined, a guide attaches to the putter shaft. For some drills, the guide slips over the rod and the goal is to keep it on track; on others, the guide rests on either side of the rod, which makes it incredibly easy to see if the putter is rotating too much or not enough, or moving either too close to or far from the proper line: Any wrong move and the guide hits the rod.
Much easier than trying to imagine how it works, check out the Drain-O website where there are videos of it in use. When I was at the PGA Show, it took me about three strokes to grasp the concept and see for myself how it works, while diagnosing my myriad putting flaws. The website also includes numerous testimonials, some from top instructors, that note how Drain-O identified and helped cure putting flaws in minutes, if not seconds.
If you need help fixing a bad stroke or grooving a good one (and want something light and simple enough to fit in your golf bag), check out Drain-O. It really seems to work.
