It’s no secret that mastering the game of golf is a long, difficult process. It’s far from uncommon, even for people who started playing as children, to spend thousands of dollars on lessons over a career.

There’s no substitute for natural talent and a ton of time spent on the fairway, of course. If there were, anybody could be a pro and the game would no longer be much fun. That having been said, there’s no reason to do things the hard way if an easier alternative exists, and for putting, this alternative is the IXIA Pendulum device.

At least in theory, if you achieve consistency in your technique, accuracy will follow. In other words, even if you make the same “error” in the same way every time, you can compensate for this and end up missing fewer shots. This principle is exactly why we practice to develop muscle memory, such as getting acclimatized to using a pendulum-style putting stroke. This motion, unfortunately, runs counter to how our bodies want to move naturally: twisting the wrists, rotating from the waist, and other instinctive actions that end up throwing the putting iron’s face out of alignment.

In terms of design, this product is simply two extendable rods that clamp to your putter’s shaft a few inches from the head. You grip the other end of each shaft between your forearms and ribcage – now your elbows and wrists are effectively immobilized (or at least you’ll know if you move them subconsciously). In this way, you can practice swinging from the shoulders instead of using your arms.

This might seem like a silly way to train; you certainly won’t be allowed to use this contraption in any kind of competition. Yet several top coaches and schools swear by it. The reason is simple: once your body gets used to the proper motion, replicating it becomes that much easier and more familiar.

The manufacturer claims that only 5 minutes of practice a day will have noticeable results. Seeing is believing, but they do also offer a full refund if you’re not satisfied with the progress you make. The price is indeed a little high, but it does seem to work and the included instructional videos almost make it worth it on their own.