Written by Michael VanDerLaan
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The Lag Shot and the Orange Whip are two golf swing trainers that have become increasingly popular lately. They are similar training aids with the same general concept - create a smooth, rhythmic swing with lots of lag. So that begs the question: in the matchup of Lag Shot vs Orange Whip, who wins out?
The experts at Golf Gear Advisor have in depth experience with both swing trainers, and we have developed an understanding of how each one can help your game. Having gone through this testing, we will now discuss the merits of each trainer, and help you determine once and for all, which one is better for you.
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Lag Shot Overview
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The Lag Shot is a swing trainer with a super flexible shaft. It comes in 7 iron and driver variations, and the intent is to hit golf balls with it for immediate feedback.
The team at Lag Shot maintains a “12 swing claim”. This means that, after 12 swings with the Lag Shot, you will start to load and release the club properly, producing solid, straight golf shots.
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What We Like
There are a few things that stood out to us when using this club. Here are the important points:
- It has both a 7 iron and a driver head. These are clubs that require slightly different swings to be successful, so being able to train both with the same premise is a huge advantage to the system.
- You will see results quickly using the Lag Shot. This is because you get immediate feedback by hitting balls with the club, and your body will begin to make adjustments automatically to hit them straighter and more solid. You will know you are swinging well and with a proper swing plane when you are hitting straight shots and taking a small divot after impact!
- The combination of a super flexible shaft and heavy club head create the conditions to produce perfect rhythm and sequencing in the golf swing. These are the secrets that pros understand which allow them to be so incredibly consistent.
More importantly than any of these things, we love how easy it is to transfer your practice with the Lag Shot to your swing with your actual golf clubs. This is an aspect of swing trainers that is often overlooked, but makes the this one more effective than any other on the market. Using the Lag Shot will certainly help you achieve your golfing goals!
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What We Don’t Like
There is no such thing as a perfect training aid, so here are a couple of things we don’t love about this one:
- The club head on the 7 iron has a black finish that wears off after only a handful of shots. While it looks amazing fresh out of the box, the quick wear gives it a bit of a worn down look in a hurry.
- It can be frustrating to hit balls with this training aid when you first start. This is a result of it exposing any and all swing flaws you might have. We encourage you to stick with it, because the long term benefits are well worth the up front frustration.
Orange Whip Trainer Overview
The Orange Whip is a simple and effective swing trainer. It is an extra long, super flexible shaft with a weighted orange ball on the end where a club head would normally be. The weight and flex of the training aid make it impossible to swing out of rhythm and without lagging the club from the top of the backswing.
The intent of the Orange Whip is to be a 2-in-1 warm up tool and training aid that loosens up your muscles and teaches you how to properly sequence your swing. After your Orange Whip session, you can hit balls working on transferring the feel to your own golf clubs.
What We Like
The Orange Whip is a long standing favorite for a reason. It has some benefits that are hard to argue with. These include:
The Orange Whip does not count as a club in your bag. If you are playing in a competition or another environment where the 14 club rule is enforced, you don’t have to worry about bringing the Orange Whip back to the car after your warm up session.
Positive swing habits are exaggerated and heavily enforced with the Orange Whip. Due to it’s length (47.5 inches for the standard) the Orange Whip forces you to exaggerate things like lag and shallowing, which help you to make those changes in your golf swing.
Warming up before a round is much easier with the Orange Whip. Using your golf muscles in a movement that resembles the golf swing expedites your warm up and gives you more time to socialize or practice - whichever you prefer!
What We Don’t Like
There are, of course, some things that we aren’t crazy about with the Orange Whip. Here are a few to consider:
- You can’t hit balls with it. While we love some of the things the Orange Whip does for the golf swing, the lack of ability to hit balls makes it very hard to transfer habits to your performance.
- The Orange Whip is very one dimensional. After a couple of uses, it feels like strictly a warm up tool. It’s hard to get excited about the swing training aspect since there is no feedback during the training session.
