Updated June 12, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The top two swing trainers sold today are the SKLZ Gold Flex and the very popular Orange Whip.
Both trainers offer specific benefits to golfers with the Gold Flex helping beginners and high handicappers, and the Orange Whip helping refine the skill set of advanced golfers.
Both golf training aids help build clubhead speed, muscle memory, and proper weight transfer, but which one stands above the other?
In our head to head matchup of SKLZ Gold Flex vs Orange Whip, we’ll take a look at which swing aid is the best training aid on the market today.
Last updated on 2024-04-17. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
SKLZ Gold Flex
Best for High Handicappers and Beginners
PROS
- Counterweighted to help balance the swing training and develop tempo
- Exaggerated flex provides the lag feel that produces power
- Encourages proper weight transfer with full follow-through
- Builds golf-specific muscles to bomb drives down the fairway
The SKLZ Gold Flex is an easy-to-swing trainer and one of the best training aids that helps eliminate the flaws that come from slicing by flattening the swing.
The trainer also helps pre-round warm up with low-impact movements that mimic swinging without pushing the body to reach maximum velocity.
SKLZ boasts that with just 10-20 swings per day with the Gold Flex that golfers will develop better flexibility, strength, and swing tempo. For high handicappers and beginning golfers, the SKLZ Gold Flex offers a lower-priced option for swing training.
Minimal Time Needed
What’s great about the SKLZ device is the minimum time requirement needed to help build fundamentals. In just a few minutes a day, a golfer will find their groove with the Gold Flex, reducing the hiccups while swinging for better hit quality.
Easy to Fit in Bag
The device comes in several length options, all of which fit easily into a golfer’s bag. Great for getting the body warmed up without the need for the range, the Gold Flex is a very convenient device for the golfer that needs to save time during their day.
Reduces Slicing
For golfers struggling with slicing, the Gold Flex can reduce the elements of those flaws by flattening the club path. The trainer helps get the club back to the square position at impact.
Orange Whip
Best for Advanced Golfers
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PROS
- Multiple length options all weighing under two pounds
- Simulates driver motion for development and distance creation
- Works and develops core fitness and flexibility
- Creates proper hip sequencing with arms motion on downswing
Ideal for advanced golfers, the Orange Whip offers a sophisticated option that provides a heavier device that builds muscles along the forearms, while enhancing the flexibility of the core.
The trainer helps create a fluid swinging motion with a flat path that gets the club face back to square. The immediate feedback provided by the device is another wonderful way to groove the swinging fundamentals needed to hit better shots.
Swing Development
The main benefit of the Orange Whip is the development of proper positioning of arms, legs, and core muscles while swinging the driver. Instead of spending hours on the range trying to find the right path, the trainer immediately gets the body working together.
Counter-Weighted Design
With a small weight along the grip and a large ball at the end, the Orange Whip offers a counter-weighting that helps with understanding lag. The weighting also helps golfers create the muscle memory necessary for building a great swing.
Instant Feedback
When the Orange Whip wobbles, the golfer immediately knows that the trainer is off the ideal swinging path. By swinging with stability, the device delivers the feedback that helps golfers find the right path for making the best contact.
SKLZ Gold Flex Vs Orange Whip
Price
The clear winner in this battle of SKLZ Gold Flex vs the Orange Whip is that the SKLZ device costs roughly $30 dollars less, almost half the price of the Orange Whip.
While both training aids are extremely durable and offer a flexible shaft, the Orange Whip does hold the edge on quality, so it is expected to see the training aid be slightly higher in price.
Both training devices help serious and casual players with their golf game at an affordable price, but in this instance, the SKLZ Gold Flex is the lower-priced golf swing trainer, tailored for high handicappers and beginning golfers.
Winner: SKLZ Gold Flex
Shaft Flex
Both training aids use tremendous shaft flex to establish the proper feel of speed and plane development. With a yellow or orange ball as the weighted head, the golf ball-like head forces the flex of the shaft.
