As the saying goes, “Drive for show, putt for dough!” Learning to putt well is the best way to lower your score, lower scores mean more fun on the course and if you and your playing partners like to wager then lower scores mean more ‘dough’ in your pocket. So, let’s get onto the review of the SKLZ Putt Pocket Putting Accuracy Trainer.
My Struggles:
As with most mid to high handicap golfers, I struggled with the flat stick. After hitting some decent drives and some ‘ok’ approach shots, I would invariably ruin a possible birdie or par with the dreaded three putt or worse four putt.
Like most golfers, I really enjoyed going to the range and hitting drive after drive and iron shot after iron shot, hoping to find the ‘secret’ to lowering my score on my next round. I never thought that practicing my putting would make that much of a difference, until I started reading magazine articles and books on the golf swing (and I have read a lot about the golf swing.)
I started to realize that I needed to improve my putting to help lower my scores. My first thought was that I was using the wrong type of putter, so I tried several different styles. They seemed to help for a few holes, but then ‘Mr. Three Putt” would start to show up again. So, back to the reading I would go to try and find that ‘secret’ to putting. Well, I found it, sort of, the secret is focused practice and that is where the SKLZ Putt Pocket comes into play.
What is it?
The SKLZ Putt Pocket is an accuracy trainer, designed to give you a smaller target to aim at than a regulation size hole. As you can see from the picture, the horseshoe shaped product gives you a target of 2.75 inches. Compare that to a regulation size hole of 4 inches, you can see that when using this product your focus is narrower, which will cause the four-inch hole to look a lot larger.
What you get with the SKLZ Putt Pocket
The SKLZ Putt Pocket is a two-piece design allowing you to use it on a practice putting green, a putting matt or just on your carpet. The gray color is not distracting for you or other golfers, if you’re on a practice green. The top piece is designed with a lower lip to fit on top of a regulation size hole so that it doesn’t move if you hit the ball too hard. The bottom piece is designed to snuggly fit against the top piece so that the Putt Pocket can be used on your carpet.
The Pros and Cons:
The SKLZ Putt Pocket is designed to be portable and functional. You could easily throw it into one of the pockets of your golf bag and have it ready for a pre round warm up. Its size makes it nice for off season practice at home, because it can sit easily on a shelf until needed. The small opening makes focused practice easier. Placing the opening on the uphill side of the hole will teach you to hit to the high side of the hole, giving you more of a chance at making more putts.
On the downside when practicing, if you hit your putt too hard, you don’t get the lip out that would happen on the course and some people have had their harder putts turn the ‘cup on their carpet.
The Key Features:
- Two-piece plastic covered metal horseshoe shaped pocket
- 2.75-inch opening
- Less than one pound
- in-door or out-door use
Ratings:
| Rating | Reason for Rating | |
| Ease-of-use | Birdie | I find this product to be very easy to use and I have seen an improvement in my putting. |
| Design | Bogey | Although I have seen improvement in my putting, I do see where others may not understand the concept of the design. |
| Quality of Product | Par | The product for me does what I got it for, and I feel that it meets my needs for it. |
| Value for the Money | Par | The price is reasonable for this type of training aid. |
My Personal Recommendation:
When it comes to the SKLZ Putt Pocket Accuracy Trainer, I would recommend this product to any golfer trying to improve their putting with the understanding that it does have its limitations. It has been helpful for my putting, but I do not expect miracles from just relying on one product.