The ProSleeve is a smaller version of the old standby, the Shag Bag. The main difference is that this is a 39-inch long, 2-inch diameter plastic tube, which will fit into your golf bag for easy carrying. What makes this device different from some other shag tubes, is that the ProSleeve has trigger mechanism that allows the golfer to release one ball at a time, exactly where and how you want. If you want to release one ball, you just hold the tube about an inch off the ground, and pull and release the trigger. If you want to dispense all 14 balls, you just hold the trigger back, and lift the tube higher off the ground. This allows you to dispense a line of balls along the edge of the practice green for putting, or on the fringe area for chipping practice. You’re choice. The top end of the tube can be rotated so as to form a handle for ease of use. The trigger is hinged, and folds up out of the way for easy storage, and to allow the unit to easily fit into you golf bag. I’m sure you’ve seen the drill that Mickleson uses for putting practice. With the ProSleeve, you can do the same thing, by releasing one ball at a time in a circle around the cup.
If you’re like most amateur golfers, when you practice your short game, if you practice it at all, you just hit range balls, and call it practice. The problem with this is that most range balls aren’t very good quality, and they don’t react the same as the ball you play out on the course. Have you ever spent an hour working on your chipping, and having done pretty well, walked away pleased with you game, only to struggle with ever chip shot out on the course the next day? The reason is you practiced with one ball, and played with a totally different ball. So all that practice time is pretty much wasted. What the ProSleeve does is, it’s provides you with an easy way to practice your short game with the exact same ball that you play on the course. Because it holds 14 golf balls, it’s easy to fill it up with your normal ball. The shag bag on the other hand, holds over 100 balls, so filling it with something like the Titliest ProV1, would cost a small fortune. With the ProSleeve, you have no excuse not to practice with the same ball as you play. Now when you practice your chip shots, you will be getting the same action around the green, as when you are playing. The same for you practice time on the putting green.
To check out the manufactures claim of improved short game performance, I filled a ProSleeve with 14 brand new MaxFli Revolution Tour balls, the exact same ball that is currently in my bag. Like most amateur golfers, I used to practice my chip and pitch shots with plain old range balls. One thing I always noticed was a lack of decent distance control, even on my best days, it seemed at least a few balls wouldn’t roll out as I’d expected it would. When I started using the ProSleeve, with my MaxFli balls, it was easy to see a marked difference in my chipping. Especially in the area of backspin. With range balls, it’s next to impossible to get a ball to exhibit any tendency to want to stop quickly when it first lands on the green. But with my MaxFli balls, there was a noticeable amount of backspin, trying to get the ball to stop. I was also able to see a huge difference in how the ball rolled out, depending on how much I hit “down” on the ball with my irons. The more I hit “down” on the ball, the more the ball would CHECK UP, when it landed, and the less it rolled out. I was able for the first time to play a shot more like a pro would. Now I can do the same thing with my pitching game practice. I can hit a high flop shot and have my ball stop much sooner than when I was practicing the same shot with a rock hard range ball. Now I’m able to concentrate on landing the ball closer to the pin, knowing my ball will stop much closer to where it lands. With a range ball, it was always a question mark on how the ball would roll out. And any mans guess as to how far it would carry on each shot. Since I started using the ProSleeve and my normal ball for all my short game practice, I can see a major difference in how close I can hit my shots. After only one practice session with the ProSleeve, it was obvious that practicing with my game ball was going to really improve my short game. Also, in the past, I would never think to take my shag bag with me when I go out to play 18, I’d only take it if I was going to the practice range. For one thing it’s too big and clumsy to carry around. With the ProSleeve, it’s easy to take a shag tube with me, as it fits right into my golf bag with my clubs. Nothing extra to carry and get in the way. Same for practice session, no reason not to bring it along, as it fits inside the bag with my clubs.
Thinking back to a few years ago, I used to have a pretty good short game, and I’d been told so on more than one occasion on the course. But that was when I was playing a two piece ball, which is what most range balls are. Now that I’m only playing with 3 piece balls, practicing with those 2 piece range balls wasn’t working; it was a source of inconsistency. Bottom line? If you use a ProSleeve and practice with you normal ball, you will find yourself with shorter putts after those chips and pitches. And we all know how important that is to making par. The same for your putting, you’ll have more “tap-in” second putts then you ever dreamed of.
The ProSleeve is a Triggered Golf Ball Shag Tube that holds 14 balls. Retail price is $39.95. Contact info: www.prosleevegolf.com. 1-888-8 sleeve
Don Fisher is a long-time contributor and forums moderator at Golf Gear Review. Don is the owner of Fisher Custom Firearms, and is a world class pistolsmith. He is now building his own custom made line of putters. For information contact him by visiting our forums and send him a private message.