When looking at both, the Orange Whip offers a more stable feeling during the swing plane, providing that instant feedback that golfers need. The SKLZ Gold Flex also offers flex, but it is a little more off balance and less stable than its competitor.
Both offer tremendous advantages for training the upper body via the weighted ball, but when it comes to stable shaft flex, the durable construction of the Orange Whip wins out.
Winner: Orange Whip
Length Options
When it comes to length options in the battle of SKLZ Gold Flex vs Orange Whip, each golf training aid offers different options based upon your height.
The Orange Whip offers a 47-inch, 43.5-inch, and a compact 35.5-inch club option for players . The SKLZ has two length options, a 48-inch and 40-inch.
While all options provide golfers with a good workout and an easy way for warming up, there are advantages to playing with the extra-length option, especially on full swings. That said, the variety of options for the SKLZ Golf Flex offers better alternatives.
Winner: SKLZ Gold Flex
Weight
Both devices weigh under two pounds, making them easy to carry to the course for quick access on the range or tee box.
If you are running late and don’t have time to hit a bucket of golf balls on the range, either swing trainer works very well at priming the muscles and creating the tension needed to feel the ideal path of the golf club.
When it comes to choosing a winner between the two devices, the SKLZ Gold Flex gets the nod, especially if you are smaller and need the lighter weight to build up strength.
Winner: SKLZ Gold Flex
Quality
Tour pros and teaching professionals love the quality and extra weight provided by the Orange Whip.
With many golfers preferring the Orange Whip due to the feel of a real club and its ability to improve tempo and provide immediate feedback, the heavy ball training aid is our choice for the best quality between the two swing trainers.
While the Orange Whip may cost more than Gold Flex, the price is worth it due to the advanced design and high-quality materials. For building golf swing tempo, the Orange Whip, and its popular flexible shaft remains unmatched, among its competitors.
Winner: Orange Whip
Grip
While both of the swing trainers offer a golf club-style grip, the Orange Whip’s maintains better durability over the course of its lifetime.
And this is not to say that the SKLZ Gold Flex grip is bad, because that is not the case. But when compared to the Orange Whip, the grip does lack the higher-quality feel that the higher-priced trainer provides golfers.
While most golfers do not use golf gloves with these devices, you’ll find that using one will help simulate swinging with better accuracy.
Winner: Orange Whip
Stand Out Features
Shaft Flexibility
What’s great about the flexibility of the shaft is that it teaches the proper mechanics of the swing.
When looking at the SKLZ Gold Flex, you’ll notice that the shaft works to teach lag, the most important factor in generating the power that golfers need to boost distance in their game.
The flexibility also helps groove the swing path, while engaging the athletic nature of golf movement. A great addition to the workout regimen of any advanced player, these trainers are certain to help craft a better swing to lower your scores.
Warmup Benefits
For golfers that love playing rounds but don’t have the time to workout or warm up on the range, a well-made swing trainer can come in very handy.
When looking at the SKLZ Gold Flex and the Orange Whip, the compact size and ability to fit the club in your vehicle or bag makes it very attractive to golfers on the go.
In our Orange Whip review, we noted how the counterbalanced weighting of the device works extremely well to loosen up the muscles on the first tee box in mere minutes.
Having a tool at the ready, like this trainer, can immediately get the body ready for the punishment of a full round of swings.
Swing Training
What makes the Orange Whip and SKLZ Gold Flex so attractive to serious golfers is the aid’s ability to help you work on your swing anywhere.
You don’t need a range or hundreds of yards of grass to work on developing your swing tempo, build strength, and flatten your swing path for better consistency.
Easily fitting in your golf bag, the swing trainer works to build those muscles you need to generate higher swing speeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, the Sklz Gold Flex or Orange Whip?
When it comes to answering the question of what swing trainer works better, the answer depends solely on your skill level and budget.
The Orange Whip is better for golfers with advanced skills that don’t mind paying a bit more for their golf club training aids. With a weight of just under two pounds, the device goes easily into your golf bag for easy anytime access.
