I keep finding this scary training aid in pro golfers' bags

Back in May, in one of the many bags of clubs surrounding Bryson DeChambeau during our cover shoot with him, I saw it: a regular-sized club with a comically undersized iron head. I pulled it out of the bag.

"I've hit a lot of golf shots with that," the 2020 and 2024 U.S. Open champion said.

I came across it in a tour teacher's studio a few weeks after that, and then last month, I saw it again. This time in Joaquin Niemann's bag.

"I use this every time I'm on the range, probably for about 20 minutes," he said.

The training aid

Neimann used a PureOne golf training iron. Bryson used the PSP "Little One" iron. Different brands, but the same idea: Regular club, tiny clubhead.

The point of the training aid is pretty simple. These mini clubheads force you to hit the sweet spot because that's literally the only spot there is to hit. I bought one myself, and here's what it looks like next to a golf ball.

What it's like using it

It's scary at first, but you get used to it surprisingly fast—and it's not quite as difficult as it looks. It's about the length of an 8-iron, which makes it a great club to work on your golf swing with. Even though you may be making changes, you're forced to remember priority No. 1: putting the clubface on the golf ball.

It makes sense why it keeps popping up in players' bags. Center contact is a major key to distance control; to maximizing your distance; and toward overall happiness on the golf course. If there's one thing that can make golfers happier, it's hitting the ball on the screws, more often.

Then, after about 20 shots, your regular irons start to look like frying pans. They seem impossible to mis-hit, which makes it a major confidence booster.