Orange Whip vs SKLZ Gold Flex – Golf Swing Trainer Comparison

Here I want to talk about Orange Whip vs SKLZ Gold Flex – golf swing trainer comparison.

So you need some help with your golf swing. Who doesn’t?

Maybe your tempo is a little tired or you are trying to reinforce your golf swing mechanics? Or maybe you are learning to swing a golf club again after an injury? Or even trying to increase your flexibility.

Whatever the reason, you’ve probably been trying to make a decision about which golf swing trainer to buy and you ended up here. Well, you’re in luck!

If this sounds like you, read my Golf Swing Trainer Comparison Guide below before you decide!

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Tale of the Tape

Orange Whip (47.5″ Model)	SKLZ Golf Flex (48″ Model)
HIGHLIGHTS	HIGHLIGHTS
Flexible shaft Durable polyurethane head Comfortable Rubber Grip 38″(junior), 43″ and 47.5″ sizes available Legal to carry on course Total Weight: 801 grams (1.76 lbs) Slightly more expensive	Durable polyurethane head Withstands frequent use Fits easily in golf bag 40″ and 48″ sizes available Legal to carry on course Total Weight: 657 grams (1.45 lbs) Affordable
OVERVIEW	OVERVIEW
The Orange Whip Golf Swing Trainer helps coordinate the rhythm between a golfer’s arms, upper body and lower body. The super-flexible shaft and weighted ball provide immediate feedback about your swing tempo because  whenever your rhythm is off – even slightly – the Orange Whip lets you know. The counterweight trains you to load and release the golf club in an even manner. And if you feel wobbly or off-balance when swinging it that means you need to improve your rhythm and balance.	SKLZ Gold Flex Golf Swing Trainer is an extremely durable, user-friendly swing trainer with a flexible shaft and weighted head that can help you develop muscle memory and increase your flexibility. The exaggerated flex of the SKLZ Gold Flex allows for a lag during your back swing to help find your tempo. The momentum of the weighted head encourages proper weight transfer in the transition from your backswing to your downswing. This club helps with balance and increases flexibility and power.
INCLUDES	INCLUDES
Orange Whip Small Instructional Pamphlet	SKLZ Gold Flex Small Instruction Manual
PROS & CONS	PROS & CONS
PRO: Extremely flexible shaft PRO: Perfectly counter-weighted ball PRO: Comfortable grip PRO: Easy to useCON: Expensive	PRO: Hard plastic construction PRO: Balanced, weighted ball PRO: Affordable PRO: Easy to useCON: More rigid/not as flexible
Read Customer Reviews on Amazon	Read Customer Reviews on Amazon

My Take

If I had only a few words to describe how I felt when using the Orange Whip versus the SKLZ Gold Flex I would say that the feedback that I got when using the Orange Whip was immediate and easy to interpret. What I mean by that is when you DON’T swing the Orange Whip in-tempo and while maintaining your balance, it feels…BAD.

Like there’s this very uncomfortable tension throughout your shoulders and lower back. The ultra-flexible shaft and weighted ball produce an uncomfortable gyroscopic sensation when you don’t swing this training tool in perfect rhythm so it’s easy to tell when you are NOT swinging correctly.

The cool thing is that after about 8 – 10 swings I was able to tell that my rhythm had improved. I was no longer rushing my downswing and – best of all – no more discomfort from being out of rhythm with the Whip!

The SKLZ Gold Flex is a very similar golf swing trainer that also comes with a weighted ball at the end of a counterbalanced shaft that helps the user to develop a rhythmic, in-tempo swing. The yellow weight at the end of the shaft of the SKLZ gold flex did produce some nice tension at the top of my backswing that felt like it was giving me a good stretch between my shoulders, back, and hips. I could see how this tool would be good for developing enhanced flexibility, too.

 

 

Major Differences Between the Orange Whip and SKLZ Gold Flex Golf Swing Trainers

For convenience, I have highlighted the differences between these two swing trainers in the comparison chart above, but we can get into some more detail here.

Let’s first discuss the biggest difference between these two golf swing training aids – and that is the price. The last time I checked, the Orange Whip was exactly double the price of the SKLZ Gold Flex.

Now that that’s out of the way, here are a few of the more subtle distinctions between these two training clubs. The first is the weight of the ball/weight at the end of each shaft. The full-size Orange Whip has a ball that weighs about 0.67 pounds. This is heavier than the weight at the end of the SKLZ Gold Flex.

It’s not the difference in weights that makes it necessary for the Gold Flex to have a more rigid shaft than the Orange Whip – it’s the fact that the balance point of the Gold Flex is closer to the weight. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it makes the Gold Flex FEEL quite a bit heavier than the Orange Whip when swinging it. The extra tension that this creates can help develop strength and the ‘pull’ or tension that I felt at the top of my backswing when using the Gold Flex really felt like it would enhance my flexibility with continued use – even though it is the lighter of the two trainers.

However, due to it’s design, the Gold Flex felt like this swing trainer was doing more to enhance my strength and flexibility than it was to reinforce and improve my swing tempo and balance.

Both swing trainers claim to help with tempo, strength, and flexibility. My thoughts are that one is definitely better at swing tempo training, while the other gets the edge at strength and flexibility training.

Read on to see which one of these does certain things better.

Conclusion

When I first started researching the most popular golf swing tempo trainers for this review, I expected that the Orange Whip would be one of the finalists due to its popularity and hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon, but I was somewhat surprised that the other golf swing trainer I liked a lot was the SKLZ Gold Flex.

In fact, there are even more positive reviews of the SKLZ Gold Flex on Amazon. I attribute the larger number of reviews to the fact that the Gold Flex is half the price of the Orange Whip – so it is only natural that more people have purchased the less expensive alternative.

But I was somewhat surprised to discover that I liked the SKLZ Gold Flex almost as much as a swing trainer that cost twice as much. And, while I knew of SKLZ as a company that manufactured golf training aids, I did not know that they also produced such a comparable golf swing trainer to the Orange Whip.

What it really came down to, for me, was that I was actively looking for a golf swing trainer to improve my tempo and rhythm – and while the SKLZ Gold Flex claims to do that – it seemed like the Gold Flex is more of s strength and flexibility device than something that would improve my tempo. And while the SKLZ swing trainer did possess some aspects that I thought would help with tempo and rhythm, it was definitely the heavier feeling of the two training clubs, and that made it easier to become fatigued after extended use.

One thing I really like about the Orange Whip was the overall feel, extra flexibility of the shaft and the perfectly counterbalanced design. The Orange Whip really provided immediate feedback about my swing tempo and rhythm, while ALSO providing a good workout and extra stretch at the top of the backswing to help with flexibility. It was also easier to use for a longer period of time without becoming fatigued.

Ultimately, the Orange Whip let me know in a clear and precise manner that I was swinging out of tempo. Even more, it let me know that my problem was that I was rushing my downswing.  And I know that a rushed downswing can produce an over-the top golf swing, which leads to slicing the golf ball (a common problem myself and many golfers share).

Not only that, repeatedly swinging the Orange Whip brought my swing tempo back in rhythm and the next time I went to the range after using the Orange Whip, my drives went straighter and farther. So, while I think that the SKLZ Gold Flex is an excellent training device for improving strength and flexibility, if you want to buy the best golf swing tempo trainer on the market, pay the extra money and just get the Orange Whip – you won’t be disappointed!

Winner: Orange Whip

Happy Golfing!