At a lower cost than its competitor, the SKLZ Gold Flex can replicate a full golf swing, giving inexperienced golfers the feel of the golf club with a strong simulation that helps warm the muscles and ready the player for their upcoming round.
When looking at the Orange Whip vs SKLZ Gold Flex debate, the better product is the Orange Whip, but if you are on a budget, the SKLZ golf swing trainer certainly will help build your swing in the right way.
Do pros use orange whip?
Yes, professionals use the Orange Whip but mainly the use comes from teachers and instructors. For students, the Orange Whip is a versatile golf swing trainer that boosts muscle memory through its flexible shaft and weighted ball.
On the back swing, the trainer provides a tool to build good tempo through the added weight of the club. With immediate feedback, the Orange Whip helps stabilize the lower body for creating staggering swing speed that helps all facets of your golf game.
The round ball that takes the place of the club head creates lag through its extra flex, allowing the golfer to feel the importance of the body turn and forearm strength on the downswing.
Great for advanced players, the Orange Whip delivers exceptional results in short time through repetition and frequent use.
Our Verdict
Use a SKLZ Gold Flex if:
- Want a value-priced tempo swing trainer
- Easy-to-swing trainer that helps flatten swing for correcting slices
- Low-impact swing trainer that quickly warms the body
- INCREASE SWING DISTANCE: Exaggerated flex in the shaft helps create length in your swing, helping you gain more distance for more consistent and controlled shots on the course
- ESTABLISH IDEAL SWING TEMPO: Amplified shaft flexibility promotes a slight lag at the top of your backswing, establishing the perfect swing tempo and enhancing your clubhead position and movement awareness throughout your swing
- BUILD POWER & BALANCE: Weighted ball/head at the end of the shaft encourages proper weight transfer, building balance and power through impact, helping you master the right muscle sequencing for an efficient swing
- DEVELOP CONSISTENT GRIP: The built-in grip guide helps you develop muscle memory for the correct hand placement, ensuring a proper grip and consistent performance
- INCREASE SWING SPEED & ACCURACY: At 40" in length, it's longer than a standard driver shaft, allowing you to develop greater swing speed and stay on plane for better ball-striking consistency and precision
Last updated on 2024-04-17. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
The SKLZ Gold Flex is cheaper than its competitor, but delivers first-rate performance for high handicappers and beginning golfers that need to flatten their swing path for better consistency.
Use a Orange Whip if:
- Advanced swing trainer that maximizes flexibility
- Simulates driver motion, great for practicing tee shots
- Exceptional swing trainer, works well to build rhythm and balance
- THE ORIGINAL #1-RATED GOLF TRAINING AID: Don’t settle for imitations. The Orange Whip has been voted the #1 teaching and training aid by golf professionals for a reason: it’s simply the best.
- PATENTED COUNTERBALANCED SWING SYSTEM: The Orange Whip trainer increases your flexibility and coordination and strengthens your golf muscles through its patented counterbalanced swing system that cannot be copied. There’s nothing else like it! The Orange Whip counterbalance provides the necessary feedback to train your swing to stay on plane, balanced, and powerful. Swing it next to the others, and you can feel the difference immediately.
- TRAIN YOUR ATHLETIC SWING & GET READY TO PLAY: The proprietary flexible shaft coordinates the rhythm between your arms, upper body, and lower body. Swing it back and through continuously to develop your own tempo and balanced swing for consistent shots on the golf course. Use it to warm up, get loose, and get ready to play or practice.
- INSTANT FEEDBACK: Any wobbling feeling in your swing indicates a need to improve tempo, balance, and swing plane. Receive instant feedback with each swing!
- MADE IN THE USA: The difference with Orange Whip is the quality you can feel. Handmade in the USA with American parts, this tool is made with premium quality. It features a patented counterbalanced and flexible shaft swing system. Our golf trainer is built to last and comes with a 2-year warranty!
Last updated on 2024-04-17. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
The Orange Whip Swing Trainer remains the best option for advanced golfers looking for a premium swing trainer that develops better balance and rhythm with each session.