Did you know that there are 4 swing aids you can buy really cheap at your local hardware store?

1. Get a good sized hammer with a grip about the same size as your club grips. With this you can work on your swing indoors without hitting the ceiling. The weight of the hammer head will simulate the weight of a clubhead.

2. Get an ordinary yardstick to use as a putting aid. There are a number of things you can do with this. First, pick a target and get into your normal putting setup and have someone else place the yardstick flat on the ground flush against the face of your putter, then stand back and see if the yardstick is properly aimed at your target. Most people are consistently off to one side. Then step back and aim the yardstick at the target and line up your putter face flush against the edge of the yardstick, and you will be aiming properly (does it look right or wrong when you stand over the ball?). Then replace the yardstick with a ball and putt the ball at the target. Most people again are off consistently to one side, but it helps to understand your tendencies. Another thing you can do with the yardstick is to view your stroke directly over the yardstick to see how steady your stroke is compared to the target line.

3. Get piece of PVC pipe, diameter 3 / 4 inch, 18 inches long. On any smooth rug (or actual putting green), try to putt the pipe in a straight line. If your putting stroke is faulty, the pipe will spin. The direction of the spin tells you if your stroke tends to push or pull the putt.

4. Get a foot-long piece of soft pipe insulation tubing that has a slit on the side. Wrap this around your putter grip and have a contest to see if you putt better with a thicker grip. The theory is that any unwanted hand rotation during the stroke will translate into the face of the putter moving off square. The amount of this movement off square is reduced with a fatter grip due to the ratio of hand movement to the circumference of the grip. This may also improve your chipping as well because it reduces unwanted wrist action on the downstroke. (see www.geocities.com/golfwithjoey)