The Training Aids Rory McIlroy Uses

And the at-home versions of each one you can actually buy

Rory McIlroy is one of the biggest users of training aids in the professional game. He dips in and out of them constantly, and right now he's best known for Sure Golf's

The Connector — a foam "connection ball" he's been spotted rehearsing with on the range throughout 2024, 2025 and into 2026. Alongside that he's worked with wrist-structure aids, a lead-wrist clicker, connection balls, plane trainers, a flexible-shaft tempo trainer, putting mirrors and dedicated speed work.

Below is the full rundown of what Rory uses (and has used), why he uses it, and — where he uses a piece of kit I don't have a link for — the closest at-home alternative I'd recommend so you can train the same feel.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and any discount codes are genuine. I only recommend aids I've used and rate. Where Rory uses something I have a link for, I'll point you to it; where he uses something I don't, I'll say so and, if it helps, suggest a similar aid you can use at home.

What training aid is Rory McIlroy using right now?

The short answer: The Connector by Sure Golf. It's a green foam ball with rods sticking out that sits between the forearms as you swing. If Rory's arm structure breaks down — his long-standing tendency is for the right arm to get too high and the arms to over-extend on the takeaway — the ball drops out and gives him instant feedback. He's been seen with it at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and again at the DP World India Championship, and pundits have called it the aid he "can't quit."

Sure Golf – The Connector Keeps the forearms spaced and the arms in front of the chest, so the body and arms stay synced through takeaway, the top and delivery. Brilliant for anyone who loses connection and gets steep or flips it through impact — a common wedge-game killer. Discount code: ROSSEVES (10% off) · Buy it here: https://sure-golf.com/?ref=ROSSEVES

(Image placement: still or clip of Rory using the green Connector on the range — this is the money shot for the post, place it right under this section.)

Wrist structure at the top: the PRO Sendr cradle and the Tac-Tic

Rory has also worked with the PRO Sendr cradle. It sits on the trail wrist, and when you extend the right wrist at the top it settle into a pre-formed cradle that stops the lead wrist getting into too much extension (cupping) at the top of the backswing. A lot of players find the trail-wrist version easier to feel than the lead-wrist aids that do the same job (more on those just below).

PRO Sendr – Cradle Trains neutral wrist conditions at the top so you deliver the club more consistently. If your lead wrist cups and you struggle to control the face, this is the one. Buy it here (affiliate link, no discount code): https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES

The Tac-Tic – the old-school lead-wrist version The classic aid for this fault is the Tac-Tic: a small rod that sits across the lead wrist and clicks audibly the moment you cup (extend) it — at the top of the backswing or through impact. It's old-school, simple and effective, and it trains exactly the flat lead wrist Rory is chasing. He was spotted at the BMW PGA Championship working with a lead-wrist clicking device of this kind — Golf Monthly identified it as the Tac-Tic, while Golf Digest reckoned it was the near-identical G-Snap. Either way, it's the same idea as the cradle, just worn on the lead wrist.

I don't have an affiliate link for the Tac-Tic — I'm naming it honestly because it's genuinely what Rory (and plenty of tour pros) have used. If you'd rather use a wrist aid I can point you to, the PRO Sendr cradle above trains the same flat-lead-wrist condition.

Killing the flying right elbow: connection balls

Rory is so athletic that he can separate the arms from the body and let the right elbow fly at the top, then rescue it with timing — great for a driver, less forgiving on wedges. Connection balls are the classic fix: you trap the ball between the forearms (or arms and chest) so the arms can't run away from the body.

Rory's used connection aids in this family for years. If you want to train the same feel at home, here are the ones I'd recommend:

PRO Sendr – Connection Sphere — from the same brand as the cradle Rory uses; sits between the arms to stop the elbow flying. Affiliate link (no discount code): https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES

TRS Ball (TRS Golf) — connection trainer from the TRS range. The TRS Slider (designed by Robert Rock) is a genuine tour-used connection aid, so you're in good company. Code: ROSSEVES (10% off) · https://trsgolf.com/ROSSEVES

The Impact Ball — the simplest, most affordable connection ball to keep the arms working as one. Code: rosseves (10% off) · http://www.theimpactball.com

(Image placement: side-by-side of a "flying" right elbow vs. a connected position, or a clip of a connection ball in use.)

Takeaway and plane: the PRO Sendr Plane Mate

Rory's other tendency is whipping the club too far inside on the takeaway. A plane trainer keeps the club on line early and, again, keeps the arms and body moving together — which is why aids like this show up in his wedge work, where he doesn't want the arms dragging behind and flipping.

PRO Sendr – Plane Mate — same brand as the cradle Rory's used; great for grooving the takeaway and shallowing the club on plane. Affiliate link (no discount code): https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES

(Image placement: down-the-line takeaway sequence showing club on plane.)

Tempo, transition and release: the GForce Swing Trainer

The GForce is one of Rory's longest-standing training aids — he's used it on and off for years, and GForce list him among their headline tour players alongside the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Minjee Lee. It's a fully hittable club with a super-flexible shaft: if you cast from the top, get quick in transition or fire out of sequence, the shaft bends and throws the ball offline, so it instantly exposes tempo and release faults. Sequence it smoothly and it flies straight.

That makes it a great match for what Rory works on — a smoother transition and a better delivery position, letting the club load and unload properly instead of casting or flipping through impact.

