Vicarious pleasures and variegated props

GADGETS: Philip Reidlooks at some devices designed to help you feel better, look better and maybe even play better

GOLF HAS been around so long you'd figure all that could be invented has been invented. You'd be wrong. Apart from the ongoing technological advances with clubs and balls, there are myriads of training aids and gadgets that, day after day and week after week, appear to help us hit it straighter or, simply, keep the ball clean.

If necessity is the mother of all inventions, the truth when it comes to golf gadgets is many offer a quirkiness that won't actually lower your handicap or make you score better.

Nonetheless, many of these gadgets you don't actually use to hit the ball can become an important part of your golfing routine. After all, what did many players do before range finders came into vogue?

Some of the most innovative products of recent times are also the simplest. For instance, the popularity of "Shaft Skinz" has more to do with appearances than with actually helping you hit the ball. Yet many tour players - among them Ji-Yah Shin, winner of the British Women's Open - have taken to personalising clubs with a product that was actually inspired by soft-drink packaging.

When the PGA merchandising show was held in Orlando this year, one of the most popular products on view was an Irish invention that focused on the humble golf towel.

Vicarious Golf is a company that was spawned from a business project undertaken by three students - Brendan Moore, Andrew Thompson and James Dowling - at NUI Maynooth and led to the creation of a product called the V-Towel Elite.

Carefully engineered to fit all golf bags, this patented technology allows a player to use the product on or off the bag. Lateral rotation of the Drop Lock System causes V-Towel to always hang vertically, even at the most extreme bag angles, while a unique staggered wave bristle pattern removes dirt from the grooves of irons to maximise spin and ball control. Its lightweight design is suitable for golfers of all ages and abilities.

The high-performance material is four times more absorbent than a cotton towel, is ideal for polishing the face, cavity and sole of irons and can be used to remove moisture or oil-based substances from the hands.

As with most inventions, the idea came out of the blue . . . on the golf course, where they had seen players use long pieces of grass, the ends of trouser legs and tees to clean the heads of clubs.

"We were on the course playing golf when we saw this hideous-looking contraption on Andrew's bag," recalled Moore. "It was this cleaning product and was literally two pieces of astroturf stitched together."

The first part of the research and design undertaken by the threesome involved feedback from caddies during the Ryder Cup at The K Club in 2006 and the upshot is a product that won them the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2007.

Now, the product is available at golf stores throughout Europe . . . and they are working on an number of other golf-related products as they expand their portfolio.

It's nearly 400 years since an imaginative golfer filled a horsehide sphere with goose feathers and let it dry into a hard, light ball. In that moment, golf's first gadget was born. And, in the many years since, there has been an endless proliferation of products, inventions and ideas developed with the simple goal of making a ball go straighter and farther. Some caught on, some fizzled away. Here, we highlight some new products on the market that could be around for quite some time.

V-Towel Elite

It seems impossible to believe there was much room for improvement with the basic golf towel, but university students at NUI Maynooth came up with this total cleaning system. The V-Towel features a microfibre towel loop affixed to a mounting mechanism that encloses an arc of scrubbing bristles and comes in a variety of colours.

Expect to pay:€39.99

Where? www.vvvisions.com

Shaft Skinz

Inspired by soft-drink packaging, this product is a simple shrink wrap that adds colour in various design options to club shafts. There's no evidence to suggest Shaft Skinz will reduce your scores - but they do look pretty cool.

Expect to pay:€14.95 for a pack of four.

Where?www.shaftskinz.com

Clubzup

A simple gadget that should put an end to losing clubs by leaving them in the rough or beside a green. You simply slip the device over the end of the club's grip and insert it into the ground. To remove, tilt the club back then forward, loosening the spikes, and lift. Works in the rough, middle of the fairway, even on sloped lies . . . all the time keeping your grips clean and dry.

Expect to pay:€7 (plus postage)

Where? www.clubzup.com

Sunbuster Golf Correct Glasses

More than merely shades, these sunglasses block 100 per cent of harmful UV rays.

What makes these sunglasses remarkable is the colour-correcting technology they employ, which provides sharper contrast for reading the subtle breaks in greens and finding balls in the rough.

Expect to pay:€57 to €128 (plus shipping of €21)

Where?www.sunbusterglasses.com

Remote Control Auto Putt Returner

A device for the office or home, this improved version of the putt returner includes a remote control and can record scores for up to three people . . . you will need a carpeted floor but it should help your putting stroke as well as providing some fun.

Expect to pay:€37 (plus postage)

Where? www.golfonline.co.uk

Staygripped Training Aid

For newcomers to the game, especially, the grip is the most difficult aspect.

This product range is simple but very effective, not only demonstrating how to grip the club properly but also how tightly to hold the club. It comprises two gloves, right and left, and a seven-iron with a Velcro grip.

Expect to pay:€63 (plus postage)

Where? www.staygripped.com

• Most prices are approximate