When discussing the Lag Shot and Orange Whip, we look at things like these to determine which one we see as the more complete training aid. Often, our decision is made as much based on the magnitude of the things we don’t like as the things we do.
In this case, the Lag Shot’s cons are mostly aesthetic while the Orange Whip’s relate to performance - an indicator of our final decision.
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Difference Between The Lag Shot and The Orange Whip
Using either swing trainer will help you improve your game. Whether your miss is a slice or a hook, they will reduce it. There are a couple of key differences between the Lag Shot and the Orange Whip. Let’s talk about them:
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- The Orange Whip is longer than a standard driver. This forces you to exaggerate the sequence of the golf swing and can lead to a faster change in your golf swing. The Lag Shot is standard length and can be used without perfect timing.
- The Lag Shot has a club head. They produce both a 7 iron and a driver model, and the ability to hit balls with both of them gives you more immediate feedback to know whether you are swinging the club properly. Since the Orange Whip doesn’t have a club head, you cannot be precise about whether you are doing it right.
Is the Orange Whip better than the Lag Shot because it exaggerates good habits, or is the Lag Shot better because you can hit balls and get immediate feedback?
Let us answer those questions for you!
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Which Should You Choose
The reason you’re here is to know which training aid is better - the Lag Shot or the Orange Whip. While both are great tools to have, there is one that definitely stands out at the superior swing trainer.
Our conclusion is that the Lag Shot is the better golf training aid, and the one you should choose. While the Orange Whip can integrate positive swing changes faster because of its length, the separator that makes the Lag Shot the better option is the fact that you can hit balls with it and get instant feedback.
The Lag Shot’s 12 swing claim held true for us, and we found it very easy to transfer the feel we achieved with the swing trainer to our own golf clubs. No matter your age, the Lag Shot makes learning to play golf much more manageable than trying to do it on your own.
In short - by adding 10 minutes of the Lag Shot to your practice sessions, you will begin to feel the proper swing path, add more swing speed, make solid contact, add distance to every club, and lower your scores!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Lag Shot the same as the Orange Whip?
No, the Lag Shot is different than the Orange Whip. While they are designed with the same goal in mind, you are able to hit balls with the Lag Shot.
This is a key difference that makes the Lag Shot a more effective golf training aid.
Does the Orange Whip help with lag?
Yes, the Orange Whip helps with lag.
The combination of the super flexible shaft and heavy head make it impossible to swing the Orange Whip with control if you don’t lag it.
The Lag Shot will give you the same benefits, while also providing immediate feedback since you are able to hit balls with it.
A good way to compound the benefits of either training aid is to use the proper golf grip. This way, your hands and the club can work together to create even more lag!
Do I Need Both The Lag Shot And The Orange Whip To Improve My Game?
No, you do not need both the Lag Shot and the Orange Whip to improve your golf game.
Some people may find it useful to have both. For example; an effective use of both may be to practice with the Lag Shot, and carry the Orange Whip as a warm up tool on days when you are going to play. However, when you consider that there are affordable sets of irons you could spend some of your money on instead, having both training aids feels like overkill.
That said, if you were to choose one or the other, the Lag Shot would provide more benefit.
Does a Orange Whip count as a club in your bag?
No, the Orange Whip does not count as a club in your bag. Clubs are governed by rule 4 in the USGA Rules of Golf, and are defined as an implement designed to be used for striking the ball. Since the Orange Whip is not designed to be used to strike the golf ball, it does not count as a club.
Does a Lag Shot count as a club in your bag?
Yes, the Lag Shot counts as a club in your bag. Under rule 4 in the USGA Rules of Golf, a club is defined as an implement designed to be used for striking the ball.
Given that the Lag Shot is designed as a tool used to hit the golf ball, it is considered a club in your bag regardless of whether you intend to use it on the course or not.
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