GForce Swing Trainer Super-flexible, USGA-legal, fully hittable trainer for tempo, rhythm, transition, sequencing and release. Available as a 7-iron, wedge or driver. Discount code: SE10

How Rory McIlroy practises putting: mirrors and templates

Rory's putting is overseen by Brad Faxon, who's coached him since 2018 and turned him from 159th in Strokes Gained: Putting into one of the best putters on tour. Faxon's approach is deliberately light-touch — he's said there's an "overabundance of putting training aids" and warns against over-reliance — but there's still real technical work.

Rory himself has said he uses a putting mirror about once a week to check that his eyes are level and don't angle out to the right, and to keep the trail elbow tucked at setup. Faxon has been filmed using a mirror at home to teach the same fundamentals.

If you want to work on setup, eye-line and stroke path the way Rory does, here are the mirrors and templates I'd recommend:

PuttOut Mirror + Adjustable Gates — the most popular tour-style mirror for eye-line, shoulder alignment and start line. Code: ROSSEVES15 (15% off) · https://puttout.golf/ROSSEVES15

Visio Two-Piece Mirror — excellent alignment and eye-line mirror, packs flat for travel. Code: rosse10 (10% off) · https://visioputting.com/?ref=39

Visio Template — a setup/alignment template for grooving a repeatable address and start line at home. Code: rosse10(10% off) · https://visioputting.com/?ref=39

(Image placement: overhead shot of a putting mirror in use, showing eye-line over the ball.)

Speed training: how Rory adds swing speed

Rory is one of the most vocal advocates of dedicated speed training in the pro game. He deliberately separates speed practice from playing golf — on the range he'll chase a raw ball-speed number, on the basis that "if I can get my fastest speed as high as possible, then my baseline comes up." He's talked about going from around 180 mph ball speed to cruising at 186, and he ramped his speed work up noticeably around 2020 using the Super Speed Golf System.

He credits a lot of that to gym work and equipment tweaks — so treat the tools below as the best at-home versions of the overspeed training he champions, rather than the exact brand in his bag:

SuperSpeed Golf System — the original overspeed training system; three graduated sticks that reset your neuromuscular "speed limit" over a few weeks. Code: rosseves (10% off) · https://superspeedgolf.com/discount/rosseves

The Stack System — app-guided speed training with adjustable weights; the modern data-driven choice. Code:EVESGOLF (10% off) · https://www.thestacksystem.com/discount/EVESGOLF

Quick reference: Rory-inspired training aids and discount codes

Skill / feel	The aid	Rory link	Code	Discount	Buy
Arm–body connection	Sure Golf The Connector	Uses it	ROSSEVES	10%	https://sure-golf.com/?ref=ROSSEVES
Wrist structure at the top	PRO Sendr Cradle	Has used it	—	Affiliate link	https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES
Flat lead wrist (lead-wrist)	Tac-Tic	Has used it	—	No link (named honestly)	—
Stop the flying elbow	PRO Sendr Connection Sphere	Similar at-home	—	Affiliate link	https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES
Stop the flying elbow	TRS Ball	Tour-family aid	ROSSEVES	10%	https://trsgolf.com/ROSSEVES
Stop the flying elbow	The Impact Ball	Similar at-home	rosseves	10%	http://www.theimpactball.com
Takeaway & plane	PRO Sendr Plane Mate	Similar at-home	—	Affiliate link	https://prosendrgolf.com/ROSSEVES
Tempo, transition & release	GForce Swing Trainer	Uses it	SE10	via code	link to be added
Putting setup & eye-line	PuttOut Mirror	Similar at-home	ROSSEVES15	15%	https://puttout.golf/ROSSEVES15
Putting setup & eye-line	Visio Two-Piece Mirror	Similar at-home	rosse10	10%	https://visioputting.com/?ref=39
Putting alignment	Visio Template	Similar at-home	rosse10	10%	https://visioputting.com/?ref=39
Swing speed	SuperSpeed Golf System	Category tool	rosseves	10%	https://superspeedgolf.com/discount/rosseves
Swing speed	The Stack System	Category tool	EVESGOLF	10%	https://www.thestacksystem.com/discount/EVESGOLF

FAQ

What training aid is Rory McIlroy using in 2026? His most-used aid is The Connector by Sure Golf, a foam connection ball that sits between the forearms to keep his arms and body synced. He's been seen with it repeatedly on the range from 2024 through to 2026.

What wrist training aid does Rory McIlroy use? He's worked with the PRO Sendr cradle, which sits on the trail wrist and stops the lead wrist getting into too much extension at the top of the backswing.

Does Rory McIlroy use the GForce Swing Trainer? Yes — the GForce is one of his longest-standing aids. Its super-flexible shaft trains tempo, transition and release by exaggerating any fault, so the ball only flies straight when you sequence the swing smoothly.

Who is Rory McIlroy's putting coach? Brad Faxon, who's worked with him since 2018. Rory uses a putting mirror roughly once a week to check his eye-line and setup.

Does Rory McIlroy do speed training? Yes. He treats speed as its own discipline, separate from playing golf, and chases a top-end ball-speed number to raise his baseline. Overspeed systems like SuperSpeed and The Stack are the at-home versions of that kind of training.

Can amateur golfers use the same training aids as Rory McIlroy? Absolutely — most of these aids were designed for everyday golfers. The Connector, connection balls, wrist cradles, putting mirrors and speed sticks all work at any level.