Boomerang Putting Professional Training Aid Summary Report: April 2008

During January and February, 2008 GolfTest USA performed testing on the Boomerang Putting Professional. 25 golfers participated in the test and were asked to use the Boomerang Putting Professional according to the DVD provided them. The DVD showed the testers how to use the Boomerang Putting Professional to get the most benefit from it. After one month the testers completed an evaluation form and were asked to rate several questions on how they like the Boomerang Putting Professional and how much they felt it helped them improve their putting.

Q: Since you started using the Boomerang Putting Professional did the distance control of your putts improve?

Results: 75% of the testers had better distance control since using the Boomerang Putting Professional. This is a very high percentage that shows that the Boomerang Putting Professional delivers on its claim that it helps improve a golfer's distance control.

Q: Since you started using the Boomerang Putting Professional did the accuracy of your putts improve?

Results: 70% of the testers had better accuracy since using the Boomerang Putting Professional.

Q: Of all the putting training aids you have tried, which one do you feel was the most effective or beneficial?

Results: 70% of the testers who had used other putter training aids said they liked the Boomerang Putting Professional best.

Q: What did you like best about the Boomerang Putting Professional?

Comments:
"Stroke repetition helps me improve my tempo"
"Helps to tell if you are swinging on a straight path"
"You can tell if you are aligned properly"
"Easy to use"
"Ball return makes it easy to practice with"
"Compact and quick set up"
"Portable"
"Fun to use"

GolfTest USA Evaluation:

Based on the results of the test GolfTest USA has determined that the Boomerang Putting Professional will help most golfers improve their putting and lower the number of putts per round. One of the most important things about the Boomerang is that unlike others putting training aids is it doesn't try to remake or change your putting stroke. There are as many different putting strokes are there are golfers.

Many putting training aids want you to change the stroke you have become accustomed to over many years. The Boomerang instead helps you to focus on direction, feel and tempo. Practicing with it promotes more confidence when you get to the golf course. It is important for golfers to develop a practice regimen by using the Boomerang Putting Professional about twice a week for fifteen minutes or before playing a round of golf to keep their tempo smooth and their distance control sharp.

Some putting training aids are difficult to use so golfers tend not to continue to use them. That was not the case with the Boomerang Putting Professional because the testers said it was easy to set up and fun to use. GolfTest USA has determined that the Boomerang Putting Professional is a golf product of superior quality, value and performance. Because of the excellent ratings the Boomerang Putting Professional achieved in the test GolfTest USA is awarding it the GolfTest USA "Seal of Excellence".

Wayne Williams - Testing Director

"Get yourself a Boomerang...
this contraption has helped everyone I know"

...I think utley is a bad way to go. I know he's helped a lot of players on tour, but for the avg guy a swinging gate stroke depends on perfect timing and hitting an awful lot of practice putts. Maybe read Tiger's book on putting (straight back and straight through is the Harmon way Tiger uses) and get yourself a boomerang. This contraption has helped everyone I know. Good putters get better and poor putters get decent... this thing reduced my putts per round significantly.
"buster" - BombSquadGolf.com

I received my Boomerang Putting System in the mail last Friday. I've been using it for about thirty minutes a day and I've got to say I'm incredibly impressed with it. I've seen some brief reviews of the Boomerang on the "other" golf site, and I wasn't horribly impressed. It seemed so simple, just lag the first putt in, and strike it out with the second. I was really wrong. The Boomerang is marked by simplicity in design, but extreme difficulty in execution. Let me explain...
"Taylormadefan" - Golfwrk.com

I got a Boomerang putting aid after reading about it on FGI. I have to say this thing is awesome!! It has really improved my putting. After using it for a couple of weeks went out to the course and had a 26 putt round!!
"1puttit" - FGI Golf Forum

I've made more 8-10 footers this year than ever before. When I first started using it (the Boomerang putting system), I had trouble hitting 3 or 4 in a row that stayed on the ramp. I can make several hundred putts now and control how far into the white disk the ball rolls before it either sticks or comes back.
BD - St Petersburg, FL

The Boomerang putting aid has helped me smooth out my stroke and switch to a center shafted face balanced putter which has had the following effects: Less 3 putts. Better distance control on downhill putts. Sinking more putts from 4 - 8 feet. Anything inside of 3 feet is in. I'm happier with my putting so far this year as my main goal was to improve my putting and putting stats. :-)
DCB - 4GEA.com Golf Forum

Likes: So simple and so effective. There's nothing like a Boomerang. If you want to turn your putting from a liability to a strength there's only one answer. Buy a Boomerang it's so addictive you can's stop practicing. Very few moving pieces... Quality: Can't really hurt it. Summary: Without a doubt the best $40 you can spend on your game.
"Sir Hits-a-lot" - Golf Tuition On-line

Practicing with the Boomerang really makes you want to challenge yourself. I have found it to provide a truly addictive putting experience. It reminds me of when we were juniors practicing so hard and not coming in from the putting green until we had sunk twenty putts in a row from different lengths. The Boomerang provides this type of enjoyment and I believe this alone makes it a worth while investment for any standard of player.

