As if this Ryder Cup couldn't get any bigger: Viktor Hovland—golf swing nerd king hailing from Norway—unleashed not one, but two training aids on the grounds at Bethpage Black.
Let's break them down real quick, why he's using them, and whether you could use them, too.
Training Aid #1: G-Box
On both Monday and Tuesday, Hovland was spotted using a training aid called a G-Box. Invented by Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher George Gankas, the G-Box works like a kind of belt. You wear it around your torso, and velcro a foam box to one (or both) of your sides.
Why is Viktor using it?
Earlier this season, Viktor pinpointed the problem he was struggling with in his golf swing: His arms tended to get too deep around his body halfway through the backswing, right here...
As he transitioned from backswing to downswing, his arms remained too far behind his body, which would tend to track the club steep (here's a fix for that, by the way).
To compensate, Hovland would have to stop turning, tilt back and flip his hands. Timing became an issue.
That's why you see Hovland rehearsing keeping his arms in front of his body on his practice swing, which helps the club shallow out and encourages him to keep turning later in his swing. That's what this training aid helps with: The box literally forces your arms in front of your body.
Should you use it?
If your problem is coming over the top and hitting slices, this training aid will only make that problem worse. You literally need the opposite.
The G-Box is a great training aid for solving the opposite problem: If your arms get stuck behind your body, and you struggle with blocks or high hooks, the G-Box really helps.
Training Aid #2: Stick in Grip
On Tuesday, I also spotted Hovland warming up by hitting wedge shots with a small alignment rod poking out the end of his grip. It's a variation of the rib cracker drill, and Scottie Scheffler has used this exact drill, too.
Why is Viktor using it?
The G-Box is there to force his arms in front of his body; the stick is more of an anti-flip drill. You're (obviously) trying to make sure the stick doesn't poke you. The only way you can do that is if you keep your hips back, keep your hands ahead of the ball, and keep your body turning. Again, that's exactly one part of what Viktor is trying to do.
Should you use it?
Well, first off, you should definitely not do this with a driver—that's why Hovland's doing it with a wedge. Both because it's too difficult, and because you probably don't want your hands that far ahead of your driver anyway.
It's a great drill to use for chipping and short little wedge shots for exactly that reason.
Richard Heathcote
