Explanar

[golfbluecustard]

Has any one used this? as am thinking about giving it a try.

It seems to have a lot of benefits, giving you a consistent swing plane.

GBC

 

[fundy]

Personally not a huge fan of these, just felt strange to me when I tried one a while back. I actually found it very limiting and found better ways of learning what is the right plane for me

I know Alex1975 used one as part of a lesson recently I expect he will give you some feedback

 

[Doh]

Never used them but seen them at a few clubs rusting away??

 

[Mungoscorner]

I know what the theory is behind the Explanar,but it just felt awkward and uncomfortable to me.

 

[toonarmy]

I've used it in a couple of lessons and can safely say that if you had one and spent 20-30m every day swinging on it, you would inevitably groove a solid golf swing. It's just basic biomechanics and muscle memory. It does help you feel where the club should be throughout the swing and not just in one area.

You'd be mad to own one though, as they're massive and I wouldn't go out of my way to have a lesson using one, but they are a pretty good body trainer. The pro I see uses it as no more than a 5-10m section of the lesson.

Try it, you might like, you might not. You'll never know until you try though

 

[Basher]

It'd be no good for me.

I swing my driver and woods on a much lower swing plane than my irons.

That is all.

 

[swanny32]

I had half an hour on one not so long ago in an attempt to fix my over the top swing which was causing a massive slice. Did bugger all for me, if you are going to use one then make sure you do it as part of a lesson.

I found the rolling pins you used were really heavy too, it was like a bloody work out!

 

[Cobra_Nut]

best thing about my explanar was I sold it for more than I bought it for, just didn't get on with it & didn't keep it for very long.

 

[Karl102]

I had a lesson with one not so long ago. I like the thought in principle, but i would not rely on just one of these to groove your swing.
The worst feeling was putting a club in my hand straight afterwards! Felt like a feather compared to the heavy rolling pin i had just used!

 

[surefire]

Having used one a few times, and having access to a few of these at my club, I have some mxied views.

Postives
Definitely a good workout for rotational core strength - The roller is so heavy to swing properly you have to use your core.

Gives you a feel for the correct swing plane

Negatives
Doesn't directly transfer to a golf swing as the roller is much heavy and you don't have to square the face.

Rather than just give you feedback, it forces you to swing correctly - IMHO this is bad for a training aid. My preference is that training aids should give feedback to enable you to find the right position yourself, even better if it can do this whilst letting you hit a ball. If the aid forces you into a position, without the aid you prob won't be able to find that same position.

Backswing and downswing planes must match - fine for some, but something to consider if one is flatter or steeper than the other. E.g. Would not work for Jim Furyk, yet his swing is just fine.

Heavy Roller could cause injury - For some people the roller may be too heavy, and if they just go in at full pelt straight away, you could easily injure yourself.

Overall
I think this is a good device to add to your fitness and strength training. I also think it is a good device to get a feel for the swing plane, BUT you must fully sense the feel of the plane on the explanar and then repeat with a proper club and ball. Just mindlessly swinging away on the explanar, and then expecting to have the perfect plane when hitting a ball, will do you no favours.

I would also be carefull of using one just before playing as the heavy roller could affect your timing.

In conclusion, I don't think this is a bad training aid, but just not the miracle cure that it is perhaps hyped up to be.

 

[BadBoyHouse]

Did you get an Explanar? I'm thinking of buying one myself.

I'm a beginner so i expect it will be more useful to me than it would a low handicapper.

Second hand certainly seems the route to go down. Brand new they seem very expensive but eBay seems to have some deals around £300.

If there was one local to me in Leicester i would probably look at having a go on one first. Haven't found any local though.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've used one as part of a lesson. It helped at the time but isn't a bit of kit I'd rush to use regularly. I'd rather my pro showed me the correct position as I swing the club back so I can feel what it would be like in a proper swign rather than something that is so artificial. As a way of putting you in the ideal position it is great but the roller makes using it quite uncomfy after a while and it is difficult to then swing a club straight after. As for effectiveness I'd say 3/10

 

[RGDave]

My range has an explanar. I was having trouble with my take-away and asked if using the explanar would help me "get the feeling". I even offered to hire it per hour!

He was of the opinion it wouldn't work.

If it doesn't work even for the first movement in a swing, that's not a good start is it?

Something is definitely NOT right with it, but I can't put my finger on it. I can only guess that IF you could replicate the perfect explanar swing you have an odd-looking one plane swing of some description.

 

[Evesdad]

Hi badboyhouse, welcome to the forum. I think Beedles lake at syston have one, ask region3 he's a member there or the driving range at Loughborough has one I think I'll check it out. They have always intrigued me but never used one!

Where do you play? There seem to be a few of us in this part of te world now, can see a mini meet coming on!

 

[bobmac]

I first saw something very similar in Austria about 1992 and thought brilliant.
Years later I tried the Explanar and whilst in theory I think it should work, sadly I don't think it does.
Sure, you stand on the range with the heavy roller and you swing back and forth. What you don't do is hit balls with it.
And I feel any training aid you use that doesn't involve actually hitting balls can't be that good.
Yes, you will swing better with the explanar until you try and hit balls afterwards.
How many of you have a brilliant practice swing?
Put a ball in the way and it all goes to pot

 

[Evesdad]

I agree bob, the theory is spot on to building the feel for a repeatable swing but sounds like it doesn't work inpractice.

 

[Region3]

Yes there is one at Beedles, although I'd imagine it would have to be used as part of a lesson.

I 'think' I saw one at Loughborough range, but couldn't be sure.

I wonder if it would be any more use if you wrapped some foam around a shaft to protect it then use your normal club? Still wouldn't be able to hit balls though probably.

 

[Evesdad]

Yes there is one at Beedles, although I'd imagine it would have to be used as part of a lesson.

I 'think' I saw one at Loughborough range, but couldn't be sure.

I wonder if it would be any more use if you wrapped some foam around a shaft to protect it then use your normal club? Still wouldn't be able to hit balls though probably.

Think I saw one lurking in the first training bay which is normally closed off.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I used one as part of a lesson and hated it. It felt awkward and you'd have to be a lot stronger and fitter than me to use it for more than a few minutes as the roller was so damn heavy.

I'm sure the principle is great but what I didn't understand is that towards then end of last year my pro was telling me my swing was good, it even looked good on video to me. However, using the explaner the swing felt completely different to the one I used when hitting balls

I certainly wouldn't rush to use one again and also, in all the time I spent on the range at my old club, and that was a lot of time, I never saw anyone else using it and I never saw another Pro use it as part of a lesson. I was at the range 2 or 3 times a week for a couple of hours and there were always at least two Pro's giving lessons, if it was that good, I expect to see it being used.