The Boomerang is the only putting device that I have used that offers a true representation of how the ball behaves around the cup. Be sure that if you do not get the pace right and your putt is not dead centre then it will lip out with the boomerang. It is this type of realistic feedback that makes the Boomerang so addictive. You feel that you can beat the Boom so you just keep on trying, and once you feel that you have mastered it you can reduce the cup depth, which will increase the level of difficulty again.
"Gandalf" - Golf Tuition On-line

I picked up a Boomerang putting trainer as I was recovering from a broken knee/leg and only recently started being able to stand long enough to use it. I don't get too many catch and releases, though I can from about 3 feet only. But, I watched the DVD twice and I go to the putting green at a nearby course once a week (I don't get to swing a club for 2 more months).

Alex's system is working miracles for me. Just the technique that he talks about in the video, matching the head to the ball and making sure they both arrive at the hole at the same time (basically, just a tip to keep you accelerating through the ball). From about 10 feet on a real green I am rolling in an average of 3/4 balls (so much so that people were starting to look at me, because of the noise of all the balls going into the hole).
"Hoselmagnet" - FGI Golf Forum

This unit is the most unique, easy and best feedback system that I have ever used. What this unit tells you are numerous flaws and habits that you have acquired over your golfing career. We ask ourselves many times how do I lower my handicap and the first thing that comes up is IF I COULD ONLY PUTT. Reading the greens is an art in itself, but rolling the ball straight off the putter is where it starts. Some have an inside out stroke and some have an outside in stroke. Both will cause the ball to spin in an unwanted path. If you learn to stoke the ball straight it will go straight. Instant feedback is at your view with this training device. It also helps you to control speeds and lengths of putts. This is a must for any one interested in shaving a couple of stroke of their handicap. Dislikes: NONE. Quality: Excellent
"Titupp" - Golf Gear Review.com

The Boomerang has improved my putting so much! I am reading Tiger Woods How I Play Golf and he gives some great putting instruction. Most of it was simply a refresher course for me due to the boomerang CD. More than anything it's fun.. Thanks for the message and I hope I can help you sell a million of them..
Clinton Callaway - Golf Tuition On-line

Well it's been a few months since I've had my Boomerang Putting Aid and let me tell you...this sucker is addicting! In a good way! It's a rather simple contraption consisting of an artificial turf mat...what the Boomerang folks call the "Carnoustie" which rolls at about a 11-12 on the stimpmeter and a plastic ramp. The ramp has a "cup" which can be adjusted in depth depending on how good you get with the Boomerang. The ramp angle itself can be adjusted to give the feel of different length of putts.

The "object" if you can call it that is to putt a ball into the cup area without having it roll out. Then with a second ball you knock the first ball out. Let me tell you....sounds easy but it's not. This mat drove me nuts. It was like playing computer mini golf. It drives you nuts and is totally addicting.

My initial impressions upon using the Boomerang was that it was just awful. I couldn't get a ball to stay in the cup and if I did, I couldn't' knock it out. I wrote emails to my buddy Beruo about how awful it was and that I probably got a defective one. I told him I hated it but at the same time I couldn't stop practicing on it. Actually the Boomerang was working perfectly. It was providing me immediate feedback. It was telling me how bad my stroke had deteriorated and that with work and practice, things could be much better for me. More...
"pitbull808" - Golfwrx.com

First off, I have not yet played a round because of a miserable thing in the Midwest called winter, so this is not a real valid review........but...........I have to tell you this thing is the real deal.

At first I didn't really see why it could be of any real value...then..after realizing, as long as your surface is perfectly flat, if you miss...it's the stroke you put on it. No excuses. No bumps, no spike marks, no break. Just the stroke. I have two putters I have been going back and forth in my mind on what to use this season and the Boomerang has all but decided this for me.

I cannot wait to get out on the course and see what it has done for me. Right now, I am so confident in my stroke and pace I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas.

If any of you have a serious problem with putting, I recommend the Boomerang in a heartbeat. I will post more after a round or two. BTW, Alex is a first class dude.
"Greg Flado" - 4GEA Golf Forum

I agree with the above posters that the Boomerang has made me so clutch with lag putts its ridiculous. Even though the greens I play on are much slower than the green the Boomerang comes with, it has given me such feel for my putter and my stroke that my speed control is amazing no matter what green I play on.
"TheHomez" - The Sand Trap.com

I've been practicing about a 1/2 hour a night for the last 2 weeks and played yesterday. I had 6 one putt greens and a total of 31 putts for the round - which for me is a great improvement. Now when I sit over a 4'-6' putt I know what to do. My confidence on the green is amazing. Buy this - use this - benefit from this. It can only help.
"Sandmanlogan" - The Sand Trap.com

I think the boomerang makes you come up with a putting stroke that gives almost perfect distance control, so after working the boomerang for a couple of weeks now, I opened up The Dave Pelz Putting Bible after sitting on my bookshelf for a few of years. He writes about:

1. Stroking v. hitting
2. Straight back straight through v. swinging door
3. Extension of the follow through is the best way to control the putt
4. Lagging is the key to eliminate 3 putts
5. Most telling of of all - distance control is 4 times more important than the line

Funny - this is all what the boomerang is all about.

