By: Jon Sherman

Sometimes, I’m skeptical of training aids. It’s a murky industry that preys on golfers’ hopes and dreams. But I’ve always liked putting mirrors. They’re simple, effective, and have been a regular part of my practice for years. More importantly, I know they’ve helped me. So when I first came across the Putting Thing from WhyGolf, I was curious to see how it compared.

After a few putts with it, I realized it wasn’t just another version of a tool I already owned. It’s intuitive, sleek, durable, and gives instant feedback on whether you’re starting the ball on your intended line. The adjustable gates let you fine-tune the challenge without any setup hassle, which makes practice surprisingly enjoyable.

WhyGolf has built a reputation for creating thoughtful, feedback-driven training aids, and the Putting Thing is no exception. This review covers my experience with it, how it’s different from other putting aids, and who it’s for.

Unboxing & First Impressions

The Putting Thing comes in a slim, sleek package that matches the device itself - an ultra-thin, 1/16-inch aluminum body that feels more like something you’d see in an Apple store than a golf shop. I immediately appreciated the attention to detail and design (something I’ve found lacking in many products over the years).

The first thing that struck me: it’s thinner than any putting aid I’ve ever tested. That matters because, with many putting aids, you need to choke up on your putter to avoid dragging it on the device. Here, you can set up naturally - like you would on an actual putting green.

What’s different about the Putting Thing:

• Four integrated ball gates with fully-adjustable settings for every skill level.
• A detachable Alignment Rail (the black piece on top) that doubles as a Stimpmeter.
• Lines around the ball for checking your eye position - no bulky mirror required.
• The scratch-resistant aluminum body gives it a premium feel.

Safe to say, I was really excited to test it out.

What It’s Designed to Do

About 90% of a putt’s starting direction comes from your putter’s face angle at impact, and the Putting Thing’s main purpose is to help you train your start line. This is the skill where golfers can get “quick wins” with handicap reduction.

To help you improve your start-line consistency, the Putting Thing naturally builds the same fundamentals great putters share - square alignment, consistent eye position, and center contact.

It does this through a few clever design features:

Four Integrated Putter and Ball Gates:

Unlike other aids that make you manually set tees or plastic pieces as gates, the Putting Thing’s putter and ball gates are built in and fully adjustable. You can go from Tour-tight to beginner-wide in seconds. You won’t find another putting trainer with this level of adjustability.

The Alignment Rail:

This black bar sits behind the gates and acts like a train track - making sure the ball rolls off the same way every time. Its purpose is to help you align the device perfectly with your target. Once it’s set, remove it, and you know your aim is spot on. It even doubles as a Stimpmeter for checking green speed, which is a nice touch.

Eye Position Feedback without a Mirror:

A lot of putting aids rely on mirrors for eye position training. They’re great in theory, but they scratch easily and dealing with glare from the sun isn’t any fun. The Putting Thing takes a smarter route - two parallel lines around the ball give you the same visual feedback. You instantly know if your eyes are over, inside, or outside your line. This is a game-changer.

My Experience

After using The Putting Thing for several sessions, here is what stood out to me:

• Many training aids are either too easy or too hard, making them easy to discard. I found it rested nicely somewhere in between the two. I could relax into my session with easier settings, then see how tight I could make the gates to increase the challenge without making it impossible.
• I have a center-shafted putter with dimensions different from those of most other models. I could adjust the gates to accommodate this quite easily.
• I quickly noticed my current tendency to strike the gates with the heel of my putter blade and developed a “feel” to avoid contact, resulting in a more consistent start line.

Overall, successful practice is about gathering good feedback and challenging yourself appropriately. This definitely checks the boxes on both with my setup and stroke.

What Makes It Stand Out

After testing dozens of putting training aids over the last decade, here’s what separates the Putting Thing from the competition:

• Build Quality: It’s durable, portable, and extremely thin.
• Design Intelligence: Combines the best elements of putting mirrors, gates, and stroke trainers.
• Versatility: Works great indoors or outdoors on the practice green.
• Intuitive and easy to use: Virtually zero setup time required.

Final Verdict

I’m usually pretty guarded when it comes to reviewing golf training aids. The last thing I want to do is recommend something I don’t genuinely believe in.

But the WhyGolf Putting Thing genuinely surprised me.

It’s refined, functional, and grounded in real putting mechanics. It rewards good technique and is a blast to practice with. It’s also built to last, unlike most plastic gadgets in this category.

If you’re serious about improving your start line - or looking for a high-quality holiday golf gift that doesn’t feel gimmicky - this is the one I’d recommend.

👉 You can check it out on whygolf.com