Getting hung up on boomerang games is a way to market the product, but to some extent help to learn a stroke that will give you control over distance. I have found that after working with the boomerang that I was able to translate it nicely on the course yesterday (3/13). I didn't even think about 6 - 8 footers just stoked the ball and watched the majority of them drop in. Lag putts were mostly inside of 2 feet...
"D C Bogeyman" - 4GEA Golf Forum

Well, here's my observations after having it a little while:

1. I watch the path of the ball - if it's starts slightly outside and then turns to the cup, I know that I've come slightly from inside-out in path.
2. It's also easier for me to see if I'm moving my hands in the stroke or moving my shoulders. I've found the background of the mat allows me to see these errors.
3. I can also see if I'm loose with my wrists - flipping a bit - by watching the reaction of the ball.
4. I also use the Boomerang in conjunction with the Putting Arc - which also helps point out errors.
5. It's a nice little game, too.

Those are just a few examples. You could do the same with other mats. But I've been able to see more miscues with the Boomerang than others. I also like the way the ball comes right back at me. It also gives one a little challenge with the game so I stay with it a bit longer.Good luck with your putting.
"J SwingMan" - 4GEA Golf Forum

I received my Boomerang putting trainer yesterday, having won it in the Best Putters thread. I am a good putter for 1 simple reason: I practice my putting a lot, probably 2 hours every week during the season on a real green. Now, during the winter I hardly practice at all. I have all of the putting Gizmos, but rarely able to work at it for more than 10 minutes due to boredom or chasing balls all over the house.

Okay, I am very impressed with the Boom's ability to feedback the correct speed. Trap it, you know it is a good putt. That being said, after 1 day of using it, I can pretty well tell if the ball is going to trap as soon as I hit it. You know if it is a good putt or not naturally. Due to the alignment with the mat, you can check your stroke, alignment etc. so it is very useful for working on set up while hitting balls.

Personally, I am not viewing my Boomerang as a competitive device, I am viewing it as a tool to groove a good stroke. This product provides that very well, while keeping you entertained (Okay, it is as addictive as anything. I need a Boom 12 step program.) By keeping me interested, it will increase the time I spend working on my putting, and will help me drive down my Handicap. Anyone who views putting as less than a strength should derive a significant benefit from this device. Use it for what it is intended for and you will be more than satisfied with the product. Now, I need to find a way to hit full wedges in my kitchen during the winter...
"HOOKEDONMB" - 4GEA Golf Forum

The Boom is a fine device - especially for the price. It's small, somewhat portable and easy to setup just about anywhere in your home of office. If it's on a level surface, you can easily tell if you are hitting the ball straight or not which is feedback you cannot get on the putting green.

As far as causing you to misjudge distances because of the ramp, even Pelz recommends putting occasionally on the fairway, rough and even the cart path to help develop feel. A single green can have different speeds as well as degrees of up and down depending on the direction you're hitting. I don't agree that the Boom will have an adverse effect on judging distances. A key to consistent putting is to be able to adjust your putting to what surface you're currently playing on, not to build one fixed stroke for one surface. You can certainly add some of Pelz's tools to the Boom for help in more specific areas.
"Jerry Rome" - 4GEA Golf Forum

I received my Boomerang two days ago; thanks, Alex. I practiced for two days now and I must say that it's already worth its money. Go on guys, place your orders. You won't regret it...
Matthias P - Spicy Golf Forum

wanted to let you know that I received the boomerang a couple of weeks ago. It's addicting and I try to spend a few minutes everyday with it. Haven't put the mats end to end yet. Want to get more proficient with just the one. Though I do find that shorter putts are as equally difficult as longer ones - tend to always come up short. But I've tried your putting technique of chasing the ball with the putter head after contact. This has got to be the best method for successful putting. In just a couple of weeks, my lag putting and confidence has improved dramatically. I was focusing too much on the backswing. Definitely an "aha" moment. So far, you're the only person I've come across that promotes this method. Reinforces my opinion that most instructors don't know that much, just regurgitate what they've been told. The classic "I can teach you mechanics but not feel" - your method teaches feel, very simple and innovative. And I'll chalk up the fuzzy slippers to oz humor. Thanks!
Phillip Kim

Another thank you is in order as my putting continues to improve. My speed control is excellent as I play everything off the feel of the 12ft Carnoustie mat I use so often at home. I've been working on green reading and it's coming along nicely too. Two putted from 60 feet on 18 today to seal my best round ever.
Bryan Bazilauskas

I've had my Boomerang for over a year now and must say it's lowered my putting average significantly. My speed control is now second to none.